Chapter 11
My being completely naked while Edison was still fully dressed didn’t sit right with me and needed to be rectified immediately. He lay there smiling sheepishly like he hadn’t just blown my mind with the flick of his tongue.
Edison reached out, tugging on a strand of my hair. “I like the purple.”
“Yeah? Darla said it was crazy to dye it anything other than my signature red, but I needed a change.”
“With the softer color, I can make out your eyes better and the light flecks of gold at the edge of your pupils.”
“Strip,” I commanded. “You are not going to sit there and sweet talk me all night. I need to feel you on top of me.”
Edison moved like molasses. He always had since childhood. He was never in a rush, he was always observing the world around him. While Darla and I had our faces aglow in UV lights from our phones, he was just out there raw dogging life. Like he didn’t want to miss something important. Back then I didn’t get it, but now I understood he was the one really living because he experienced each moment distraction free.
When he finally stepped out of his boxers, my face lit up with delight. It blew my mind that men could walk around unassuming and then drop trou and you realize this whole time they were concealing a third leg.
His toes curled into the carpet. “You’re embarrassing me,” he said.
“Don’t act like I’m the first woman who lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of you.” I couldn’t resist. Reaching out, I took the weight of him in my hand, stroking his member, lightly applying pressure to the tip. Edison stood rod straight as I smiled up at him. All I wanted was to witness him come undone. For calm and collected Edison to grab me tight and call me dirty names. I wanted to suck him off sloppy and wet while telling him he was a good boy. But the throbbing in between my legs was deafening. With his dick inches from my lips I said, “I need you to fuck me right now.” Making sure to talk slow and extra airy, so he felt my breath on the tip of his dick, my mouth just out of reach.
Edison backed off and rummaged in the pockets of his jeans looking for a condom. My eager eyes were as big as saucers as he rolled the rubber over his member. I grabbed him by the neck and pressed his lips against mine. Playfully nipping at his bottom lip, he moaned, sweeping his tongue into my mouth to dance next to mine. We were like teenagers exploring each other for the first time, languishing in that long kiss like we both weren’t naked and able to do so much more. I just couldn’t get over the way his tongue tasted like a combination of both of us, it was sweet and savory at the same time.
When he finally climbed on top, he offered a crooked smile, teasing me with the tip before leisurely slipping inside. I held my breath until all of him met all of me. He stroked my cheek and I could tell I was in trouble. His deep-set eyes consumed me, blocking out every other thought. The first strokes were nice and easy. What you’d expect from someone who was laid back and chill like a three-day weekend with no particular plans. His large hand rubbed my legs and he buried his head into my chest. Selecting a tit, he teased my nipple with his tongue before swiping it over my areola, practically inhaling my entire breast.
I moaned and writhed underneath him. Tossing my hand to the back of his head, I rubbed his tapered fade. This wasn’t fucking, this was grown and sexy. Edison was making love to every part of me. His lips brushed my chin before nestling next to my ear. I thought he was going to tell me how good I felt or how long he’d waited for this, but he did none of that. The sound of his breath against my ear as it went from steady to more labored the deeper the thrust was sending me.
The perfect song is a culmination of several factors: words, melody, and voice. Sex with Edison was like the perfect song. Every thrust expertly timed. The tap of his fingers against my waist silently urging me forward. Our breath syncopated, when I exhaled air he’d breathe it in. I called out his name like it was the chorus in a number one record.
When he increased the pace it was like we’d been singing a cappella and the beat finally kicked in. It was heady and aggressive. His body was in urgent need of mine as he drove deeper, taking away my ability to speak. I clawed at his back as his teeth bit down on my shoulder. All of a sudden, I was a contortionist as I opened myself wider for him, my back arched.
Edison grabbed my waist, flipping us over so I was on top. He was letting me sing lead and I decided to dip into the bridge. Rocking back and forth then up and down, wanting to experience him from every angle. His hands coasted over my frame. Sometimes he’d guide my hips, making it a duet, and other times I was performing solo while he reaped the benefits.
