Fireworks 1 and 2

Chapter Seventy-Three

    After a night of rest, Bri was nearly back to one hundred percent good health. The following morning, she bounded into Mia's room and jumped into bed with her. "I want to go somewhere today. I want to do something. I need to get out of my funk."

    You and me both, Mia thought, raising up on her elbows and looking around the room with sleepy eyes. "Okay, umm...we can check out Los Angeles. Do a little shopping. Sightseeing."

    Bri clutched her chest. "I'm going to finally get to walk down Rodeo Drive." She jumped off the bed and looked down at her sweatpants and tank top in disdain. "I'm going to shower and get changed. Then we're ordering breakfast."

    "This room is on Aubrey's tab," Mia said, sitting up and scratching her head. "I don't want to run up his tab."

    "What the hell do you mean?" Bri demanded. "All the more reason to run up the tab. The boy lives in a house that looks like Disneyland. He can afford some pancakes and eggs for two people, trust me. I'm ordering breakfast when I get out of the shower."

    Mia shook her head and laughed. "Fine."

    Bri padded out of the room and several minutes later, running shower water could be heard.

    Mia looked down at the empty spot next to her and tried not to remember how good it had felt to wake up next to Drake every morning. That was the funny thing about deliberately trying not to think about someone, though. The minute you tried to avoid thinking about them, you were thinking about them. And that usually led to more thinking about them. Once she tried to force her mind not to think about him, her brain jumped right to wondering what he was doing at this very minute. Had he woken up missing her, the way she'd woken up missing him? Did he already have other women invited over to his house?

    While Bri was in the shower, Mia got out of bed and rummaged through her luggage. While she had outfits that were flashy and over the top, she chose casual pieces of clothing. Most likely, she and Bri would do a lot of walking. She didn't want to suffer for the sake of fashion, just so she could walk the streets of Los Angeles. She chose jeans, cute pink tank top, and wedge sandals.

    Bri finished with her shower and as advertised, called and ordered breakfast immediately.

    Mia removed her body wash, shampoo, and conditioner from her suitcase and went into the bathroom. She kicked the door closed with her foot, set the hygiene products on the sink, and checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She'd straightened her hair the day before. Straight hair was easier for her to manage. When you were pissed off at your boyfriend, the last thing you wanted to worry about was styling your hair.

    She stripped down while looking at her reflection in the mirror. She folded her clothes and set the folded pile on top of the sink counter. Then she took the bottles of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, and set them on the ledge inside of the tall shower stall with beautiful, etched glass doors. After grabbing a fresh washcloth from the towel rack, she stepped inside of the shower, closed the shower stall door, and turned on the shower water. She turned the water on low, waiting for the water to heat up. Once the water was the perfect temperature, she turned the showerhead on full blast.

    Memories are a tricky thing. You can try to keep them at bay. You can try your little heart out. And sometimes, it works. But sometimes, there are elements out there in the world that can trigger a memory, no matter how hard you are trying to keep it out of your head. Elements such as the sensation of water droplets hitting Mia's skin, reminding her of the times she'd showered with Drake. The feel of the washcloth moving across her skin sparked the memory of him washing her body off after he'd ravished it. Even washing her hair summoned the memory of how he'd tangled his hands in her hair while they'd made love in the shower.

    She pressed her back against the shower wall after washing her hair, breathing heavily. She licked her lips, poured more body wash onto her washcloth, and ran the washcloth over her breasts. Images flashed behind her eyes, images of Drake cupping her breasts and squeezing them while kissing her. She bit her bottom lip and moaned. She continued to rub the body wash into her skin, generating a plethora of soapy bubbles, large and small. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, moving the towel down her stomach.

    She pictured Drake naked as she slid the washcloth between her thighs. She locked her thighs tightly around the washcloth and turned her head to the side. Wet hair clung to her face as she arched her body towards the falling water droplets.

    The memory of making love with Drake in the shower was too vivid. She could almost feel him. When she opened her eyes, she was back at his house in his technological wonder of a shower, with him standing in front of her. Tall, with perfectly creamy skin, dark beautiful eyes, corded muscles running down the length of him, and as far as the length of him... She bit her bottom lip so hard, she came close to drawing blood.

    The specific day she was remembering, approximately a week before she'd gone to visit Bri, he'd pushed her against the shower wall. He'd bent his head down, kissed her, while his large hands traveled along the curves of her body. He'd pressed himself against her, and had groaned against her lips. She'd slid her hands down the sides of his torso while sucking on his tongue. He'd gotten so turned on that he'd whirled her around so she was facing the shower wall. That was how he'd taken her. While standing behind her, one hand guiding himself in and the other hand on her hip, then moving forward, tracing an invisible line down her pelvis. That hand had moved between her thighs and teased all kinds of sounds from her that she didn't even know she was capable of making.

    Now she lifted her hand, slid an index finger into her mouth, and slowly turned around. She could feel the hot shower water hitting her back once she was facing the shower stall wall. She still had the washcloth locked tight between her thighs. But now, she lifted the towel and set it on the shower ledge. She braced one hand on the shower stall wall and dipped the other hand between her thighs. Remembering, picturing, experiencing all over again how it had felt to be with him in the shower. A moan escaped her lips, even though she tried to hold it back. That didn't stop her. She continued to touch herself while thinking about him. When she pushed two of her fingers inside, index and middle, more moans came. And shortly after that, so did she.

                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    When Mia exited the bathroom, Bri was standing right outside of the door with her hands on her hips. Bri unabashedly peered inside of the bathroom.

    Mia laughed. "What are you looking for?"

    "Not what. Who. I'm looking for Drake," Bri said, continuing to scope out the bathroom. "With the noise you were making in there, I was sure you'd snuck him in here at some point."

    Mia's cheeks flamed up.

    Bri shook her head. "That was all you, huh? Damn, girl. People in China could hear you."

    Mia rolled her eyes and pushed past Bri. "I don't know what you're talking about," she called over her shoulder.

    "Mmmmhm," Bri said, watching her friend walk down the hall. She called after her friend, "Let's just say I'm glad I used the shower before you!"