by C Bradley
“B-Brody. Ugh, h-hi,” she stands to greet me, as I approach her desk.
“It’s Mr. Lucas actually, and you are?” I correct her, offering my hand for a formal shake.
“Cassidy. Cassidy Johnson. I work under Hannah. You must know what that’s like.” She laughs at her own joke and places her limp hand within mine. Her remark causes me to drop her hand quickly.
“Miss Johnson, are you really saying lewd and sexual harassment commentary to me, the CEO of the company, that you work for? Surely, you know as an HR Assistant that is neither appropriate nor funny. Do you enjoy your job, Miss Johnson?”
Her face pales, as she stutters to find words.
“I-I... y-yes. I’m sorry, Mr. Lucas. It won’t happen again.” Her head tilts forward to glance downward at her desk, and she begins fidgeting with her pencil.
“Thank you. Now, back to work, Miss Johnson.”
I push open the door of Hannah’s office, and see that she’s on the phone when I enter.
“Can the HR Director spare an hour of her busy schedule for the CEO? I have very boring things to talk about over Italian.” I inquire, my voice low enough not to disrupt her call.
She smirks, tossing a paper clip in my direction, before holding her finger up, an indication that she needs a minute to conclude her call.
I pull out the chair Hannah’s seated in, as she stands, “Lunch was great. Thank you for joining me, beautiful.” I grab my suit jacket from the back of the chair, tossing it over one arm, as we walk out of the Italian bistro.
“You’re welcome, handsome. Anytime.” She slides her arm around my waist, as we make our way towards the office.
The bright blue cloudless skies and the low humidity are perfect for the short walk from the office to the restaurant. But downtown Raleigh mid-day is hellish; the air is filled with thick smog from the Fayetteville street traffic, making it almost difficult to breathe. I catch Hannah’s hand in mine, interlacing our fingers, as we leisurely stroll past the outdoor Farmer’s market. The smell of citrus and fresh cut flowers fills my nose before a tug of my hand stops me in front of a florist table.
“Babe, look.” Hannah points to a sign that reads: “Create your own bouquet only $5.”
My smile widens, as I reach into my back pocket, retrieving my wallet and handing the kind man a five-dollar bill, while Hannah meticulously picks out her flowers one by one.
After she’s finished, the man running the table wraps the flowers in pink tissue paper, and then he firmly ties the stems with a piece of twine to secure the bouquet.
Hannah lifts the bouquet to her nose, closing her eyes, when the fragrance reaches her senses. Leaning towards me, she plants a kiss on my lips. “Thank you for my flowers. I think I’ll keep them in my office.”
“It only makes sense that you’d have something in your office that’s as beautiful as you are, baby. I love the blue lily.” Our hands link again, as we begin walking back to the office. I watch her from the corner of my eye, as she raises the bouquet to her nose every few steps, so that the scent lingers in her nostrils.
In a matter of seconds, a dark brown and white blur runs directly in front of Hannah and me, triggering me to stick my arm out across her chest, causing her to collide into it.
“What the hell, Brody?” She spouts, before her eyes reach the blur. “Aww, come here you poor thing,” Hannah offers her hand to the chocolate brown and white mutt, as it approaches cautiously. Her hand makes contact with the dog’s head, before a heavyset angry man comes running out of the same alley the dog came from. The man is waving a broom and shouting profanities at the mutt. The mutt quickly turns and bolts directly into the oncoming traffic of Fayetteville Street.
Hannah runs after the mutt, dropping her flowers and shouting for the dog to stop. The loud drawn out sound of a truck horn stops my heart, and I chase after her into the street without thinking.
“HANNAH, STOP!” I reach out, wrapping my hand around her arm and yanking her backwards on to the curb, as a large semi-truck comes barreling towards us, just barely missing us.
“Jesus, Hannah! What were you thinking? You could have gotten hit or worse.” Shaking my head, I run my hand over her checking for injuries, noticing the mutt being hugged tightly against her mid-section. My mind temporarily wanders off thinking about the what if’s, and I shudder at the mere thought of the woman I love being injured in any way.