We barely spoke any words, but there was no need when our bodies were doing the talking for us. My face flushed as heat slid over my body. I dropped low so our noses touched, letting him know with just my eyes I was about to come. He grabbed my ass and worked me over his shaft again and again until I unraveled like a loose thread, one final tug making the garment pull apart. When Edison grunted deep and started to shake I lost the last bit of my composure. His orgasm made me come harder knowing we were feeling the exact same feeling at this unique moment in time.
It took me a minute to slow my hips. I honestly didn’t want to let him go. We would never have this moment again. When he pulled out, it would only ever live in our memories. As if he was thinking the same damn thing, Edison kissed me hard and long like he wanted to sear this occasion in our brains forever.
When we finally released one another, I collapsed to the mattress next to him. “Well, that was?—”
“Yeah,” he said, agreeing with words I hadn’t yet spoken.
“That was the worst sex I’ve ever had.”
We shared a chuckle.
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to keep trying til we get it right.”
“You have shitty reception out here,” I said as I entered the kitchen with various forms of roosters all around. Rooster artwork, rooster cookie jar, rooster tea kettle. I do not understand how Edison lived in a home so opposite his style.
“I know it.”
“What do you do in case of emergencies?”
“I got my landline and my rifle.”
I tossed my phone on the counter since at Edison’s place it was the equivalent of an expensive paperweight. If anyone was looking for me, I wouldn’t know because my phone had no bars and this man had no internet. “No cell service. No Wi-Fi. What do you do for fun?”
“I invite wayward country stars to my place for a quick lay.” It was a little past midnight, and he was scrambling up some eggs.
I made myself comfortable on the rooster shaped stool. “Seriously.”
“This place keeps me plenty busy. Between the animals and the shit in the house, I’m never bored.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I would lose my mind. It’s so fucking quiet.”
Edison flashed an eye in my direction. There was something behind it, but I couldn’t rest my finger on it. “You used to like quiet.”
“No I didn’t. I never did. I was always looking for something to get into. I didn’t like being alone for too long with my thoughts.”
“Yeah, why was that?” He stirred sugar into his tea, licking the spoon.
“Because all my thoughts ever told me was I wasn’t enough. Pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough.”
“They’re lying to you Fancy. The thoughts in your head. You are so much better than you know.”
“You don’t ever doubt yourself?”
“All the time. Late at night I lay in my bed wondering if I’m going to die alone in a farmhouse that smells like cheese surrounded by kitschy shit.”
Slamming my hand on the kitchen island, I agreed. “It does smell like cheese. Why is that?”
“I don’t know? I keep thinking one day I’ll move a box and find a big wheel of gouda”
“Despite the house being made of Manchego, you could probably have any woman you wanted.”
He scooped eggs on two plates. “You and I both know that’s not true.”
“Maybe back in high school. But I saw the way the ladies were looking at you at The Tipsy Owl.”
“No one was looking at me.”
“Them bitches were following your every move. I should know I was one of them.”
“Do you want bacon?”
“Have we met? Of course I want bacon.”
“I mean eventually I’ll find someone and settle down. That’s what you do in Hume.”
“Well don’t settle. Never that. It needs to feel like a Shania song. I thought I had it once or twice, but the melody was always slightly off.”
“Hmm, I fear settling is in my future.” He placed a plate in front of me before taking a seat.
“I still believe in love and so should you.”
“I believe but that doesn’t mean we’re all going to find it. What are there like eight billion people on this planet?”
“That’s a lot of opportunity.”
“You know that saying there’s someone for everyone? I used to believe that, but now not so much.”
“What changed?”
“The math ain’t mathing. What if my soulmate is in Peru? Now what?”
“I think your person is right here in Hume.” There it was again. Edison shot me a look I couldn’t quite identify, but it was giving hints of uncertainty and frustration.
“Love comes with too many variables. That person needs to feel the same thing I’m feeling at the exact same time. It’s a gamble.”
“When did you become the love sucks guy?”
“I never said love sucks. It’s amazing when you can find it. But finding it is like sifting through a haystack for a needle. Honestly, and I know this might sound weird, but I think the Birch siblings are cursed.”
“Explain.”
“Cyrus, Dial, me all single for years now. Maybe that’s just our fate.”
