The Space Between Us (37 page)

   “Excuse me?  That’s rather rude.”  She shrugged her shoulder
s at me and placed a small clear container on the counter.  When my eyes fell upon it and registered what it was, my hand came up to cover my mouth and my eyes immediately began to water.

   On the counter sat a clear p
lastic container that held a single, coral colored, rose corsage, on a bed of baby’s breath.

   “Oh my god,” I whispered, my hand still covering my mouth.

   “Here’s the card,” she said with irritation as she slid it across the counter.  I took it with trembling hands.

  
Bit, coral roses symbolize desire.  I desire you, in every sense of the word: physically, emotionally, intellectually – did I mention physically?  When I first gave you this corsage when we were fourteen, I hoped that one day you would be mine in every way.  I desired you.  Today, I give you this corsage with the same hope.  I want you for myself.  I’m afraid I can’t wait any longer to spend forever with you.  Hoping to be all you desire, Asher.  P.s.  Don’t forget to tip the delivery guy.

  
I looked up at the woman with tears in my eyes, confused by the last part of the note.

   “Is the person who delivered this still here?”

   “Yes,” she said as she pointed to a chair in the lobby.

   S
itting in the chair was Asher.

   As soon as I laid eyes on him
, he stood and he looked delicious.  He wore dark jeans with a black tee shirt and a gray blazer.  He looked better than anyone should have after riding an airplane and then sitting in a hotel lobby for who knows how long.  My stomach jumped at the sight of him, my throat closing a little, not letting enough air in.  He walked towards me purposefully, as if he was supposed to be here all along.

   “Hello, Bit,” he said, stopping just inches from me, his hand coming to rest on my waist.

   I looked up at him, a smile appearing on my face, giving away my extreme happiness to see him.

   “What are you doing here?”

   “You,” he said as his hand slid from my waist and traveled dangerously close to my ass, “refused to give me a date as to when I could see you again.  So I decided to take things into my own hands.”  He gave my ass a firm squeeze with the last words and I gasped a little at his forward gesture.  He moved forward and I felt his mouth at me ear.  “Don’t make me have to ask to go upstairs with you,” he whispered.  I swallowed hard, instantly set ablaze by his words.

   “Would you like to go upstairs?”
  I said softly, feeling his hand move gently back up to my waist, definitely a more appropriate touch for a hotel lobby, but still doing inappropriate things to my heart rate.  His face moved so that his mouth was just barely touching mine.

   “I’d love to,” he said against my lips
before kissing me senseless – so much for appropriate displays of affection.

   We didn’t say a word on our way up t
o my room.  I still swam in a pool of disbelief, not really comprehending that he was here, with me, in New York.  At my door, I took out my keycard and smiled a little when he took it from me, amused by his incessant need to be in control.  He unlocked the door and led me inside.  He set his suitcase on the floor next to the king-sized bed and I tried to keep my eyes completely open when they threatened to flutter closed as he slid his suit jacket off and laid it over a chair, the sight of his body straining through the fabric of his shirt affected me immediately.

   “Come here, Bit,” he said in a gravelly voice, using his finge
rs to motion me towards him.  I took a few steps towards him, my hands instinctually went to his chest and they slid over the firmness of his muscles.  “I missed you,” he said before leaning down to kiss me.

   “Is that why you came all the way to New York?”  I asked shyly after pulling away.

   “Yes and no.  I came because I missed you, but also because I wanted to see your show.”  He pushed back a wisp of hair from my forehead, his fingers continuing down to the ends.  “I’m proud of you and your work, and I’d like to see you in your element.”  He smiled at me with something that looked like pride in his eyes.

   “Ok,”
was all I could say in response.  Hearing him say he was proud of me, seeing him show up here, it affected me in a way I couldn’t have anticipated.  It had been a long time since I felt like someone was in my corner.  I knew it was because I spent a good portion of my life pushing people away and keeping them at an arm’s length.  I never expected anything from anyone because I knew that meant that they would have expectations of me.  Allowing Asher in brought me a startling and wonderful rush of warm elation and contentment.  I pressed my cheek into his chest and snuggled in, embracing the happiness that washed over me.  “I love you.”