“I’m fine,” she grunts, swatting my hand away, releasing the mutt from her grasp.
I gather myself and get to my feet, offering my hand to help her stand. “I couldn’t just let her get hit and killed, Brody. Look at that sweet face.” She reasons, while reaching her hand out for the mutt, gently patting its head.
“Alright Wonder Woman, if you’re done doing your acts of kindness for the day, we should get back to the office,” I say, watching her squat down and say her goodbyes to the mutt. Picking up the bouquet she had dropped, I guide her arm towards the direction of the office, and we start walking. Hannah glances back over my shoulder, when she hears the pitter patter of paws following us on the concrete sidewalk.
“Baby, she’s following us. We can’t just leave her.” She pleads.
“Hannah, what are we going to do with her? We have to go back to work.” I ask, while trying to reason with my girlfriend, all the while knowing that it’s nearly impossible. It would be much easier trying to reason with a wall than Hannah, when she’s got her mind set on something. Nothing and no one can change it. It’s one of those qualities that a person either loves or hates in a partner, and I love her strong will. Just not when it could nearly cost her, her life.
“Brody, you own the company.” Hannah also knows how to get what she wants. The minute that cheek to cheek smile touches her face, I know I’m doomed.
“Alright. Alright,” I concede holding my hands up. “Fuck, this will be interesting.”
So maybe, just maybe, suggesting we take in a stray dog isn’t at the top of my brightest ideas. But she’s so precious, and she’ll be even more so after a bath, or a full grooming. We reach the office, and I stop dead in my tracks, catching Brody off guard yet again.
“I’m going to take her to the clinic over on Boysenberry. I’ll have them scan her for a microchip, and if she’s not in the database, I’ll have them groom her.” Squatting down, I rub the pup’s ears, smiling as she leans into my hand.
“Hannah, I think you should be prepared that she’ll have an owner, or that someone will likely be looking for her.” Brody’s words, while I’m sure they were meant to be encouraging, only frustrate me.
“Mhmm, okay.” I offer back, leading my new fur ball friend to my car.
Three hours later, we’re finally leaving the animal clinic. Yes, we. She was microchipped, the owner had passed away, and Chloe escaped the local no-kill shelter. It is meant to be. Well almost, there’s a no animal clause in my apartment lease, and since I’ve yet to give Brody an official “yes, I’ll move in” answer, I’ve been back and forth between both places for the last two weeks.
I’m not playing hard to get, and I’m not even stalling for the sake of stalling. I just want to make sure this is the right move for us. I think it is, and the closer we grow together, I finally feel that it is. So, I have two tasks the way I see it. I have to tell Brody and end my lease, which means I need to tell Micah. Since he is my best friend, I normally don’t keep things from him. I just hope he approves and doesn’t try to interfere, again.
“Babe, I think I’ll just boil some chicken, potatoes, and rice for Chloe. Then tomorrow, we’ll get her food and treats.” I prattle on about my plans, as I start cooking in the built-for-a-chef kitchen. Between the six range Viking stove, double oven, convection oven, and grill plate, it’s safe to say I’ve got space to multitask. Moving to the island, which holds a farm sink for rinsing, I dice the potatoes for Chloe, and the sweet potatoes for us.
“Would you like some help, babe?” Brody asks, after he washes his hands in the d
ouble bin sink on the other side of the kitchen.
“I think I’m good,” I smile, tossing the veggies in their respective pots for cooking and flip the pork chops.
“I like this with you in my kitchen. In our kitchen, at home.” I hear the smile in his voice, before I even turn around, confirming that he is in fact smiling brilliantly wide and bright.
“I love this kitchen, probably a smidgen more than I love you.” I giggle and fall into his chest, as he pulls me towards him.
“Wow, that was the game changer huh, the Viking?” His laugh is infectious, and I quickly fail in the effort of holding back my own laughter.
“Totally,” I tease him, as my phone starts blaring “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. It’s Micah’s ringtone. “Hey, Micah. What’s up?”
“Nothin’ much. You got me on speaker?” He asks cautiously.
“Yep, I’m making dinner. I’m all domesticated and shit now.” I laugh, waiting for him to continue.