“Hey, look at me.” Claiming his chin, I continued, “You deserve all the love you can hold. Now you may be on to something with Dial because she is like a cat in a bag. But not Cy and certainly not you.”
“Oh, so Dial’s just catching strays.”
“Yeah, cause she was mean to me yesterday.”
Edison was the easy choice and until this minute, that never interested me. But in his rooster themed kitchen, with his shirt off and his easy, humble demeanor, it sort of made sense. I’d traveled the world searching for meaning and acceptance, and Edison embodied that without even trying. I appreciated him in this moment the same way he appreciated me. Same feeling at the exact same time.
Turning my attention to my plate, I shoveled food into my mouth like Edison wasn’t sitting next to me. A forkful of egg, a tear of bacon, a bit of toast.
“You know in some cultures people chew their food,” he teased.
“I’m chewing,” I said around a mouthful of toast and tea. A black and white cat rubbed up against my leg with a meow. “Well hello pretty kitty. How’d you get in here?” I scratched the top of her head and was celebrated in a wash of purrs.
“That’s Katt with two T’s.”
“You have a cat?”
“She’s not mine. I mean I didn’t adopt her. One day she just showed up and I offered her a bowl of milk. Next day she showed up again, I give her some milk and scraps of food. The third day … you guessed it, she shows up. But this time the milk and food are waiting for her. She let me pet her and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“And you named her Katt?”
“It didn’t feel right picking a name for her. She likes to roam. Sometimes she’s gone days at a time and sometimes she’ll cop a squat for a while.”
“She’s just so beautiful. Yes, you are.” Katt meowed one last time before taking a bit of deli meat from Edison’s outstretched hand.
“My mom told me your parents are talking about retirement.” I continued to clear my plate.
“They’re looking for a new adventure. My mom’s in remission so I guess it’s as good a time as any for a pivot.”
My face dropped as I recalled a few years back my mother telling me Mrs. Birch had been diagnosed with cancer. “I meant to call. I just didn’t know what to say.” Resting my hand on his knee, I offered up a lame excuse.
“Nah it’s okay. No one knows what to say when shit like that happens. But it would have been nice to hear your voice.”
“It’s not okay. But thank you for not thinking less of me.” Not calling was selfish of me. If the shoe were on the other foot, Edison would’ve dropped everything to show his support. I was a bad friend. I’d been a bad friend to him for quite some time now. When Darla and I left I tried to keep in contact. Every Thursday night we had a standing agreement to call each other even if we could only chat for a few minutes. But life got so busy I’d have plans with my new friends, or he’d need to study for an exam. The calls became less frequent and eventually stopped all together.
“They’re thinking about moving to Gainsborough .”
“How would that work with running Figs and Twine?”
“They say Dial and I can handle it.” He laced his finger with mine.
“That’s pretty major. Do you want all that responsibility?”
“I’m torn. Of course, I don’t want my folks to sell the house and leave, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have ideas I was itching to implement.”
“Like?”
He slowly circled the pad of his thumb over my palm. “Like gardening classes on the weekends.”
“Gardening classes?”
“Yeah, people think just because you live in the country, you’re born with a green thumb. But that shit isn’t ingrained in our DNA. You have to learn somehow. We could teach the basics and new innovative gardening techniques.”
“That’s actually brilliant. Parents are always looking for something to do with their kids. Mom circles interested in a day to themselves, or individuals looking to learn some new tricks from professionals.”
“I’m not a professional.”
“You have a degree and the greenest thumb I’ve ever seen.”
“I also thought about opening a cozy coffee shop?—”
“With some tables so people can sit in the garden and enjoy a latte with a friend or a good book.”
Edison laughed. “Yeah, exactly that. People wouldn’t have to go all the way into town if they wanted a good cup of Joe.” His hand rested on my bare thigh. I was wearing one of his T-shirts and nothing more.
“You should do it. Both. I don’t think you’ve failed at a single thing you’ve ever tried.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do. I have faith enough for the both of us.”
He smiled wistfully, his voice soft yet deep. “You have faith in me?” His hand slipped under my shirt, finding my clit.
