The Eyes and Ears of Love (23 page)

“I mean, my mom does it and her dresses seem to keep men interested.”

“Well, do what you feel is necessary. Your mom did leave you a lot of provocative dresses.”

“No,” she says bluntly. “I don’t need to use her things. I can look sexy in my own clothes, I just need to pick the right ones.”

Dorothy scans her closet, feeling each piece of clothing, then she grabs a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She changes in the bathroom and flings the door open when she’s done.

“What do you think?” she asks Lena.

Nurse Lena coughs, choking a little. “Well, you look very nice, but…”

“But what?”

“Maybe you should wear a bra?”

“No! This is what men like, Lena.” She gestures to her chest, “Set the ta-tas free, is what the guy’s say!”

“Well…that’s a breast cancer awareness slogan, so I don’t think it really works for this situation…”

“When I was in college, the girls rarely wore bras, or actual shirts for that matter.”

“But you’re not those girls. I’m telling you, you’re going to feel sexier and more confident if you’re comfortable, not pretending to be something you’re not.”

“He obviously doesn’t like my style or something. I have to change it up, and this is all I have. It’s not like I can do my own hair or makeup.”

“That’s fine, but I think Mr. Menichelli likes the classy girls.”

“Lena, he’s a man. He appreciates breasts just like the next guy.”

“Just call me old fashioned!”

“Lena?” she pauses, smoothing her t-shirt with one hand. “How do you flirt?”

Lena chuckles again. “I can’t really describe it, flirtatious behavior comes naturally. I’m sure you’ve already been flirting with him.”

“Well, I think I have, I’m just not sure if I’m doing it right.”

“There’s no right way to flirt, honey!”

“Okay then, but can you tell me what men want, so I have an idea?”

“I’m divorced in my forties. I’m the last woman you should ask.”

“Come on, Lena!”

“Alright, alright,” she sighs. The bed squeaks, indicating that she is sitting down. “Men like a little mystery, they don’t want to always know what’s on your mind. They like to find out for themselves.”

“Is there such thing as being too forward?”

“Yes, if the guy doesn’t like you.”

“Well, what would be the ultimate test to find out?”

“This is just so wrong.”

“Why? It’s just two women talking about a guy!”

“Yeah, but that guy happens to be my boss. It’s weird!”

“Please, Lena,” Dorothy says, doing her best to pucker out her bottom lip.

“Be more assertive than submissive, then, is what I would say. Demand his attention, and if he likes you, he will comply.”

“That’s it?”

“Usually, yes.”

“Thanks, Lena! I gotta go.”

“Go where?”

“To the kitchen, I’ve got a lot to do and very little time,” she says, leaving her room, likely leaving Lena dumbfounded.

***

Later that night, Bentley arrives back at the facility. He knocks on Dorothy’s door and she doesn’t answer. He peeks through the door and doesn’t see her. He goes to the second place he could imagine her being at, the kitchen.

Dorothy stands behind the island counter making cuts on top of a pie. He notices she is wearing a tight white shirt with no bra. He stares at her. This is the first time he’s really looked at her chest since she came to the facility. He feels like he’s back at the university’s kitchen, spying on her, feeling the need to look away, but he doesn’t.

“Dorothy?”

“Yes!”

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Just putting the final touches on the homemade apple pie I’ve made you!” she says.

She walks around the island, revealing skintight jeans. He ogles at the pants that cradle her perfectly rounded butt.

Jeans? No bra?
She is the definition of sexy.

Her eyes were always the origin of Bentley’s attention, but tonight all he can focus on is her body, a body that he can only describe to himself as perfectly engineered.

“I thought we were going to talk,” he points out sternly, taking a seat at the island.

“We can talk and eat pie at the same time.” She cuts a piece of pie and delivers it onto a plate. She stabs the end of the pie, leans across the counter to Bentley and attempts to feed him a bite, her breasts protruding from her shirt.

“What are you doing?” he asks again, panicked. 

“What do you want from me, Bentley?” she asks slamming the fork onto the plate. “I’m trying so hard.”

“Trying hard for what?”

“For you!” She walks closer to him. She laughs, “I don’t know what else to do or say. I am deeply attracted to you, Bentley Menichelli.”

“Dorothy, stop, we need to talk.” He holds out his hand to keep her at a distance.

She slaps his hand away and towers over him while he sits.

He can see the same emerald eyes she had back at the college kitchen. They seem unusually confident and bright tonight. This only strengthens Bentley’s urge to kiss her. Those eyes are what made him crave her from the beginning.

She bites the corner of her lip. “Aren’t you attracted to me?” she asks, her breath hitting his face softly.

He breathes heavily. “Of course I am! Who in their right mind wouldn’t be attracted to you?”

“Then kiss me,” she demands.

“Dorothy, there’s nothing more I’d rather do than kiss you, but I can’t. We need to talk.”

“Is there someone else you’re interested in?” she asks, barely breathing, waiting for an answer.

“Of course not.”

“Then kiss me.”

He tries to fight every muscle in his body from leaning over and kissing her fervently, but the temptation is vigorous.

Tell her now, before it's too late.
He repeats this mantra frantically in his head.

He stands and takes a step back from her.

“We need to talk,” he commands.

Suddenly she grabs the middle of his shirt, pulling his body into hers. He can feel her chest on his. His body captures the beat of her fast thumping heart. He sees tiny goose bumps spreading like wildfire down her arms. She looks up at him with hazy eyes, and he feels her warm breath on his neck.

