Separate Like Stars Page 8
“I’ll miss you too,” she answers before kissing me. “I’ll call you tonight.”
“Okay,” I sulkily agree before stealing another kiss and releasing her. Honestly, I have no idea what I’m going to do with my time. Mom mentioned going into the city to get lunch and do some shopping, so at least my day will be filled. Aside from that, it looks like I’ll have the next three days to write and read for fun. It sounds all right, but the reality is that I’ve grown accustomed to spending the bulk of my free time with Olivia. With no Olivia to keep me company and no homework to distract me, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.
*****
“I had fun today. Thanks for indulging your mom and spending the day with me,” mom says as we near our house.
“I didn’t indulge you. I had a good time too,” I assure her with a broad smile. “Thanks again for spoiling me. You didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t have to, but you’re my only child, and I wanted to,” she says as she flashes me a quick smile.
“This isn’t about guilt like the car thing, is it?” Honestly, my mom and my uncles spoiled me rotten today. I’m hauling home bags of new clothes, books, video games, CDs, movies, the works.
“No. You’re doing well in school, you did well on the exams for college, and you’re going to finish high school with your associate’s degree in hand. Those are some great achievements. I know you’ve been putting in applications for college and we’ll be hearing back about those soon. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” I mutter as I look out the window. Olivia and I have both been applying for college, but have avoided talking about it.
“Everything all right over there?”
“Yeah, just thinking about college,” I answer, trying to stuff the topic back into the furthest depths of my mind.
“College and Olivia?”
“Yeah. What are the odds that we’ll get into the same school?”
“It doesn’t have to be the same school. You could end up at schools that are near one another.”
“I suppose. I mean I get it, we’re pretty spoiled with the way things are now. Well, except the whole having to keep it a secret thing sucks. But other than that, you guys have been very lenient with us. I appreciate it.”
“I remember what it was like to be a teenager. I’d rather know what you’re up to than have to try guessing. Besides, we laid down the ground rules, and the two of you have stuck to them.” Mom goes uncharacteristically quiet for a few seconds, which means she is debating whether or not she wants to ask me something.
“Just ask,” I tell her after waiting for nearly a minute. It’s how our relationship has always functioned anyway.
“You’re in love with Olivia, aren’t you?” That isn’t the question I thought she was going to ask, but it is one I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.
“Yeah, I think I am,” I answer honestly.
“So the two of you had sex,” she states.
“Not yet,” I answer, seeing the shock on her face. “I mean, I think it might have happened if she hadn’t gotten sick that night. Since then she had to recover, we’ve had a bunch of school work, and then finals. We really haven’t had a lot of time alone where we weren’t swamped.”
“But you want to, don’t you?”
“I do. I’m pretty sure she does too,” I share. To some, it may seem like we overshare. Maybe it’s just a byproduct of her having me when she was young. Maybe it’s just a different way to approach a parent-child relationship. Either way, we’ve always been very candid and honest about things. This doesn’t need to be any different. That doesn’t mean that I’ll be sharing any details with her though. I have to draw the line somewhere. I look at my mom and realize her eyes seem slightly glassy. “Mom?”
“I’m fine. You’re just growing up so damn fast,” she says before reaching over and squeezing my shoulder. “I’m going to go out of my mind not having you at home when you go to college.”
“You’ll be fine,” I try to assure her. “If it’s that hard, you’re still young. You could adopt or something.”
“No, no. I got lucky with you. You’re a good kid. With my luck the next one would end up driving me crazy,” she says with a laugh as we turn onto our road.
“Want to watch a movie, or play a game or something?” I ask her.
“Maybe another night sweetie,” she answers without elaborating. I feel a little disappointed but figure I can find something to entertain myself. I pull my coat on as we approach our house but am left confused when mom drives right by it, pulling into the O’Connor’s driveway instead.
“They’re out of town,” I remind her before I notice the light coming from the living room window.
“Not all of them,” she answers as she leans over and gives me a hug. “You should go inside. I told her I’d have you here half an hour ago,” she tells me when she releases me. I’ve been set up by my mom and my girlfriend, yet I can’t be angry. Olivia is here!
“Thanks, mom,” I answer as I open the car door. I watch her back out of the driveway before turning around to find Olivia waiting for me inside the front door. I climb the stairs and she steps aside to admit me, the heavenly aroma of something drifting towards me from the kitchen. “What are you doing here?” I ask as she closes the door.
“Hello to you too,” she says and giggles as she wraps her arms around me and draws me to her. “I thought we were overdue for a date. It’s not a family ski trip this weekend. It’s my parent’s anniversary, so they’re on a ski trip,” she informs me before pressing her lips softly to mine.
“It smells amazing in here,” I tell her as I rest my forehead against hers.
“Are you hungry?” she whispers as she brushes the tip of her nose against mine.
