“Verna?” Paige said, lightly knocking on Verna’s door frame. Verna looked up from her desk, her spectacles perched on the edge of her nose and her scowl firmly in place. “There’s a problem with my paycheck.”
“Problem? What
problem
?”
“It’s a day short,” Paige said, taking a step into the room. “This should be for eight days worth of work, but it’s only seven.”
“That’s correct. You worked three days your first week and four last week. That’s seven,” Verna said, her scowl not moving an inch.
“I worked five last week,” Paige corrected.
“Really, so fraternizing with your boyfriend is working? I talked to five different people who saw you being
indecent
with that man.”
“Verna,” Paige said calmly. “I worked that day. I got a flat and then Brendan drove me around to show me the town and the best places for the pictures that I needed.”
“The pictures you
needed
? I don’t believe you.”
“Well,” Paige said matter-of-factly, “it doesn’t matter what you believe but what Mr. Adams believes. So would you like to talk to him or would you like me to?”
“Talk to Mr. Adams about what?” Paige turned to see Missy coming up behind her. “I told you, Paige. Whatever you need to discuss with Mr. Adams, you can discuss with me. That way you won’t trifle him with unimportant things.”
“Alright,” Paige said, trying oh-so-very hard not to roll her eyes. “My check is wrong. It was shorted a day.”
“Which day?” Missy asked.
“Last Monday.”
“The day you spent with Brendan?” Missy asked, raising her eyebrows. “We don’t pay our employees for running around town and making out with their boyfriends.”
“As I’ve told Verna, I got a flat and then Brendan drove me around to help me get my pictures
for work
.”
“Did you get a flat this Monday? Is that why you were late for work?”
“No,” Verna said, adding her two cents. “That was because they were fornicating. She stayed the night at his house.”
“Oh my God,” Paige said, losing her temper. “That is none of your business,” she said, turning to Verna. “And I’m not going to have this conversation with either of you. Are you going to fix my paycheck or do I need to go talk to Mr. Adams?”
“Just fix it,” Missy said to Verna. “But I have my eye on you,” she said, turning back to Paige.
“Fantastic,” Paige said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “When you find something worth watching you let me know.”
The Power of Patience and a Kiss Good Night
A
ugust turned into September, and before Brendan knew it, it was October. He spent every evening and every weekend with Paige. There were no more accidental sleepovers, much to Brendan’s disappointment. Paige wanted to take things slowly, which Brendan understood. Considering the fact that he’d fallen for her faster than he could blink, it really was in his best interest to go slowly. It was just that slowly was torturous.
Brendan had never really slept with girls who didn’t mean anything to him. One-night stands were definitely not his style. But still, it had been a while since he’d been this far into a relationship and not wound up in bed yet. Being with Paige was different. She was worth the wait; she was worth everything.
There were a few rare occasions when they ventured out into the land of the living to be with other people. They had dinner at her parents’ house sometimes; other times they would go to Lula Mae and Oliver’s, or they would hang out with Jax, Shep, and Grace. But on most nights they would curl up on his couch and watch TV or a movie. Well, they would start watching something, but they very rarely finished it.
Yeah, it never took Brendan long to press his face into Paige’s neck and open his mouth on her throat. She’d turn to him, her mouth seeking his and then he’d lay her down on the couch. And they would proceed to spend many hours in exactly that position.
On one such night that they were fooling around, Paige flat on her back and Brendan stationed firmly between her thighs, he decided to do a little exploring. He’d had one of his hands on her breast, cupping her over her shirt and bra. But it wasn’t enough. There had been some pretty heavy petting, but besides that one night in Brendan’s truck, he hadn’t had the pleasure of touching her naked breasts.
He let his hand travel down her body, trailing it over her rib cage and to her stomach. He slipped it underneath her shirt and slowly worked his way up. Paige didn’t say anything, not that she could with the way their tongues were wrapped around each other. When he got to her bra, he traced the cup, touching the very top of her breast. He hooked his fingers in the cup and pulled it down, filling his hand. He ran his thumb over her nipple and she moaned deep into his mouth.
He needed more.
He pulled his mouth back from hers and trailed his lips down her neck as he moved down her body. He pushed her shirt up her stomach, placing a kiss below her belly before he dipped his tongue inside her navel. Her hands were on his head, her nails racking his scalp.
He pushed her shirt farther up and stopped when it was up past her ribs. There on her left side was a tattoo of a sunflower.
“So that’s where the other one is,” he said, looking up at her.
“You found it.” She smiled.
“Hmm, I sure did,” he said before he bowed his head and traced the petals with his tongue. She was writhing beneath him, her legs coming up and wrapping around his back.
“Did you draw this?”
“Yes,” she said, more than somewhat breathless.
“So beautiful,” he said, kissing the center of the tattoo.
“Thank you, I—I really like how it turned out.”
“I meant you,” he said, moving up her body and pushing her shirt above her breasts. “All of you, Paige,” he said above her mouth.
She looked at him, breathing hard as she ran her hands up his shoulders. “You haven’t seen all of me yet,” she said, nipping at his mouth.
“Is that an invitation?” he asked as he ran his hand around to her back.
“Not quite. But the clasp is in the front,” she said before she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth.
Well, that was clearly an invitation. He brought both of his hands to the spot right between her breasts and opened her bra. The cups parted and he pulled his mouth from hers, moving back down her body.
Paige had perfect breasts. Absolutely perfect. And he had to taste them.
He closed his mouth over one of her nipples, sucking it deep into his mouth. The other breast he covered with his hand. Paige gasped and her legs tightened around him, her hips picking up rhythm.
