God knows this book has been typed and deleted too many times.
Percy Hugo Milton
Maybe I smiled a little too hard when she came down but I couldn’t help it because I knew exactly what was going down, and I was ready. I had my best lotion on, my sturdy glasses that never came off, even in the heat of the moment, and my bare chest felt like it was on fire with edge and nerves. My body was ready for what my mind knew was about to take place, and she had no idea. Now if I could just get her to kiss me again.
“Percy?” she called out, walking slowly towards the kitchen as I eyed the black candles with greed, “Percy, can we talk? I know it's early but I wanted to catch you before you leave.”
“I have no intentions on leaving today,” I grinned, studying her every step. Even her thighs were starting to touch and rub together. My God, she had no idea what was in store for her.
“Well I wanted to talk to you anyway, about last night,” she said as she walked up to the counter to face me, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh huh,” I hummed, eyes fixated on her mouth. Were they always that exact tone of brown? She didn’t even have a hint of pink or flesh to her lips, just perfect pouty chocolate folds.
I glanced at the candle again like an addict.
“And I think we should hold off on sex,” she suddenly said as my eyes nearly split open to stare at her, “I know, I know. You probably weren’t even thinking about sex with me. Maybe it was on my mind, I don’t know but that kiss last night definitely put things into perspective for me.”
“I’m sorry, what?” shaking my head with confusion, “you want to, what?”
“I know it's not what you were thinking but I had some time to reflect about me and my part in this relationship. Our parents, and the way we’re trying to avoid making the same mistakes while ironically following in their footsteps. So while you were down here,” she said as she slowly walked around the counter to stand in front of me, “I tried to fix up the bedroom to make it look like a theatre of some sort. I have one of your favorite movies and one of mine on DVD that we can watch. I ordered pizza and have drinks being delivered if you would like to join me for an impromptu movie date in the bedroom….”
I found myself genuinely smiling as I sat my glass down and followed Jasmine up the stairs. Each step felt like we were progressing into something bigger as we turned the corner in the hallway to our bedroom.
“Ohhh,” I gasped with my fist coming to my mouth in total shock. I pushed my glasses up with my eyes wide in wonder as I looked around the bedroom. She had string lights swooping down from the ceiling and clinging to the walls with my posters on the wall of my favorite marvel heroes and comic covers. Didn’t even realize she had the second TV dragged into the bedroom sitting tackly on the dresser but I smiled at the Iron Giant movie, Spider-man Multiuniverse, and Bring it On DVDs stacked next to the screen. There were two white candles lit on the dresser, thankfully something she bought from the store and not from Tallulah, and two bags of chips and a jar of salsa on the nightstand. Jasmine nervously held her hands out in surrender as she held me off from saying anything.
“I plan on painting the walls anyway so I figured why not decorate it with everything that makes you, you,” she quickly said as I walked further into the room to see she went into my closet to grab a box full of my things from posters and drawings to action figures I wasn’t ashamed to have as collectables. They were going to be worth a fortune one day. “I’m doing this because I think even after everything, you deserve a break Percy. From me, from your parents, from everything. You’re right, I haven’t been the most kind or receptive of you over these past few years. I’ve treated you like shit and granted, I don’t condone the cheating or believe that was an excuse to cheat on me, but I’m ready to move forward. I don’t like what your father said to you last night about his reason for getting a divorce,” she continued as she used pins to hold my posters up, “and I don’t care for how your mother talks about me. I’ve been nothing but kind to her but I understand the stress she’s going through with her own husband and Percy?” turning to look back at me with a pin clamped between her teeth, “I don’t want that to be us so I’m sorry.”
There was another rumble of thunder waving over the roof of our home as I stared at her back side. Watching her bend down into the box before lifting back up in her shorts.
“Have you decided what movie you want to watch?” she asked without turning around as I sat down on the edge of the bed. Rubbing my jaw in deep thought before she walked over to stand in front of me with this… I don’t know if it was her eyes giving off this sweet innocent expression as she held her head down like she was shy or the fact that she stood between my knees. I reached for her wrist to pull her closer in between and she didn’t pull or grow stiff in my hold. As badly as I wanted to have sex with her right now and just light that damn candle up and have my way with her, this feeling right here… Having her this close to me was better than anything I’ve ever felt before in my life, and all we did was stare at one another. Her fingers suddenly stretched and pulled from my hold just to slide down to my palm and clasp her fingers with mine as she smiled.
“Percy I really can’t believe you’re making me feel a way right now,” she whispered as I laughed, “my heart is racing right now, and thumping in my ears.”
“Why is it so hard to believe that I can make you feel a way?” I asked, pushing my glasses up with my other hand.
“Because it's you, and you’re the furthest thing from being romantic or sexy. Like a nerd trying to be hot… It doesn’t work or make sense,” she said as my mouth dropped. Jasmine suddenly let out the loudest laugh with her head tossed back as she gripped my hand.
“I can be sexy!” I declared over her laughter. “I turned you on, twice! You’re probably all hot and bothered now just from standing this close to me!”
Her steady laughter turned into quick snorts like a pig as I shot up against her. Beyond offended but couldn’t help but smile at her obnoxious laughter.
“Percy I’m sorry, you just don’t---Percy! PERCY?!” she shrieked in laughter as I swooped down to pick her up by the thighs, spreading her legs out before me as she wrapped her arms around my neck to hold. “Put me down you fool!” she laughed. “Percy?! We’re going to fall! We’re going to---PERCY!?”
“Be quiet. I’m not going to fall Jasmine,” I strained at the same time that I felt my foot step over a sneaker nearly causing both of us to trip as I turned my body just in time to miss the sharp edge of the bed and fall on my back with Jasmine collapsed on top of me in pure laughter. My ankles felt all twisted up from the fall as I winced in pain at the impact.
“I told you but you just have to be hard headed and stubborn,” she laughed with her thighs practically straddling my shoulders. I looked up at her as she looked down between her legs at me with a smile, “are you okay Hugo?”
I just stared at this woman who I couldn’t believe was still my wife after everything as she tucked the loose ends of her hair behind her ear. Surely she could feel my heart beating underneath her thighs.
“Are you okay?” she asked again with a worried tone. I closed my eyes with a small content smile.
“I’m comfortable.”
I felt her hands slide to grip my shoulders in response and that was probably the last unspoken truce that formed our newfound relationship in our marriage.
Fuck that stupid Dr. Hampton. I fixed my marriage on my own, no thanks to her.