by Bri Stone
“I don’t know. Maybe just sit.” I have a boating license, but I was never good enough at it to trust myself to do it alone, or without my dad there.
“Whatever you want. It’s your day.” He pops a fried oyster in his mouth with a smile.
I grin back, and we eat together as we joke. It’s nice to have a break from school and work. I never give myself much time off. Thom doesn’t either, but he never lets it show like I do. He is always so easy going about everything. He reminds me of the wind on a hot day. There to cool you down and keep the peace.
Clem calls me halfway through dinner. She is with Declan, and they wish me happy birthday. I’ll be seeing her soon at thanksgiving, so I don’t let myself miss her too much. I keep the call short because I really want to get to dessert. And get Thom back home. It isn’t natural, to crave someone so much. But I do.
I have one more margarita and it is pretty much all I can handle. Thom even has a drink too. Not much has changed with his asthma, but he uses a stronger medication that he doesn’t need as often. He doesn’t drink a lot, we don’t even have alcohol at home, but he no longer refrains from drinking the few times we go out. My birthday is a special occasion, he says.
He pays the tab and we head back to the house. Our flight is early, so we can’t stay out too late.
“Ready to open your gift?” Thom kisses my cheek and leans on the counter next to me.
“My gift? I thought this was it.” I say, referring to him bringing me home by surprise.
“No, there’s more.”
He smirks his mischievous grin. I shake my head and finish prepping my tea. He practically rushes me through it and we go back to my room. He tells me to sit on the bed and I immediately think the gift is sexual in some way, which I don’t mind. I sit on the foot of the bed, and he goes searching in his luggage.
“Is this role play or something?” I giggle.
He turns around with a grin and a plain white, square box. Too big to be an engagement ring, I notice. “Not tonight.” He winks and sits next to me, placing the box in my lap.
We had joked about it since we started watching Spartacus. I could be a slave and he a Gladiator, or Lucretia and Batiatus...it was a very brief conversation.
I pick up the box and eye it like I’ve never seen a box before. Thom is rather good with gifts, last year he got me a watch with a thin leather band, I wear it every day.
“Open it.” He chuckles and rests his chin on my shoulder.
I love how my skin still flutters at his touch, like my nerves meet him for the first time whenever he touches me.
I smile, chewing on my lower lip as I lift the cover and pull back the tissue paper. A gasp escapes my lips and I lift the silver chain.
“It’s called a love knot necklace.” He explains.
I hand it to him, still speechless. He chuckles and puts it on for me, moving my hair to the side. I turn back to him. He traces around my neck and I look down; the diamond is encased with intertwining sterling silver rings; it is so shiny and beautiful.
“I love it...and it’s so...sparkly.” Even in the dim light of my room, the light bounces over its curves.
“I know, Sparks.”
I giggle like a school girl, I just love his nickname for me. I link my arms around his neck and kiss him so hard he moves back. But he just grabs my waist and kisses me back. His lips are a soft coaxing until his tongue slides over mine and swirls in my mouth.
I press my body to his completely. Everything from the day comes crashing down around us. I have taken so many strides with Thom, it is almost hard to keep up, but today is one I can never forget. What he did for me, what he does for me every day...it makes me ache. In the best way possible.
He chuckles as I deepen the kiss and roll him over.
“I love you.” I murmur against his lips, between two kisses.
“I love you too.” He kisses me twice, slow and intense. Until my fingers feel it.
The second is short. “Happy birthday.” He kisses me again and spends at least two hours giving me the best birthday sex a woman could ask for.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Thom
SCOTT AND I GET ALONG, but naturally I still get nervous when I see him. He is Perrier’s dad, so I still feel like I always must impress him.
