Good Neighbors Ch. 106

The trip home was long. Normally the commute wasn't that bad, but tonight it was three hours. By the time I arrived home, I locked my car door with my briefcase inside and walked over to my neighbor's house. I didn't even knock this time due to the fact that I was so exhausted. I walked into her house and saw her on the couch under a blanket with a cup of something in her hand.

"Commute got you, huh Romeo?" she asked me.

I smiled before leaning down and kissing her on the forehead.

"Nothing being with you won't fix."

She smiled at me before putting her cup down.

"Coffee this late?" I asked.

"Tea. I wanted something warm without the caffeine."

I sat next to her before sliding under the blanket and holding her. Her body was warm, and her neck was exposed. I took the chance of kissing her there and felt her response. I kissed there again before kissing towards her lips. She pulled back after a few moments.

"You need to eat. You've had a long day."

I smiled.

"What if I already had my meal right here?" I said coyly.

She returned a smile.

"You need to eat real food, Romeo. Besides, you need to talk to me about this vacation idea."

I followed her to the dining room where she was already pulling a plate out of the refrigerator. I watched her as she removed the foil and slid it into the microwave before she grabbed a glass out of the cupboard. She went back to the refrigerator to scoop some ice out and filled it with some water from her pitcher before she turned to me and smiled. I held out my arms and felt her fall into them again. Holding her is one of the best feelings in the world.

When the microwave finished, she grabbed a potholder and pulled it out before laying it on the table for me. I sat down next to her and started to dig in while she drank her tea. It was quiet while I ate. I think part of it was my mind trying to figure out how to sell her on the vacation idea. The other part was appreciating her. I have gushed before about how wonderful she is and all the things she has done for me.

"You spoil me, Beloved," I said as I was taking a drink of water.

"I'm just feeding you. It's nothing special," she said.

"It's special to me."

"Didn't Missy cook for you?" she asked.

"I told her the same thing," I answered.

She smiled a moment before continuing.

"Have you and Missy ever gone on vacation?"

"Not really. I was working hard to get the company going. Our honeymoon was in a local hotel. It wasn't until later that I thought about it. By then, she was in stage one."

"I'm sorry, Romeo."

"It's alright, Beloved. What about yours?"

"Mitchell asked me about it. The thought of it was overwhelming. All I could think about was the hassle. Having to get passports and all the other stuff that went with it. It's one reason I am hesitant about you wanting to take me somewhere. I don't want you spending that kind of money on me."

I smiled again.

"So, is it just about the money?"

She paused for a bit before responding.

"I think there's a part of me that's always going to worry about the money, Romeo. I don't want you to spend your money on me. I'm trying to be an independent girl and the thought of you doing it worries me sometimes."

I opened my arms and felt her slip onto my lap while I held her. I kept her in my arms for a little bit and snuggled against her before whispering in her ear.

"I don't want you worrying about me, Beloved. I am always careful about what I do. Besides, maybe I want an excuse to see you in a bathing suit again."

"Why? I show you my naked body all the time."

I kissed her neck.

"I always love seeing you. It's not about you being naked, but you being there. I just want to do something memorable with you. A trip somewhere warm feels like the right move for me. I just want you with me. Besides, I need ideas of where you'd like to go."

She turned to me and kissed me on the cheek.

"I'll figure out a place, Romeo. Right now, I need to go to bed with you. I love those arms around me too much."

I let her go long enough to follow her into her room. I have no idea where we are going on our vacation, but I do know that I want to go with her.