The Marriage Contract

by Kim Hartfield

  “You have to turn it on.”

  “I’m already in bed.”

  “Turn it on! Now!”

  Reluctantly, I rolled out of bed and pressed the “on” button for my ancient boom box. I was ready to instantly turn it off again – I figured whatever Mary was listening to couldn’t be more interesting than sleep. But my finger froze in the air, and I stayed there, mute, as I took in the sound of a familiar voice.

  Hearing Leah was such a shock that I took a minute to process the fact that it was her. I didn’t even try to figure out what she was talking about – until I heard my own name. She’d gone on the air specifically to talk about me. To… to win me back?

  My heart pounded so hard I could barely hear her speak, and yet I still managed to understand she was saying she wanted to be with me, and that she’d move to Grass Cove to be with me. She said I was her soul mate.

  All too soon, the interview was over. “Mary? Are you still there?” I squeaked into the phone.

  “Yes.” She sounded as dreamy-eyed as I felt. “I taped that whole interview for you, by the way. I figure you can play it at your wedding.”

  I swallowed, trying to figure out what to say.

  “You are going to get back with her, Poppy? Please tell me you are. I don’t see how you couldn’t after hearing that.”

  “I think… I think I have to.”

  “Okay, I’m going to get off the phone so you can call her!”

  Right now? “Don’t you think I should – ”

  The line went dead.

  I paced around my bedroom, my thoughts whirling too fast for me to make sense of them. I knew I needed to get in touch with Leah, but when? How? I had half a mind to book a ticket to San Francisco for the morning – never mind that it was a weeknight and I’d have to take the day off work. Now that I knew Leah still wanted to be with me, I wanted to be with her in person as soon as humanly possible.

  But wait. She’d been on the radio a few minutes ago. She had to be wondering how I felt and whether I’d get in touch, not to mention if I’d heard the interview at all. I could just picture her waiting to hear from me, not knowing what I was thinking.

  As much as I would’ve rather shown up and surprised her, I couldn’t leave her hanging. I wasn’t going to hurt her like that. Not this time.

  I’d deleted her number from my phone. Luckily I knew it by heart. I pressed the numbers with trembling fingers, then sank down onto my bed while it rang once.

  “Poppy?” Her voice was filled with fear and anxiety and the slightest tinge of hope.

  “Hey,” I said softly. All my sleepiness was gone – I was more alert than ever. “I heard you on the radio, and I didn’t want to make you wait a second longer for my answer. I love you, and I want to be with you, however it’s possible. I don’t care about the distance. We’ll find a way to make it work.”

  “God, I’m so happy to hear that,” she breathed. “All day I’ve been torturing myself wondering how you were going to respond.”

  “What do you mean, all day? You were just on the radio now.”

  “We taped that this morning. Remember how my last interview with them was in the morning? You were there.”

  Oh… that was true. “I guess I’m not thinking straight,” I laughed. “When can I see you? I can’t wait to hold you again.”

  “Well… I hope this isn’t too forward, but I’m at the coffee shop down the block. I could be there in five minutes.”

  “You – you – ”

  “I knew it. I shouldn’t have. I wanted to be in town just in case you wanted to get back together. Don’t worry, I got a hotel room, it’s not like I was counting on sleeping at your place. I overstepped, I should’ve stayed home and waited for you to call.”

  “No, Leah, stop talking.” She went quiet, and I sucked in a breath. “I just couldn’t believe you’re in town. Of course I want to see you. I’m dying to, actually. ASAP.”

  “Okay,” she said shyly. “So… I should come over?”

  “I have a better idea.” I grinned. “Where’s that hotel room?”

  *

  Half an hour later, I’d showered and thrown on a casual yet flattering dress. I’d agonized over my reflection in the mirror, unable to decide which eyeshadow to wear. What kind of make-up was recommended for reuniting with your soul mate?

