Wake With Me

"Bye Shawn." I smiled at him at the front door, then hugged him. "You've made her year with that Hermés purse you got her."

"To be honest, she's been hinting at it. Don't tell her I caught on. I was just happy she loved it." His crows feet were adorable. My friend Wesley had chained up his own heart so much because society saw his huge figure and demeanor, then always assumed he was straight. He'd mentioned little things here and there that implied his father had been a huge influence in his life. I didn't even know he was gay until he'd met Shawn and introduced him as the love of his life.

"Dude, I love that you're in our life," I said to him.

He pouted at me, and held the bend of my neck.

"I've always loved yours and Wes' friendship. It's like brother and sister but also, not..."

I nodded. I'd never been able to pinpoint our relationship either.

"Let's say he's kind of like my big brother."

He smiled at me. "Huge brother!"

I pressed my lips together. "Uh, yeah."

"Big, hairy bear brother."

"Yeah, no. Ew."

He laughed at my discomfort, then hugged me.

"My ears are burning." Wes came up next to Shawn and rubbed at his back.

Shawn looked at him and raised a carefully cleaned up eyebrow. "All good things, bubba."

"Hmm." He growled. "Bye S'mores. Good job with everything today."

"Thanks." I hugged them both. They were so warm and wrapped their arms around me. I'd always wanted a sweet honest relationship like theirs too.

We stepped back then Wes put his giant chapped palm against my cheek.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Thanks for the Amer bottles." He grinned as he leaned down to pick up his bag with the precious glass bottles.

"Any time!" I grinned at his refusal to escalate emotions. He loved me. He'd never said it. But he so totally did.

I heard Camila behind me speaking rapid Spanish with Jesse.

"Es demasiado tarde! Dejalos y los recoges en unos dias! Yess, si insistes en ser tan obstinado, llamo un taxi y dormiras solo para siempre."

"Entiendo! Ca -- rajo!" He was seemingly giving up to her demands.

I'd never seen Jesse argue with someone like that before, except maybe with me.

"All okay?" I asked when Camila walked far enough away so she wouldn't hear.

"Hell, yeah! Sex tonight is going to be awesome." He had a wide grin on his face.

"All right, then!" I chuckled. "Thanks again, Jess. Good night."

"Night night, Mor! Apparently, I have to pick up my guitar and amps up later this week. So see you soon."

"Chicka-pow!" I teased since he was so whipped.

"Yeah. Same."

We gripped each other in a tight hug.

"I think I want her forever..." he whispered in my ear.

"I approve." I whispered back.

We separated, and he nodded seriously.

"Don't take as long as I did. She's crazy about you too, man, with good reason."

"Yeah, I'm hot."

We laughed as I pushed him further out of my condo.

"Bye! Bye! Hasta luego, Camila!"

"Hasta luego! Buenas noches!" She said as she looked from me to Suzie grinning as wide as Jesse was.

They were moving too slow and it was fucking one a.m. already. Jesus, they needed to leave.

I pushed her lightly at the small of her back and ushered them out.

"Ya vayanse! Los queremos mucho, pero vayanse."

They laughed as I finally closed the front door on them.

I turned around to see Suzie roll her eyes at me, then go further into the condo. I locked up, then came back to the kitchen. She strolled back in with cotton shorts and a comfortable tank top. I paused to take her lead. She started to clean up the kitchen.

Fuck. We were cleaning the kitchen apparently.

Everything was mostly put away. She carefully put the rest of the dessert away while I picked up all the bowls and cups to put them in the dishwasher. She went round to focus on the silverware and set them neatly in the dishwasher basket.

I looked around and found an errant plate of caviar and cheeses. I frowned. The caterers should have put that away early in the evening. I put them on a smaller plate then put plastic wrap over them.

Once I'd put the plate safely in the fridge, she slammed into my back.

"You're so cute."

I rubbed at the arms she had around my middle. "Why?"

"Because I know you're horny. But you're cleaning the kitchen with me."

"I really don't get why we've gotta do this." I confessed.

"I know. It's kind of inertia for me. I can't stop myself sometimes from cleaning up."

"Oh." I thought about her mom's personality and what little I knew of her past marriage. Her own work ethic probably came into play as well. "Yeah, it's our home, right? So we should keep it clean, I guess..." I honestly didn't know what to say.

She turned me around by my hips to shove me into the counter. She pressed herself to me and hugged me tightly.

