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1167 Words
James looked up at us as we walked arm and arm into the room. A few years ago, something like this would have made him furious. Instead he flashed me a smile, like he was just happy I had come back into the room. I settled into my seat next to him.
I watched as Tyler sat down next to Hailey. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. There was a smile on her face and she didn't seem in the least perturbed about Tyler and my chat. I wasn't sure I had ever met someone as accepting as Hailey. I remember when Melissa had dated Tyler. She wouldn't even let me speak to him. Hailey on the other hand had accepted me with opened arms. And I knew she knew about my history with Tyler. But she never even questioned me about it. She was confident enough in their relationship that it didn't matter. And that was why she was so great for Tyler. He thought I was strong, but his wife was a rock. She was perfect for him.
I leaned my head against James' shoulder. And he was my rock.
"Are you tired?" James whispered.
I tilted my head to look up at him. "No. I'm just happy."
He brushed a strand of hair out of my face and rested his head against mine.
The conversation had taken a sudden turn to real-estate. Normally I'd be bored and want to change the topic. But tonight any conversation that wasn't centered around me was what I wanted. The only strange part about it was that James was completely silent. He'd usually be jumping in to talk about something that I knew nothing about. I knew what his silence meant, though. He was tuning everything out besides for me. And I loved when he did that. I loved that he could make it feel like just the two of us in a crowded room.
"Daddy, Daddy!" Scarlett came running into the dining room at full speed. "We want to play hide-and-go-seek!"
James lifted his head off of mine and leaned down to lift Scarlett onto his lap. "Pumpkin, the grown-ups are talking. How about you play with Axel and Sophie?"
"But we all want to play together. Please, Daddy?" She wiggled out of his grip so that she could stand on his lap. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him square in the face. "The grown-ups will hide. And we'll find them."
"I'll play," Matt said.
Mason laughed. "Count me in too. I bet he'll be found way before I will."
"Yeah, it'll be fun," Hailey said. "How long do we have to hide, Scarlett?"
"Five seconds," Scarlett said matter-of-factly.
"Scar, it's not just Daddy and I hiding," I said. "We'll need a little more time than that to find hiding spots."
She held up ten fingers. And then dropped one.
"We better go," James said and lifted her off his lap.
Chairs squeaked against the floor as our friends started running in every direction.
James grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet. "We're going to have to move a little faster than that," he said as he picked me up into his arms.
I laughed as he carried me out of the dining room and down the hallway.
"This'll do." He kicked open the door to the laundry room and then hit it closed with his foot.
We were bathed in darkness as he put me back down on my feet.
"You know that Scarlett is scared of the laundry room," I said as I clasped my hands behind his neck. "She thinks the machines are going to eat her."
"Yes, I'm fully aware of that." His breath was hot against my lips. It felt like we had been trying to get a moment alone for days. But I wouldn't have thought we'd find one during a session of hide-and-go-seek with our friends over.
"I want to freeze time. For just a few minutes." I let my fingers wander into his thick hair. I didn't think I'd ever tire of running my hands through his hair.
"And if you could freeze time, what would you do?"
My eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness and I could clearly see the fire in his. "Oh, I think I'd probably do you."
"Such an eloquent use of words for an author."
I laughed. "I'm not an author. I'm just a girl that wrote a book that no one wants to read."
"And once upon a time I was a man that had given up on life. But then I met you." He cupped the side of my face in his hand. "Look at what a few years can do to someone's life. So tonight let's freeze time. Tomorrow we can start to embrace all the change that's about to happen. Like you becoming a real author."
"Your optimism is endearing."
He smiled. "I think you find everything I do endearing." He reached behind him and locked the door.
"James, the kids have probably already found everyone else. They'll be banging on the door in just a few seconds."
"Time is frozen. And there are no worries when time is still. Besides, I wasn't going to seduce you. I just want to kiss you."
"You want to make out?" I smiled up at him. "What are we, two kids playing spin the bottle?"
"You've always made me feel young, Penny." He kissed the side of my neck. "And alive." He kissed my clavicle.
Jesus.
"I'm lucky the bottle landed on you," he said against my lips.
I grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him. And we did make out like two teenagers who had gotten paired up in spin the bottle. Not that I would really know. I was never cool enough to play that game at a party. Let alone be invited to the party in the first place. Besides, kisses with a stranger in a basement closet wouldn't have been nearly this amazing. James made me feel young and desired. He made me feel like I wasn't a mammoth trying to pass as a woman in a dress.
"When was the last time we had s*x?" His hands drifted to my ass.
"I don't know. Monday?"
"Monday? No, we were going to, but you fell asleep while I was in the shower."
"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that." I let my lips brush against his again.
"It's been at least a week, Penny. And you've been doing nothing but driving me crazy."
I laughed. "James, I'm practically a blimp." I put my hands on his chest so I could look up at him. "I certainly haven't been driving anyone crazy recently. It's not like I'm 19 years old and trying to seduce my professor anymore."
He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, when a light knock sounded on the door.
- Writer