  In the end, I’d decided I’d rather get there sooner, even if it meant not looking perfect. I was pretty sure Leah wouldn’t mind.

  Now I stood in the lobby of the nicest hotel in town. Leah hadn’t skimped on herself, even though she hadn’t been sure if she was going to stay here. I’d never been inside before, and I looked around with The walls were held up by silver and gold pillars, and the security guard wore a full three-piece suit. I immediately felt underdressed.

  But it didn’t matter anymore, because there was Leah, looking breathtakingly gorgeous as she came straight toward me with a huge smile on her face. For a second, I was so stunned by her beauty that I forgot to move. Then I raced toward her, grinning as hard as her as she swept me off my feet and spun me around.

  “You came,” she said. “You’re here.”

  “Of course I did.” I squeezed her close, still awed at the fact that she’d come all the way here without even knowing if I’d want to see her. I’d known I wanted to get back with her, but she’d had no way to know that.

  “I’m so happy to see you.” A tear fell down her cheek, quickly followed by another. “I just – I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am.”

  Seeing her tear up was making me emotional, too. I sniffled, trying not to start crying. “We have to stop breaking down in tears every time we see each other. It’s a real problem in this relationship.”

  “At least these are happy tears.” She wiped her eyes. “Do you want to, um…”

  “Go upstairs? Yes, I think that’d be a good idea.”

  *

  The room was just as impressive-looking as the lobby, with high ceilings and leather furniture – not that I took much time to look round, because my lips were on Leah’s as soon as the door swung closed behind us.

  God, I’d missed this so much. Her shape, her softness, her scent. I ran my hands over every part of her I could reach, savoring the smoothness of her skin and the sound of her breaths as she gasped for me.

  I wanted to say something meaningful to let her know how meaningful the moment was, but “I missed you” didn’t come close to capturing my feelings. I chose to stay quiet instead, sucking her lower lip and then nibbling at her neck.

  Her gasps turned into moans, and she licked her lips as I cupped her breast. “Fuck, I can’t even describe how much I missed you,” she whispered.

  “You honestly read my mind.”

  I put my hand down her top, feeling her nipple harden against my palm. A shot of heat went through my core, and I freed my hand so I could pull off her shirt and bra. She moved to do the same to me, but I blocked her. I’d let her pleasure me when I was through with her.

  Backing her onto the bed, I sucked a nipple into my mouth. She moaned and gasped at once, clutching at my shoulders as if to say she wanted more. I gave it to her, licking and nibbling until she was writhing beneath me. I could just imagine how wet she had to be right now, when her face was so flushed, her eyes so desperate.

  Eventually I dragged my nails down her stomach, enjoying the feel of her soft belly, and under the hemline of her jeans. Slowly, I brought my fingers around to the front and worked her button open, and she raised her hips enough for me to tug the jeans down. Underneath, I found fully-soaked panties, enough of her juices gushing through that they got on my fingertips when I touched her down there.

  “No more teasing,” she begged, wild-eyed. “Fuck me now.”

  Biting my lip, I nodded. I’d drawn this out for long enough.

  Sliding off her panties, I found a comfortable spot between her legs. I intended to be down here for a while. I inhaled deeply, refamiliarizing myself with the scen
t I’d missed so much. Then, gripping her hips, I leaned in and brushed my tongue against her spot.

  She rewarded me with an immediate shiver, and I smiled to myself as I dipped in again. Being here felt so right, like this was the place I was supposed to spend my entire life, and I wondered how I’d ever convinced myself I shouldn’t be here. Us, not have a future? Not likely. There was no future for me without this woman, and I was never going to make that mistake again.

  “Fuck, Poppy, you feel so good.” She laced her fingers through my hair, holding me close to her. “Don’t stop, but I want you inside me, baby. Please.”

  Without taking my tongue off her, I nodded. Slowly, I slid a finger into her, and a shock went through my system at the feel of her wet heat. God, I loved this so much. Loved her so much. I’d stay down here for hours if she’d let me.