I wrapped my arms around her. I obviously knew the difference between emotion and lust. This was emotion. She gripped me as she let her feelings out silently. I gripped her back just as tightly.

She sighed deeply in my arms. I wanted to apologize for not being smart enough to soothe her emotional being. She'd never professed that I was lacking in that way, though. So I tried to trust her to bring things up herself.

"Do you -- need something from me?" I asked cautiously.

"No." She answered simply. "Just hold me forever."

"Okay. I can do that." I kissed her hairline and hugged her even tighter.

Her tears seeped into my sand-colored shirt. I let her cry, just breathing deeply in and out while she did so, and was grateful she at the very least felt comfortable enough in my arms to fall apart and/or feel overwhelmingly happy to the point of crying with joy.

I held the back of her head and back at the same time, refusing to let go until she said so.

It could have been minutes or an hour. I didn't know after a while.

She eventually calmed, then looked in my eyes.

"I don't know how to be what you need. I'm sorry." I said sadly.

"You already are, darling. You're more than I've ever hoped for."

Now I struggled to catch my breath.

"You'll teach me if I need to be better, though?" I pressed.

"If you want. I'm not perfect, Mor."

I secretly disagreed with her, but it was true that no one should be under duress to be perfect. The weight of responsibility might very well crush you. So instead, I said:

"Well, I know you're not perfect!"

She laughed hoarsely at that.

"You're the closest I've seen to it, though." I held her, then kissed her neck. "Just the fact that you're willing to put up with me, baby. It means you're close to godliness." I scratched my teeth over the tendon at her neck, and she shuddered in response.

She chuckled, then let out a shaky breath in her post-cry-session.

"Mor. I'm so tired..."

"It's all right, babe. We can sleep."

She looked at me sadly.

I took her hips to push her down the hall into our bedroom. While I shuffled us forcefully to bed, I started to hum "It's all right" by Sam Cooke.

"Baby, it's all right. It's all right. Honey, long as I know -- long as I know -- that you love me."

I bit her earlobe as I led her to her side of the bed.

"If you need me, all you gotta do is try me. It's all right because I lo-ove you for sentimental reasons."

She giggled as she pulled at me over to lay on her other side then slid a bare leg over my clothed ones, hugging me possessively.

She sighed as she burrowed into my neck. "You're a cheeseball."

"Babe, I still have my clothes on."

She pushed me away, then rolled over to face the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Go get naked then, already." She commanded.

"Yes, dear." I stood up to go finish turning the lights off. I took my clothes off, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put on some fresh cotton boxers and a ribbed tank.

I sighed out as I laid back in our bed. She never failed to crawl over to latch on to my side. I held her as I relaxed my body completely.

----

One fresh inhale and exhale lets you feel the first moments of consciousness for the day. Sunlight was streaming in, and I heard the music, some slinky plucks of guitar to a soft voice. I was usually the one in charge of music, but the first tones of the melody painted a slow scene of carefree Americana. Her hand caressed up my thigh to an ass cheek then meandered back down to the sensitive skin behind my knee. It was everything I'd ever wanted for a Sunday morning. My lungs felt incredibly full with each breath as I touched the skin where her bottoms barred my progress.

The music sounded like a forgotten Jack Johnson song but also, evangelical; about to say "Jesus" and make you remember that tire swing at the lake.

With eyes wide shut, it wasn't difficult to think we'd be getting up that day to milk cows and bundle wheat. If we didn't have phones or time clocks. Where it was just slower and magical.

"What're you thinking about?" She poked at my cheek in the wake of my wide smile.

"Somethin' stupid." I grinned wider.

"Tell me anyway." She promptly bit the flesh on the apple of my cheek.

"You and me on a farm, milking cows."

She laughed. "Mor, you really are a sucker for music. I knew you'd like this one, but you're already buying a farm."

"I like it. Maybe I'll convince you one day."

"Keep trying. Maybe, one day, I'll give in." Her lips were near my ear. She scratched her teeth along the shell of my ear.

I turned to lie on my back. I watched as her red mane lowered to kiss the skin of my neck. Her hands traced my skin everywhere in reverence.

She dragged her palm up my stomach, rolling up my tank as she went to get at the skin.

This love-making was still part of our anniversary. Her slow worship was tinted heavily by our whirlwind of emotions of the night before.

