Blooming (8 page)

“Are you
there Jen?” No response, so he knocked, the door opened and he caught his
breath.

She’d blown
her hair out again, and although there was still far too much of it framing
such a small face, it was beautiful and fell nearly to her waist in dark waves.
He was gratified that she’d taken trouble over herself for him.

She had on a
little make-up, her eyes with mascara looked wide and dark and she had lined
her eyes with navy pencil which matched the colour of her irises, some kind of
blush highlighted her cheekbones but she’d left her lips bare. She’d obviously
put some thought into this, for him, he thought again with pleasure.

“You have a
dress on,” he said simply, still a little stunned.

“Yes, but I
don’t really know why.”

It was a plain
white shift with a scoop neck and fell to her knees. It wasn’t the least bit
revealing but he found it absolutely enchanting.

He looked
down at her feet, “still no shoes?”

“It’s been so
long since I wore a dress, that when I moved I trashed all my heels because
they were about ten years out of date anyway,” she shrugged.

“Footstool?”
he said, afraid to say anymore.

“Ok, but
there’s something I need to show you when I come back.”

She
disappeared into her living room, and was visibly shaking with nerves when she
returned. He took the stool from her and put it on the floor, then took her
hand while she stepped up.

“What do you
want to show me?”

“I told you
about the accident,” he nodded at her. “I told you I was hurt,” another simple
statement. Her fingers began tentatively tracing the neckline of her dress and
he suddenly figured out what she was going to show him. Idiot that he was he’d
not given any thought that there would be lasting physical repercussions of her
accident, and he suddenly understood that there was another reason she had a
right to be nervous.

Jen gently
pulled the neckline of her dress down and revealed a raised cross shaped scar
on her breastbone. It wasn’t white like most old scars but pale pink.

He didn’t
move or speak just looked closely at her skin.

“Please speak
to me.”

“Is this
supposed to change something?” he said tracing the scar with one large finger.

“You needed
to know about it.”

“Were you
hoping I’d take one look at this and run screaming down the hallway,” he smiled
gently.

“Yes, that’s
what I want.”        

“Jen the
other two guys you went on a date with, when you gave them the brush off didn’t
they fight for you, at least try to make you go out with them again?”

“No,”

“And I’m
guessing you didn’t show them this either?” He traced the puckered skin again.

She shook her
head, and he bent to her and quickly kissed her right there, his lips parted
and his tongue slid out and licked her soft skin. “I like it, it’s like a
little x marks the spot.”

Jen gasped
and released her collar so she was hidden again.

Todd lifted
her chin with his hands and slid his fingers back into her hair, “look at me
Jen,” he demanded. Her eyes came up, and he fixed her with a stare, “those
other guys weren’t worth your time.”

His hands
were moving in her scalp scooping handfuls of her hair, his thumbs moved to
massage behind her ears gently, “do you know why I ask you to bring the
footstool?”

“I imagine
because I’m a short-ass and you can’t reach me otherwise,” her voice hitched
and she was struggling to focus.

“Partly,” he
laughed, “but mainly because without the stool I’d be tempted to grab your
little short-ass and haul you up against me, and I don’t think you’d like that
just yet.”

“No,” she
admitted.

“Can I kiss
you now?”

“Do I have a
choice?”

“No and I’m
going to expect you to kiss me back.”

She sighed
heavily - resigned to her fate.

One of Todd’s
hands caressed her neck, and Jen struggled for a minute not sure whether she
should keep her eyes open or closed. Then the next second it didn’t matter because
his lips were on hers and he knew what he was doing.

Todd shut his
eyes and slowly sucked her top lip pulling it out gently in encouragement and
then he rested his tongue just inside her parted lips before sliding it inside
her mouth to flick against hers. He angled his head to the right and tilted her
to fit before stroking in and out, coaxing her tongue to respond.

