Celebratory Drinks & Fleeting Embraces

CD&FE Part 3.1

Her POV

"Be safe," he said, his mouth hovering just over mine but not crossing the microspace that would land those lips to me in the way I so very wanted him to.

"Yeah," I answered, unable to hide the hitch in my chest. "Don't do anything stupid, please."

I heard them calling his name from the doors. Time was up. He dropped his chin and began to retreat. A knot the size of the state seemed to appear in my chest as he took a look over his shoulder to yell back he'd be right there. I watched as his chest expanded. He was struggling the same as I was. I worried bites into my bottom lip as he brought his hand to my face, the pad of his thumb crossing my lip to get me to stop.

"I will see this beautiful face again," he said, all of his heat radiating out to blast across my frame and envelop me in all of him.

I watched him smile down a hard swallow before he turned away and disappeared into the world beyond...

~20 Months Later~

I had been sitting in meetings all day and my legs ached with every minute. I was no longer a team leader, having been promoted to management and editing designer. I oversaw several teams. I was good at my job. I had built a reputation that was solid and had a talent that was sought out by established clients as well as new faces to our company. Yes - our. I had shares in this place now, and having actual stakes in the game was driving me towards goals I never thought I would ever entertain as possible.

I would be lying if I said I didn't date. I would be a bold faced liar if I said I didn't date often. I was by no means sleeping with all of them, but it was like I had an appetite that Jake had left me with that could not be quelled. At first, he sent random assed texts of greetings. Almost like he didn't know what else to say. But what was worse was the silence that followed. Perhaps I was trying to fill that void. I met a lot of nice people. I had sex with a wide variety of those people. None of them, however, were him. At the end of it all, my skin did not call out to any of them. My words may have thanked them kindly, but my thoughts were always away.

I was listening to pending fiscal needs as my eyes drifted closed. I could still hear his sounds. I could still feel the way he moved within me, sans condom. I could still fucking smell him at times. What a way to live. To have Jake Kiszka haunting your ass at all times of the day and night.

It was a rainy day in April. The wind would whip against the tall windows sending everyone in the little conference room a jolt of surprise. I felt a notification vibrate in my phone and I thanked whatever god there was to excuse myself to handle whatever the situation could be on the other end. Secretly, I was hoping it would be bad enough to keep me out of the rest of the meetings of the day. I trailed into my office before I unlocked my phone, sliding behind my desk and bringing my screen to life before actually looking at the text.

Jake.

.

I sat back in my chair with a heavy sigh.

.

Jake: If I were to fly into the city in a few days, would you be there?

.

Really? My eyes roll to the back of my head. This man's timing was... God damnit.

.

I returned to my meetings like a big girl and prayed that the rest of the day would go quickly. Finally - we wrapped closer to six pm than I would've liked, but I was my kind, professional self, putting away all my shit and double checking my schedule for the next day before grabbing my light trench and bag and waved as I strolled out the door. I met Patty and his professor friends for drinks and a light supper. It felt good to just fade into the background, letting Patty carry the conversation and just soak up his presence. After my last run in with Jake, he had listened to me lament. He had listened to me attempt to explain what was between me and that man. He just teased me, but let me lean on him despite not truly understanding what the hell was wrong with his dearest friend.