Chapter 8 #2
“Is that what we’re calling having wild sex in every conceivable position on every surface of our cabin?” Juni asked with a grin.
“How do you know that’s what we did? Maybe we sat by the fire drinking hot chocolate and telling jokes every evening before we went our separate ways and got a full night’s rest.”
“It’s more likely that you sat by the fire, did naughty things to each other that included chocolate and marshmallows, and then slept in short bursts between bouts of screaming orgasms.”
I shrieked with laughter because we had done almost exactly that except with caramel sauce and homemade marshmallow fluff that I’d made using the supplies we got from Sugar and Juni’s store of goods.
Of course, the caramel sauce was for the apple dessert I’d made, and the marshmallow fluff was supposed to go on the hot chocolate we’d had by the fire - but both had ended up being used in ways other than what they were meant for.
I couldn’t help but blush at the memory, and Juni shook her head as she chided, “We’re gonna have to pressure wash the whole damn place before we can rent it out again.”
“It’s not that bad!”
“I know what Sugar and I are like on the rare occasions we don’t have kids around, so there’s no need to bullshit me.”
Sobering, I said, “Really though, Juni. Thank you for convincing him to come so I could meet him.”
“Just make sure we get a front-row seat at the wedding, and we’ll call it even.”
“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think? I’m not even convinced that it’s a good idea for us to date yet, so wedding bells aren’t quite playing in my head even if they’re clanging in yours.”
“You’ve spent days snowed in with him inside a cabin that’s barely big enough for two people to move around in without stepping all over each other . . .”
“I wouldn’t say that! It’s a gorgeous place with plenty of room.”
“Regardless, when you’re forced to stay somewhere together for a week and you come out of it happier than before you arrived, I’d say dating is the least of what you should expect out of the deal.
If you can stay in a house with a man for more than three days without considering the easiest way to dispose of his body, you should snatch him off the market as quickly as possible and drag him to the courthouse before he wises up and runs for the hills. ”
“It’s been almost a week, and I’ve only found a few quirks that drive me a little nuts.”
“Like what?”
“They’re nothing.”
“List ‘em out. Apparently, they’re something.”
“Have you ever noticed how he eats?”
“He doesn’t grunt or snort, and he uses utensils, so, no, I guess I haven’t.”
“He cannot mix what he eats, no matter what. The other night, I cooked burgers and made some fries. He had already taken a bite of his burger when I asked him if there was enough seasoning on the fries. After he’d eaten every bite of the burger, he finally bit into a fry and asked for more of the seasoning I’d used. ”
Juni sat pensively for a second before she said, “You’re right! That night when you guys walked over to have dinner with us, he ate all of his mashed potatoes before he even cut into his steak.”
“That’s weird, right?” I thought about another one of Chewie’s quirks and exclaimed, “And he salts his food before he’s even tasted it!”
“Obviously, he’s a serial killer.”
“He rolls around like a rotisserie chicken in bed and pulls all the covers off me within an hour of us finally falling asleep.”
“He’s not a cuddler, huh?”
“We do at first and then occasionally through the night, but that’s not on him, that’s on me. I need my space.”
“And your own blanket.”
“He grinds his teeth in his sleep.”
“Okay, now I want to kill him,” Juni said with a shudder. “Ew.”
“I’m sure I’ll find more things to bitch about if we do end up dating, but . . .”
“Why are you so opposed to taking this home with you?” Juni looked horrified before she asked, “Do you already have a man?”
“No! I wouldn’t have let anything happen between us if there was someone waiting for me at home!”
“Then what’s your deal?”
“Do you know how old he is?”
“No. I would guess he’s close to forty.”
“He’s thirty-eight.”
“Sugar’s age.”
“I’m almost forty-eight, Juni!”
“Cougar mama!” When I just stared at her in exasperation, she asked, “And?”
“That’s almost a ten-year age difference.”
“I’m glad you did that math because that really isn’t my strong suit.” I narrowed my eyes at her sarcasm, and she chuckled before she asked, “Why is that such a big deal?”
“He’s still young enough to have children.”
“Honey, if he’s able to have children, then I’d hitch my wagon to that star because he’s gonna make millions!” I was still laughing when Juni asked, “Does he want more?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you?”
“God, no! My kids are all self-sufficient adults with lives of their own. Granted, it was a little hard to get used to living alone after Brinn moved into the dorms, but I’ve actually started to enjoy my empty nest.”
“I guess that would be a deal breaker, but you’ll never know exactly what he wants unless you ask him.”
“You’re right.”
“Is it something you’re willing to bend on?”
“Even if I could, I had a partial hysterectomy years ago. I couldn’t have children even if I did decide I wanted to.”
“Does he know that?”
“Yes. When we ran out of condoms, I told him pregnancy wouldn’t be a problem, and he almost wept tears of joy,” I explained with a grin.
“Yeah, we’re really gonna have to deep clean that cabin,” Juni said as she wrinkled her nose in mock disgust.
“We’re not animals, Juni!”
“Sometimes things get out of hand, and I know from experience that those times are awesome!”
“They are, aren’t they?” I agreed.
“Well, twelve hours together in a car will do two things.”
“What?”
“If you can make it there without plotting each other’s deaths, it will prove that you should definitely drive him directly to the courthouse and put a ring on it.
Traveling brings out the absolute worst in people.
It will also give you plenty of time to talk about future plans and expectations so you know whether this is worth exploring or not. ”
“But the age difference is not going to change.”
“It seems like you’re the only one who has a problem with it.”
“He doesn’t seem to have any issues whatsoever.”
“And if there are only two of you in the relationship, then his opinion and yours are the only ones that count, right?”
“Right.” I said that as I wondered what my kids would think. Honestly, that was the first time I had considered their feelings in all of this, but it only made sense since none of them still lived at home. All the same, they could still have some reservations when they found out.
“What are you thinking about right now?”
“That my kids might not appreciate our age gap.”
“Honey, if they’re more upset about that than the fact that he served hard time, I think your kids' priorities need to change.” That problem hadn’t even crossed my mind.
I gasped in utter shock. “But that goes back to what we said earlier. The opinions of the people in the relationship are the only two opinions that should matter.”
“You’re right.”
“You’d have to say that a little more convincingly for me to believe you actually agree.”
“How about if I just say that I’ll deal with that hurdle if it comes up?”
“That works for now.”
“Thank you for being such a good friend to me, Juni. To both of us, really. I’m glad I got to spend time with you this week.”
“Stick with Chewie, and you’ll see me more often, I’m sure. He comes in with some of the other guys pretty regularly. I think they enjoy the peace and solitude here.”
“I know I’ve enjoyed it.”
“Good. That means it won’t be hard to get you to come back.”