Authors: Genevieve Jourdin
“Well, obviously you
caught
me
off guard.” He wanted to
laugh it off and I was just cowardly enough to let him. This was just one thing
too much at the end of a long and stressful day.
“So, um, did you want to
watch some TV?” I asked, remembering the reason I came back here in the first
place.
“That
would be great. I was just thinking that we could watch a movie back here where
it’s more comfortable and farther away from the cat.” I winced as I was reminded
of what had just happened. I looked over the bed which was all smooth and
straightened then back to Carter.
I set Lucy down on the
bed and walked over the TV. I could see a movie propped next to the DVD player,
50 First Dates
. I liked this movie,
and I really needed some comedy in my life right about now. I turned back to
Carter. “This is kind of weird.” He looked at me questioningly. “Just
everything. You, me, my amnesia, the cat, the vibrator. Everything.” I made a
sweeping motion with my hand as if to encompass the whole room. I could have
made a longer list that included much more, but I figured he could get idea.
“You’re
right. I’ve been so set on getting you to remember that I didn’t realize I
might be pushing you too hard. We can just sit and watch a movie and relax for
the rest of the night, all right?” He had walked over to me as he talked and so
he was standing just inches away from me right now. I was getting those same
overwhelming feelings again but this time I welcomed them. I needed something
steady to anchor to. My life had become a freakish situation comedy. I reached
out and grabbed his hand and he gave me a squeeze. “Come on, you relax and I’ll
take care of everything else.”
Ahh, just
the words I needed to hear. I wanted to let someone else take care of
everything for me, if only for a few hours. I needed the mental break.
“That
sounds wonderful. Do you mind if I take a bath first? I really need to unwind.”
Baths were my little escape in my day and always had been. The first house I
had looked at in my price range had only had a shower so I had immediately
crossed it off my list. I had to have my baths.
“Yeah, you
go ahead and take as long as you need. I’ve got some things I need to do
anyway.” He paused. “So I guess I should probably post that you’re sick and
won’t be updating for a bit?” He was asking me? He knew way more than I did
about that.
“Sure, do what needs to
be done. I’m obviously worthless with that right now.” I shrugged my shoulders.
What was one more thing added to the list today? I went over to my side of the
dresser and pulled out some panties and a pair of pajamas, glad that I had
upgraded my nightwear in the past two years. Carter had left the room when I
started digging for my clothes so I took the opportunity to walk back over to
the “sex drawer” and investigate further.
I pawed
around at first, afraid to touch anything, but I had to admit, if only to
myself, I was impressed. I was finally in one of those couples. The kind that
was adventurous and still sweet. Yay me! I moved around the items until I could
see everything in the back. There was a remote back there. Hmm, I guess Carter
was telling me the truth. I pulled it out and noticed something else. What
the…? I pulled out a headband with buns made of fake hair on each side.
Princess Leia buns. I got a mental picture of Carter in nothing but a light
saber belt. Holy Shit. My face started flaming again. This was too much for
even the new me. I hastily shut the drawer and put the remote on top of the
table before scurrying to the bathroom and shutting myself in.
I had so many things to
think about that I didn’t know where to start. I started the tub and poured in
some of my bath crystals. I had remembered a few important things today, and I
was incredibly thankful for that, but I was still mostly blank. I could
acknowledge, however, that everything I
had
remembered had to do with Carter. He was the key.
I stripped
out of my clothes and stepped into the water while it was filling. I loved the
water pouring over my feet, and I have always vowed that when I get enough
money for luxuries I was going to get a tub with jets. I smiled when I
remembered my bank account and the fact that Carter told me I’d be getting a
big advance from my cookbook. I made the decision right then that a whirlpool
tub was going to be the first thing I bought.
I relaxed
back in the hot water and closed my eyes. What a day. I needed a mental break
but my mind wouldn’t let me have it. The images of the day kept swirling around
in my head. The market, the cat, memories flashing back, my mother, the sex.
Whew the sex. I let my mind stick on that subject for a while, replaying the
event and the time leading up to it. I could safely say that I wanted Carter
even without any memories of our relationship. He was just …awesome. I would
have been attracted to him if I had just met him on the street, but once you
add in all of his tremendous attributes, who wouldn’t find him appealing?
I leaned
forward and turned off the water when it got within a half inch of the rim. I
let my mind settle back on Carter. He was different than I remembered him, more
attentive as well as assertive. It was a strange mix but I liked it. I also
liked that he was here for me when I needed him. I knew Cheryl would have taken
me under her wing in a heartbeat, but somehow it was just easier with Carter.
I soaked
in the tub for a while until I realized that I needed to be out there with
Carter. He was going to be the reason I would get my memory back, I just knew
it.
I hit the
drain and stood up. I couldn’t get out of the tub fast enough. I thought about
what Carter and I had been talking about before my mother had shown up. We were
going to get to the bottom of what happened on Friday. I hurriedly dried off
and threw on my pajamas. I couldn’t wait to be back in the same room with him.
I hardly
stopped to analyze my feelings as I turned and looked out the hallway. Where
was he? I couldn’t hear a TV on from the living room or the bedroom so I went
into the office. He wasn’t there but the computer was still on.
I walked back out to the
kitchen where I was greeted by the smell of popcorn. Carter was holding my
phone and frowning.
“What’s
wrong?”
“Not a thing.” He
deliberately pasted a smile on his face while he set it on the counter. “Did
you have a nice bath?”
I let him change the
subject because if it was something bad I really didn’t want to know. Not
tonight, anyway. I wanted the rest of the night to go smoothly.
