Graduation
Restrained hands moving as a pair across his chest while she rode him, Jos threw her head back, hair dragging across his thighs as he pumped up and into her. Moving and plunging, every stroke buried him to the root, her pussy hot and tight around him. “Kevin,” she called, but her mouth didn’t move. He pumped up again, thrusting deep, grinding in until he groaned. “Kevin.” Her soft voice sliced through his sleep, carving his dream to shreds. “Time to get up.”
“Uh huh.” Grunting, he wordlessly agreed. Then, without opening his eyes, he reached out to snake his arms around her waist. He pulled her back down to the bed and flipped to his side, positioning her in front of him so he could spoon behind her, pinning her in place with his leg. “Better,” he muttered, nuzzling into her hair as he relaxed into the mattress with a sigh. “So much better. You were in my dream, Jos. But this is better.”
“Kev,” Jos said, laughter bright in her voice. “You need to get ready. This is it, your last day.”
That got his attention, and he pried his eyelids open, seeing the slant of the light streaming through the dormer windows of the room they shared. “It’s still really early,” he complained on a groan, burying his face against her again, blocking out the light and immersing himself in the sensation of her hair moving on him. Memories of his dream chasing through his thoughts. “I got tons of time.”
Finding her skin with his mouth, he dragged his teeth teasingly up her neck. “I can think of many things I’d rather do instead of getting ready for commencement. Did I mention you were starring in my dream?” Pressing his groin tight against her ass, he felt her soft curves accommodating him. “So many things,” he muttered, working lips and tongue to lay a trail of fluttering kisses along the top of her shoulder.
“Kev,” she scolded, still with the lightness of laughter, twisting in his arms. He lifted his leg, draping it across her thighs, his arm curving around her ribcage to tug her against him. She pushed at his chest, and he tightened his arm. “I’m serious,” she giggled.
“Me too,” he complained, “so serious. Was a good dream.” Using the new position to access her mouth, he kissed her softly before nibbling on her bottom lip. “I can think of at least three dozen things I’d rather be doing with you than getting ready early for something like this. All of those things, and here’s where you need to pay attention, Jos…”
He kissed her again. “All of which end in an orgasm for both of us. One, my favorite one, that would be you on top this morning, again ending in orgasm. Let’s expand our horizons. I’m told its a big day for me.” He sucked her earlobe, thinking, I have an oral fixation with her skin, and rubbed his lips across the column of her neck. His thumb stroked up alongside the edge of her nipple. Maybe it’s just a fixation with her.
“You’ve worked so hard for this,” she whispered, her voice hitching in the middle and he pulled back, surprised to see tears standing in her eyes.
“Jos, baby,” he said, leaning one arm into the mattress, looking down at her face. “What’s wrong?” Even as he asked the question, he knew what it was, and her next words confirmed that.
“You’re on your way, Kevin.” Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against his arm, trying to hide her disappointment underneath his bulk. “Saturday, you’re back home in Chicago, and then on Monday, you’re the new patissier at the Admiral.”
“And next year, you’ll be walking the same pathways, baby,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s going to fly by, the days will go so fast you won’t know where they went. Then you’ll be back stateside, and you’ll come to me.” He kissed her cheek, then her lips, delving into her mouth with his tongue, stroking along her velvety one until she gave him a sweet whimper. “You’re going to come to me, and then we’ll live and work together. Same paths, same goals. Same destination.”
It was what they had talked about over the past year and a half since he’d gotten the offer from the Chicago hotel. She had managed to remain in school, and her hard work combined with Kevin’s coaching regained the instructors’ confidence. A year behind him in the process, they knew from the beginning that the end of their formal training careers would be staggered, but he believed in the plan they put together.
Leaning over her, he bent close, pressing into her everywhere they touched. Slanting his mouth across hers in a soft, demanding caress, he tried to impress the confidence and trust he had in her into the kiss. Slipping one palm up her ribs, he cupped her breast, finger and thumb rolling her nipple in a quick, sharp pinch. Rewarded with another whimper and an arch of her neck, he repeated the movement. “Baby,” he murmured, his breath fast and raspy, knowing she’d be wet when he finally touched her. “You’ll come to me.”
