installation: #8 - the one when she knew his secret verse: ltverse aka COME AND TALK TO ME word count: 1,700k+ notes: follows "the one when two became one" prompt: i know your secret
The morning - well, 6:31am on a Saturday - was different than he expected things to be. He hadn't slept yet but it was refreshing not to just have company, but to feel the way he did - it was something he knew it would be best not to get too used to already, but he couldn't help himself.
After they had showered and he ended up spending forty or so minutes between her legs again, she was sated and eventually, after the need to get water, grew hungry.
He knew how to cook on the basis that if he didn't, he was going to starve. That, and because he had no intentions of constantly going to his mother's brownstone when he got hungry. He got tired of "when am I getting grandkids?" from his mom, and the chuckles from his step-dad who almost always beat him to the punch of. "let him find the right girl first, Joyce."
Yeah, it wasn't the right time or place for that discussion.
Dinner at home was more of a "two veggies, one protein, and a grain" deal that he hadn't broken since his childhood days - and no matter what he ended up cooking, his grain was almost always macaroni and cheese. He really didn't know what he could do to impress her, but he definitely was thinking of something. Since tonight's dinner was pizza, he hadn't had the chance to bust any pots and pans prior to her coming over, and he wasn't going to be lazy and serve her any leftovers.
It was late (or early, depending on how you looked at it) and he wasn't in the mood to do anything too major, so it was definitely breakfast time. Breakfast had been something he was great at, believe it or not. His breakfast meals were always easily complimented and requested by anyone who'd ever crashed with him. Jhamela especially - once, she'd eaten an entire twelve pieces of his famous french toast and he wasn't sure how the hell she managed to do it.
"Are you making breakfast?" She pilfered through his assortment of fruit from earlier and took another mango as he nodded and shooed her away.
"You don't want me to help?" She asked, still leaning against the island, and he shook his head no.
"I got this, you just go sit back down." He insisted as he swatted her on the ass and smiled as she kissed his cheek.
As he thought about it, this was going to be just more than breakfast. His emotions had been spiraling since she got into the passenger's side seat of his car, and he had brought her back here, mentally beat himself up for a little bit before stepping up to her and not looking back, and he wanted to know what would happen next.
He often surprised his mother with a great breakfast back in the days to soften her up before he asked her for something. He had something to ask Robyn, but knew it wasn't going to be too easy without a little bit of persuasion to go along with it.
So, as he loaded eggs and bread and cinnamon and vanilla on the table, she curled up on the couch, and every so often, she'd peek her head over the back of it and stare at him, working away at the stove. He could feel her eyes on him, and it only made his stomach flip into knots because he didn't do this for every girl and he hadn't cooked for anyone special in a while.
A part of him really hated how much this was shaping up to be something bigger for him than he could handle at the moment. The situation was definitely complicated, and no matter how many times he wished fate would toss him the opportunity to do things all over again, he knew he had worked himself into a situation that he needed to smooth out before things got even more complicated than they already were.
"What're you doing back thereeeee?"She questioned from her position on the couch just around the time when he started plating, and finished concocting his special syrup to go on top of the plate.
"I'm done. Can you do me a favor, and pull the table a little closer?"
"Oh this looks good," She curled up next to him like they had been before the food,and he was comfortable with her body resting against his as she ate, and occasionally, made sounds of approval that made his body wake up again.
"What kind of syrup is this? There's something special about it...." She questioned, and seconds later, she smiled widely. He chuckled and knew she could barely taste the liquor, but it was there.
"I think I know your secret," She insisted as she licked the syrup from her fingertips, and he swallowed softly.
"No you don't," He laughed as he watched her facial expression develop into one of pure curiosity.
He liked how her nose crinkled as she assessed things, and then scooped up more eggs onto her piece of toast. He ate a little of his own food, and relaxed as he got a good glimpse of the sun coming up.
"Rum?" She inquired as he watched some weak sunrays frame her face, and he shook his head.
"You're close. It's bourbon," He watched her lick her top lip, and smile. "I like it."
"Yeah, its too early to drink though... but since you're staying, maybe I'll let you have a shot or something." He ran his fingers up her leg and she smiled.
"I'd love to stay." She smiled as he finished his plate and sat it on the table before wrapping her up in his arms and pulling her closer to him.
"I wanted to ask you something," He continued running his fingers up and down her thigh and pressed his lips together as she got comfortable, and he found himself lucky that she wasn't giving him her undivided attention because he was sure that he'd stammer.
"If we did go out.... do you think he'd be pissed about it?" He asked, because parts of him wants to kick start things, wants to try to be discreet, but he knows theres no point in really holding back on things when he knows how they'll end up.
"To what, like to go to dinner or something? I mean... part of me wants to say he'll be livid, but at the same time, he can't stop me from doing what I want to do. He's not my father. He's back in Saint Michael." She tilted her head back, and he nodded.
"I want to be seen with you, you know? I... your thing with Aubrey shouldn't stop us from doing that. You're not property. You're not under some sort of ownership just because he brought you here." He begins, and he watches her eyes widen as she shifts, and he continues.
"Yeah, try telling him this." She utters, and he shifts so she can look at him without putting a possible crick in her neck.
"I'm sure he feels some entitlement towards you... I mean, this motherfucker has been calling you "The Future Mrs Aubrey Graham" since before you even came up here, so I know he feels some sort of way, even if you don't fully reciprocate his feelings." He says as she nods, and his eyes roll for a split second.
"What's that for?" She smiles, and he shakes his head.
"He's corny, but whatever, I mean, we're associates... my timing is just fucking horrible 'cause I definitely should have made the flight out to Barbados..." He licks his lip and brushes it off - doesn't want to elaborate, and she doesn't ask him to.
"I'm not saying that it won't make extracting yourself from that environment that much more harder, but... I'll help you in whatever way I can to get out of it when you're ready. I... I don't want to be a fucktruck and pretty much suggest you pack all your shit and stay with me, but I know... and I know you know..."
"This," He gestures between the two of them, as she watches as he shifts back into a spiel, "isn't going to do anything else from this moment on but rapidly mature, and I want you to know that there's so much more to me than just good stamina and amazing french toast, I promise."
"I don't think that in a perfect situation I would have waited too long to get intimate with you. Shit, a little over three months is a pretty good time frame though, 'cause if I was a cock rat, a jump off, a skank, we would have hooked up that night when you put your number in my phone." She laughed as he shook his head.
"Three months is a good enough time. We're at this place where we don't know too much, but we know what we want, and it's going to take some time before we could make that work out, but I'm definitely down to do whatever you need to do in order to make it easier." He yawned, and she smiled.
"I want to get out of there. I do. I also want to do shit for myself, but its only been a few months with him and its something I'm kinda used to. I don't want to be there forever though, and I said it was temporary from the jump..."
"I just know I need to be able to stand up on my own two feet without people calling me "The Future Mrs Aubrey Graham"... we do have a bit of a contractual agreement that I can't break, but that's just to be in his videos, so I know it'd be best to start off finding me something that I can do on my own." She started rambling as his yawn caught up with her, and she leaned into his chest as she yawned.
"We have all day and tomorrow to talk about it and make some sort of plans. But for right now, lets go to sleep."