   “Mmm.  I love you too, Bit.”

Chapter Seventeen

Asher

   Nothing compared to waking with her in my arms.  Her soft skin humming against mine was the best feeling in the world.
  Her hair, wrapped around every single part of me, well, that was awesome too.  I pulled her in closer, her back pressing up against my chest, naked and warm.  We used each other last night too many times to keep clothing on.  I needed to be buried inside of her and she needed to be consumed by me.  I could see her when I closed my eyes: atop me, underneath me, on her side gazing into my eyes, and bent over in front of me, crying out my name.  It was the reunion I imagined on the plane ride over and it didn’t disappoint.  The only disappointment would come from leaving New York and not knowing when I’d see her again.

   “It’s too early,” she mumbled sleepily.  I kissed her temple.

   “Agreed.”

   “Then why are you waking me up?”

   “Did I?”  She nudged her round ass up against me and felt my cock harden even more.  “I’m sorry.  He has a mind of his own.  I can’t control him.”

   “Mmm.  You did a pretty good job of controlling him last night.”  She rolled over to face me and wore a sleepy grin.  The golden sunlight coming through the windows illuminated the soft colors in her dark hair and brightened her face.  The dark ci
rcles she worn under her eyes since the day she returned to Willow Falls were nearly gone and I could have sworn she’d began to eat during the week we’d been away from each other.

   “You’re beautiful,” I said, sweeping my thumb over her cheek.  Her smile grew and the sight of it
anchored something in me.  Resolution?  Possession?  Need?  All of these feelings flowed through me and in that very moment, with my hand cupping her face, her hair flawlessly flailed around our bed, and her beautiful amber eyes smiling up at me, I knew we’d been brought together for a reason.  I could only hope she felt the same way.  I kissed her chastely and pulled away, content to just hold her.

   “What time is it?”  She asked a few minutes later.

   “It’s just after eleven.”

   “What?”  She cried as she shot out of the bed like a rocket.  “How in the hell is it eleven in the morning?  I’ve never slept this late.”

   I smirked to myself, knowing exactly why she slept so late; I’d worn her out. 

   “Don’t look so pleased with yourself, Asher.  I
t’s not cute.”  She pulled clothing out of the dresser drawers so quickly I wasn’t sure how she’d managed to stuff so many articles of clothing in there.

   “Is there something I can do to help you?”  I couldn’t help but smile.  She was frazzled and running around like a mad woman.

   “Please please
please
, call room service and get me a bagel and a latte while I take a shower?”

   “You got it.”

   “Thank you,” she said, leaning down to kiss me, a bundle of clothing in her hands.  She attempted a small kiss of gratitude, but I snagged her around the waist and pulled her back down on the bed.  “I don’t have time for this right now,” she said through a laugh that made every muscle in my stomach clench.

   “You don’t have time for a kiss?”  I asked with mock innocence.

   “I don’t have time for what comes after the kiss.”

   “Who said anything about coming?”  I rolled her under me and threw her bundle of clothes on the floor, pinning her wrists above her head.  My mouth moved to her neck and I did my best to make her regret getting out of bed.

   “The coming was implied,” she groaned.

   “You infer
red an orgasm?” Teasing her quickly topped my list of favorite things to do.

   “I
expect
an orgasm, every time.  You never disappoint.  But like I said, I don’t have time for an orgasm right now.”  She writhed against me, trying to free herself from my grasp.  I moved from her neck back up to her mouth, kissing her deep before pulling away.

   “If I let you go right now, can you promise to make it up to me later?”

   “I’ll make it worth your while,” she said, blasting me with the sexiest smile I’d ever seen, shamelessly grinding her hips up against my cock which was so not on board with the waiting plan.

   “You better run before I change my mind.”  I rolled off of her, groaning quietly, angry with my self-control.

   “Don’t forget to order my breakfast,” she sang as she danced into the bathroom.

