23
Kris
I kissed her. I kissed her, and then we didn’t speak about it. At all. My Great Aunt Joanie left me her number. It seems she and Uncle Cedric are in town for his thirtieth high school reunion and will be around for a few days. She wants to have lunch or some shit, to catch up. Ordinarily, I’d have had some lame excuse, mostly because she looks so much like I imagine Claudette would have as she got older, but for some reason, with Nicolette there, I just couldn’t say no. That could be partly because Joanie asked her to come before me.
Once Joanie left us, we cuddled a little, which was nice, and shared a plate of fried okra, which I swear she came eating, for the moan that escaped her lips as she bounced in her space against me. Then we sang. Together. The chemistry on stage was beyond volcanic. I think I know what she’s doing for the cover single, and I think I want her to come out to the cabin over the summer to cut something more. Possibly with me on the track as well. I haven’t wanted to sing since the accident—er, well, since London. Now though, I am finding myself humming as I drive over to her place to grab her for what she thinks is brunch.
The reality is I want her to meet the Pastor’s wife and see if we can’t wake up those pipes of hers. I know she’s got the power in there. I’ve seen it when I get her mad. Fire and passion oozes from her pores, and I want to sop it up like biscuits and gravy.
Rolling up to the house, I had expected her to be waiting, but instead, I see an empty driveway and closed curtains. Hopping out of the car, I walk up to the door and knock.
Nothing.
She really needs an animal to alert her to visitors. I knock again, still crickets. Pulling out my phone, I hit Tink. I liked the reference, and frankly, the thought of her in a little cut—up green leotard is sorta hot.
The phone rings, and I hear it through the house. Looking around the side of the house, I see the open window that is her bedroom. I try the door. Fucking thing is unlocked. I swear she is gonna get murdered in her jammies. I head inside, and it’s quieter than the devil in church.
“Nicolette, I swear to God! I am gonna buy you a Giant Schnauzer!” I let the phone keep ringing and head straight for her room. Opening the door, I see a lump in the center of her Queen size bed. Lips pursed, I watch her naked little toes pull into the blankets. I’m not a foot guy, not by any means. Frankly, I think feet are horrible things, and if we didn’t need them—but her feet are adorable to me. Christ, could Auntie Joanie be right? Before she left us, she hugged and kissed me, then told me to marry Nicolette before she realized what an ass I was and ran for the hills.
Looking around, I see a bottle of ginger ale and tissues everywhere. I sit down by where her feet disappear and slide my hand under the blanket. She tries to scream as she kicks at me, but it dies in what I'm to assume is a burning throat, then starts to cough violently.
“Tink, if I clap, will you survive?” I say with a chuckle. I have to stay light, or I’ll freak out over her being sick. I don’t want her to think that I’m gonna be like her dad and overreact to every sniffle. Even though I will, just not when she is looking.
She sits up, grabs the tissues then blows her nose. She looks at me after dropping the tissue in the can beside her. She looks miserable. “I’ve caught a cold, and with my immune system, it presents more like the flu. I just need a couple of days. I’m sorry. I tried working through it.”
I let out a long sigh before pulling her down the bed and into me. “You don’t need to apologize to me, though from the looks of it, you need to apologize to yourself. You need to rest, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You should have told me I could have had Glenda from the kitchen make some of her famous ginger chicken soup, it sounds nasty, but it murders all kinds of ails.” She falls against me like a rag doll losing its stuffing. I stroke the bun on her head that’s falling out. “What do you need me to get you so you can rest?”
“A hot tea would be nice, and you could cuddle and keep me warm.”
“Do you have what we need for the tea? Or should I call Mitty and have him deliver it and the soup so I can just cuddle you?” I smile though she can not see it as she’s got her head buried in my chest.
“I don’t know. Pop does the shopping. Pierce knows what I need. Just tell him I’m sick. Don’t tell him I told you. He told me not to say anything.”
For fuck’s sake, now I’m really feeling vindicated for cracking him one last night. “Then I’ll make him the gofer today while I get all the huggles.” Sweeping her into my arms, I lift her complaining and rather smelly ass from the bed. “But first, you need to take a nice hot shower to wash away the yucks while I change the sheets. Then you put on your softest jammies, and I will snuggle you until your dad gets home and tries to run me off with a shotgun.”
“Shhh, don’t tell ‘im. They aren’t loaded. I hid the bullets.”
“You poor little pixie, you're delirious. Come on, let's get you in the shower, or would you rather have a nice bubble bath? Can I trust you not to drown?”
“I got it. I just need clothes. You can’t see my goods yet.”
Yet huh? I smile. “Which drawer?”
“Panties, top right. Bra, second left. Jammies, bottom.” She muffles as she walks, taking off her clothes along the way. In any other scenario, I would be plowing her already, but I like the anticipation of not being allowed to touch her yet. I watch until all I see is bare ass, and the door closes.
Alright, that was top left and bottom right, or was it top right and middle? Damn it, I wasn’t paying attention to her words, just the movement of her pouty pink lips and how badly I want to demolish them with mine. I open the top left drawer and see it’s filled with Bluetooth devices and kindles and… Is that a?
“Hey, Kris, I forgot—” Nicolette's eyes widen as I hold up an eight-inch pink sparkling vibrator with a flicking rabbit attachment.