The week has been crazy, and this is pretty much our only chance to settle down. Three days ago, we watched our best friends get married. Well, maybe Chris is more my friend than Perrie’s. Still, it was a good time. Donald and I went a little crazy for his bachelor party, complete with alcohol and foolish games. His parents are loaded Orange County folk, so they rented out Urban Putt for the night; an upscale golf club in the city. It was funny watching him before the wedding though, he is usually the one who is all jokes, but he found nothing funny until we were at the altar and Danielle was headed his way.
I think about marrying Perrie all the time, but even more that day. We looked at each other the entire time, I almost wished I could ask her that same day. I know she loves me and wants to be with me, but she just isn’t ready for marriage yet. I understand that, and everything with her is baby steps.
Besides, it was enough seeing how beautiful she looked in her peach colored gown that showed off her arms and back. Danielle had plenty of sorority sisters as bridesmaids, and Perrie was somehow relieved to not have been asked. We have run in the same circles for the past three years, since M1 we have all been friends but Perrie and Melinda are thick as thieves. They got a little tipsy at the wedding, so that was fun for everyone.
But once it was over and Chris and Danielle were off to some resort in Florida for their honeymoon, and Perrie and I went back to her house. Somehow, she never knew Melinda never does anything for Thanksgiving, so she just about dragged her with us.
Sure, Melinda and I don’t always get along, but deep down we love each other as friends. So, we’re all here on the beach Thanksgiving morning, because it is Houston and fall doesn’t exist. Seriously, it’s eighty degrees.
“When is Clem coming?” Melinda asks Perrie.
We went out in the water earlier but came back for snacks. Perrie is between my legs as we all sit on a big towel on the sand, passing around chocolate covered nuts.
“Um, I think she said two. She left a little while ago.” She scoffs.
Like it’s unheard of to make compromises in a relationship.
I kiss her temple and shake my head. Melinda is artfully trying to shake sand off her hair and its laughable. She glares at me but continues.
“So, who cooks?” Melinda asks, her hands up in her hair. It’s different now, in fact it changes every few weeks. Now, it’s grayish with a blue low light.
“Clem and I. Unless you want to help.”
Melinda laughs and moves the wrong way, her orange bikini top slips and shows a little too much, but not everything. Perrie clues her in and she just shrugs as she fixes it. They talk about the injustice of swimming suit lines for a while, but I just focus on keeping an erection at bay looking at Perrie. Her bright blue bikini fits her perfectly, her body is against mine and my arms just under her breasts. I’ve had trouble concentrating all damn morning.
MELINDA AND PERRIE go out in the water for a little bit while I stay behind. The sand usually bothers me, but I’m feeling okay. I do some leisure reading, which I rarely get to do since M1 started. A riveting psychological thriller about a woman who lied to help someone else, who turned out to be the wrong one to help, keeps me busy.
Perrie takes us to what she thinks is the best place to get tacos, and then we shower and head to the airport to get her sister. Scott had to do some repairs on his boat, so he will be busy until later in the day.
“Stop at Starbucks!” Melinda demands.
I dutifully sat in the back, because when they are together, it’s like I don’t even exist. So, Melinda had the rightful shotgun position for the time being.
“Ugh, that is so out of the way. You don’t understand, Houston is not like San Fran.
” Perrie gripes.
Melinda just pouts and sighs. She is mad for maybe two seconds before they’re talking about what color wig she should buy next. It’s interesting for me to see how much effort actually goes into her decisions.
“Thom, you’re such a lush. You really have a book right now?” Melinda nudges me, interrupting my reading.
I glance in the rearview mirror to see Perrie apologizing with her eyes.
I sigh in exaggeration, “What? I can’t read a book anymore?” I stare Melinda down. Her finely curved brow raises as her face twists up in mock hurt.
“I mean, eBooks are a thing.” She phrases it like a question, but I know she just wants to pull my leg. Still, I play along.
“I guess I’m old fashioned.”
She rolls her eyes and turns back around. I meet eyes with Perrie again and I shrug.
It takes us an hour to get to IAH. And another just to find Clem. I have seen her three times now, and she hasn’t really changed. She looks exactly like Perrie, and not a day older. They even sound the same, talk the same.
