Aftermath

21

"Come home with me for a few days." Matthew had spoken these words at random in the car on the way to the grocery store. "Before you say anything, I'm not asking you to move in with me, I'm just asking you to spend the holidays with me. We will even be back before Christmas day." His hand was on her thigh, her hands were clasped in her lap. Cal took care to mull it over and consider her response carefully before she spoke.

"I need to figure some things out first." Matthew glanced at her quickly with a smile and took his hand off her thigh to hold hers.

"I will gladly accept that answer".

The store was crowded with people when they entered. Calpurnia kept a hand on Matthew at all times, as they weaved through the people, ticking items off their lists. They only needed a few things themselves; butter, eggs, toothpaste, a couple of other toiletry items, and beers for the Christmas party they were going to that evening.

She'd been hesitant about the party at first, considering the last group gathering had gone up in smoke, her fault. But, they were going to meet Oliver and Holden at their apartment and have some drinks with just the four of them before going out and meeting up with everyone else at the first bar. Overall she'd decided that it was an informal enough location that things would be okay.

When they got home, Matthew took off to the shower before Cal could get there yelling "Loser has to wash dishes next". She chuckled at him from the bedroom where they both stood moments ago. Then, an idea struck her. Slowly she tiptoed to the bathroom and eased open the door, then as quietly as she could, Calpurnia slipped out of her clothes and crept toward the shower curtain. In one swift motion, she ripped the shower curtain open successfully startling Matthew and giving her a good laugh. Once she calmed her giggling down, she accepted Matthew's hand and stepped in with him.

"Just couldn't stand to be away from me, huh?" He teased her, massaging shampoo into his dark locks. She admired him as he did so, the flex of his muscles as he distributed the soap, the way the veins in his arms bulged. The trail of sudsy water gliding down from his neck, over his shoulder, down his chest, and onto his abdomen. Hesitantly, she looked away and began to rub soap on herself, willing her eyes to stay off him. After a moment he reached out his hands and pulled her closer to him, guiding her hands up to his hair. He tilted his head back into the water and she rinsed out his shampoo.

"Your turn" he whispered, switching places so she could wet her hair. He squeezed her shampoo into his hand and when she was done wetting her hair, he massaged the soap in and then rinsed, taking care to move his fingers gently through her brown waves. Cal turned to let the water run over her face and body, rinsing off the last of the soap. Matthew stepped forward until her back was flush with his chest. He wrapped an arm around her torso then bent down and placed a kiss on her wet cheek and then one under the ear.

"Are you flirting with me?" Cal asked with a smile in her tone. Matthew laughed and rested his cheek on top of her head.

"So what if I am?" He said and brought a hand up to rest around the base of her throat gently. She turned her head so she could angle it and look up at him and he tightened his hold slightly as he brought his mouth to hers. She laughed lightly against his mouth but returned the kiss.

Cal reached around behind her and Matthew to give his buttcheek a quick pinch. Matthew jerked back in surprise.

"I'd tell you, you're just as filthy as those dishes you'll be washing," Calpurnia offered him a wink before getting out.

"You're a tease!" she heard Matthew exclaim, turning off the water and then a grumble when he stepped out, only to realize she'd run off with his towel.

...

As always, it was a pleasure spending time with Oliver and Holden. They nursed a beer as they played cards together. Matthew sat across from her at the dining table, her feet resting on his lap beneath the wooden surface. Holden sat next to her, with Oliver next to Matthew.