She turned the water on in her bathroom and drank directly from the sink. Stella hadn’t been this hung over in a very long time. She put both of her fingers to her mouth remembering the kiss or more like a mauling. Her lips were still red from the kisses, and swollen. He’d been so mad she was going to leave with another guy from the bar. She’d never been interested in leaving the bar with anyone other than Patrick or Billy before last night, which was a little sad if she thought about it.
She pulled Jamie’s jersey over her naked body and walked to the back door to let Cooper out. The jersey and the ring were the only things of her life with Jamie that she saw on a regular basis. She’d gotten through it, she sighed. She hadn’t put the ring back on since she took it off at Finnegan’s. It was in the box with all her memories of Jamie. George was nothing like Jamie. Chastising herself, she was so not ready for relationship material. George was a bartender and would clearly be open to having sex based on their encounter last night.
She opened the fridge and drank orange juice out of the carton. She heard a chuckle from the den. “You’re as bad as we are.” Billy called from in front of his video game.
“Had a little too much fun last night, El?”
“You could say that.”
Stella ran a hand through her hair and grabbed her phone off the table there was a message.
Glad U left with Millie. To b continued
She smiled and put her fingertips to her lips and traced her bottom lip.
“So where did ya’ll go?”
Stella sat down next to Billy and sat as ladylike as possible with only a shirt on. “We went to happy hour in Adams Morgan, but ended up at Finnegan’s, of course.”
“What’s with the gooey look this morning?”
Stella stared at the video game, “You mean the hung over look, I think you should recognize that as long as we have lived together.” Stella smiled and looked at Billy. “Where’s Patrick?”
“Lisa... I know your hung over look, but you have a gooey lovey look in your eyes I’ve never seen before.”
Stella busted out laughing, “A lovey look?” she asked incredulously. “I don’t do lovey.” She made finger quotes around “lovey.”
“Well, your hungover ass face is doing something.” Billy retorted.
Stella snorted, “Ass face?”
“...and you’re being funny and almost pleasant.” Billy smiled, “I’m confused by your change in attitude today. I’ve only known one you and you are switching it up.”
“Shut up Billy, I’m always funny.” Stella threw a pillow at him.
“Oh you think you’re funny...” Billy paused his game and looked at her. “I like it. I hope you continue to be pleasant because I like your smile and I haven’t seen it nearly enough.” Billy started his game and Stella smiled to herself.
The next weekend, Stella limped over to the bathroom in Finnegan’s. She and Patrick had run ten miles that morning and she was already sore, which was a bad sign. She, Billy, and Patrick had starting drinking early this Friday and it was starting to relieve some of the pain she felt in her legs. As she pushed the door to the bathroom open, she was pulled by the arm into another door across the small hall.
Shrieking due to being surprised, she almost fell into whoever had a death grip in her right arm. She was pushed up against the wall in the little office and George was pressed against her entire body. Her body responded immediately, a slow smile crept across her face.
“Well, hello there, George. You need something?” Her face inches from his. Stella gazed into his eyes and saw only desire before he kissed her. George had both of his hands wrapped around her jaw with his thumbs close to her mouth. Then he moved his left hand through her hair and parted her lips with his. She moaned into his mouth and leaned her head back. George took that opportunity to kiss her exposed neck. Out of breath Stella whispered near his ear, “So does this mean you’re interested?”
He nipped at her top lip before he answered, “That would be a yes.” His hands were now roaming all over her body igniting it like she hadn’t felt in years. “If I weren’t working I would take you home immediately,” he growled.
“What’s wrong with here,” she teased and pulled his ear lobe with her teeth.
“Oh, no. This is going to be slow and deliberate.” She smiled at him, putting his arms on the wall framing her face.
“I’m a fan of both, but I’ll allow it.” She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “I like this side of you, George.” She ducked under his arm that was blocking her against the wall. “Very sexy.” She opened the door and walked backward out of the little office, trying to appear like the adventure hadn’t affected her. It was clear from his pants that George had been. “You may want to stay in here a minute,” she laughed, pointing at his crotch, and limped her way to the bathroom.
The rest of the night dragged as Stella’s stomach twisted with anticipation. She told Patrick and Billy to leave without her. George assured Patrick he would get her home safely, he winked at her as he said it. She was so nervous she drank a little more that she intended. As she waited for George to finish his duties at the bar, she texted Millie.
So tonite- me and George
U & G what?
He’s going home with me
Good you need a lay—don’t fuck it up
How encouraging
It’s like riding a bike
I used to be good at that once too
Don’t worry
Nervous
Don’t be. Call me with details tomorrow… never mind I’m coming over
George walked over to where she was slouched at the table.
“Sorry you had to wait, love.” He put his hand through her hair and looked into her eyes.
“You ready?” he asked.
