5
Eli
It’sa few hours later but it feels like the day has gone by in the blink of an eye. Larry came by to check in on us and I showed Cindy some of the plans I have for thehouse.
With her eyes toward the sunset she doesn’t look pensive. She doesn’t look wistful, or like she’s longing for something, or like she’s contemplating anything at all. She looks present andstill.
I take in all of her. All of it, from the blond hair that’s tied into a knot, unruly but still controlled. Her jawline is strong and her high cheekbones and smooth ivory skin look dewey and justgorgeous.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman I’m more interested in than her and I’ve definitely never met a woman morebeautiful.
She’sperfect.
Everything inside me is shifting. Changing. It’s like all rational thought is going right out the window as I look at her, taking in the sight of her round, plump peach ass. I fucking love it. These shorts she’s wearing look like they’re painted on, and I’m getting so hard that I feel like the thing’s going to suffocate. Every impulse inside me is telling me to pull her into my arms and claim her. Claim her asmine.
Mine.
I shake out of the spell I was under as her phone buzzes from herpocket.
“Ah,” she says, sliding her finger up the screen. How it is possible that her fingernails are painted in this sweet baby blue color, perfectly elegant and manicured, with the line of work she’sin?
Who am I? I don’t pay attention to this stuff when it comes to women. No man does. We’re told all the time that women dress for themselves and for other women. But fuck, why does it feel like everything she’s doing right now — from the way she’s sneaking furtive glances my way and running her fingers through her hair — why does it feel like it’s all for me? I want to see all of her. Everyinch.
And suddenly a pall falls over me like a blackcloud.
“Who’s textingyou?”
I try to play it off as casually as possible but I can’t hide the tone in my voice. It’s gruff, deeper. It’s not like me to be possessive. But my god if Cindy isn’t pulling something out ofme.
“It’s just my friend Shannon,” she shrugs. Good. If she has a man, I don’t want to hear his name. I want to pretend he doesn’t exist. I’m pretty sure that if I acknowledged the existence of a boyfriend I would go out of my way to ensure that he wasn’t her boyfriend anymore. I feel a mild sense of relief as a realize that if she did have a man, on this day of all days, he would be crazy to not have her in his arms for the entire twenty-fourhours.
“So, she’s actually here to pick meup.”
“Girls’night?”
“We’re actually going to a party on campus. It’s just a smallthing.”
The mention of a party has my ears on high-alert. I want to ask questions. Many questions. What kind of party, how many guys will be there, will there be drinking of any kind, and do you need a chaperone, namely me as thechaperone.
“Anyway,” she says, “she’s just out front. Do you want to come meether?”
“Sure,” I say, not wanting to be adick.
We walk through the house, still just bones, and arrive at the sidewalk as a sleek red convertible pulls up. Her friend hops out and runs over to give her a hug. She puts her hand out to shakemine.
“Hi,” she says, giving me a vigorous shake. Her eyes slide over to Cindy and she gives her a little smirk before her eyes come back to me. “Very nice to meet you. I’m Shannon. Cindy has told me all aboutyou.”
She pulls away and crosses her arms over her chest, looking up to check out what we’ve been workingon.
“This,” she says as she looks at Cindy, “this is the house you texted meabout?”
Cindy smiles brightly andnods.
“Hey,” Shannon says, pointing a finger between me and Cindy, “how did you and Cindy’s dadmeet?”
“In the business,” I say. “Yeah, we just kind of met and then clicked and we’ve been friends ever since. Then I moved to New York but I think I want to start getting down here moreoften.”
“In the construction business?” Shannon says. “So you two are like MagicMike.”