“Brendan,” she said, moaning his name, long and loud.
God, she was killing him. He wanted desperately to crawl back up her body, pull her shorts and panties off, and bury himself inside of her. His body craved hers like nothing he’d ever experienced before. It was insane.
But she wasn’t ready for that step; at least she hadn’t informed him of any changes in her readiness. And he’d promised himself he wasn’t going to push, that he would be a patient man.
But damn, patience was going to kill him.
Brendan groaned and pulled back from her. He buried his face in her neck and tried desperately to find his bearings.
“Brendan?” Paige asked, running her hands up his back. “What’s wrong?”
What was wrong was that he wanted her so much it was physically painful. He’d taken more cold showers in the last two months than he’d ever taken in his life. Really, he didn’t even remember what hot water felt like anymore. The thing was, the cold showers were barely putting a dent into calming his need for her. It was all-consuming, all the time.
He pulled up and looked at her worried face. “Nothing’s wrong.” He smiled as he brushed her hair back. “Just needed a second,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers.
“A second for what?”
“To realize you aren’t a dream,” he said before he covered her mouth with his.
* * *
One night while snuggling on Brendan’s couch and watching TV, Abby called and demanded that Paige put Brendan on the phone.
“What are you going to say to him?” Paige asked, more than a little anxious.
“Just put him on the phone,” Abby practically screamed.
“Abby wants to talk to you,” Paige said, handing her phone over to Brendan.
“Hello,” he said with his calm, lazy drawl. He laughed and his eyes lit up as he looked at Paige. “I can promise you that will never happen,” he said as he reached out and started tracing a pattern of freckles on her knee. “Yes, I understand.” He nodded. “Yes,” he repeated a few more times. “It was nice talking to you too, Abby,” he said before he handed the phone back to Paige.
“What was that about?” Paige asked.
“I just had to tell him that if he ever hurt you, I would fly down there and he’d be walking funny for the rest of his life.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Paige said and laughed.
“I like him. He sounds sexy as hell.”
“Oh, believe me, he is,” Paige said as Brendan’s hand trailed up the inside of her thigh. He stopped moving up when his fingers brushed just underneath the hem of her shorts. She looked at him but he just gave her that mischievous look that he got, his fingers still moving in slow, torturous circles.
“So,” Brendan said when Paige hung up with Abby. “I’m your hot mechanic?” He smiled.
“Abby came up with that nickname.”
“I like it,” he said as he brushed his mouth along the nape of her neck. His stubble rasped against her skin giving her goose bumps.
“You like being known as the hot mechanic?” she asked as he moved up to nibble on her ear.
“No,” he whispered. “I like being known as
yours
.”
* * *
The second weekend in October, Jax and Shep dragged Brendan out to go deer hunting in north Georgia. They were leaving Friday afternoon and weren’t coming back until late Sunday night. Wherever they were going, there was no cell phone reception. Paige wasn’t used to not seeing Brendan every day let alone not talking to him. She wasn’t prepared for how much she missed him and by Sunday afternoon she was going stir-crazy.
“You okay?” Denise asked as they made dinner.
“I’m fine. Why?” Paige asked as she dropped a potato into the sink.
“Oh, no reason,” Denise said. “I’m just concerned that you might cut your finger off before the night’s over. I’ve never seen you this fidgety.”
“I’m not fidgety,” Paige said as she dropped yet another potato. “These are just slippery after you peel them.”
“Right,” Denise said skeptically. “
That’s
what’s wrong. It has nothing to do with not seeing your nice young man all weekend.”
“Maybe it has a little to do with that,” Paige conceded. “It’s just that it’s only been three days, and I feel a little pathetic that I miss him so much.”
“He makes you happy. You’re allowed to miss him.”
“I know but it’s just a little bit scary.”
“What’s scary?” Trevor asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“Brendan,” Paige said as she grabbed another potato.
Trevor stopped and looked at her from the other side of the counter. “Care to elaborate? Because that doesn’t inspire much confidence in the boy.”
“I’ve never fallen this hard this fast before. He’s…he’s more than I imagined a man could be.”
“And that’s scary?” Denise asked.
“It’s terrifying,” Paige said.
“Why?” Trevor asked.
“Because what if I’m wrong. I thought that Dylan was this great guy. And I was so wrong about him. And I feel more for Brendan after two and a half months than I did for Dylan after a year. I don’t think I could handle being wrong again. Not with him.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong about him,” Trevor said, rounding the counter. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side. “Putting yourself out there is always a scary thing and there’s always that fear that someone is going to hurt you. But if you deny yourself the possibility, you’re hurting only yourself. Brendan cares about you, Little Miss,” he said, kissing her temple. “He’s a good guy.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Paige whispered, turning her face up and placing a kiss on her father’s jaw.
“I only want you to be happy. And you’ve definitely been that since he’s been around.”
There was no denying it; Paige was happy. And even though Brendan had been the catalyst behind that change, it definitely had more to do than just with him. She had friends in Grace, Tara, Lula Mae, Pinky, Panky, Jax, Shep, Mel, and Harper. All of them were amazing and she enjoyed being with them. And despite all of the drama with Missy and Verna at work, she really liked her job.
There was no denying that it was incredibly sad working at a funeral home, to have to talk to the families who’d had a loved one move on. But there was some comfort that Paige got to tell their stories through pictures, through art. She created timelines of their lives, watching them grow up, fall in love, and just live. It was tragic and beautiful at the same time. More often than not, she found herself tearing up whenever a family got emotional while they watched the tributes.