Chapter 4
Will
Great. My brother just put his foot in his mouth. Kat quickly changes the subject to the twinkling lights in the town centre and how some of them look a lot like other stuff, including dildos.
I take a hefty swallow of wine and sink away from the playful conversation. Whatever meagre chance I might have had with Kat has been blown by my family - the ones who insisted I invite her in the first place.
I chew on the melt-in-the-mouth chocolate self saucing pudding, and can't even enjoy the divine taste.
I glance with the corner of my eye at Kat and catch her licking her spoon. I gasp and the chocolate sauce from my own spoon splatters on my white polo shirt.
“ Fuck! ” I drop my spoon to the plate and fumble for a serviette to dab at the stains.
“Language, Will,” my dad snaps at me.
“Sorry,” I mumble, smearing at the spots and making them worse.
Kat deftly picks up a clean serviette and presses it against my chest.
“Don't want to smear it on. You'd best take it off and wash it straight away with some baking soda.”
My mum says, “Yes, why don't you do that. You help him out, Kat, we've not finished eating. Have we?” She stares everyone down and winks at me. Is my mum trying to get Kat and I alone? I must be hallucinating.
“Sure, let's sort this out,” Kat grabs my arm and pulls me out of the room. “Is the laundry still in the same place it used to be?”
I swallow and nod. She doesn't let go of my arm. We enter the generous sized laundry room, where all the B it's tight around the arms, and I laugh.
“Nope, it seems I've grown. Feels like I've got bodybuilder arms in this.”
Kat runs her hand over my arm and nods. “You're very strong. Bet you could lift me with one arm.”
I lift her with my right arm, and she wraps her arms around my neck. Our lips meet again, and this time her legs wrap around my waist. A thunderstorm of emotions swallows me as I kiss her within an inch of my life.
“I wanted this for so long,” I rasp.
She opens her mouth to reply, but we hear voices down the corridor.
I sigh and put Kat down. She smooths her hair and wipes lipstick off my face. She nods and we exit my room. Frustration and toe-curling lust are fighting a battle with no winners. I’m desperate to make her mine, but I respect her and will always follow her lead. I’m still locked in a dreamy haze. The woman I’ve always loved finally kissed me. It’s too good to be true, like a fantasy come to life.
“There you are! You found another shirt? John was going to give you one of his.” Daryl’s eyebrows shoot up, eyeing us up and down like some blasted airport scanner.
Kat walks ahead of us, and Daryl falls in step with me.
“We've finished eating,” he says. “Mum and Dad will go to bed, and John and I may go out to karaoke. You guys are welcome to join. Otherwise maybe you can take Kat home. Unless she's staying over.”
I look at him, annoyed at the interruption. “No, she's not staying over. I'm taking her home.”
Kat
This man kisses like he wins races. Relentless, expects surrender. And I want to. My body has a little white flag all ready to fly high. Every touch, every kiss—I still feel them all scattered everywhere across me.
Forget surrendering. I’ll beg for more.
I smack my forehead. Since when have I become this needy for a man?
Will the Giraffe no less. He’s got the body of a Norse god now. And he picked me up with one single arm like I was weightless. Will is no longer the lanky teen he once was, and I’m finding myself attracted to his new quiet determination and strength.
We enter the lounge where Mr. and Mrs. de Jong are tidying everything away. The large real Christmas tree fills the room with an earthy pine aroma. We’ve always had a fake one at home. No aroma. No room-stealing size. It’s convenient, but maybe we’ve been missing out. Perhaps next year we should get a real one. Maybe I could even get Auntie Gem to put a real one in the shop in York.
“I was just admiring your tree, Mrs. de Jong. I love real pine trees.”
“Do you know what? I was telling Fritz we need another smaller one for the reception area. Will, how about you go to the Christmas tree farm on the road to Glenorchy tomorrow to pick one up for us?”
I chime in. “Oh, I love the Christmas tree farm. I could join you, Will.”
Will's spare shirt—probably from when he was eighteen—is threatening to burst at the seams. He runs a hand through his red hair, and I wish I could replace his fingers with my own.
“Sure. I’d like that.” He offers me a shy smile then glances at his mom. “I’ll take Kat home now and see you tomorrow morning.” He hugs his parents and shakes hands with Daryl and John who are putting their light jackets on to brave the Queenstown summer rain on their way to karaoke and drinks.
“I'll make a Pinterest board for you guys with some winter wedding ideas,” I shout at them as they're walking away. “How does that sound?”
Daryl blows me a kiss and waves.
Back in Will’s car, I tuck my legs under me in the generously spaced passenger seat. “That was quite an evening.” The words escape me. The memory of his touch and kiss are going to haunt me all night.
He starts the ignition and sets off, a silence hanging between us. I open my phone and check the opening times for the Christmas tree farm. “The farm opens at 10:30am. What time would you like to head down there?”
He bites his lip while he's thinking about it. “I need to do some gym training in the morning, make some calls. I could do it after lunch, maybe two o’clock?”
“That’s fine.” I already know I'm going to spend the morning fidgeting and counting down the hours. An idea takes flight. I'm going to make something for Will for Christmas. Something that he could keep close. A piece of me.
He grinds to a halt outside my parents’ house, and instead of kissing me goodbye, he picks up my hand and places the smallest of kisses on my palm. “See you tomorrow.”
I exit his car, steeling myself for the barrage of questions from my parents about dinner.