by Tl Reeve
"Perfect. Thanks." He smiles.
I sit across from him. "Should we say a prayer?" I ask.
He purses his lips and nods. We link our hands together and say a small prayer.
When we pull back, I look up at him before taking a bite of food. "Thank you so much for coming. If you hadn't come, I would have been here all alone."
"What do you normally do on the holidays?" He takes a bite of his food and lifts his head, his eyes rolling back. "This is so good. I haven't had a home-cooked meal in a while."
My body hums and I smile at him. "I would have volunteered, then come home and sat alone for the evening. I'm so glad you came over for dinner." I reiterate. "I'm glad you like the food."
"It's amazing! Thank you for inviting me. I wouldn't even have volunteered. I would have sat home alone and found a restaurant that serves Thanksgiving dinner. This is the best Thanksgiving I've had in a long time."
"Where's your family?" I ask before I realize it. "You don't have to answer that, if you don't want."
He gives me a small smile. "I do want to answer. I know you mean well." I watch as he braces himself. "When I was seventeen, the day after Thanksgiving, my parents dragged me to the bank to get money for Christmas shopping. I argued with them that I still had time to shop and didn’t need to go to the bank, but they insisted."
I see the sheen of tears in his eyes as he relives the day.
"Someone decided to rob the bank that day. They made us all sit on the floor with our heads down. One of them didn't know how to use the gun they had, and kept playing with it. My mom had to stand up because her legs started hurting. My dad helped her to stand up from one side, and I did from the other.”
Tears fill my eyes as he continues.
“One of the robbers started yelling at us to sit back down, and the guy who was having the problem with the gun pointed it at us. I tried to pull my mom back as he shook the gun at us. I don’t know what happened, but the gun went off, killing my parents instantly and shooting me in the hip. I didn’t even get to say goodbye, it happened so fast.”
He stops for a second, taking a sip of wine before starting again. “This is a hard holiday for me, so I usually spend it alone. I always think that maybe if I hadn’t argued with them, we would’ve been in and out of the bank before the robbery. I'm very glad to be with you this year. Thanks again."
"I'm so sorry that happened to you. Did they catch the guys who did it?" My heart is aching for him.
He nods. “After the police heard the gun go off, they stormed the place, killing one of them and taking the other three into custody. The paramedics followed them in and got me out quickly, so I received immediate medical help. I didn’t want to leave my parents, but I wasn’t given a choice.”
“Do you have any other family?”
"I have an older sister who lives in Chicago. She's married with two children." He takes another bite of his food.
"Don't you go visit them on holidays?" I ask.
"She always wants me to come, but I don't want to bring down their holiday. This is the first time in five years that I've been excited about this holiday." He smiles at me. "Besides, I get to spend it with you, and this food is amazing."
I feel the heat creep up my cheeks. "Thank you so much! This is the first time in a long time I've been excited about a holiday too." I look at his almost empty plate. “Do you want seconds?”
He nods, and I get up to make him another plate, and set it down in front of him.
“Thank you. What about your family?”
“It was just my mom and me. She got this boyfriend when I was seven years old. He seemed really nice, but I guess he was a psycho. I remember they’d been arguing all that week. I was worried about her, because I heard him threaten to kill her.”
The memories flood back to me, and tears come to my eyes. “I didn’t want to go to school that morning. I argued with her about it for at least twenty minutes. She assured me that she would be okay and she would see me when I got out of school. I still didn’t want to go, but I went anyway. About halfway through the day, I was called to the office.”
I close my eyes and swallow. “There was a policeman waiting for me, and a social worker. The social worker explained to me that my mom’s boyfriend had killed her, them himself. Then she asked if I had any relatives that I knew of. I didn’t know any of my mother’s family, and I didn’t know who my dad was. My mom said he’d left as soon as he found out she was pregnant. They took me home and helped me get my things together, then took me to this lady’s house. I was able to miss school for the rest of the week, for my mom’s funeral.”
I stop and take a sip of wine. I mop my face with my napkin.
“Did they find any family?” he asks, then shakes his head. “You don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want to. I can see this is hard on you.”
“They didn’t find any family. I spent the time until I was eighteen in foster care. It wasn’t bad; I just missed my mom and learned pretty early on not to get attached, because if you do, they move you. I had someone tell me in that first year that I needed to get good grades so I could get a full scholarship to college. I studied hard and ran track whenever I could so I could get a scholarship to any college I wanted. I graduated with a 4.0 GPA. I was able to pick a college here in Florida. I came down here and never looked back.”
Dominic reaches across the table and takes my hand, squeezing it comfortably. “You had it so much harder than I did. I don’t even know how to feel bad about it anymore. Where were you from originally?”
“Oregon. And both of us lost parents. That’s the worst loss for a child to have, no matter what age they are.” I look up at him. “Okay, enough of the sob stories—ready for dessert?”
He nods, and I stand up, taking our plates with me. I scoop up a couple of pieces of pecan pie and bring them back to the table.
“What do you do for a living?” I ask.