   I was left to be a tourist for the afternoon as Charlie had “important artist things” to do in preparation for her show.  I offered to help but she insisted I would be more of a distraction than helpful and even though I wanted to help, that made me damn happy.
  I didn’t have an enormous amount of time, so all the iconic tourist sites were out of the question.  Perhaps tomorrow we could visit the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.  For now, I settled for Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue.  I strolled down the busy street, glancing at the busy window displays, watching all the people who passed, and thinking about all that had happened in the last month. 

   All the years I
remained friends with Charles, the thought that someday I would come face-to-face with Charlie again had crossed my mind.  I tried hard, for thirteen years, not to think about it, but now that we were together, I couldn’t help but think about the future.  Before our separation it had been somewhat of a known conclusion; we would be together forever.  Forever, in our minds, was such a naïve conception.  We pictured a wedding, perhaps children, and everything that a young adult can comprehend.

   Now, well, now I wanted something different.  I still
wanted forever, but I wanted a deeper kind.  I wanted Charlie to listen to me when I had something to complain about.  I wanted her to hold my hand without even thinking about it.  I wanted to bring her flowers and have her be surprised by it, even though I bring her flowers all the time.  I wanted her to call me on my bullshit.  Did I want a wedding, children?  Hell yes, I did.  But I wanted to experience life with her by my side more than I wanted to check life experiences off of a preconceived list of accomplishments.  More than anything though, I wanted her to want me the same way.

   When I passed by Tiffany & Co.
, it was tempting to go in, to look around and try to imagine one of the rings on her fingers, but something told me she wouldn’t want something new.  I imagined something intricate and antique.  The idea made me smile.  I pushed the thought away and decided to make my way back to the hotel to get ready for her show.

   I pulled down on the cuffs of my tuxedo, adjusting the length, making sure everything looked decent. I didn’t have a whole lot of uses for a tuxedo, but at the moment I was glad I purchased one a few years ago.  I wiggled my bowtie as I looked at myself in the mirror, not because it looked crooked, but because that’s what one does when they wear a bowtie.  They wiggled it.  I just finished running my fingers through my hair when the bathroom door opened.  I turned around to see Charlie walking towards me.  My mouth fell open and I’m sure I looked like an idiot as I ogled her with little discretion.  She did a twirl and my hand absently reached down to adjust myself.

   “You look stunning,” I said softly.  I meant to sound much manlier, but all that came out was a whisper.

   “Yes.  Dress fit perfectly,” she said with an exaggerated Russian accent.  I cocked my head and gave her a questioning look.  She laughed.  “Sorry, long story.  Thank you.  You look pretty too.”  She gave me a peck on the cheek and I was gifted with the scent of her perfume mixed with her shampoo.  I controlled the urge to lick her neck, to tear that gorgeous dress right from her body and show her how much a Russian accent turned me on.

   “Do we have to go to your art show?”  I had better plans in mind.

   She lifted an eyebrow at me and a lesser man would have shriveled at the glare she shot my direction. 

   “I love it when you’re stern,” I said, purposefully making my voice low and dark.

   “You’re ridiculous,” she said, laughing.  “We have to go.  If you don’t behave I’ll renege on the promise I made earlier.”  And that was enough to get my ass in gear.  I could spend the evening thinking of every way I could peel the dress off her after the show.  “The limo should be waiting downstairs.”

   “Ooh, a limo, huh?  You’re pretty fancy.”

   “This isn’t me, it’s the gallery.  I’d love to walk in with some overalls and a braid, but apparently they frown upon ordinary.”  We entered the hallway and walked towards the elevator.

   “Bit, I can assure you, you’d look anything but ordinary in overalls and a braid.”

   “Well, all I’m saying is I feel ridiculous in this dress.  But,” she said as she looked down at herself.  “I look smokin’ hot.”

   “Yes, my love, you do.” 