He doesn’t kiss her; he decides he wants to make her crave it just as bad as he has craved her lips for so many months. He sweeps his arm down her back and places a hand underneath her bottom to have a grip to pick her up. She wraps her legs around his waist. He still doesn’t kiss her, even though her expression is desperate for him to. She places her lips on his neck, using them in a way a woman has never used them on Bentley. She tenderly kisses his neck, gently biting and sucking on his skin.

It was no longer in Bentley’s capabilities to resist her; he doesn’t want to talk anymore, he just wants her. He walks down the hall, carrying her to her room, shutting the door. Aurora jumps up from lying down and she wags her tail. He places Dorothy gently on the bed, and climbs on top of her, pressing up from the bed to suspend himself above her. He uses the back of one hand to sweep along her stomach, causing her shirt to rise and her skin to be exposed. He leans down kiss her stomach, but she grabs his shirt and pulls him back up toward her face. That is where she obviously desires him to be, so he complies. She bites her lip once more, giving him a patent signal to kiss her. He makes her wait several seconds before kissing her compassionately. He explores her mouth with his tongue. His stomach flutters with an intense sensation that he’s never experienced with a woman because of how long he’s waited for this moment.

Their breathing becomes heavier with each kiss. He can feel the massive heat between their bodies. It makes the air around him feel thick and muggy.

“I want you, Dorothy,” he whispers in her ear.

She wraps her arms around his back and slowly lifts the shirt from his body, freeing his arms and chest from the barrier between them. She caresses every inch of his arms with her fingertips.

He wraps both hands around her waist, gently caressing her stomach in circular motions with his tongue. He slowly brushes his hands up the sides of her ribs, forcing her shirt to slide up and off of her body. Now he can feel his skin on her skin. He gently moves his body up and down, enjoying the softness of her skin. His chest lightly grazes against her breasts with each movement. He can feel the friction between their pants, causing his excitement to grow. He wants her. He unbuttons her pants and gets off the bed to pull them off. She sits up and scoots to the edge of the bed, her face right across from the zipper of his pants. She unbuttons his slacks and slowly removes them and his boxers.

He lies down on top of her, pressing her back into the bed. Her satin panties rub against his body. It only makes her temptation escalate. He removes her panties and goes back up for face to face contact. He softly breathes on her neck.

“Are you sure?” he asks sensitively.

“I’ve never been more certain about anything in my entire life.”

She opens her thighs, giving him permission to continue. He kisses her while entering her, causing her to moan into his mouth. She pierces her nails deep into his back, which only motivates him to penetrate deeper. He could feel it throughout his entire body. It gave a wave of different, but erotic sensations. He could feel her tightness begin to fade and relax.

He’s always imagined this night with Dorothy, but never was it this perfect.

Bentley finishes in a very short time. Dorothy takes longer, she lets out a soft cry when she does finish. Their breathing becomes even heavier. He watches as her chest moves up and down quickly. He kisses her once more before collapsing down beside her and releasing all the heat their two bodies shared.

It felt good, but now the guilt flooded his body.
We should have talked first.

After an hour of lying awake in the dark, Bentley feels Dorothy lean over him.  “I love you,” she says softly. The words drain the guilt from his thoughts, giving him a sense of comfort in that moment.

***

Dorothy lies in bed for what feels like hours, unable to sleep; her body brimming with adrenaline. She wants to leap around the room and dance. But most of all, she wants to call her sister and tell her she was wrong, she wants to tell Donna that an orgasm is by far better than her cooking.

In order to release all her energy, she decides to go to the pool. She quietly gets out of bed, avoiding waking Bentley. She finds his cheek with her hand, and kisses him gently. Instead of grabbing her swimsuit in the restroom she grabs the towel, wrapping it around her naked body. She hears Aurora trotting behind her, following her to the pool.

Aurora waits by the edge of the water. Dorothy drops the towel and slowly walks into the water allowing the moisture to wrap around her bare skin. The water is cool, balancing out her warm body temperature. The quiet lapping of the water is the only sound in the room, as everyone else in the building is sleeping.

Dorothy touches her arms and goose bumps trail up through her shoulders as she thinks about his soft kisses on the back of her neck. She keeps her eyes tightly sealed as she feels her cheeks redden with warmth. She sweeps her finger across her lips, remembering and reliving the touch of his lips and the taste of his mouth.

For the first time in her existence she believes she understands the purpose of life: it is to love another human being. It’s a gift unlike any other. Sex is mind-boggling and erotic, but making love is like taking your last breath. Not even being in the kitchen could be equivalent to making love to Bentley.

She holds her arms out and twirls. Then, she drops her head underwater, holding her breath for a few seconds before spurting out the surface like a fish. 

Dorothy stays in the pool a few minutes longer, memorizing Bentley’s every touch and movement.

After drying off, she tries sneaking back into her room, careful not to wake Bentley.

***

Bentley sits on the edge of the bed with his head down. “I’m up,” he says bluntly.

“Oh. Did I wake you?”

“No.” His tone is uneasy. It worries her.

“What’s wrong, now?” Her mind races after asking the question. Did she even want to know the answer?

“I don’t know how to even start off with this conversation.”

“Bentley, you are really starting to make me nervous.”

“I need you to sit.”

He grabs her hands with his; they are clammy, shaking. Then he assists her to sit on the bedside next to Aurora.

“Bentley?”

“The only reason I’m afraid of what I am about to say is because I should have told you this a long time ago, when you were in the hospital.”

She yanks her hands away and scrunches her forehea
d
.
She hears him rise to his feet and pace the floor, breathing heavily. “What are you talking about?” she asks.