  Her body bucked, her hips jolting off the bed to meet each thrust of my finger. I slipped another in next to it, knowing this was just how she liked it. As I licked her harder, her walls contracted around my fingers, and I knew her climax wasn’t far off.

  “Come for me,” I breathed, pausing to look up into her eyes. “I want to see you come.”

  “Mmm…”

  Knowing I was the only thing holding her back, I set my tongue to her bud again. Her body seized up, her wetness tightening around my fingers. She moaned, long and loud, as if she was riding the peak of ecstasy.

  When her shudders stopped, I was back on her immediately, one hand on her breast as the other massaged her g-spot.

  “No, no,” she gasped out, propping herself onto her elbows. “It’s your turn.”

  “We’ll get to me later,” I said. “We have all night.”

  Giving up, she sank back down to the mattress. “And after that, we have the rest of our lives.”

  Twenty-Four – Leah

  I’d only booked a one-way ticket, so I stayed with Poppy a couple of days longer, working remotely from her apartment. I wasn’t ready to go back yet, and she certainly had no complaints, even if my employees did.

  I’d hoped we could talk through our future and hash out our plans now that we knew we wanted to stay together long-term. Instead, we spent most of our time together in bed, savoring every part of each other.

  Sometimes I wondered if I should bring up the discussion that was looming over our heads, but then she’d kiss my collarbone or grab my ass, and I got way too distracted. I got so turned on every time she even touched me, and sex with her was like a small glimpse of heaven.

  The discussion wasn’t that big of a deal, I told myself. I was willing to move here. It wouldn’t be so bad. As long as I was with her, I’d be happy.

  Besides, we had plenty of time to think about things. There’d be the whole summer – although I wasn’t sure when she’d have to quit her job if she wasn’t going to come back the next year. Not that I expected her to quit her job. I didn’t even wish she would. Make her give up the work she loved to be with me? No, it wouldn’t be right.

  On our last day together, she drove me to the airport. A bittersweet jolt of nostalgia went through me as I remembered our first kiss in this very parking lot. I gave her an extra-long kiss before we got out of the car, and her taste lingered on my lips as we walked hand-in-hand to the entrance.

  “Thank you so much for coming,” she said, gazing into my eyes as we stood in line. “You know it means the world to me every time you do.”

  I frowned. “Are you making an innuendo?”

  She slapped me lightly on the shoulder. “I mean coming to Grass Cove. I… I know you hate it here.”

  “Well, it’s not that bad. I’m going to have to get used to it if I resign from PupTech and move out here.”

  “You’re still thinking about doing that?” she asked, wide-eyed.

  “Of course. I told you on that radio show, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to be with you. I’m not going to give you up.”

  “What if you didn’t have to?”

  I stared at her so hard I didn’t even notice the line moving in front of me, and the man behind us cleared his throat to remind us to move forward. Still, I didn’t take my eyes off Poppy. “What are you talking about?”

  “It makes more sense for me to move to San Francisco. I already started looking for a job there.”

  “Really?” This was more than I could’ve hoped for. “But – your life is here. Your friends, your family…”

  “I can make a new life with you,” she said softly. “My friends are just friends. You’re my soul mate. And my family will understand that I need to leave the nest eventually. Mom’s completely back to normal, and Dad has no health problems. Considering I’ll be leaving to be with their second daughter, they’ll probably visit about twice a month.”

  “But…” I’d already started getting used to the idea of moving on from PupTech. I’d been daydreaming about what kind of new venture I could start. Now that my first one had gone so well, I’d be sure to get as much funding as I could want. “Is this what you want? I’m ready to move back here.”

  We were almost at the front of the line now. “Let’s spend the summer together and see how we feel after.” She planted a kiss on my cheek, then squeezed my shoulder before I went up to the desk.