   It was amazing to watch her work a room.  She was a little flustered when people offered her compliments on her work, but for the most part she was graceful, humble, and entirely captivating.
  My chest pushed out and my shoulders were pulled back, filled with pride.  My Charlie, even when fighting through a life that she colored as less-than-happy, was pursuing her dream and making waves in the art world.  I could not have been more proud of her in that moment.

   She was in the middle of a conversation with a representative from some art magazine in the city, offering insights to her process and her technique.  I leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I’m going to get a drink.  Can I bring you something?”

   “I’ll take champagne,” she said softly.  Our hands linked and I brought her fingers to my lips, kissing them lightly before I turned away in search of the bar.  Waiting for our drinks, I smiled as I overheard the couple next to me talking about Charlie’s work.

   “Such depth.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a charcoal drawing that evoked so much emotion from me before.”  I glanced over to see a woman, probably in her mid-sixties, sipping a drink, complimenting my Bit.

   “Well, it goes to show you that truly talented artists don’t need color or even texture to convey meaning.  She’s nailed every single piece.  We’ll be in a bidding war by the end of the evening, I’m sure.”  This came from the man standing next to her who I assumed was her husband.

   “Oh, there she is,” the woman said excitedly.  “Let’s go talk to her, shall we?  Before someone else monopolizes her.”

   I was ready to monopolize her.  I thanked the bartender for our drinks and turned to make my way back when I spotted a different man standing with Charlie.  When I made it close enough to hear their conversation, my concern immediately spiked.  She looked uncomfortable and nervous.  She shook her head, looking around the room frantically.  When her eyes landed on me, I thought I saw sadness wash over them.  Ignoring my instincts I sidled up to her, handing her the champagne, wrapping my arm around her waist.  Possession was something I always reverted back to.  I didn’t know who this man was, but one thing I was sure of was who Charlie belonged to.

   I sipped my scotch, slowly, my eyes never leaving the man who was currently watching my arm pull Charlie to my side.  He looked like he wanted to rip my arm from my body, which gave me an indication as to who he was.

   “Good evening,” he said coolly.  He stuck his hand out in my direction.  “I’m David, a friend of Charlie’s.”

   I looked at his hand but
made no move to shake it.  I had Charlie in one hand which was too important to let go of, and scotch in the other, also ranking as more important at the moment.

   “Nice to meet you,” I replied.  I felt Charlie trembling and thought I hear
d a small cry leave her. “I’m Asher, also a friend of Charlie’s.  A close friend.”

   David’s face slowly fell from its stuffy polite expression.  His eyes widened, his mouth opened slowly, and his eyes wandered back over the Charlie.

   “Asher?”  He asked her.  “The Asher?
Asher
Asher?”  His voice went from pleasant to an angry whisper and he took a step towards her.  I quickly moved to stand in between them, my free hand splayed behind me to keep her away.  He would not be getting any closer to her.

   “David, why are you here?  Please leave,” she begged.  I could tell she was trying to maintain a level voice, but I could hear the pain seeping through.

   “This is the Asher whose name is tattooed on your body?”  My fist clenched at what he had implied.  He’d seen her naked.  The idea of another man seeing her body, seeing what was mine, enraged me.  In the back of my mind, I knew it was rational that her boyfriend of five years had seen her naked, but she never belonged to him.  She had always been mine.

   “She asked you to leave.  I suggest you listen to her.”  I took one small step towards him again, closing the distance.  I was taller than he was although not by much.  But I was much broader than him. 
I had no doubt I could take him if I had to remove him myself.

   “
David, please.”  She begged him and later I would remember to ask her why she sounded so afraid, but at that moment I was only worried about getting him away from her.

   “What’s wrong, Charlie?  You look pretty upset for someone who just found out her best friend from childhood isn’t dead after all.  Shouldn’t this be a happy occasion?”  He took a drink from his glass and grimaced as he swallowed the alcohol down.  His eyes never left Charlie and when I looked back at her I saw her face streaked with tears.  I began to realize that I had no idea what they seemed to be communicating silently between them.  David’s eyes came back to me.  “Did you know the entire time we were together, for five years, she told me that you had died in a car accident?”