Chapter 27 A New Chapter #2
Please enjoy this fully furnished apartment, courtesy of friends seen and unseen. Enjoy the wine as well! And welcome to Lanore Estates development.
-Shelly
“Hmm.” Christopher hums, sneaking a peek at me, but I studiously ignore him. “Wonder what Shelly means by unseen.”
I clear my throat, arching an brow and giving him a tiny head shake. I don't want her to know it's me. I'm not important in this.
Sarah steps tentatively into the space and I watch her carefully, following a few steps behind.
She glances around cautiously, eyeing Jerome who's now making himself comfortable in a chair in the living room.
She advances to the peninsula where Christopher holds the paper out to her with a rather wicked grin on his face.
"You got the hook up, babygirl."
"Seems so…though, I don't know who'd do this for me. It couldn't be my parents, they don't know I'm here…" She takes the paper slowly from Christopher and reads it silently.
“Wondering who you aren’t seeing?” Christopher eyes her before turning confidently, padding into the hallway and disappearing into the master bedroom. “Oh, my fucking God. Look at this bathroooom!” he shouts excitedly, making her jump in surprise.
"Don't take the Lord’s name in vain," Sarah calls loudly, still eyeing the note. I chuckle, suddenly reminded of my mother.
"That's why she picked this one, baby," Jerome shouts back, pulling his phone out and turning on what sounds to be a football game.
But Sarah stays still, looking down at the note without moving.
I walk farther, circling around her until I'm facing her front, needing to see her expression for myself.
She's biting her lip, and her eyes are full of tears as she sniffs and looks up at me.
I resist wiping a tear away when it falls onto her cheek.
“I guess it’s a good thing because I really didn’t want to give up my air mattress,” I joke, a grin tilting my lips as I stare down into her dark eyes swimming with tears. I don't want her to cry, but she seems overwhelmed with gratefulness.
“Who would do this for me?” she whispers, laying the paper down and swiping carefully under both eyes with her fingers.
It breaks me, and I step into her and wrap her into a big hug, uncaring if it's improper or not.
Instead of stiffening, this time Sarah melts into my embrace.
Her nose nuzzles into my neck gently, and she takes a breath so deep it makes my arms flex.
My body reacts, warming up instantly with pleasure so acute that it momentarily sets me off course, and I work hard to prevent myself from taking the deep breath I need.
I don’t want to be too obvious at how badly I needed a hug as well, how much I want to wrap her into my arms.
Sarah stiffens suddenly as a rhythmic squeaking sound comes from the bedroom, effectively yanking us back from our moment.
She pulls back fast, her eyes flickering to and away from mine in embarrassment.
The loss of the feel of her against me is paramount.
I eye her warily when it suddenly hits me like a ton of bricks that I've never felt this way before about anyone.
I haven't known her any length of time, but she just feels so right…so perfect that it scares me.
“Christopher, get off my bed! The least I can do is take care of the furniture!” she half-shouts, turning away from me to walk down the hallway and peek into the bedroom where she disappears.
“Sorry, girl. I think this might be a problem for you.” I hear Christopher tease and her say something back in reply, followed by a muffled smack that makes Christopher laugh good-naturedly.
He comes through the doorway and back to the kitchen and lounge area, rubbing his shoulder with a playful look on his face.
I shake my head as he tosses a teasing grin my way before he digs back into the basket, grabbing one of the snacks and tearing it open then shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.
I settle on the barstool next to the peninsula and grin back at him.
Stop, I mouth, seeing him grin even harder. A slight rustling noise brings my attention back to the short hallway where Sarah's busy meandering around.
“It most certainly will not be a problem for me, thank you very much,” Sarah admonishes before reappearing, looking into the spare bedroom curiously.
Her foot pops up behind her as she balances herself against the doorframe.
“Oh, it’s an office! It’s so cute!” she gushes, coming back into the kitchen with a big smile on her face.
Christopher scoffs. “Uhm, I actually think it’s going to be a huge problem for you. Bed’s going to break if it’s rocked too hard. What do you think, Alexander?” he inquires with a husky laugh as he shoves more chips into his face.