“I’m the one who has been waiting for you,” she replied, accepting his hand as he pulled her out of the chair.
“No love, I’ve been waiting for you for over a year,” he smiled and guided her outside.
After a self-conscious walk to Stella’s house, they barely made it into her room before she literally ripped his shirt off. He growled and picked her up. Stella wrapped her legs around him and explored his mouth with hers.
“El?”
She was breathless as he threw her on her bed. “Let me do this how I want, okay?” George was looking at her so intensely it made her pause for a minute.
“You kiss me like that again and you can do what you want with me.”
A grin spread slowly across his beautiful face. He lifted her shirt and kissed her stomach and pulled her shirt over her head. She struggled with his belt.
“I’ve dreamed about this,” George put his hands on her face and kissed her so gently it took her breath.
“George...” she sighed.
He quieted her with his lips, pushing harder against her. “Shh,” he hushed her with his mouth. Then George pulled her pants off and began kissing every inch of her body, starting with her ankle and went all the way up her leg to where she was throbbing for him. She wanted him so bad.
“George.”
“Quiet, El. Let me love you.”
She was so caught up in the moment and her wants and needs that she didn’t correct him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Stella woke up smelling of sex and alcohol, quite a powerful combination. “Shit,” she muttered as she rolled over and hit a solid chest. George, she thought. “Fuck,” she said and laid her head back on the pillow.
“Do you wake up every morning full of such sunshine?” He shifted and draped an arm over her.
“Pretty much,” she said and turned her head looking into his gorgeous eyes, a little more green this morning.
“So, you regretting inviting me back to your place, huh?” He smiled and kissed the corner of her mouth.
“No, just so we are clear. I don’t do this with everyone.”
“I know. I have known you for three years.” He kissed her forehead. “As you to
ld me last night, and I agreed, we will be exclusively fucking until we are not. We will respect each other enough to inform the other so as not to have to share,” he recited.
“I said all that?” She winced. He nodded. “You agreed to that?”
“Anything to get you in the sack, love,” he laughed.
“Well, I guess that is that.” She sat up and swung her feet off the side of the bed.
George reached out and touched the tattoo on her left shoulder blade. She froze and then pulled out of his reach. Walking around the bed, she smiled, “Shower?”
“If you’re inviting me, hell yes.” He walked into the bathroom after her.
“Can you give me a minute?” She glanced at the toilet.
“Oh, sure.” He stepped back and watched as the door shut between them.
She slumped down on the toilet. Well, I guess that is that, she thought. Right. This was a very dangerous situation, she knew. She liked George, a little too much for her liking. She flushed and opened the door, then stepped into the waiting shower.
“So,” he said, while peeing with her in the same room. “What’s the tattoo about?”
She stepped under the showerhead and said, “It’s the remains of my heart.” She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled, “You regret coming back with me?”
“Not even a little,” He shook his head, looking at her left shoulder blade where there were black pieces of rubble about where Stella’s heart would be located and his heart broke a little.
Several nights later, Stella woke with a start in the middle of the night and felt his heat missing. He was gone. Isn’t that what she had told him she needed, she chastised herself. She ran a hand over where he had been when she fell asleep, taking in his scent and felt something. Sitting up she picked up what felt like paper and went in to the bathroom. Flipping the light on she read what he left her.
El,
I would have enjoyed staying with you, but I will honor your wishes and leave. I’ve kissed you bye and I look forward to tomorrow night when I will be able to kiss you again.
G
Walking back to her bed, Stella sighed and fell into bed enjoying George’s lingering scent. She reached over to her phone, put her ear buds into her ears and stared into the blackness until she fell into a restless sleep.
Patrick walked midway down the stairs and yelled. “El, get your ass up. It’s time to go.”
Stella rolled over naked in her bed. “No.”
“We’re running in two minutes.” Patrick made his way into the cave of her room and saw her stretched out, naked. “Shit. Sorry.”
“It would be okay if you didn’t come down here whenever you wanted, but knocked like a normal person.” She groaned. She and George had been up until 3:00.
“Well, you could sleep in pajamas like a normal person.” Patrick didn’t move, still looking at her lean body tangled in the sheets.
“I don’t believe in pajamas,” she said, “and I’m not running today.”
“You need to run.” Patrick headed up the stairs. “Gotta get the booze out.”
“Coop and I will go later.” She rubbed her face and blew her bangs out of her face. “Alright, get out of my room, I’m going back to sleep. Let Coop out,” she yelled.
Patrick stopped at the back door and let Cooper out, “So George, huh?”
Without even moving from bed, Stella replied, “You saw that, huh?”
“Yep. It was quite the shock to see a man leaving your room. You could’ve given us a heads-up.”
“Whatever…” Stella called.
“I like George,” Patrick said as he shut the back door and went up the rest of the stairs.