I gripped the edge of the stool, only able to manage a weak, “Uh-huh.”
“Do you have faith I can make you come a few more times tonight?”
“Yes,” I moaned.
Edison jumped up and pushed away the items on the kitchen counter. A bowl with roosters painted along the edge shattered when it accidentally hit the floor spilling bananas and apples to the hardwood. Undeterred Edison grabbed me, setting me on the counter. He pulled off his boxers and fucked me in the cozy kitchen of his creepy old man house.
His dick was substantial and while I couldn’t prove it, I believe it was reaching my belly button. Big dick was a dime a dozen. Most men thought aggressive pumping was enough. Edison had the tools and understood how to use them. Each stroke was calculated for my pleasure. Pulling out, he used the tip to tease my pearl and I sat up and paid attention. Occasionally he’d dip into my honey pot before swiping it across my slit once more.
“Hey, can you be a good girl for me?”
My face lit up. “Yes.”
He lifted me off the counter and moved us to the hallway. “I want you to lay face down and not move a finger.”
“Okay.” I complied, removing my T-shirt before taking to all fours.
“Face down, Fancy.” Edison’s voice grew closer as he shifted from standing to kneeling. “Are you good? Do you need a pillow?”
“No, I’m good.” Edison slapped my ass and I knew I was in trouble. “What’s about to happen to me?” I meekly asked.
“Oh, I’m about to fuck you within an inch of your life.” I could have come off the strength of those words alone. “Arch that back, darling.”
Edison massaged my clit while sliding inside and I cried out. “Just take my money.”
I started rocking back and forth and was chastised. “Did I tell you to move?”
“No.”
“Tonight, you have to follow my rules.”
“Done. Can I beg because I feel like I want to beg a little?”
“Uhm … that’s fine.”
“I really need all of it right now.” Edison claimed hold of my waist and went to town. When I tell you he demolished my pussy. The strokes were long and methodical. He hit every nerve as he slid in and out over and over again. “Oh God punish this pussy, baby.”
He switched his position, and I went into a fugue state. Edison had me pinned and there was nothing I could do but get fucked. Each pump inching me closer to the upper rooms. The clapping of my cheeks laced with my uncontrollable moans was a fucking bop. “Edison, you fuck me so good.”
His massive hand encircled my neck, and he pulled my torso upward. “You like that.”
“God, yes. Choke me harder.”
The pressure around my neck tightened. “Whose pussy is this?”
“It’s yours for the taking. Get it baby.” While Edison was deep in my guts, I realized I would cut a bitch over this man. Was he fucking everybody like this? I would let him ruin my life. Tank my credit score, burn down my house, slap my momma. Shambles, I was in shambles over this dick. “I think I’m about to cry.”
A heavy weight settled in my stomach. Edison was in too deep, and I wasn’t talking about his dick. He was in my head and tugging at my heart. This was more than sex. He was uploading malware that was rewriting my code and corrupting the possibilities for any other suitor.
Edison switched me on to my back and reentered, his eyes laser focused on me. I tried to hold back the tears, but each stroke made it harder to deny him. “Ed -i- son …” My words were punctured by moans and my voice was thick with emotion. Tears slid down the sides of my face. “What the fuck are you doing to me?”
“Do you want me to stop?” All his boldness was gone as he wiped away a tear that was quickly followed by others.
“No, don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.” Edison softly kissed my lips, his arm cradling my head as his strokes slowed to an attentive pace, which while still life wrecking, allowed me to better process my big feelings. He wasn’t fucking me any longer. We were making love.
“You are so beautiful, and I feel safe when I’m inside you.”
“I can’t … I can’t talk or I’m going to say some crazy shit.”
“No judgement.” He followed with strokes that dismantled my lifelong beliefs.
“You make me want to do dirty, such dirty things. Like cook dinner, wash clothes, raise a family, and suck your dick every night, every fucking night.”
“I’ma need you to come for me now.” Edison leaned into my ear, talking me through it. “Show me how much you love this dick. I want you to mark your territory and cream all over this motherfucker.” And I did, I creamed all over his dick and then licked it clean for good measure.