Their reunion is loud and long, and Melinda and I awkwardly take the bags and run. When they stop hugging, Melinda gets introduced, but they have already unofficially met on face time.
“Where is Declan?” Perrie finally forms a real question.
“Uhm, he actually flew us here. The plane, I mean. Do you mind waiting for him?” Clem is very regal in her BDUs, her hair pinned back and has an aura of a soldier.
But her face doesn’t match as she begs us to wait.
We all look at each other, it has already been a long day.
Melinda speaks first. “Well, is there a Starbucks?”
The Starbucks had one available table where the four of us huddled together. I have Perrie’s leg in my lap and her hand in mine.
“How is school? And those interviews? You never told me!”
I think Clem is talking to all of us. We fill her in on our own stories. She seems very impressed with Melinda and her accomplishments. Clem did her master’s at Johns Hopkins, so her and Melinda hit it off with that, since that’s where she wants to do her residency. But she knows she already has it in the bag.
“We won’t be eating until nine at this point.” Perrie sighs and twists her watch around to look at the time.
I crack a smile and kiss her cheek, she relaxes a little bit.
“Well, we’re frying the turkey, so we don’t need to worry about that taking too long.” Clem says.
They agree on making the same menu as always. We wait two hours for Declan. He is a tall guy that screams Irish and is decked out in his blue pilot’s uniform. Clem shows him off all the way back to the car. Declan came for thanksgiving during our M2, but last year he had two international flights back to back, so he didn’t come then. We weren’t exactly friends. We talked about sports and the sisters we were dating, nothing even remotely deep.
We are back at the house before we know it. The company was nice, the atmosphere. Perrie’s family has sort of become mine, and Melinda and I have our unique friendship. It doesn’t matter where we are or who we are even with.
With Perrie, I just know that I see forever.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Perrie
“TOMMY BOY!”
“Dad, it’s just Thom.” I whine.
Thom just winks at me and accepts my father’s hug.
“How are you? How have you guys been?” Dad is smiling, happy that we are all here.
His years have barely caught up with him. His red hair and beard is still thick and his eyes lively, the gray both my sister and I have. Dad is also rather tall and built like the sailor that he is. Mom always talked about how they met, and that she only paid him any attention in the beginning because he was so good looking. But all I ever see is my ginger, goofy dad. Not as goofy as before mom died, but still fun.
“Great, dad. Really great.” I answer through my smile.
“Hello, Mr. Simmons.” Declan interrupts.
He has changed into jeans and a brown sweater. Declan is a very regal man with sharp good looks and a soldier’s body. Clem lucked out of course, but I only have eyes for Thom.
“Declan.” Dad nods with his fake smile he has perfected.
Declan sees right through it, awkwardly clears his throat, and looks to Clem for help. She just shrugs with a sad smile.
“Ehem, the game is on Tommy; you want to put money on it?” Dad now has his real smile on.
“Sure. You in, Dec?” Thom turns to Declan.
I didn’t even know he was on a nickname basis. Dad adjusts the collar of his black shirt like he is scratching an invisible itch. Goodness, this is awkward.
“No, I’m just going to help Clem in here. Thanks.” Declan has a deep voice that would be scary if I didn’t know him. He inhaled some tear gas on his first tour, so his voice has this permanent growl to it.
Thom and my dad disappear to the living room. I get back to the potatoes and pretend I don’t hear Clem and Declan on the other side of the kitchen. Melinda and I exchange a look.
“I mean, I don’t get it. You know? Like I did something wrong, but I don’t know what I did.”
“You didn’t. My dad is just...he—”
“Fucking hates me.”
“No, he just wants the best for me.”
“I guess I’m not it.”
Strain bleeds through Clem’s voice. “What? No. It isn’t like that. I think you should just sit down with him and talk.”
“Maybe.”
