Chapter 5

43.8K 987 103
                                    

James's Point of View

She wants my help. Of course I'm concerned but I'm also almost giddy.
Carefully stepping around the milk puddle, I get to her. I'm hesitant to invade her personal space but she looks so needy. Her eyes are shiny and her lip is trembling. So I forget everything I learned about women from Cynthia. I curl my hands up under her arms. She's warm and soft and I can feel her rapid pulse. I start to lift.
"You can't do that! I'm too heavy. You'll hurt yourself!" She sounds frantic.
She doesn't really think I'm that weak, right? She's the sweetest little bundle. Maybe a bit plump but nothing I can't handle. I lift her easily to the other side of the spill.
She looks confused and then a little awestruck.
"I'm not too heavy for you?"
I chuckle.
"Not a bit. Now let's go take care of your hand"
I want to lift her up into my arms and carry her to the first aid kit, but it seems too forward. I don't want to rush and scare her away. Instead I point to the stairs and gently guide her to the front of me with a light touch on her low back, right above that little pink tutu.
I stare at the curve where her neck meets her shoulder then where her ponytail bobs on her mid back and think of pet names for her.
Kitten
I sneak a peak at her rounded thighs
Pumpkin
Her sun kissed upper arms
Freckles
We reach the top of the stairs and she looks at me with a question in her eyes, I go to open the bathroom door and she follows.
Angel

She goes soft when I hold her little wrist and put her hand under the cool tap. I lift her up and sit her down on the counter, her tutu brushing the mirror and trailing in the sink. She watches with big eyes as I fish out some numbing cream from the big red first aid kit.
"Is it gonna hurt bad?" Was that her little voice? I've never wanted anything more than for her to be a little, my little.
"It's a sensitive area but the cream should feel good" She relaxes into me immediately. I surreptitiously sniff her hair. Delicious.
I start gently smoothing the cream into her burned Palm and check her face for any signs of discomfort.
All I see is her eyes burning bright, and her lips parted. Her breath is quick in her chest. She's blushed an improbable shade of red.
She pops off the counter dancing from one foot to the other anxiously.
"Umm.. That uh, feels great, I mean better James, uh thank you I should go you know things to do people to see so um yeah you know see you around I guess hope you like the cookies they're yours sorry about the uh sprinkles and uh.... Bye!"
And she's gone. That little one moves fast when she's nervous. I go to the window to watch her little butt in that little tutu as speed walks home. I'm entranced by the sway of her hips. The way she leaned into me, trusted me, was intoxicating. I just wish she would have let me put a band aid on the burn. I look at the bandaid I picked out for her. There's a kitten with a pink tulip in its mouth on it. It would have matched her tutu.
I remember the day I picked it out. Cynthia and I were about to go on a kayaking trip. We went to the drug store and fanned out to find first aid supplies. I was tasked with finding band aids. I picked out the normal. Waterproof, small patches for nicks and bug bites, large for  wounds, when the Garden Kittens pack caught my attention. Every band aid had a scene of playing kittens and pastel flowers. It was significantly more expensive, in a size I had already gotten in a serviceable white, but I was captivated by them.
I imagined when I would use them. My imaginary little wiggling in my lap, sobbing onto my shirt. I imagined she would smell sweet as I petted her head. I would kiss it better and she would smile at me. I'd press on the bandaid and she would love the playful kittens.  Maybe she would give me a big kiss. I couldn't even imagine Cynthia's face in that scene. I took the band aids.
I told Cynthia they were the only design available in that size when we checked out. She chuckled and threatened to make me wear one. 
After we were done shopping she said she had to go the bathroom, and headed back into the store. I knew she was checking to see if there were any other band aids in that size. Of course there were. We fought on the way home about my "inattention to detail". I told her I was just tired.

I bet Charlotte will love the Garden Kittens.

Daddy's Perfect MatchWhere stories live. Discover now