She breathed in hard as she made her way down King Street, she and Cooper dodged in and out of the crowds. At the next intersection she took a left and then and immediate right and ran down the less crowded road down to the Potomac. Music pounded in her ears and her thoughts drifted to George. He’d surprised her, being so gentle yet intense. She was not sure how to deal with that intensity; she was hoping the sex would just be adequate so she could just do him a couple of times and not really care about not doing it anymore. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He was fantastic at turning her on and excelled at giving her what she needed for her body to completely unravel.
She turned left and ran toward the dog park. Slowing her pace, she leaned down, letting Cooper off the leash. The Potomac was packed with boats moving up and down the river. Walking lazily over to the bench close to the dog park overlooking the river, she stood behind it. Stella leaned down and said, “Funny meeting you here.”
George turned and took her in. She had her hair pulled into a messy bun and was wearing black spandex Capri pants, and a halter-type sports tank. Her tattoo was glistening with sweat, but he thought she had never been more beautiful. “Damn,” he muttered.
“What, you aren’t happy to see me?” Stella glanced over at Cooper to make sure he was behaving, but he was just lying on the ground catching his breath.
“It’s not that. I just haven’t seen you so hot before.” George smiled.
“Well, that’s what happens when one runs, you know.” She moved around the bench and before she could sit next to him, he pulled her on his lap. Putting his hand on her tattoo he looked into her eyes.
“I wasn’t talking about that sort of hot.” George pulled her to him and kissed her senseless.
“Good God.” Stella pushed her bangs out of her face. She was breathing heavily and she was extremely turned on.
“There’s more of that if you’re interested,” he kissed her neck.
“Um,” she wavered, “I think we’ve given enough of a show,” she moved over to his right, but he kept her legs on his lap. “So, whatcha been up to today?”
“Had to leave this beautiful woman’s arms last night. I cried myself to sleep then I came here to stare at the water and contemplate life,” he smirked.
“That sounds rough, she sounds like a bitch.” She looked over to where Cooper was playing tug with a dog half his size. “Coop, careful,” she yelled. Her back was to George, but she felt a familiar palm on her left shoulder blade. She turned to look at him, “What are you thinking?”
“I think I’m in trouble.” His smile was a little sad and melted her a bit.
“I think I may be too.”
The weekend after she and George had sex for the first time, Stella was checking herself in the mirror when Millie came down to her room. “What’s up with the primping?”
“What do you mean? I’m just getting ready.” She pulled on a sapphire-colored thin sweater over her skinny jeans and gray knee-high boots.
“Hot boots, when did you get those? I want to borrow them.” Millie was inspecting her.
“Just picked them up the other day. You like?” Stella gave one more look in the mirror and moved toward the stairs.
“Wait a second. What is going on?” Millie grabbed Stella’s wrist gently. Stella had spent time straightening and then curling her normal unruly hair. It was not quite straight, not quite wavy.
“What do you mean? We’re going out, I’m dressed. Now, let’s go.” Stella pulled her arm back and headed up the stairs.
“Um, we have been going to this bar for over two years and you have never looked like that,” Millie said with a question in her voice as she followed Stella up the stairs.
“I’m wearing jeans and a sweater. You act like I’m wearing a bikini,” Stella said amused.
“Oh my shit, he got you.” Millie smiled. Stella hadn’t had the opportunity to tell Millie what happened after they texted last weekend. Millie ended up not coming over and they both have been insane with classes. “I like George.”
“I know, I know, everyone likes George.” She blew her bangs out of her face. “I look normal.”
“You don’t look normal, you look hot.” Millie followed her upstairs.
“Whoa...” Billy said when Stella entered the kitchen.
�
�What the fuck?” she asked exasperated.
“You look hot, is all,” he said blushing.
“Right,” Millie agreed.
“I’m wearing normal clothes, what’s all the shit about?”
“You don’t usually wear clothes like that out, El. It looks good. We’re glad to see you putting in some effort into what you look like again.” Millie pulled two beers out of the fridge.
Patrick and Lisa came out of his room and he took in the room. “Everyone ready?”
“Yes, let’s go.” Millie grabbed Stella’s hand and they walked out the front door finishing their beers. The entire group walked down King Street until they got to the right intersection, then took a left and walked into the bar. Because Lisa was there they grabbed a table, which was unusual for them. Stella took a secret glance at George. He was giving her a 100-watt smile.
She smiled, blushed and looked back at the table.
“Aww shit,” Mille said, looking at Stella’s face. “The bartender’s really got you.”
“Um no, I’ve got him doing exactly what I want him to,” she said and she leaned into Millie. “And he is fantastic at it.” She actually giggled then and was so shocked by herself that Millie started laughing hysterically.
Millie took a glance over Stella’s shoulder to look at George. “He is staring a hole into her back right now. Go get me a drink.”
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