I stop eavesdropping and change the conversation. “Clem, come help me with this sauce. I can’t get it to taste right.” I am nearly an expert at the green bean casserole, so she must know it’s a ploy. Melinda skips away as if to give us privacy, though she didn’t really need to.
“Sure.”
She comes to stand by me. I give her a pointed look in the eyes. She just shrugs and glances over at Declan. Once she makes sure his back is still turned, she whispers to me as I pour the mix in the baking sheet.
“You know it’s just because he’s older. Dad is weird that way.”
I know he wants the best for both of us, too. Thom didn’t have it easy the first time around either. But once he warmed up to him, things were fine. Like they are now. Declan was also married before, so maybe Dad has some weird complex about that, too.
“I don’t know. And...” she trails off, eyes wide as she grabs my arm frantically. “Come here.” She pulls me off to the side of the dining room just in front of the kitchenette. “He wants to marry me. But he wants to get dad’s permission of course, and he doesn’t think he’ll give it to him.”
“Oh...he doesn’t want him to say no and then not have to go behind his back.” I conclude. “Why didn’t you tell me? That’s exciting. We both always thought you’d never get married.” We laugh but hers is strained.
She groans and pulls the sleeves of her sweater to wipe her eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Just...enjoy today. They both can talk tomorrow. It will be fine.” I was surprised I was the one giving the advice.
Clem sighs and shakes off the tension in her shoulders. “What about you and Thom?”
“Me and Thom? We’re fine. Just...preparing for how we’ll deal with our residencies.” My chest is heavy. The thought of being away from Thom for that long is...crippling in its own way.
I don’t want to think about it or hear about it. But I know it’s coming. It’s the thorn we always knew was in our side but always treated it like a simple splinter, soon it will be time to pull.
“It will be fine. Let’s finish dinner.”
“You sure you’re okay?” I hold her shoulders and force her to look at me. We are both the same height, and it is almost like looking in a mirror when I look at her.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
We hug briefly and then make our way back to the kitchen. We put everything in to bake and set the timer for the turkey. Thom and dad are in the living room engrossed in th
e game. I fill Melinda in and she gives me her own two cents on the situation.
“Hey.” I smile and sit next to Thom.
He pulls me closer and kisses my cheek. Melinda sits on the arm chair and exchanges conversation with my dad. Apparently, they are both into football.
I notice Clem whisper in dad’s ear, and then he disappears with Declan. I nod at Clem and she gives me her nervous look where her mouth goes wide and her neck strains. I can’t help but smile and shake my head. Melinda just laughs.
“I like your family drama.” Melinda sneers.
“Pft. This is nothing.”
We sit in the living room for a good while. Thom has his arms around me and I bury my head in his chest. Well, his shoulder so that I am not pressing on his chest. I take deep breaths just to inhale his comforting scent. The strength of his cologne mixes with his own natural pheromones and it is still addicting. I am so comfortable I could fall asleep here and never move again, but I am also very hungry.
The timer has just gone off.
“Need help?” Thom asks me as I get up.
“Sure.” I shrug.
Dad is still gone with Declan. We set the table and lay the food out before Clem goes to find him.
“What’s up with your dad and Dec?” Thom and I are popping the white and red wines open. Melinda pours her first glass.
“Nothing, I hope. He just hasn’t warmed up to him yet, I think.” I smile wryly.
Thom cocks his head to the side and gives me a funny look. “It’s been like two years, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah. I don’t know. He likes you, so you don’t need to worry.” I shrug.
“How surprising.” Melinda teases him.
He shrugs it off. “Not easily. It took a lot of convincing.” Thom clutches his chest like I have wounded him.
“Please. All you had to do was start talking about applied physics.” I arch my brow.
‘True.” He winks and closes the space between us.
I grin as he takes my face in his and pulls me into a kiss. My hands go to his waist as I return the kiss. It’s soft and sweet, our lips suckling each other until I feel a pulse, and we are interrupted by the others returning and Melinda feigning a gag.