“I could eat,” I murmur as my cheeks ache from the permanent smile I’ve been wearing. “Do you need some help?”
“Nope. I just need five minutes,” she informs me before kissing me again. She unwraps her arms from around my neck and takes my hand to lead me to the living room. “Wait here. I’ll get you when your table is ready,” she says as she releases my hand. I smile at her retreating form as my leg bounces impatiently. I can hear the sounds of softly playing music and Olivia doing something in the kitchen as I fight the urge to make my way to her, wrap my arms around her waist and tell her the things that have been on my mind.
“Ready?” she asks from the entryway a few minutes later. She takes my hand and leads me towards the dining room, but stops us midway and slips behind me, covering my eyes. I slowly make the remainder of the trip in darkness, Olivia verbally guiding me when needed.
“Liv,” I whisper when her hands finally fall from my eyes. Her arms wrap around my waist as I process everything before me. The room is lit by the candles resting on both ends of the table. Two plates of food await us along with empty dessert plates. Wine glasses accompany a bottle nestled in a chilling bucket on the far end of the table. Our cloth napkins have been folded to resemble Bird of Paradise flowers. My heart is beating so loudly that I can’t make out the music currently playing as my eyes dart from item to item, trying to memorize the scene before me.
“Chicken with a garlic and mushroom cream sauce, a long grain and wild rice blend and asparagus for dinner. Carrot cake with a twist for dessert. Sparkling cider because mom wouldn’t let me have a bottle of wine.” I laugh at her pouty tone, bringing me back to the moment.
“It’s amazing,” I say as I turn to face her. “I can’t believe you did all of this,” I whisper before kissing her.
“It’s the closest thing to a real date I can take you on,” she answers. “We should eat before it gets cold.” I begrudgingly release her and wait as she pulls my chair out for me. Once seated, I watch as she rounds the table to take her place opposite me, her infectious smile easing some of the butterflies in my stomach.
“This napkin is folded so beautifully I don’t want to use it,” I tell her with a nervous chuckle.
“I had no idea,” I assure her with a warm smile as we gaze at each other across the table. “I was trying to get mom to commit to doing something fun tonight, but she shot down all my ideas without giving me an explanation.”
“So there’s finally something that one of you didn’t immediately share with the other,” she teases.
“Jealous?” I ask with a smirk.
“Not at all. My mom and I have a good relationship. Our boundaries are just a bit more conservative than yours,” she shares with a smirk. “Anyway, tell me about your day. How is everyone?” We finish our meal while catching up, the ambiance Olivia created in the room making it feel like we’re on an actual date, only better. At least I imagine the privacy we’ve have is better than sitting in a crowded restaurant, trying to ignore the people and conversations happening around you.
“Liv, that was delicious,” I inform her when we’ve finished eating.
“Dessert?” she asks as I smile across the table at her.
“Maybe in a few. I’m so full right now,” I add as I lean back and rub my tummy. “What exactly is carrot cake with a twist anyway?”
“Two layers of carrot cake separated by a layer of cheesecake. All surrounded by a cream cheese frosting,” she informs me with a shrug.
“That sounds unbelievable. I wish I had room for it now,” I lament as I will my food to digest faster.
“Until then, would you dance with me?” she shyly asks. I can just make out the way she's bitting the inside of her lower lip as the flickering candlelight dances along it.
“I’d love to,” I inform her as I rise from my seat. I look around the dining room but only see a small open space. “Here?”
“We don’t need much room,” she answers as her arms slip around my neck. I wrap mine around her waist and stare into the blue eyes belonging to the woman that I love. We slowly dance as we tightly hold each other, letting our eyes and our lips communicate for us.
“Your dessert,” I murmur at one point, stopping Olivia from continuing our kiss. “We should take a break and have dessert.” I’m not even sure that I can manage to eat dessert right now, but if we don’t take a break soon, I’m going to drag Olivia down to the floor and tear off her clothes.
“Are you fixating on dessert while I’m kissing you?” she asks before brushing the hair on my shoulder aside and kissing my neck.
“No, I…god I can’t concentrate when you do that,” I gasp as she continues feathering kisses along my neck.
“All right. Have a seat,” she orders before stealing another kiss. I watch her as she retrieves the cake from the refrigerator, my eyes growing to the size of saucers when I see the finished product. It isn’t that the cake is simply covered in a cream cheese frosting, it’s the decorative work that she put into it. Real looking carrots adorn the outer edge of the cake every inch or so. The pattern placed in the frosting is a scrolling work of art. I almost hate to see her destroy the cake for our enjoyment. Olivia, on the other hand, has no such reservations and quickly plates a serving for each of us before joining me at the table again. I watch her as she loads a small bite on her fork and extends it across the table to me. She grins as she watches me eye her warily, because there is that little devil that lives inside Olivia that makes me wonder if she intends to feed it to me or make me wear it.
