Motivation of Memories: The Second Book of the Labors of Love Series

Rude Awakening

Genevieve's POV

I wake up early as my body shoots up from the bed. My heart pounds out of my chest as I fight to catch my breath. My body trembles as I try to stabilize myself and fail miserable. I look to my right and see Prince lying next to me still sleeping. I want to wake him but I'm not sure if I can move. As if he can read my mind, he looks over at me just as a tear stream down my face. He sits up, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me back into the bed. Nuzzled into his chest, I take in his scent and try to breathe.

"Breathe, baby. It's alright." His hand slides under my t-shirt, rubbing my bare back. My body shakes as I take deep breaths.

Damn these dreams. I thought we were done with this.

My body settles as he squeezes me, holding me tight. I sniffle and allow my head to peak out from his pajama shirt.

"Better?" I nod.

"Can you talk?"

"Yea." I practically whisper.

"What happened?"

"Bad dream. I was standing on stage, performing. The crowd is cheering, the lights are bright, I'm having my moment and then I just... fall."

"Like off the stage?"

"No like a hole opens up in the floor right where I'm standing. Then, I fall for an eternity." He's quiet for a moment as he scans my face, trying to decide what to do or say.

"Need a hug?"

"No."

"Need something cold?"

"No." I sigh.

"Wanna take a shower?"

"What can I do to help?"

"Set it up for me?"

"Okay, baby." He sits up preparing to leave.

"Will you sit with me while I shower?" I ask desperately grabbing his arm before he's too far away.

"Of course." Holding my hand he leads me out of his room and across the hall into my bathroom. "You sit here. I'll set it all up." I sit on the toilet not wanting to argue and watch as he prepares my shower. First, he adjusts the curtains and turns on the water. Then, he goes under my sink and pulls out two matching bottles. I note the purple paint on the outside of the bottles. Out of the ten or so scent combinations he picked lavender vanilla. The scent I most associate with calmness. One bottle gets set in the shower, the other goes out on my vanity. He pulls out my favorite candle and sets it on the sink before striking a match and lighting it. Black raspberry vanilla swirls in the air releasing some of the tension I feel.

"Can you grab my shaving cream and a new razor too?" He pulls them out from under the sink and places them in the shower too.

"Do you shave everyday?" He asks leaning against the door frame while I put on my shower cap.

"Not everyday. Probably every three days."

"But why?"

"As a dancer, you are expected to look neat and tidy in your costumes. So, I always shave to look proper in my leotards and things. I also just don't like having hair on my arms."

"Wait what does shaving have to with your leotard?"

"My hair is so dark that it shows through my tights and anything sheer. Sometimes I don't even wear tights and then everyone can see what is and isn't between my legs."

"Wait you shave everything?"

"Everything."

"Really?"

"Top to bottom. Front to back."

"Back?!" I intentionally ignore that part not wanting to explain.

"You've never noticed that when I step out of the shower most days I'm completely hairless?"

"I guess I'm not paying that close attention."

"Take a good look." I remove my long shirt and my underwear and hold out my arms to the side. He walks up and looks at my arms, his hands rub across them and I can feel him grazing my stubble. He looks at me with a disbelieving squint. His eyes flicker down and back up and now giving him my approval to look and feel the rest and he does. His finger hovers over my skin before dragging across it from inner thigh to inner thigh.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Probably since I was 16. By then, I had learned all the instruments I wanted and dance became my focus again. I started taking classes at a fancy dance academy after school and my dance teacher and I had a talk about it."

"Were you in trouble?"

"No, Mrs. DeLuca was just looking out for me. I was dancing with older girls who had figured it all out already. I was shorter and younger and they didn't like me yet. I didn't need to be the hairy girl too. She just wanted me to be prepared." I kiss his cheek and step into the shower, adjust the temperature just a little.

"Well that's nice of her."

"She'll be there you know?"

"Who?"

"Mrs. DeLuca, her, my parents, some of my old dance friends, my pageant coach, they're playing coming to the show in Syracuse."

"How does that make you feel?"

"A lot of ways but mostly happy." I shower first, cleaning and scrubbing every inch of my body before I begin to shave. After years of experience, I've shortened the entire process down to about ten minutes. I move the shower head for the moment and apply my shaving cream. My father is the person who actually taught me to shave. My mother was on a work trip and he had to have the talk with my dance teacher. He didn't know what to buy so, he grabbed what he used when he shaved his face, a five blade razor and a can of Barbasol. That night we sat in the bathroom and he taught my the basics on my arms. He said if I had questions about other areas to talk to my mother when she got back but overall it should all be the same.

I still buy men's razors and barbasol to shave. They've come out with all kinds of things since then but it still works for me. I take my time in the places that are sensitive and I'm sure to rinse off any remaining shaving cream. I exfoliate gently and wash one more time before stepping out. I smile seeing Prince standing there with a towel. He wraps it around my body and I secure it around my chest.

"Feeling better, mama?"

"I do. Thank you." He sits on the bed while I apply my lotion at my vanity. I smile as the aroma fills the air and revel in the smoothness of my skin as I rub moisture back into it. "Can I have that hug now?" I ask shyly turning to face him once I'm done.

"Come here, Genny." I walk over to him and he stands. His arms wrap around my shoulders and I tuck my arms under his gripping his shoulders with my fingers. He inhales deeply rubbing my back. "I love holding you after you shower. You always smell so good and feel so soft." I smile softly into his chest as we sway gently.

"I like it too."