BWWM | Oneshots & Short Stories

Tennessee Whiskey - III

Kylie lived in a modest duplex townhome not too far from the bar. With it being just her, her cat named Cosmo and her goldfish, Wanda, there was more than enough space for them.

While she busied herself putting away groceries, Joe joined her in the kitchen to get her flowers in some water.

"Honestly, I've never gotten flowers before so thank you." Kylie turned from the refrigerator with a container. Inside was two pieces of steak she had taken to thaw out while she was out running errands. She sat the glass container on the counter and finished putting away the groceries. Once she was done she joined Joe at the sink and they both washed their hands to prepare dinner.

"Anytime." Joe wasn't surprised at how relaxed he felt around her. Her calming aura was what had drawn him to her in the first place.

The silence between them was comfortable. She couldn't help letting her eyes wander as she watched him at the stovetop. Never would she had ever thought watching a man prepare a steak would turn her on. Still, she continued chopping her red potatoes in silence, while occasionally trying to remind herself not to stare.

While he let the steaks marinate, Joe reached above his head and grabbed two wine glasses from the glass cabinet.

"Guess it's my turn to pour you a drink?" Joe asked as he looked through her nine-bottle collection of wine stored in the wine holder above her refrigerator.

Kylie didn't answer. Instead she watched as he twisted the wine opener through the cork with ease. Once he got the bottle open he went back to the steak and by now, Kylie had her elbow resting on the island top with her chin in her hand.

"If those potatoes are going to be done any time soon you have to get them over here first." Joe turned around to look at Kylie who was obviously in a trance. He laughed and gave her a charming smile, "I'm flattered."

Kylie rolled her eyes, "oh shut up Joe." She gathered the cut red potatoes in her hands and dumped them in the bowl near her.

Once at the stove, she grabbed a small pot and filled it with water. She needed to blanch the potatoes before she could get them in the oven.

It was silent between them again but Kylie like it. It seemed to add another layer to the tension between them.

While she waited for her water to come to a boil, she turned and rested her back up against the countertop.

Joe moved across the way to wash his hands, then he finally poured her a glass of wine.

Stepping right in front of her, he handed her the glass, then touched his to hers in a toast. They both watched each other over the rim of the glasses as they took a sip together.

Without even breaking eye contact, Kylie blindly placed the glass onto the counter to her side and Joe did the same. She then gingerly grabbed his face and pulled him down to her lips in a kiss.

It was a kiss that said more than they had since he'd arrived.

Joe wasn't sure if it was the wine or the fact that he hadn't kissed a woman in months but Kylie had a way of stirring up something inside of him and he was going to let it swallow him whole.

After a long moment, Kylie stepped away from him. She could hear the water was at a rolling boil and if she didn't step away from him to get the potatoes on now, then they probably wouldn't eat.

"Now that that's out of the way," she gently bit her bottom lip and turned to grab the bowl from the kitchen island. Kylie carefully dropped the potatoes into the pot and while she did that, Joe stood next to her with the steaks.

He let out a laugh, "you are full of surprises."

"How so?"

"I don't know..." he shrugged and added butter to his hot pan. He was going to get a nice brown edge on them and then finish them in the oven briefly before letting them rest. "I just wasn't expecting that from you tonight."

"I mean when a man brings you flowers, I think a kiss has been earned."

"Oh so you kiss all the guys that bring you flowers then?"

Kylie rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Not all the guys, just the special ones. Besides, I told you no one is knocking down my door to bring me flowers anyway." She spoke with her head inside the cabinet next to the oven. She was looking for her strainer.

"I can't be the first guy to hit on you at the bar. I find that hard to believe."

"No you're not." Kylie confirmed while she moved about the kitchen. Joe was at the stove, tending to the meat while Kylie prepared everything else. "But you are the first gentleman to hit on me, so..."

While the food finished in the oven, they continued their conversation. They kept it light, full of laughs and jokes all through their meal, and afterwards Kylie asked if he would play a game of Uno with her, of course he obliged her. She could ask him for anything with that beautiful smile on her face and he would never say no.

So now, they were sitting in the middle of her living room floor with a few of the couch pillows to keep them comfortable. Kylie had her last two cards in her hand, waiting for Joe's turn. Joe shuffled through seven cards. He couldn't let her win, not this round. They had decided on best out of three and if she won, it was game over.

"What's my prize?" Kylie asked once she won.

"I'm the prize." Joe answered and Kylie laughed.

"I won a loser?" Kylie asked with a row raised, looking right at him.

"Ouch!" Joeseph placed his hand on his chest. "Woman, I'm far from a loser."

"You just lost twice in a row and I'm not going to let you forget it, no matter how cute you are, cowboy."

"Then if I'm a loser, no prize for you."

Kylie gathered up the cards and placed them back inside of their box, then she stood and went over to her kitchen with a yawn.

Joe checked the time on his watch. It was nearing eleven pm. He wasn't sure how time got away from him so quickly. Now he was worried that he'd overstayed his welcome.

"I'm sorry I kept you up. I'm gonna go, let you get to bed." Joe joined her in the kitchen with their empty wine glasses. They had killed a whole bottle of Riesling together and honestly, he had never felt more at ease and relaxed around a woman since his wife passed.

"I'm not tired, I wanted to watch a movie." Kylie tossed the cards in a drawer and took the glasses from him. "I mean unless it's too late?"

"No, no..." Joe answered. A movie was perfectly fine with him. "A movie is perfect."

They got settled in the living room amongst the pillows with a blanket big enough for the both of them. Kylie gave him the remote to find a movie for them while she changed out of her day clothes into something more comfortable.

When she came back, Joe was in a white t-shirt. He had laid his button down across the arm of the unoccupied sofa and set his hat on top of it.

They got comfortable on the floor again amongst the pillows and Joe pushed play on one of his favorite comedies.

After a while, about forty minutes into the movie, he could hear Kylie's light snoring next to him. Joe smiled and turned the tv off and tried to maneuver from under her weight but he couldn't. Not without waking her anyway.

"Mmm," Kylie wrapped her arm around him tighter when she felt him move in her sleep. "Don't go," she snuggled closer. Joe slid down from his sitting position and joined her on the pillow.

Kylie could feel his eyes on her so when she opened them, she wasn't surprised to see him face to face. "Don't be creepy Joe. I thought we moved past that."

"You're just beautiful, that's all. Even in your sleep."

Kylie let out a gentle laugh. She was beyond sleepy and couldn't imagine moving from under his warmth. "Thank you." She placed a soft kiss on his lips and went back to her dream.