“So, I got your voicemail, and I’m uh, what exactly are your plans, sweetheart?”
“My plans are that I think Brody and I can get most of my things out this weekend. I know you and I have talked about you renting the extra space because it’s so close to your unit. So, I can leave it furnished for you, if you want to rent it out, or I can store my things that I don’t move over here, so you can have it just for space.”
“I get that, but are you sure this is the right move?” His voice is hesitant and filled with the concern, showing his protective nature that he generally exudes, when discussing my life choices.
“Micah, I’m a grown woman,” I remind him. “Your mom taught me well enough.”
“It’s just… Hannah, this is really fast.” Micah’s argument is cut short, when Chloe goes crazy barking and sprinting from one room to the next. “What in the fuck is that?” His shout is barely audible over the barking.
“Well, typically a sound like that is derived from a dog.” I deadpan, as Brody distracts Chloe and coerces her to the backyard.
“When did you get a dog?” He implores confusion winning over his interrogation.
“Oh, it’s the sweetest story,” I coo, as I turn off the pork chops to rest before slicing. I recant the day of finding Chloe, and the trip to the vet’s office, as I strain the regular potatoes, chicken breast, and our sweet potatoes. “So, she’s getting adjusted to her new life.”
“Hannah, are you sure things are okay? It’s not like you to be this impulsive,” Micah’s concern, while heartwarming, is starting to pick at the last nerve I’ve attached to my self-control. “How about you keep the apartment just for a little while in case things don’t work out. I mean you can always get it back from me, but I think this is the right choice for now.”
“Micah, for the sake of our friendship and that of my relationship with Brody, I’m going to end this call. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon for lunch.” After a round of goodbyes, Brody hits the end button for the call.
“Well, that was interesting, yet almost exactly as I expected.” He grumbles, as I begin plating our dinner off pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes, and fresh green beans. I quickly combine the shredded chicken breast, potatoes, and rice into a bowl for Chloe. “This dog is going to be so spoiled, Hannah.”
“Well, yeah. She’s our lil’ girl.” I smile so wide my dimples appear, as I bend to offer the food to Chloe, and then join Brody on the other side of the island for dinner in our spacious kitchen.
Rolling over in bed, my eyes slowly blink open to the sun peering through the skylight of the master bedroom. Our bedroom. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the fact that Hannah and I now inhabit the master bedroom of my childhood home. It’s been nearly a month since my parents passing, and I have been very hesitant to remove or rearrange any of the furniture in the house. It just doesn’t feel right.
Having Hannah cohabit with me feels right. The pain in my chest, every time they’re mentioned, is now a dull ache, which Addy says is a small indication that I’m starting to heal from their loss. Can you ever really heal from the loss of a loved one? Or does the pain just get so dull, that we no longer think about it every moment?
My parents had provided me with a lifetime of memories, and they made sure Nina and I were set in their absence as well. I will always love and appreciate them for everything they’ve instilled in my sister and I. Nina and I started going through some of my parent’s belongings, creating piles of memorabilia to keep and other things to donate to local charities.
When Nina had to leave for a catering gig, Hannah filled in for her, purging and helping me move things around in preparation for the move of her belongings. After keeping me in suspense for two damn weeks, she finally said yes to moving in together. I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in my parent’s bed, so we decided to get rid of it, and use the king-sized bed from my old apartment.
Room by room, Hannah and I went through marking which furniture to keep and which furniture would go, by using different colored Post-It notes. Those were Hannah’s suggestion of course. She’s my organization queen. Once we got rid of the furniture to be donated, we emptied the remnants of my old apartment, until it was bare.
Three years in that place flew by; I probably would have stayed many more years, had the circumstances been different. Reaching across the bed and wrapping my arms around Hannah, I slide her body back against my own. Resting my head in the crook of her neck, my lips fall just above her collarbone and leave light kisses in their wake. A low, lazy moan escapes her, as she pushes her ass back, stretching her legs out, and wrapping her arms around mine.
“Good morning, beautiful. Happy birthday.” I whisper, while pressing my lips to her nape.
“Mmmm, thank you,” she croaks out, as she manages a sleepy smile.