This man's a fucking tease and a half if I've ever seen one.
I fold my arms and look to the side, watching amusedly as Jerome joins in on our chuckling from the living room.
"I think bed-breaking is one of the better parts of being able to live life," I say simply, bringing my eyes back to hers and giving her a wink.
"Being completely transparent, I might've broken a few in my day. "
Her mouth drops open, and her eyes go wide, causing me to chuckle even harder.
“Ugh!’’ Sarah says, stomping her foot and throwing her hands in the air dramatically. “You guys are such men. I don’t even know why I put up with you, honestly,” she tisks, walking to the balcony door and sliding it open.
She steps out before almost toppling over, and I see her high heel caught between the planks.
I'm up and out there in a flash, squatting down beside her, grabbing her ankle, and firmly plucking it out before removing her cream-colored high-heeled shoe, and seeing her pretty toes appear. I tap her other ankle, looking up at her.
“You're so interesting. We say one word about breaking stuff, and the first thing you do is try and break your ankle?"
"Well." She bites her lip before swallowing hard. "I think you three are trouble. You're enough to make a girl want to jump off a balcony with all the testosterone floating around and choking a girl out."
I arch my brow at her use of words. "Can’t have you throwing yourself from the balcony the first ten minutes now, can we? Then how're you supposed to find someone to help you break your bed in?”
She blushes a deep red, the sight filling me up with so much satisfaction, and her breath hitches as she looks away, back to being shy. "I don't think bed-breaking's my thing. But you all tease me all you want to."
"Hmm," I hum, tapping her foot again. We'd been so lost in each other, flirting, that she hadn't even lifted her foot for me.
I wrap my hand around her delicate ankle, feeling along the skin there.
She's got blue-green veins that rope up her ankles and feet, and my mouth waters at wanting to trace their path with my tongue.
"Come on," I say quietly, "Be a good girl and give me your foot.
" My breath burns in my lungs as she bends forward to steady herself on my shoulders while I get her other shoe off.
Standing up, I look into her eyes just as Jerome yells out the food has arrived.
A wary look passes over Sarah’s features as she gently takes her shoes from me and turns to walk back into the apartment with me following close behind. I close the door shut, watching the gentle sway in her hips as she walks. That and the heady smell of spices makes my mouth water.
We spend the next two hours polishing off the Indian food and not one, but three bottles of wine between the four of us.
I don't know how Sarah's disposition was when she was in her old home with her ex, but I can't imagine it was the same vibe she’s exhibiting right now. Not under the same roof with an abuser.
The Sarah I see now is enjoying abandon, and I wonder when the last time was that she felt like this.
This free. She's curled up on her knees in front of the wooden living room table, laughing at Jerome’s college story of how he got locked out of some guy’s apartment one time naked in the dead of winter, and therefore she needs to find a hiding spot for a spare key just in case.
I also notice with much pleasure that she’s eaten almost her entire cartoon of food.
“Oh! Gifts! SJ! We got you gifts!” Christopher claps, dropping heavily onto the couch next to Jerome and putting his arm around him. He points to a spot next to the couch, showing her a big, plastic, clear see-through bag with dark blue bedding peeking through.
Sarah drags it to her and pulls it out. "Oohhh it has shams and everything." Her eyes flicker to his, and she smiles warmly. "And it's such a good thread count too, Chris. Aww," she tilts her head, reaching out to touch his knee lightly. So she isn't scared of touching. "You didn't have to."
“And a spare set of sheets, for when all that squeaking gets too intense, you feel me?” Christopher teases, giving her a raunchy wink.
I can't help the chuckle that erupts from me as Sarah leans forward and slaps his arm playfully.
“Christopher!” she sputters, turning fire-engine red and pressing her hands to her cheeks. “I’m not even interested in that. And it wasn’t good when I had it—trust me.” She rolls her eyes.
I clench my jaw as her words process, and my heart skips a beat as I suddenly imagine myself laying my body on hers.