August Rain

     It is August.

     Humid.

     A boring rain. That all day type of rain.

     Restless while bobbing a string back and forth, Alexandra, Alex for short, exhales unenthusiastically while Cosmo, the fluffy ginger chipped ear feline, entertains himself with trying to catch it. Peeking at her fiancé from the other side of the bay window, she watches as he paces across their wrap around, consumed by his phone call and sheltered by the rain. Responsibilities consuming the better half of his days have recently become the norm. Fighting against the boredom, Alex reminds herself he is passionate about his work and his passion for helping those in need is one of the reasons she cannot wait to marry him.

     Jeremy smiles to himself as he catches Alex peeking through the large bay window once again. Always grateful for her support, he will be the first to admit he has struggled to find balance within these past few months. The demands of work more prominent than before, guilt intertwines with his responsibilities as he wishes he could be more attentive to his bride to be. Especially on a Saturday, of a long weekend, during a long overdue trip to their cottage.

     Restless still after reading a few pages of her book, Alex tosses her book to the side with a sigh as she rises from the couch. Her bare feet patter against the hardwood as she enters the kitchen; Cosmo by her side and turning up the radio as she passes by. Swinging the pantry doors open wide, she nibbles at the nail of her thumb as she scans the insides. The sound of the screen door closing is masked by the rhythm of Budapest flowing with the patter of the rain. Tossing, finally, his phone on the couch, Jeremy enters the kitchen with a smile; watching as Alex closes the cupboards with a twirl before opening the fridge. Wrapping his arms around her waste he hugs her from behind. Pushing hair away from her neck before embracing her comforting scent.

     "What are you looking for babe?"

     Alex replies with a sigh as she closes the fridge door, unsatisfied. Her restlessness is obvious, and his smile grows as she looks up at him with desperate eyes.

     "How about I make us a smoothie?"

     Her eyes light up in response.

     Stepping out of the way, Alex leans her back against the island as she watches her fiancé make them smoothies. Such a mundane task yet she finds herself paying attention to the little details. Unconsciously biting her lip the way she does when she is getting turned on. She focuses on the way his biceps move as he slices a banana. The way his white tee hugs his shoulders before flowing down his back. His brown hair curling around his neck; blending in with his stubble that is a few days away from needing a clean up. Jeremy is tall, healthy, attractive. The way he hums along joyfully to the song makes her blush. Alex feels like she is looking at a high school crush.
The never-ending rain, her restless mind, Jeremy's body swaying carelessly to the music sparks an urge of playfulness Alex hasn't felt in far too long. A build up of energy she has been itching to burn off, Alex backs out of the room with a smile; taking advantage of the noise of the blender as it covers her escape. Placing the used blender in the sink, Jeremy grabs the smoothie filled cups before turning around.

     "Alex?"

     The soft hum of the radio answers his call.

     "Alex!" he calls again.

     "Your smoothie is ready!"

     Nothing. Jeremy places the cups on the island before giving Cosmo a scratch on the head as the fluffy cat perches himself on the back of the couch.

     "Where's momma eh?"

     Cosmo responds by licking his paws. Venturing into the living room, Jeremy begins to pick up on Alex's playful energy.

     "Oh Alex!" he sings as he ventures around. He listens for a giggle, knowing his teasing will make her nervous. Entering a small hallway that leads to the back door, Jeremy spots her, out of the corner of his eye, as she hides within their coat closet. Pretending he has not seen so; he takes a quick peek out the window before heading back to the living room. Thinking she is slick, Alex pops out of the closet, ready to pounce on her fiancé when she is caught by surprise. A gasp, followed by a giggle, escapes her lips as Jeremy, without warning, spins around, intercepting her sneak attack by wrapping an arm around her waist, lifting her off the ground before spinning her around.

     "Got yeah you sneak," Jeremy says before setting her down and kissing her neck repeatedly. Purposely he rubs his stubble on her sensitive skin, turning her giggles childish as shivers climb up her spine.

     "Baby the neighbors!" she giggles nervously as she squirms out of his grip, stumbling into the wall behind her.

     "What?" Jeremy chuckles, not understanding.
Cautious of their open windows, Alex worries about her laugh. One thing she has always been self conscious about where's her laugh is one of the reasons Jeremy cannot wait to marry her. Realizing what Alex is nervous about, Jeremy's expression breaks into a mischievous smile as he takes a step towards her.

     "Oh baby, I haven't even got you laughing yet."

     At that Alex takes off running. Darting between the living room furniture and running around the island enough times to make anyone dizzy. Squealing as he closes in behind her, their cottage fills with hurried footsteps and laughter as the young couple chase each other around. In a failed attempt to lock herself in their on-suite bath, Jeremy tackles her onto the bed before instantly attacking her sides. Her pleads mix with her laughter as they slide off the bed together. Every worry, responsibility and stressor are defeated by her laugh as Jeremy digs his thumbs into her hips, smiling wildly at her childlike response. Her laugh brining him so much joy he wants nothing more than to hear it for forever.
Overcome with feelings of joy and hunger, Jeremy grabs her hands as they frantically try to pry his off her. His expression slowly changing, Alex's laughter slowly fades. Their eyes holding gaze as his hand cups her face.

     Not long after, Cosmo makes his ways up the stairs. Weaving his tail along the old wooden railing, he peeks into his human's room. A bed now unmade; the pillows are tempting although the mattress is occupied. Stepping over pieces of clothing scattered across the floor, Cosmo looks up at four pairs of feet has they mingle near the end of the bed. Rising along the mattress with one paw, he tries to sniff before deciding against jumping up. The tugging of the blanket and movement of the bed further persuading him to venture towards the dresser instead. There he perches, gazing out of the droplet covered window listening for birds.