When You Know Ch. 02

She saw the brief look of anxiety on his face and wished she hadn't shared it; at this moment she didn't care one iota what her parents thought of Joe. But quickly, he turned to humor before she could say more.

"Well, I'm just going to have to keep you up all night...talking," he said, attempting to hide his unease. "I have to tire you out so you can't meet my competition. After all, maybe you'll have more chemistry with him than you have with me."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Vicky said with a smile. "I know it actually." They both stared deeply at each other for a few seconds. Then, Joe cleared his throat and continued asking questions.

"Surely your childhood wasn't all lonely, though," he asked. "There must have been points you enjoyed."

"Yes, most of them revolve around Emma," Vicky said. "She was the girl with me that night at the bar."

"Yeah, I remember her," Joe said. "She looks like a handful, but in a good way."

"We grew up together, her parents and my parents are best friends," Vicky explained. "She's quite different from me and everyone else we know. And more than a little handful. But we hit it off, probably because of that. We were best friends at 5 and have been ever since."

"I can't wait to meet her," Joe said.

"She already loves you," Vicky said with a laugh. "She saw you looking at me that night and kept encouraging me to talk to you."

"Did you tell her what happened after she left?" Joe asked.

"Of course, I can't keep things from her," Vicky said, to Joe's slight horror. "Relax, I've heard about all her adventures, she's married with two kids now; believe me she was more than excited to hear what happened."

Joe and Vicky continued like this for hours, just talking, about nothing and everything at the same time. Before they knew it, it was almost 2AM.

"Look at the time," Joe exclaimed with a yawn. "I'm about to pass out now."

"Do you want to stay here?" Vicky asked shyly. "I mean, it's late, I don't want you to walk home alone at this hour."

"I'd like that," Joe replied. "I can sleep wherever you think is best, but I want to ask something of you. You can say no, but please let me explain before you decide."

"OK," Vicky said with uncertainty.

"I want to sleep with you, in your bed," Joe said.

"We talked about this, Joe," Vicky began with a sigh.

"Hear me out, I mean sleep, not sex," Joe started. "The thing I love most when you first are with someone is afterwards, falling asleep in the same bed with her in your arms, feeling her breathe next to you. It's a beautiful moment. We didn't get that after that night."

"So I'm supposed to believe you just want to sleep?" Vicky asked skeptically.

"Honestly, I'm so tired I'll probably fall asleep before my head hits the pillow," Joe confessed. "You can tie me to the bed if you want...actually that might be fun."

Vicky nudged him playfully when he said that, but he quickly explained his reasoning further.

"Seriously this will make it feel like an extension of that night now. It was already the best night of my life, this will just make it better," he added honestly.

"OK," Vicky said smiling. "But I reserve the right to kick you out if you get too touchy feely with me."

"Deal," Joe said with excitement.

They got ready for bed; Joe in his t-shirt and boxers, Vicky in her normal pajamas. It was almost like they had done this together for years, just a couple getting ready for bed. As they got into bed though, Vicky began to feel awkward. What was she supposed to do? To be honest, the only thing she really wanted to do was rip his clothes off and jump on top of him.

But sex now felt like a mistake, if they did it then this night would just become all about that too. Then maybe that would truly come to define the relationship. And Vicky didn't want that to happen now.

"Well, goodnight," she said awkwardly, turning off the lamp on her side and plunging the room into darkness. She lay on her side, away from Joe, and struggled to find peace. After a minute, she felt a pair of arms and a warm body behind her.

"Don't worry, I just want to feel you in my arms, that's it," Joe said as spooned her from behind. "I know I'll sleep so much better like this."

"Mhmmm..." Vicky sighed contentedly, grabbing his arms and pulling them tighter around her waist. Suddenly, everything felt so, so right. Peace, and sleep, quickly overcame both of them in an instant.

The next thing either of them knew, it was morning. Vicky awoke first, still in Joe's arms, to the sound of her phone ringing. It was her mother; of course, she thought. She reached for her phone.

"Hi, Mother," she spoke dozily into the phone.

"Did I wake you?" her mother said with alarm. "It's 10:30 already, since when do you sleep this late?"

"You didn't wake me, mother," Vicky said, her voice rising as only her mother could cause. "What do you want?" Vicky felt Joe slowly waking up himself behind her. 'Sorry,' she mouthed to him, turning around. He just smiled and watched her.

"Well you better get ready," Vicky heard her mother over the phone. "You have to be at the club to meet Trip for brunch in an hour."

"Yeah, about that..." Vicky started. "I'm gonna have to pass on that, I have other things to do," she said smiling at Joe the whole time.

"What things?" her mother pressed. "This isn't related to whatever you were doing with this mystery person yesterday?"

"Um, no..." Vicky said, distracted as Joe began rubbing his hands up and down her calves and thighs. Yesterday might have been a poor time for sex, but this morning was suddenly looking good for both of them.

"Is someone there with you?" her mother asked. "He is, isn't he, this boy you're wasting time with apparently."

"No of course not, I'm alone," she said, covering the phone with her hand for a second and moaning slightly as Joe began kissing her neck and behind her ear. "Listen, mother...I have to go, talk to you later."

"Very well," her mother relented. "I'll think of an excuse, you can have your little fun today, but then be ready to take your life seriously again starting tomorrow."

"Yeah whatever, bye," Vicky said, hanging up immediately to pull Joe to her for a kiss. He began kissing back, and continuing his exploration of her body with his hands. She reached down and felt him getting hard. Memories of that night came flooding back, and she wanted that round 2 he promised those many months ago. But not quite yet.

"Wait," she cooed. "We can't yet, not here,"

"What, you want to talk more?" he groaned. "I'm done talking, for now. No offense. These pajamas are really sexy."

"No, I want to take you somewhere," Vicky said as she pushed herself away from him with great effort. "Somewhere no one will bother us. Do you have a few days?"

"Yeah, I don't have anywhere to be for the near future," he laughed. Joe had finished working at the bar and had lined up a low level job with the Philadelphia County DA's office, but it didn't really start for another few months until he passed the Bar exam.

"Good, let's go to my house down the shore," Vicky said. "It's quiet and secluded, and it's not summer yet so none of the tourists will be there. It's the perfect place to be alone and connect."

"I want to connect with you a lot, in so many ways," Joe teased, reaching out to undo a few buttons on her PJ's.

"I do too, but you have to wait a little while longer," she replied, kissing him one last time before getting out of bed. "Get dressed, we'll stop by your place to pick up some clothes and then we'll be off, my lord."

"Yes, my lady," Joe answered, instantly remembering their joke from that night in the bar.

As she packed, Vicky was infused with the rush of energy found as a new relationship begins. It was honestly something she never really experienced herself, but Emma always talked about how great it felt.

Vicky wanted to feel that way for once, and to make more exciting memories with this new man. Her future could be decided later, right now she wanted to live in the present. And the only person she wanted to be with right now was this 24-year old bartender/lawyer.