“Ready for some breakfast?”
“Dough Balls?” Her eyes pop open, and I can’t help but find humor in her excitement.
“Ugh. You’re gonna make me fat, woman. All these amazing meals, plus your obsession with Dough Balls,” I laugh, trying to reason, while my stomach is actively grumbling.
“But it’s my birthday! You’re allowed to have a cheat meal, Brody.” She sasses, sending an elbow back into my midsection. “Plus, you’re all skin and bones. We need to put some meat on you.” Her grin widens, as she playfully taunts me.
“A cheat meal a week not one a day.” I correct, watching her lower lip pucker out forming a pout. “Plus, I’ve got plenty of skin... and a bone for ya.” I begin nibbling her neck again, causing her to giggle.
“Hey, hands off until we eat, you fiend! A girl could starve, if forced to keep up with your sexual appetite.” She slides out of my grasp and out of bed, sashaying her beautiful bare ass into the master bathroom.
“Uggggghhhh. I can’t believe you’re making me run on my birthday. This should be a fucking crime.” Hannah grunts, while pushing thru the last quarter mile.
“You wanted Dough Balls, babe. Plus, we had to take Chloe for a walk. Two birds, one stone. We’re here, anyways.” I say, pointing up at the Dough Balls sign and smiling.
Handing my money clip to Hannah, I find a table under the awning and take a seat with Chloe. Dough Balls is a pet friendly restaurant, as evident by the doggie station that includes treats, doggie bags, and even a water fountain. Chloe helps herself to the water, and then retreats to the shady spot under the table for the cool concrete.
Hannah joins us at the table moments later with a tray in hand. “Black coffee for you, handsome with some protein Doughballs,” She sets the coffee and plate in front of me, before she does the same with her own.
“What did you get?” I ask, peaking at her plate curiously.
“Nutella and peanut butter filled. These are orgasmically delicious.” She giggles, taking a bite of one, and the filling oozes out all over her fingers. Grabbing her hand, I lift her fingers to my mouth, sucking the gooey mixture from them, as she observes my actions closely.
“Ah, I should have k
nown you’d go for the Nutella. It tastes almost as good as you do.” I whisper the last part, as a grin covers my face.
“The best part about it being my birthday is that I don’t have to share.” Slipping her hand from my grasp and throwing a wink my way, she pops another one in her mouth.
Reaching into my jogging shorts pocket, I pull out a small white box and hold it up.
“Speaking of your birthday, I suppose you may want your presents. Well, one of them at least.”
Hannah stops mid chew and stares at the box. Her expression and fidgeting are clear signs of her nervousness. I could reassure her that it’s not a ring, but where’s the fun in that? Holding my hand out, she takes the box from my palm and slowly opens it. Her expression softens, when she sees the gift.
“Oh, Brody. I love it! Thank you.” She makes her way around the table, wrapping an arm around my neck and sitting on my lap. Pulling my face in, she plants a kiss on my lips and removes the necklace from the box. A small terrarium necklace filled with beach sand, pebbles, and a few tiny shells hang from a dainty silver chain.
“You’re welcome, baby. Anything for my girl. I had it made from the sand and shells from Kure Beach. I know how much that place means to you.”
She holds the necklace between her thumb and pointer finger, “It’s absolutely perfect. Will you help me put it on?”
Removing the necklace from her grasp, I slip the chain around her nape and fasten the clasp, pressing my lips against her neck right above the necklace.
“I’m so glad you like it. I love you, Hannah.”
“I do, I love it. Thank you.”
Cramps.
The cramps are real.
No not the running cramps, but the ripping-of-the-uterus-lining kind of cramps. Hunching over, once we reach the front of the property, I suck in a lungful of air, pleading with the man upstairs for a small break. It’s my birthday! Who does this to a woman on her birthday? I felt the telltale signs about a half mile past Dough Balls, but shook it off, thinking it’s too soon. I mean I’m on a down to-the-day-schedule. Did I mention it’s my birthday? We planned to come home, strip each other naked, and celebrate. I’m not a girl that’s into messing around, when the river is flowing red.
