“I have health insurance.” I licked down his chest as he fondled my br**sts. “I’ll go in on Monday.” I would have to look online to see what time the university health center opened. I cringed as I thought about having to tell the nurse why I was there. But I figured they should be happy I was having safe sex. This wasn’t my high school any more. I wasn’t going to get a lecture about abstinence.
“I wish you were on it now.” He whispered in my ear. “I want to take your right here and feel your pu**y walls close in on my c**k as I take you on a journey you've never even imagined.”
“So why don’t you?” I gasped, willing him to enter me.
“I don’t want to get you pregnant.” He chuckled and stared at me seriously. “I’m not really a guy that’s done relationships, and this is new to me. I don’t want to mess anything up.”
“You won’t.” I took his face in my hands and kissed him softly. “You won’t mess anything up.” I whispered against my lips and my heart fluttered as he carried me back to the bedroom and to his bed. I had been right as well, he hadn’t messed anything up. I had.
***
Fisherman’s Wharf is not full of fishermen. Or at least, it wasn’t when I arrived. I walked around for a little bit, glad that it wasn’t hot and humid. Hot and humid meant my perfectly coiffed hair would be a frizzy mess in minutes. Once it hit 8 a.m., I walked into the building that Marathon Corps’ company-wide orientation was going to be in and looked around for a welcome table. I saw it right away, and I gasped as I walked towards it. The table was decorated with white orchids and I couldn’t not think of the night I realized that I loved him. Every time I saw orchids, I thought of Brandon. Even Meg knew never to bring them into the apartment we shared. Every time I saw them, I cried. Even now, I felt teary eyed. I took a deep breath and continued towards the table. I couldn’t afford to get emotional now. Not now, not when my makeup looked so perfect. It didn’t matter that my heart was beating in my stomach and all my senses were in high alert. It didn’t matter that there were orchids there. It meant nothing, absolutely nothing.
Brandon and I saw each other every weekend for the first two months of our dating. He had asked to come over to my apartment several times, but seemed to accept the fact that I was too embarrassed to have him in my apartment. We saw each other some weeknights as well, but he seemed to like the fact that I didn’t ask to see him every day. I gave him his space. I didn’t call or text him every few hours, and I didn’t check up on him. He didn’t know that I didn’t have time to check on him. I was in classes or the library most days, and phones were banned from both. I had to study in the daytime because I knew I wouldn’t have any time in the weekends and rarely in the evenings. He just thought I was comfortable and secure in the relationship. I was too naïve to even think that there was anything to worry about. To me, he was just Brandon, a handsome man I was dating, but to the rest of New York, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the city.
“Can you come over tonight?” I glanced at the text as I walked to my next class. It was a Wednesday, and I had an English test the next day.
“I think so.” I text back quickly and happily.
“Can you take the day off of work tomorrow?”
“Don’t think so, you know Maggie.” I text back quickly. Maggie was my fictional boss. Meg and I had spent an entire night creating a fake company and job for me. Maggie was my bitch of a boss who hated me and made me work late a lot.
“I wish you would quit that job and come and work for me. ;) ;)” I laughed at his text.
“You know we wouldn’t get much work done.”
“I want you right now,” he texted back. “I want to bend you over my desk and take you right now.”
“Maybe one day.”
“Shit, I’m going to have to lock my door.”
“Uh oh, why?”
“I’m going to have to take care of business and I don’t want my secretary to walk in.”
“Wish I was there.”
“So do I. So can you come over tonight?”
“I’ll try to get out of work early.” I bit my lip as I typed that. I knew that I needed to study, but I really wanted to see him as well.
“Great. I’ll see you at 6. Don’t eat, we can get takeaway.”
“Okay, see you at 6.” I hurried into the class and looked down at my jeans and t-shirt and sighed. I’d have to go home, change into some more professional clothes, and then hurry to catch the train by 5. There would be no time for me to try and study for an hour before I left.
I arrived at Brandon’s place at about 6.30pm and he pulled me into his arms as soon as he opened the door.
“I missed you.” He kissed me and stared at my face.
“You saw me on Sunday.”
“That was too long ago.”
“Oh, Brandon.” I squeezed his hand and walked into the apartment.
“I want you to move in with me.” He grabbed me from behind and pulled me towards him again. “I want you to wake up next to me every morning.”
“I told you, I can’t. I have a lease.” I giggled as he kissed my neck.
“I’ll pay the lease off.” He groaned and then walked away and into the kitchen. “I have something for you.” He walked back towards me with an orchid plant.
“What’s this?”
“It’s an orchid plant.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and took it from him. “It’s beautiful.”
“Where would you like to put it?”
“Huh?”
“It’s your housewarming gift.”
“Housewarming?”
“This is your new home.”
“But...”
“But nothing.” He shook his head seriously. “I told you the night we made love that you’re mine now.”
“I,” I swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of his emotions reverberating off of his body.
“You’re the only woman I’ve ever asked to live with me.” He grabbed my hands. “I thought you’d be happy.”
“I am, it just seems so fast.”
“Is it my age?” He sighed and my heart quickened.
“What?” I stammered. Did he know?
“I know I’m 35 and you’re in your early twenties. I know there is more of the world you want to see and explore. I don’t want to be selfish, but you’re special. You’re someone I could spend the rest of my life with.”