  My skin tingled at the brief contact. Far from having no way to stay together, we actually seemed to have too many options. The only problem now was deciding which to take.

  *

  The question was on both of our minds for the next few months. I began to feel out how my employees would feel about me moving to a consulting role, and Poppy sent job applications to schools in San Francisco.

  She sublet her apartment to a nice couple, also teachers, who wanted to spend their summer relaxing in a small, rustic town. As soon as school let out, she flew to me, loaded down with two suitcases and a backpack.

  “Jeez, you brought everything but the kitchen sink,” I said, taking both suitcases from her.

  “I wanted to be prepared.”

  She didn’t say the rest, but I could see it in her eyes – she’d brought as much as she could in one trip, because she didn’t intend to bring any of it back.

  The next few weeks went by in a blur. I worked as hard as usual, and when I was done every day, Poppy was there waiting. She was the partner I’d always longed for, but never thought I could have – warm and loving, supportive and caring. She fit so perfectly with me that I wondered how I’d ever functioned without her.

  At the end of July, I took a week off, and the two of us packed our bags. This time, rather than flying to see each other, we’d be going somewhere together.

  “Are you nervous?” she asked, tossing clothes haphazardly into her duffel bag. “They say travel can make or break a relationship.”

  “I think we’re a little beyond that point.”

  And I was right… mostly. Our flight to Miami went fine – she took allergy medication to knock herself out again – and we had no problem navigating from the airport to the hotel, with the language barrier. I glued myself to the cab window, marveling at the streets lined with palm trees, while she dozed at my side.

  We did have some disagreements over how to spend our time. She wanted to lie on the beach all day with brief interludes to visit the botanical gardens, while I was fascinated by trekking through Little Havana and all of the different museums.

  With discussion and compromise, we got through the week without any serious fights. By the time we came home, any doubts in my mind were gone. I was confident that our relationship was officially “made.” I could see myself in a serious relationship with this woman, living together and even raising kids with her.

  I hated to go back to work, but I hadn’t quit yet. I tried to get my tasks done as efficiently as possible, and I worked from home when I had the chance. Ideas for other projects kept bubbling up in my mind, one building on top of another, and I started to realize it would’ve been time for me to leave PupTech even if Poppy hadn’t been in the picture.r />
  When I came home one day, she’d placed a bottle of champagne in the middle of the living room coffee table. She made no comment as I stopped to look at it, yet she was fighting back a smile when I asked, “What’s this about?”

  “I got a job,” she said with a grin. “I had an interview, and they hired me on the spot. I didn’t want to tell you in case nothing came of it, but…”

  “Poppy! That’s amazing!” I picked her up and spun her around. “Does this mean…”

  She nodded. “I’m going to stay.”

  Twenty-Five – Poppy

  “Good morning,” I said, standing in front of the desk. “My name is Ms. Barnes, and I’ll be your teacher this year.”

  A roomful of unfamiliar faces stared back at me unblinkingly. I didn’t know any of these kids by sight, hadn’t taught their siblings before, and didn’t have an “in” with the teachers’ grapevine, so I had no idea what any of them would be like.

  They were eighth-graders, and they seemed like a whole different species from the fourth-graders I was used to. They were adolescents rather than teenagers, some just starting puberty while others were in the full throes of it, and I was tasked with getting them ready for high school.

  This job would pose challenges unlike any I’d come up against so far, and as terrified as I may have been, I couldn’t have been more excited.

  “I plan to get to know all of you very well,” I said, “so I’ll give you the chance to start. Do you have any questions for me?”

  A blonde girl in the front raised her hand. “Are we going to play an instrument this year?”

  Before I could answer, the guy beside her rolled his eyes. “She meant questions about herself, duh.”

  I was already getting a sense of these two’s personalities – and a possible budding romance between them. I might need to switch up the seating chart. “Any questions are fine,” I said. “We may be learning the recorder this year, but I’ll update you when I know for sure. Anyone else?”