I've Found You

Chapter 10

Jai pulled his body from on top of mine and gazed down at me, a confused expression highlighting his now flushed features. His breath was still coming in short little pants. A slight worried crease formed between his eyebrows as he cocked his head to the side, waiting for me to explain my sudden halt in libido. I drew in a deep breath and steadied myself before speaking.

“Please don’t take any of what I’m about to say the wrong way, okay? I really, really am starting to like you, Jai. You’re such an amazing, fun person to be around, and I’m so happy we met the other day, I really am. But we haven’t known each other for very long, and sleeping with someone right away like this just isn’t my style. I don’t want this to turn into one of those scenarios where we fuck, and forget about one another after the sun comes up. I want a chance to get to know you better, and I don’t want you to think I’m some sleazy whore.”

“Val, I think I would have figured out by now if you were a sleazy whore. You’re not, and anything that happens tonight won’t change the way I see you.”

“You say that now, but if you really think about it, neither of us knows the other that well. You don’t know how many people I’ve slept with, and I don’t know the same about you. All I’m saying is that I don’t want our relationship to be purely based on physical sexuality, I want a chance to understand you as a person, you know, I want to learn what makes you tick.”

He considered this for a moment before speaking.

“I think you have a point. Although I can promise you I’m not the type of guy who would just walk out of your life in the morning. That’s not who I am.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but I still think we should wait and get to know each other a bit more.”

“I guess you’re right. You’re a really insightful person, Val, did you know that?”

“Yeah, I’ve kind of always been this way. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t fully click with anyone back home.”

He nodded in understanding. “Hey, just out of curiosity, how many people have you slept with?”

“Um, just two. One of them was an ex-boyfriend, and the other was…a drunken mistake, I suppose. What about you?”

“I’m at five. Two of them were ex-girlfriends, and the other three were just girls I fucked in a lame attempt to get over my exes. I’m not exactly proud of that last part.”

“I understand that, everyone has different coping methods. Yours were just more irrational than most.”

“That’s a good way to put it,” he said, smiling. I felt the mood in the room instantly lighten at the upturn of his lips. I was relieved to have gotten my feelings off my chest, and unbelievably thankful that Jai had taken it so well.

“But anyways,” he continued. “If we’re not going to…um…”

“Fuck?” I suggested, laughing.

“Yeah, that. If we’re not going to fuck, what do you want to do instead? I could go home, if you’d like. It’s kind of late.”

“No, I want you to stay the night. We could watch a movie, I have Netflix!”

“A movie sounds good. Can we get some snacks, too? I have the drunchies.”

“Drunchies? What the heck are those?”

“They’re drunken munchies, silly.”

“I’ll never catch up with Australian slang, it makes no sense. I’m in the mood to bake cookies, though. How’s that sound?”

“I’m absolutely shit at baking, how about I leave that up to you while I choose the movie?”

Laughing, I agreed with him and pulled him up off the bed with me. I grabbed his shirt from where it had landed on the floor and threw it over my head. He was substantially larger than me, and so it fell to about midway down my thighs. With me in his shirt, Jai was forced to remain topless, giving me a fantastically clear view of his toned back muscles as he led me down the stairs. He seated himself on the couch and flicked on the television.

I was serious about baking cookies, though. I headed into the kitchen and opened the pantry, pulling down all of the ingredients I would need for a batch of my Grandma’s famous sugar cookie recipe. I grabbed the mixer and a baking pan from where they were stored beside the oven.

Twenty minutes later and the cookies were set in the oven, ever so slowly cooking to the perfect golden brown colour I intended them to be. I walked back out into the living room to join Jai in his search for a movie while I waited. I sat down on the couch beside him and he threw his arm around my shoulders, rubbing tiny circles on my arm with his thumb. He turned to face me and grabbed my chin, lowering his head down to mine for what I assumed was going to be a kiss. I tilted my head to meet his; however his lips didn’t land on my mouth, as I had expected. He licked my cheek, instead.

Laughing, I asked him, “What was that for?”

“You had some cookie dough on your cheek, I thought I’d get it off for you! It tastes good, by the way. I’m looking forward to the actual cookies.”

“I’m glad you liked it. So have you decided what we’re watching?”

“Well, I was going to put on some chick flick but to be totally honest you don’t strike me as a soppy love movie kind of girl…so I was thinking we could watch Stepbrothers instead. You know, the one with Will Ferrell and John Reilly? It’s my all-time favourite.”

“I’ve never seen it before but if it’s really your favourite then it’s bound to be good!”

Just then, the oven timer went off, causing me to spring from the couch and run into the kitchen. I winced slightly as the cold tiles of the kitchen floor chilled my freshly warmed feet. I inhaled the enticing scent of the freshly baked cookies as I pulled them from the oven, and then removed them individually and put them on a plate, which I carried back out into the living room. Jai pressed play on the television remote, starting the movie, as I curled up next to him. I grabbed the red blanket from the back of the couch where it hung and threw it over top of us.

I really was quite tired, by this point, and so the next thing I knew I was slowly dozing off against the warmth of Jai’s chest. He must have noticed my breathing slow down and my eyes close because he gave me a soft but lengthy kiss on the temple.

“Good night, baby.” He whispered in my ear, speaking no louder than a breath; his words almost inaudible. I think I fell asleep smiling.