“No trick. I’m not trying to ruin our date,” she assures me after reading my expression. “If I had been thinking I would have only plated one slice for us to share,” she adds, her lips turning down momentarily before she smiles at me again. I hesitate a few more seconds before slowly leaning forward and elevating slightly to trap the offered bite. My eyes fall shut as the flavor explodes on my tongue and I drop back into my seat.
“Mmm Olivia! This cake is better than ma—,” I start, quickly cutting the thought off when I realize I’ll sound like I’ve lost my damn mind.
“You need to finish that thought,” Olivia encourages me, my eyes opening to see the amused grin occupying her lips. I deny her with a quick head shake, knowing that she already knows what I almost said. “You were totally going to say it’s better than masturbation, weren’t you?”
“Fine, you caught me,” I admit, before stuffing my mouth with another bite of cake.
“Please don’t ever develop a filter. It’s way too much fun never knowing what you’ll say next,” she concludes with a laugh as she extends her hand across the table, seeking mine.
“Just to be clear, you don’t think I have a filter?” I ask with mock indignation. Olivia shakes her head and continues laughing as her fingers tangle with mine. “I have something we need to discuss when we’re done eating,” I evenly inform her. Olivia’s laughter dies in her throat as she quietly eyes me for a few moments before taking another bite of her cake and immediately leaving her seat to come back to my side. She takes my hand and pulls me to my feet where we start dancing again; our bodies pressed together as tightly as possible.
“You aren’t upset, are you?” she asks as she looks into my eyes, her thumbs brushing along the nape of my neck as we slowly sway. I’m so absorbed in everything that is Olivia, that I’m not even sure if our movements match the tempo of the music.
“Not at all,” I assure her before leaning in to steal a kiss. “Tonight has been far more than I ever imagined,” I inform her with another quick kiss. “The food was perfect, the ambiance was perfect, and you…I love you, Olivia.” We stop moving as she stares at me in disbelief. The longer the silence between us stretches on, the more convinced I become that I’ve made a fatal error in judgment.
“I love you too, Jordan. So damn much,” she says before pressing her lips against mine. We resume dancing, our kissing escalating until we’re making out while slowly swaying. My body hums with excitement, desire, and need. I break off our kiss and leave the safety of Olivia’s arms to blow out the candles. “What are you doing?” she asks, her voice raspy with desire. I take her hand without answering and lead her upstairs to her bedroom. I kiss her once we’re behind the closed door, before stepping back and taking off my sweater. I hear Olivia’s breath hitch as I pull the wool fabric over my head, despite the fact I’m still wearing a tank top and my bra.
“Liv, I’m ready if you are,” I whisper in her ear as I press myself against her. I feel her body tremble against mine and hear her breath catch again. “It’s okay if you want to wait,” I reassure her.
“I’m ready. I’m just a bit nervous,” she confesses, her voice a quiet murmur.
“So am I,” I admit before kissing her cheek. “We can take it slow and stop if it becomes too much. Okay?” Her answer comes in the form of a deeply probing kiss as her hands fall to my hips and guide me to her bed. Our lips separate when I sit down, allowing Olivia to tower over me. She returns the smile I give her as she grasps her t-shirt and pulls it over her head, revealing a navy blue bra. I’ve seen her change her shirt countless times before, but the topless Olivia in front of me is nothing short of mesmerizing. My hands fall from Olivia’s hips to remove my tank top as my eyes feast on the sight before me, my mind processing the new lens it’s seeing Olivia through.
“Let me,” Olivia says as she gently wraps her fingers around my wrists. I give up gripping my top as I lean forward and skim my nose against her bare stomach. My eyes fall shut as I take a deep breath of her scent and she lifts my top over my head. Once freed, my hands fall to her hips and hold her in place as I slowly kiss along her smooth abdomen. I hear the distinctive sound of her breath catching before her hand tangles in my hair and she gently pulls my lips from her flesh, her free hand tilting my chin upward so that our eyes meet. She smiles as she leans down and captures my lips. I slowly slide back on the bed, maintai
ning our kiss as my hands softly caress the goose pimpled flesh along her sides. Olivia slides against me, and I tremble when the heat from her baby soft skin meets mine. She quietly moans as I slowly slide my hands along the sides of her torso, finally landing on her breasts. Her hips lightly rock against me when I gently squeeze them before rubbing my thumbs over her bra-clad nipples, the taut buds straining against the fabric. She repositions herself slightly, nestling her thigh between my legs as she straddles mine. She rocks her hips against me again as my fingers tweak her nipples, the motion causing her thigh to press against my humming sex. I arch myself into her as the sensation shoots through my body like lightning. I’m suddenly torn between wanting to make this last and feeling like we are both significantly overdressed. Reaching some compromise with myself, I slip my hands around Olivia’s back and struggle to unhook her bra, causing Olivia to chuckle into our kiss.
“Need some help?” she teasingly asks as she grins down at me.