“I own a software company. We sell and set up computers for corporations. We also provide technical support for those companies,” he tells me.
“Wow. That’s amazing,” I take a bite of my pie.
“What was your major?” he asks.
“Criminal justice with a minor in social work. I didn’t have a stable home when I was in foster care, so I want to work with the system to find a way to keep kids in a home for longer than a year. Kids need stability, and the foster care system doesn’t provide it for them.” I take a drink of my water.
“Have you started applying for positions? I know it’s been six months since you graduated.” He leans forward, waiting for my answer.
“Actually, I have. It’s one of the things on my list.” I pick up our plates, walking into the kitchen and putting them in the sink.
“List?”
Damn, I didn’t mean to let that out. I turn around and take a deep breath.
“I made a list of things I want to accomplish by the end of the year. The quiet house was getting to me, and I decided that I need to live, not simply exist.”
I look up, expecting him to make fun of me.
“I’ll do it with you. I need to live too. The highlight of every day has been having dinner with you. Let’s do it. Can I see your list?” he asks.
I nod, walking into my bedroom and getting it. Walking back into the dining room, I hand it to him. My hand shakes a little as I let it go. He notices and grabs it, lacing his fingers with mine and rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb, pulling me closer to him. He continues to hold my hand as he quietly reads the list.
“What are you doing this week?” He continues the soothing strokes on the back of my hand with his thumb.
“I’m having lunch with Tina on Saturday. I was thinking about doing a little shopping on Friday.” I shrug.
“Why don’t we go horseback riding? I know a stable nearby.” He looks up at me. The tingles in my hand are moving up my arm, the more his thumb caresses the back of my hand.
“Huh?�
�� I respond, shaking my head.
He smiles. “Horseback riding. Tomorrow. Do you want to go?”
I frown. “But what about your leg?”
“It’ll be fine tomorrow. I just need to get some rest,” he assures me.
I nod. “Okay. It sounds like fun. Do you want anything else to eat?”
He puts down my list and holds his stomach. “I’m so full right now. Everything was amazing!”
“Let’s get you over to the couch, then. You can find something to watch on television while I clean the kitchen.”
I gently pick up his leg and place it on the floor. He stands, and I put his muscular arm around my neck for support.
“I can use my cane,” he argues.
I shake my head. “It’s not that far, and I’ll bring your cane over to you.”
I help him to the couch and lift his leg to rest it on my coffee table. I’m glad it’s the kind with the cushion. I don’t have to put a pillow under his leg.
“How’s that?”
“Nice, thank you.” His eyes are soft as they gaze at me.
I hand him the remote and go into the kitchen. It doesn’t take long to clean the dishes, due to the fact that I cleaned while I was cooking and with there being only two of us eating. I grin to myself. This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and my home doesn’t seem so quiet anymore. I glance over my shoulder at Dominic, and he’s looking at me, his expression soft. I give him a small smile and turn back around, fighting the blush creeping its way up my cheeks. I finish wiping the countertop and get a couple of bottled waters out of the fridge.
I hand one to him as I sit down beside him and see what he’s picked out to watch on television. A rom-com is playing on the screen.
“You like these?” I raise an eyebrow.
“I love these movies. Have since I was younger. I had a girlfriend who made me watch them with her all the time, and now I’m addicted. I always have to see the newest one as soon as it comes out.” He lifts an arm over the back of the couch.
“When was the last time you had a girlfriend?” I look down and play with my fingers.
“A couple of years ago. How long since your last boyfriend?” His fingers brush my shoulder.
“I’ve never had a boyfriend.” I continue to play with my fingers.
Gentle fingers tilt my face to look at him. “So you’ve never been kissed?”
“If you don’t count Beck Sinclair in kindergarten, then no.” I purse my lips.
“Let’s remedy that, then. If nothing else, you can at least get it off your bucket list, because I know it must be on the long-term list that you haven’t written out yet.” He smiles at me and tilts my chin further. “Is it okay if I give you your first real kiss?”
“Yes,” I answer softly. He lowers his head, and I clear my throat, watching as it descends. His lips touch mine so softly at first that if I couldn’t see his face close to mine, I wouldn’t know they were there. He pulls back a little, then leans forward again and applies more pressure, tilting his head to get closer.
I follow his lead as he moves his mouth over mine. I feel vibrations down to my toes as I sink into his kiss. He pulls back for just a fraction of a second and dives back in. I gasp for air and his tongue slides into my mouth, stroking my tongue. I feel something winding in my stomach as our kiss deepens. Stroke for stroke, I follow his movements in my mouth. He pulls me closer, and I feel his hand massaging my scalp as he ravages my mouth.
Too soon, he pulls back, both of us breathing heavily. He places his forehead against mine.
“Wow. That was amazing. Are you sure you’ve never kissed anyone before?”
I close my eyes, dazed. “Never. Is every kiss like that?”
“It isn’t. Not by a long shot,” he breathes. We’re quiet for a couple of minutes longer, each of us catching our breath and pondering the kiss.
