Peak of Desire Ch. 04

"Cody."

"And when do we get to meet him?"

She pulled her shoulders into a small shrug. "I don't know. We're just getting to know each other, so it may not be for awhile."

"What does he do for a living?"

"He washes windows."

"That's an interesting occupation. What types of buildings does he wash?"

"High rises."

"That's not an easy job to do. It must take a lot of guts to do that as a living."

"Well he's definitely got plenty of those." She took a few sips of her juice, then grabbed a few cashews from a small bowl on the kitchen table.

"So what else do you know about Cody?"

"He's also a rock climber."

"So he's got a thing for heights, huh?"

"Oh yeah. He a total thrill seeker."

"Sounds like an interesting guy. I definitely want to meet him, so I hope you bring him by soon."

"We'll see how it goes." She retrieved a few more cashews and popped them into her mouth. "Where's mom?"

"She's in the studio, working on a project."

"I'm gonna go chat with her for a bit."

"Okay. Dinner should be ready pretty soon, so I'll come back there and let you guys know once it's done."

"Sounds good." She stepped up into the living area and headed to the back of the house.

As she reached the door to her mother's art studio, she pushed it open and entered. Lilac colored walls surrounded her, and as her eyes landed on her mother, she saw that she was sitting in front of a pottery wheel. Her hands were covered in clay, and her palms were cradling a bowl shaped object on the wheel.

A low whirring noise emitted from the wheel as it turned round and round. Taking note of her presence, Erica's mother lifted her gaze and offered her daughter a smile. She removed her foot from the pedal so that the wheel came to a stop, then offered a greeting.

"Hey there, pumpkin. How are things?"

"Good. What are you making?" She walked closer to her mother so she could check out what was on the wheel.

"A ceramic bowl."

Erica's eyes roved over her mother's creation, admiring the way that the edges of the container fanned out to resemble the petals of a flower. "That's really pretty, mom. Nice work."

"Thanks. I've had a lot of interest in this particular design, so I decided to create some more to add to my current stock."

"Sounds like business is good."

"It has been. I'm thinking of updating my website. You still in touch with that guy who designs web pages?"

"Oh, you mean Jacob? Yeah, I still talk to him every now and again."

"You two still giving each other massages?" Stevie's lips pulled into a grin.

"Yeah, occasionally. And what's that smile about?"

"I just think it's cute how you guys use massages to flirt with each other."

"We don't do it to flirt, we do it for the practice."

"You've been out of school for years now. How much more practice do you need?" Her voice had a playful tone to it.

"There's nothing sexual about what we do. Out relationship is strictly platonic."

"Okay, I believe you." She wiped her hands off on a damp towel, then stood up from her seat and stretched.

I'll give him a call and let him know that you're interested."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it."

Erica walked over to some shelves that were on the wall, and eyed the ceramic vases, pots, cups and bows that were lined up on display. A colorful vase with a koi fish painted on the side of it caught her eye, and she traced her finger along the outline of the sea creature.

"So what's up, honey? Seems like you have something on your mind." Her mother grabbed a mug from the table in front of her, then took a sip from it.

"I'm thinking about Cody."

"Cody?"

"Yeah, remember I told you that I was seeing someone new?"

"Yep, I remember. I just didn't know what his name was." She picked up a pack of cigarettes from the table she was sitting at and shook one out, then tucked it between her lips.

Turning to face her mother, Julia offered her a hard, steady gaze. No words needed to be spoken, as the look that Erica gave her caused Stevie to remove the cigarette from her lips, then tuck it back into the package.

"Sorry, I forgot. Guess it's just a reflex."

"Still addicted to those cancer sticks, huh?"

Stevie released a little sigh of frustration, then said, "Give me a break, Erica. I'm trying my best, okay?"

"Well you need to try harder."

"Excuse me? Don't you take that tone with me, young lady."

Erica's expression softened, and she walked over to where her mother was, then took a seat on a wooden chair that was painted a turquoise color. "I'm sorry. I just can't stand the fact that you're dependent on those things."

"Well I am, and I shouldn't be made to feel ashamed about it."

"I'm not trying to make you feel ashamed. I just want you to quit. They're terrible for your health."

"I know, I know. I am improving, though. I used to smoke a pack every two days, and now I'm down to half that amount."

"That's still a lot."

Stevie tucked a tight coil behind her ear, leaving a streak of gray in her locks from the clay on her fingers. "So tell me about Cody. I wanna hear the update."

"I'm falling for him, mom. Hard."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"He leads a pretty reckless lifestyle. I'm starting to wonder if I should pull out of this before I get more emotionally involved."

"I'm guessing that his job as a window washer is the thing that bothers you."

"Although that does worry me a bit, I'm more concerned about him being a rock climber."

"Oh, so he rock climbs, too?"

"Yeah, and he also does this thing called free soloing. Which means that he climbs without any protection at all. No ropes, no anchors, just his bare hands."

Stevie lifted her eyebrows, and she sat back in her chair, offering Erica a look of disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope. I'm totally serious."

"That is reckless. Why would he wanna do that?"

"He says he enjoys the challenge, and that it gives him a huge pump of adrenaline."

She shook her head and said, "Doesn't he get enough excitement from washing high rise windows? How much more of a thrill does he need to get?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I guess he's just one of those people who has to constantly push the boundaries. I don't understand it, either."