He pulled
back and whispered into Jen’s mouth,” try anything, or just follow me. You
can’t go wrong I’ll like it whatever, I promise. Her tongue gently came out and
licked across his lips before he finished the sentence, surprised he latched on
and sucked it deep inside his mouth. They tangled back and forth, mouths open
and Todd’s breath grew choppier. He pulled at her bottom lip, thrust his tongue
in for a long sweep then pulled out and kissed her hard on her chin, following
behind with a long luxurious lick, which swirled down her throat to her
collarbone.

Jen was
struggling to keep up with him, he felt hot and intense, and everywhere he touched
her she felt scorched with heat. Todd’s fingers made to pull her dress lower
again but Jen found her voice, “No, please no, I’m not comfortable with that
yet.”

Todd’s hands
stilled, his thumbs slid down to rest on the underwire either side of her breasts,
and he tipped his forehead to hers as they breathed in tandem.

“I promise
you it doesn’t bother me,” he said and dropped his lips to brush the scar
through the fabric of her dress, before letting his head rest along her neck
where his silky hair tickled her skin.”

Jen squeezed
the muscles of his broad shoulders in wonder, and traced up the back of his
neck, causing him to sigh with pleasure.

“I can’t
promise anything more tonight or even soon, I’m sorry.”

Todd’s head
came up and he kissed her brow, her cheekbone, and the corner of her mouth,
softly licking inside. Then he pulled away, “Goodnight Jennifer.”

He took a
step or two away and gave her a slow sexy smile that took what little breath
remained to her before he disappeared down the stairs.

****

The next
morning Todd looked at Lily over the breakfast table, noting the top she wore
that showed a modest amount of cleavage.

“Lily, can I
ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“If something
happened to you, an accident or an illness and you needed surgery that left a
scar here,” he said touching his sternum, “how would you feel about it?”

She was quiet
for a long minute.

“Hmm, that’s
tough to say, I would like to think that the first thing I’d feel is glad to be
alive, after that I don’t know,” she looked uncomfortable.

“Does Jen
have a scar there?” she questioned, Todd nodded.

“It’s not a
good area to have a scar Todd, the skin is so delicate there, generally the
chances of it being a raised keloid scar are higher and there’s not much can be
done after the fact, other than silicon type dressings to try and flatten it.

“So how would
you feel?”

“This area,”
she said touching her own chest, “the décolletage - think about it for a minute
Todd. It’s a very feminine area, a woman dresses to attract the attention to
it. We wear necklaces to make it look pretty. I think if I had a scar there and
it was very noticeable, I think it would ultimately affect the way I felt about
my femininity.

I’ve seen
people with mastectomy scars and that is much more of a loss, but this thing is
a little similar. I wouldn’t feel as confident about myself if I had a scar
there, and If Jen hasn’t come to terms with this and is covering it up all the
time, well she probably struggles to find pretty clothes that aren’t too low. And
the more she wears bag lady clothes the crapper she feels about herself I’m
guessing.

 Even if she
felt braver and could show this scar off in strappy tops, every time she met
someone their eye would be naturally drawn there, it’s unavoidable. She’d
always have to explain how she got it, which if it’s from a traumatic incident,
well you can imagine?”

Todd pondered
for a while - deep in thought. From a male point of view he had to admit that
if a man had a scar anywhere nobody thought twice about it. If anything it was
a badge of honour, women would find it sexy even. But he knew it would be
different for a woman, and the fact Jen’s scar didn’t bother him probably made
little difference to Jen’s feelings.

“Did that
help any?” Lily asked.               

“Kind of,” Todd
smiled. “You’re pretty astute you know Lily?”

“What can I
say,” she said, “I rock!”

Todd laughed,
“I should call Sean; he definitely needs a reminder to look elsewhere for his
inspiration unfortunately.”

Upstairs a
short phone conversation later, Sebastian caught Sean looking contemplative.

“Bad news
babe?” he asked.

“Intriguing
really, it’s kind of given me some ideas. Are you finishing work early today?”

“Yeah I
should be done by three, why?”

“Because you
and I need to go visit my muse.”

****

Jen was deep
in work designing the layout for one of her new clients, a jewellery designer,
when somebody knocked at her door.