Dominic
Damn! I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime for that kiss. I lift my head from hers and pull her to me in a hug. I place her head on my shoulder, and we watch the rest of the rom-com silently. I rub her shoulder because I’m addicted to touching her and have been since the first time I walked her to her car.
The movie credits roll, and she lifts her head, looking at me, a small smile on her face. “Are you hungry again?”
I’m hungry all right.
“Not yet. Maybe in a couple of hours.”
She nods and puts her head back on my shoulder. She fits perfectly against me, like it’s exactly where she belongs. I change the channel and find another movie for us, and we settle in, watching the new movie and chatting.
I know I’m in trouble.
5
Maia
I slowly lift my head off Dominic’s shoulder and clear my throat. The credits roll on the end of the movie we fell asleep watching. I glance at Dominic, and his head is back on the couch, eyes closed, breathing evenly. I smile and touch my lips, easing away from him.
My first kiss. My lips curve up even further at the thought. It was amazing. I want to do it again. I stand up and walk into my small kitchen to make myself a plate of food for my dinner. I put it in the microwave and walk back over to Dominic. I stroke his arm.
“Dominic. Do you want some dinner?”
His eyes open slowly, and he smiles at me. “Hi.”
“Hi. Do you want some dinner?” I smile back, repeating myself.
He nods, and I make him a plate, putting it in the microwave. He pulls his leg down from the coffee table and I stop him.
“We can sit on the couch and eat. You don’t have to move.”
The microwave stops, and I bring our plates into the living room, handing him his. I get us some drinks before I sit down beside him and look at his leg
“Is your leg feeling better?”
“It still hurts, but not as badly.”
I hand him a tray, and he sets his plate on it.
“Isn’t there anything you can take for it?” I study him as he chews his food.
“I have medicine, but I don’t like to take it. I get too groggy. But if it gets too bad, I’ll end up taking it.”
Understandable. He takes another bite of his food.
“You’re welcome to stay tonight if you want. I’ll be here if you need me to help you.”
He nods. “Thank you. I’ll take you up on that offer.”
He reaches over and strokes my arm. Those all too familiar goose bumps follow his touch all the way down my arm. I look down and take a bite of my food, not wanting him to see the yearning in my eyes. His fingers gently grip my chin, lifting my face to his. He leans forward and places a small kiss on my lips before pulling back and taking another bite of his food.
“You know, now that I’ve kissed you, I won’t be able to stop.”
I blush and smile. “I don’t mind at all.”
He nods and goes back to his plate. We quietly eat, stealing glances at each other.
“How did you like your glass of wine?” he asks. “You said you’ve never had any before.”
“It was good, although I would have preferred something sweeter.” I take a sip of my water.
He nods. “I’ll bring a Moscato next time. You’ll like it better. It has a sweet taste.”
“Okay.”
We spend the rest of the evening talking and watching television. I insist he sleeps in my bed, since I spend most nights on the couch anyway. He grumbles but finally agrees. I get ready for bed first and put the covers on the couch. I make sure he has a bottle of water and some ibuprofen beside the bed just in case he needs some in the middle of the night.
“Goodnight, Maia. Thanks for letting me stay,” Dominic calls from the other room.
“No problem. Goodnight.” I snuggle under the covers and close my eyes.
Dominic
On the ride to my house, I tap my leg or the steering wheel the whole time. This will be the first time anyone has been at my house in over two years. My ex was adamant that she didn’t like
my house. Insisted that it made her uncomfortable. I tried to get her to decorate it to her style, but she refused.
I pull into my driveway and wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans before opening the car door. I hurry around and open the door for Maia, helping her out of the car.
“It looks like your leg is feeling better,” she says.
“It is. I only carry the cane for the bad days. Most days, I don’t need it.”
She takes my hand, and I don’t let go as we walk to the front door. Unlocking the door, I step back so she can go inside first.
“How do you like it?” I ask.
She looks around the room, then up at me. “It’s awfully dark. Why?”
We move further into the room.
“I let a new graduate decorate my house. It was someone recommended by my ex. I wasn’t allowed to see the house until it was finished. She didn’t ask my opinion on any colors, or my preferences. I, being a fool, didn’t question it. When I saw the house, I thought it was a joke at first, convinced they were going to pull back a cover or something for a lighter version, but it didn’t happen.”
She runs her fingers over the black couch and frowns. “They didn’t offer you a redo?”
I shake my head. “She told me it fit my mood.”
“Neither of them knew you at all. Why haven’t you remodeled yet?” The end of her lips dip.
“Haven’t found the right person, until now. Would you remodel it for me?” I step closer to her with a pleading face. Not that she can see my face in this room.
She looks around the room again, taking in the dark brown walls, black carpeting, and dark curtains, which are an undiscernible color. “I can’t do worse than this, can I?”
I laugh. “Definitely not. Is that a yes?”
She walks over to the curtains, opening them and letting light into the room. She turns back to me, nodding.
“Yes. I will decorate your house. Something has to be done about this horrible monstrosity.”
Smiling, I hand her the remote and wave at the couch. “Have a seat and I’ll be back after I change.”