“It was great.” What else
was there to say really? I walked over to him and practically nudged up against
him. “Do you want any help?”
“Got it
covered.” He motioned to the counter behind him where he already had some
glasses filled with iced tea. He also had a bag of Hershey Kisses sitting
there. I could go through a whole bag of kisses during a movie. I ate those
like other people ate popcorn. My heart warmed as I realized he knew that much
about me.
The microwave beeped and
Carter pulled out the popcorn and poured it into a bowl.
“Shall
we?” he asked as he scooped up the bowl in one hand and the kisses in another.
I just
nodded and grabbed the glasses before trailing him into the bedroom. He walked
to one side of the bed and I went to my side, the side next to the “sex
drawer.” Just being in here was making me think about what was inside it and I
was feeling my cheeks warming. I set the drinks down on the table and noticed
the remote control I had found in the drawer a few minutes ago.
“Here.” I
handed him the remote and sat down on the bed.
“Where was it?”
“Uh, it
must have fallen behind the table.” I certainly wasn’t going to admit where I
found it. He just looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I tried braving it, but
my stupid blush made it impossible. “Oh shut up.”
He chuckled and went over
to put the movie on. I settled on the bed and watched while he got everything
ready. He looked so big and firm and I couldn’t help but notice the way the
muscles on his back rippled when he moved. He was like my perfect man ideal.
Well, besides the fact that he was younger, but to be honest, that was a
selling point.
“Did we
watch this on our first date or something?” Maybe he was still trying to get me
to remember it, but this didn’t seem familiar.
“No, but I
didn’t feel like watching cable on the couch.”
“Oh.” I settled back on
the pillows and Carter flipped on the lamp beside him while the menu came up.
He wasn’t being as laid-back as he had been before my bath and was making me
feel slightly uneasy. I wondered what might have happened in the half hour I
was in the bathroom but I no longer felt comfortable asking him.
The movie started and I
handed him his drink which he took without saying anything or even looking at
me. What the heck was going on? This was like a complete one-eighty from
before. I sat there stewing as the movie started. I started unwrapping kisses
and shoving them into my mouth without really thinking. Great, now I was going
to have a huge ass on top of everything else. Finally, about twenty silent
minutes into the movie I couldn’t take it anymore.
Chapter Twenty
“What the
hell is your problem, Carter?” I sounded bitchy but by this time I really
didn’t care.
“
I
don’t have a problem.”
“What’s that supposed to
mean? I’m not the one who’s been sitting here silent and broody for the last
half hour. I’m not the one who is ignoring the person sitting beside me.”
He didn’t
bother to answer me and I don’t know why, but it made me jumpy. “Hey, I’m
talking to you.” He didn’t say anything before getting up off of the bed and
walking toward the door.
“Where are
you going?” I couldn’t believe he was going to walk out and basically give me
the cold-shoulder.
“I need a drink.” He
didn’t turn around and I looked over to his bedside table where I noticed his
glass still full. He was obviously leaving the room because of me, but I didn’t
have the faintest idea of what I could possibly have done to upset him. I had
just been thinking about how good I felt around him and how I wanted to spend
more time with him. Was I destined to be perennially backwards in this relationship?
Was this some kind of curse? Just a couple of days ago I had been freaked out
that he and I were together and would have been happy to be by myself while he
wanted to be with me, and right now I want to spend time with him and he was
avoiding me. It didn’t seem fair. Things were different now and my life was
supposed to
work
.
I thought about getting
up and following Carter to wherever he had gone but I still had my pride. I
wasn’t going to chase him down when he wanted to be away from me. Still, I
might have read things wrong. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time I had
made an assumption that turned out to be completely false. His attitude might
not have anything to do with me at all. I was wavering but I didn’t want to
look desperate.
I suddenly
remembered Monique in the laundry room. It had been a while since I shut her in
there. I should probably go check to see that she wasn’t wreaking any havoc on
my clothes. Yeah, it was a lame excuse, but it was all I could come up with on
short notice and I was feeling emotionally vulnerable.
I jumped up before I
could change my mind and walked into the hallway. I could see that the office
light was off so I continued to the bathroom. The door was shut but the light
was on. Maybe he was in there. I didn’t hear anything and after a few seconds I
realized how sick I was standing outside the bathroom door and listening for
goodness knows what. I quickly moved on and into the dim kitchen. The only
light was coming from the small fixture over the sink. I guess he
was
in the bathroom.
Monique wasn’t making the
racket she had been, so I felt relatively safe opening the door and poking my
head in. I didn’t see her but I saw an overturned basket of clothes. I didn’t
know if they had been clean before, but I knew they were dirty now. I detected
the horrible odor of cat pee and the wet spots on whatever blue piece of
clothing that was lying on top of the pile seemed to corroborate my thoughts on
what she had been up to.
I stepped farther into
the room to locate the animal I could now verify was vicious as well as just
plain gross, and she cemented her evilness by leaping out from behind the door
and slicing my bare foot with her claw.
“Aaaaaiiiiiiigh!”
The scream that escaped me was only partially from the pain. Most of it was
fear and surprise.
Within seconds the back
door flew open and for the second time in two days, Carter charged into the
room looking for whatever had put me in peril. I crashed into him as I jerked
back to escape.
“What
happened?” he asked as he grabbed the door handle and pulled it closed, keeping
Monique contained.
“That fucking cat
attacked me!” I normally didn’t like to use the f-word, but my heart was pounding
from fright and my foot was in searing pain. I kicked my foot out in front of
me to get a better look at the damage but I misjudged the distance to the wall
and my big toe connected with a loud thud.