Her heart
raced before she checked her watch and realised it was only 4 o’clock, and
anyway it shouldn’t be Todd because they hadn’t arranged another date when
she’d last seen him.

She opened
the door cautiously to find an overexcited Sean and a slightly sheepish looking
Sebastian lingering there.

“Darling,
have you got glasses, I know it’s a little early but Seb and I are really in
need of doing a shot or two,” he thrust a bottle of tequila and a plastic bag
full of limes at her.

“Have you had
a bad day?” she asked, her face creasing in confusion.

“Oh my angel,
I’m about to have a fantastic day, where are your condiments?”

Sean hurried
through to her kitchen, searching in her cupboards until he found what he was
looking for. “You haven’t any shot glasses Jennifer, these will have to do,” he
admonished while brandishing her high ball glasses at her.

He bustled
about, locating a sharp knife and chopping board and set about slicing up
limes.

“Er it’s a
little early for me to be drinking Sean; I’ve still got some work I need to
finish, and I don’t even know if I like tequila.”

“Oh bull – I
won’t take no for an answer.”

Jen looked at
Sebastian for back-up but got an apologetic shrug in return.

“Jennifer my
angel,” Sean said – “a little birdie has been fluttering in my ear that you
have something to hide.”

Jen’s heart
sank, Todd was responsible for this.

“So then you
know I can’t be any kind of model for you, so why are you here?”

“Can I see
it?”

“No!” she
said vehemently.

“Have you
done shots before Jen?”

“No,” she
said with a degree of trepidation.

“Right lick
just here,” he indicated the back of her hand between thumb and index finger,
she did it and laughed when he used her sea salt grinder to season the wet
spot. “Right now shove this lime between your fingers, take a breath and let it
out and before you breathe in again your gonna lick your hand, drink this straight
back, and then suck the lime OK?”

She went with
it and licked her hand, he pushed the shot towards her, oh what the hell she
thought, try a new experience why not - except she forgot the breathing and
accidentally snorted tequila through her nose and in the eye watering seconds
that followed forgot all about the fruit.

“Seriously
why do people do this for fun?” she coughed spattering the front of Sean’s
exquisite shirt.

“You’ll have
to have another go, you totally messed that up. That was the worst attempt I’ve
ever seen!”

“Not before
you two do it.”                                                               

“Hurrah,”
Sean said, “no arguments there.”

Fifteen short
minutes later all three of them were feeling the party mood and grinning like
idiots.

Todd got back
from the store and started unpacking his groceries, a burst of music from
upstairs made him look up. Motown was blasting through the floorboards, funny
it was the first time he’d heard any kind of music coming from Jen’s, she had
great taste he thought smiling to himself.

The next
second he registered that it was Sean’s voice belting out the Temptations
“Ain’t too Proud to Beg” and Sebastian appeared to be harmonizing. Then he
heard the sound of furniture being pushed back, what the fuck was going on up
there?

His curiosity
peaked and feeling honour bound to rescue Jen if necessary, he shot up the stairs
at double time, and paused at the door momentarily before trying the handle. It
opened on its own to his relief, a short minute later his mind registered what
his brain was seeing.

Sean and
Sebastian were opposite the door, wedged together in Jen’s only armchair, her
sofa pushed back against the living room wall to allow room for manoeuvre. Seb
was waving a nearly empty bottle of tequila in time with the music.

“Do it again baby,
walk for me,” Sean yelled.

Todd’s eyes
lit on the vision in front of him. However the hell they’d managed it, Jen was
stood there with her back to him, almost close enough to touch, clad only in
the briefest stretchy white boy shorts and a lace bra that had seen better
days.

As he watched
she strode away from him, all elegant limbs and swaying hips, in perfect time
with the music, Christ she was stunning; she turned around and failed to see
him in front of her and his jaw dropped as he registered the view from the
front. Her hair was drawn up in a high ponytail on top of her head and it
bobbed about perkily, her face was relaxed and smiling as it so seldom was and
he let his eyes trail down her long neck.