She took my breast in her hand to lead it to her mouth.

She sucked my nipple in her mouth. I felt it pebble with her tongue as it licked over the sensitive skin. It made shocks stab at my spine.

I started to breathe heavily, as the arousal in my groin grew stronger at her touch.

She left my nipple to make love to the other one. I held her passively at the back of her head. The bittersweet song made my head heavy and lazy. Time didn't matter, and we could make love for hours if we so chose.

It was warm and my brain swirled thickly. It was almost a limbo between wakefulness and ecstasy. A gooey limbo.

She left my chest to kiss me slow. Her tongue met mine, causing a buzz in my ears. I gripped the sides of her head as she slipped her tongue in my mouth.

She touched the inside of my mouth as if it was her first time tasting me, exploring with her velvet tongue. She kissed up my jaw, stopping to lick right before my ear.

She kissed my cheek. "Good morning, love." Her warm breath wafted over my face to tickle the edge of my mouth.

"Good morning, darling. You feel so nice."

"I want to taste you everywhere. You're so beautiful today." She leaned to lick at the underside of my breast.

I tensed my jaw as my chest followed her mouth, asking for more.

The slow acoustics continued for an indeterminate time while she undressed me and herself. She rubbed her naked body over me, up and down. I held the top of her hips. Every time she drew close to my lips, she tilted to steal kisses from my eager mouth.

Her loose waves tickled the edge of my jaw and collar bones as she rubbed herself on me.

I was getting properly turned on, and clawed at the small of her back.

"Oh, are you ready for me, love?" She teased as she nudged the tip of my nose with her own.

"Want you." I murmured as I leaned to suck on her neck. I put my palms behind me and lifted us a bit to devour her neck. "Want to feel your hand on me." I bit at the soft skin of her neck, and she gripped my shoulder, supporting herself while her other hand slipped over my slit. She brought her hand to her mouth and slathered spit all over the tips of her fingers, bringing them down to my clit again.

She pressed into my clit to massage me in firm, slow circles. My hips moved, following her exasperating rhythm. One of my palms still held me at an angle and my other hand brought her head to mine to kiss her as she pleasured me.

My groin started to overheat as we writhed together.

I lolled my head back as white hot flames licked at my clit to set my pelvis on fire everywhere.

She sucked a nipple in her mouth and it made me cry out at its over-sensitivity.

"Oh! Ugh. That feels good. You're so hot, Suzie."

"You're so close, love."

I whimpered and tightened the muscles of my arm to keep myself up. I assented with my face screwed up as she admired my facial expressions.

"You're going to come for me, Mor. I'm going to blow your mind."

I groaned in arousal, and she moaned with pleasure at seeing me lose control.

She grunted and whimpered as she brought me up. When I bucked my hips forcefully, she pressed harder on my clit.

"Good," she praised. "Keep going."

My hips vibrated as all my muscles clenched -- then I exploded. I felt juices run down my crack, and her hand slow down.

She massaged my now-fat lips, then entered me with her middle and ring fingers. She started a relentless pace, making me buck when she slapped her palm against my clit with every thrust.

I collapsed to lean on my elbows instead. As I watched her, she grinned widely at me and stroked faster, shortening her strokes in favor of vibrating her fingers at my g-spot.

The next orgasm speeded through my pussy and made me truly squirt, wetting the bed further.

"Aw geez!" I flopped on the bed, and the after shocks spasmed my chest like violent hiccups. "Babe, you are way too good at that!"

She rustled the sheets, then I felt her settle on her chest at my pussy. I gulped nervously, still struggling to catch my breath from the last orgasm. She licked my wet clit slowly. My pussy contracted powerfully at her licks, but I was able to handle it.

She alternated between licking firmly up my lips and flicking my clit.

My hairline and lower body was starting to get sweaty and my center was unbelievably wet. My body rolled under hers again in strong waves from head to foot.

After two orgasms, I was weak and unhurried to come again.

My vision blurred, and suddenly we'd been moaning for an eternity. I didn't see the end in sight, just enjoying her mouth on me. She eventually flicked my clit harder and faster, then sucked it into her mouth.

My hips pivoted back and forth while I slipped my fingers in her hair to grip the strands.

"Fuck! I'm coming!"

"Come for me, baby." She rushed out before sucking my clit in her mouth again.