"Well honey, I can't say I blame you for thinking about pulling out. I'd most likely do the same if I were in your shoes. Not that I'm encouraging you to do it. It's entirely up to you, of course."

"I am contemplating putting an end to things between us, but at the same time, I doubt that I can actually go through with it. We have a really strong connection, and I know I probably won't feel this strong of an attraction with anyone ever again. I'd feel like such a fool giving him up."

"That is quite a dilemma." She took a sip from her mug and then sat it back down. "Have you told him how you feel about him doing this free solo stuff?"

"Yes, but he made it pretty clear that climbing is a big part of his life. He's not about to stop doing it just because I'm concerned."

"Hmmm." Stevie stared off into the distance for a few moments, as if she were doing some contemplating. "Do you know what sign he is?"

"Aries."

She nodded her head, then said, "That explains a lot. Aries men can be quite a handful." She rose up from her seat and walked over to small bookshelf that was adjacent to a large arched window. After retrieving a book from one of the shelves, she came back to where Erica was, and sat back down.

"What's that?" Erica asked.

"An astrology book. It'll give you lots of information about Aries men." She flipped through the pages until she found the section she was searching for. "Here we go. Aries men are hard driving go-getters who overdo and over achieve. They can be reckless, impulsive, athletic, and dominating." Stevie paused and glanced over at Erica so she could offer her opinion.

"That describes him perfectly. What else does it say?"

"They love to be challenged, enjoy spontaneity, live for the thrill of the chase, and dislike being told what to do. But on the plus side, they can be enthusiastic, freedom-loving, generous, and brave." She was quiet for a few moments, and then continued on. "Aries men have a dominating sex appeal, and are very passionate lovers." She gave a sound of approval and cocked an eyebrow, then shifted her eyes to give her daughter a little smile.

Erica's lips tugged upward. "What about compatibility with Sagittarius? Does it say anything about that?"

She scanned the paragraphs until she found what she was looking for. "According to the book, your sign is highly compatible with Aries, so that's good news. And you're both fire signs, so you're bound to have an intense sexual attraction to one another."

Images from the earlier part of the day began to flash through Erica's mind, and she felt a bolt of arousal shoot through her body as her recalled the erotic moment she'd shared with Cody in the narrow alleyway behind the bookstore. "Well it's good to know we're compatible, but I'm still feeling uncertain about things. Ever since he told me about how he likes to free solo, it makes me worry about him. What if something were to end up happening, and he got fatally injured? Just the thought of something going wrong..." Her voice trailed off and she lowered her gaze, staring down at her hands.

"Oh, pumpkin, you really are into this guy, aren't you?" Stevie grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle rub.

"Yes I am, and that's what makes it so difficult. I'm scared of being heartbroken, yet at the same time I know I don't have the strength to truly push him away. I want so badly to take things further with him, but what if one of these days he goes out climbing and doesn't come back? How would I ever deal with that? It would completely shatter me."

"I think it's best to just not consider the what if's. Contemplating about disastrous outcomes will do nothing except drive you crazy."

"I guess you're right about that, but it's kind of hard not to, especially when you really care about someone."

"I know, but you need to have faith that there will be a positive outcome. If you think that carrying on this relationship with him will take too much of an emotional toll on you, then maybe it is best to pull out of it. But it sounds like you really like him a lot, so if you want things to work out, then just go for it. Don't sit there worrying about what could happen. Just enjoy each day as it comes, and always look forward to the next. Being anxious about it will just suck the enjoyment out of the relationship, and that's no way to live."

She released a little sigh and looked out the window, staring out into the night. "You're right. Sitting around thinking about terrible outcomes isn't going to do any good, and it'll only cause negative energy to be attracted my way, so I guess I'd better stop." Yet even as she said it, she knew it wouldn't be so easy to do.

"I've had a couple of thrill seeking boyfriends in the past. Not to the same extent as Cody, but they still did some pretty reckless stuff. So I know how it is to worry about someone who seems intent on living life as dangerously as possible. And when it really comes down to it, they're going to do what they want, no matter what anybody says. You try to tell them otherwise and they'll most likely ignore you. So as difficult as it may be, you're just going to have to allow him to do his thing. Try and stop him, and he'll most likely resent you for it."

"I'm not trying to change him. I just want him to be more careful about it."

"I know, honey. But you're going to have to let him do it his way. There really isn't any other option."

"Yeah, I know." She leaned forward and propped her elbows on her knees, then placed her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Try not to worry too much, okay? I'm sure everything will be alright."

She gave a little nod in response. There was a knock on the door, and as Erica turned her attention towards the source of the sound, she saw her father pop his head inside the room.

"Dinner's ready."

"We'll be right there," said Stevie. She untied the clay splattered apron that covered her clothing, then placed it on the table next to the potter's wheel. Then she bent down so that she was eye level with her daughter. "Let's get some food in your stomach, then we can talk some more after dinner."

"Okay, sounds good."

Spotting something in her mother's hair, she weaved her fingers through the thick, shiny coils, and retrieved a tiny leaf. She couldn't help smiling as she recollected her first meeting with Cody in the bookstore, and she thought of how he'd pulled a leaf out of her own hair that day. Erica showed her mother what was in her palm, then released it from her hand.

Stevie's lips tilted slightly upward in response to the smile on Erica's face. "What's funny?"

She shook her head and then said, "Nothing. Come on, let's go eat."

She stood up from her seat, and Stevie rose from her squatting position. Then they made their way out of the studio and headed for the kitchen.