My shoulders pressed into the mattress as my back arched. Sometimes I felt an orgasm as if a cup was getting filled up with liquid and then it ran over, spilling everywhere. Some sort of overwhelming feeling of being filled up too much.

I wasn't making sense in my hazy, lust-filled mind.

She slipped her fingers inside me but kept them motionless, presumably to feel my pulsing walls, I guessed. I liked feeling her aftershocks, too.

Everything felt way too strong, like an escalating high that was getting dangerously close to being a bad, spinny trip.

I couldn't say our safe word even if I wanted to, I was paralyzed.

She knew it was time to stop, though, and brought me down slowly.

I was finally able to get a lungful in, and the air was colder and sharper then after being consumed in flames for so long.

She finally stopped touching me, and I flopped down on the sweaty sheets. My hand rested at my rib cage. The vein in my neck was still pounding.

"You did so well, Mor. Here."

I sat up and a cup of cold water was placed in my hand. I chugged in between pants.

The fireworks dimmed around the edges of my vision, and I was able to look at her. Her hair was messed up with my crazy grip and there was a sheen of sweat on her body.

I shuddered a breath in. "Fuck. That was hot."

"You actually came three times! Good job!" she said cheekily.

I smirked at her smug expression. "You're very good at that, Suz."

"Thank you!"

She praised me all the time. I knew how good it felt to hear it. She kissed me, sealing her mouth over mine. We rolled back and forth, chasing each other.

She grinned suddenly, then leaned back to reach her nightstand. She'd relocated one of her jewelry stands that was in the figure of a slender hand to next to her on the bed. She took the non-engagement ring from the stand to put it on her finger.

She giggled to herself while she admired the blue stone. She started to hum. I supported myself on an elbow while I touched the skin on her stomach, looking at her.

I think she was humming "Dream a Little Dream of Me," but the tune was too vague for me to be sure.

"You happy?" I questioned.

"Yeah." She looked at me with that shining manic look she had when I was making her happy.

"What can I do to make you more happy?" I teased as I palmed her tummy.

"Hmm... good question!" She paused to ponder the issue. She placed her hand daintily at her forehead, looking like a proper Belle, except she was so, so naked. "Let's see, can you -- go back in time to when we first met? And start all this all over again. It would be even more delicious doing everything a second time."

Her eyes blazed at me.

"Everything?" I smirked.

She hummed and nodded eagerly.

"Even the arguing?"

"Yes!"

"Me asking stupid questions?"

"Yes." She grinned.

"The waiting for each other for years?" I pressed.

"Well -- um, it was nice growing closer with you, but maybe you can hurry that part up a bit." Her hand rested over my forearm.

"I could? -- geez, Suzie! How faster could I have gotten you to realize you were gay?"

"Five years seems like way too long! You couldn't have worked a little faster at it?" She teased mercilessly.

"You are such a brat!"

She gasped in mock offense.

"Then again..." I stretched over her body while she encased my head in her arms. "I knew you were a brat the moment we met. I loved it."

"Aren't you a smart one! You have excellent taste, Mor."

I grinned then lowered myself to her mouth. I could never get enough of her plump lips.

"Once upon a time..." I spoke between kisses, "there was a girl who had an interview at a clothing company."

She hummed playfully, egging me on, and flicked my lips with her hot tongue.

I wove our story as I touched her.

********************

I sat in the posh office, gripping my folio. The music was mainstream pop, coming through the speakers of the spacious lobby. All the doors were glass; white, marbled walls shone back at you.

I looked around at the modern decor while I wondered what the interviewer would want to hear.

Jesse had begged me to keep looking for a position in a publishing company even if it was in the Mail room, but this opening was paying really well for being entry level.

I pulled at my collar. I was wearing a stone blue dress shirt and egg-white trousers with shiny brown shoes. I tried not to fidget too much with my slim navy tie.

"Miss Branson? Miss Kinsey will see you now." She waited while I scrambled after her.

I followed her through the wide hallway and came across a new glass office with the boss' name frosted on the glass. It read: "Suzanna Kinsey - Director of North East Sales Division"

I pulled at my collar one last time before stepping through the door.

She was standing on the outside of her desk facing away from us.

"Please take a seat." The receptionist gestured to a chair that was a little too close to Miss Kinsey but I sidled up and sat down anyway. "Please don't forget to come back and see me before you leave, I'll validate your parking stub."

"All right. Thank you, Gina."