Two hours later, he was sweating, tugging at the ends of his tie, trying to even things up so he looked at least halfway presentable. A Windsor knot was very different from the clip-on he wore to church when he was little, and he squinted at the reflection staring at him from the bathroom mirror, memories of her restrained hands in his dream teasing along the edges of his mind. Need to be better at this, he thought.
“Kevin,” she called from the hallway, “we need to…”
Jos’ voice trailed off and then she giggled. He shifted his gaze to find her shaking her head. “Let me help you,” she scolded softly, stepped behind him, and then laughed aloud. “Give me a hand up. You’re going to have to piggyback me. Kev, you are just too tall.”
Arms over his shoulders, bent knees wedged at his waist, she neatened his attempt at tie mastery, then, without allowing her feet to hit the floor he pulled her around in front of him and kissed her until they were both out of breath. Letting her slowly slide down his body, he took a deep breath, enjoying the press of her breasts as they dragged against his chest. Feet settled on the floor, she stood staring up at him for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she reached out and picked up his jacket, handing it over. Quiet, lost in his own thoughts, he followed her out of the apartment.
On the bus, he held her hand, pulling her close for a quick kiss just before their stop. The ceremony was being held at a local restaurant, and all the graduates had worked together to prepare the buffet that would be served following the formal presentations. Standing at attention with his fellow graduates, he listened to the introductions with only half a mind, the other on Joselyn’s reaction this morning. Speeches next and the graduates took their seats, rigid spines holding their tired bodies straight. His mind churned on. If he didn’t know better—didn’t know they had strategized and laid plans—he might think she was getting ready to say goodbye forever.
A heavy elbow landed in his ribs, and he jerked, scowling at the man seated next to him. What the hell was that for? Then he saw the student discreetly point towards the podium. Turning to look, he realized one of the primaries from the Paris school was staring fixedly at him. Fuck. With a longsuffering sigh, the man called his name and gestured impatiently. Kevin stood uncertainly in response, taking the two long steps to the side to reach the aisle. Approaching the stage, he walked up the small metal stairs and across the platform to stand next to the instructor.
With a brusque gesture, he was instructed to bend over slightly, and a ribbon with a metal disc draped around his neck. With honors, he thought, this means with honors. In his surprise, he nearly missed the announcement accompanying the presentation. “Monsieur Kevin Hartley, for perfection and discipline, you are awarded first place in Superior Pastry and are presented with Diplome de Patisserie and Le Grand Diplome. Additionally, you have been granted a two-month internship at Parisian du Grand Chanordi. It is our belief that accolades such as these are well deserved. Our compliments, Monsieur Hartley. Congratulations, young man.”
Indifferent, desultory applause broke out, subdued palm-to-palm, and he looked out at the small crowd gathered there, his fellow students’ supportive family and friends. Small as the gathering was, he couldn’t locate Jos’ face in the crowd, and frowned. None of his family could afford to make the trip, so she was the only one there for him, and now it looked as if she had missed the entire presentation. My luck.
The remainder of the ceremony flew past, and before he knew it, the graduates were all posing as a group on the stage for photographs. With the other students, he gripped his toque blanche, but couldn’t bring himself to toss the tall, white hat into the air. He held it securely in his hands along with his diplomas, still scanning for Jos. Still not seeing her.
He needed to find out all the details, but the announcement had filled him with hope. If he was interning in Paris for the next two months, that meant things could stay the same. Nothing had to change, at least for two months. Walking out into the wide hallway at the back of the room, he saw one of the men from Jos’ class pressed up against a woman in the corner, his body nearly obscuring her form. The Japanese man was normally so reserved it was shocking to see him in this position, passionately kissing a woman, his hand moving between her legs, her skirt hiked up around his wrist.
As he walked past, carefully averting his eyes, Kevin stopped in place when the woman spoke his name. “Kevin.” Pain swept through him, and he dropped his head, chin to his throat. Keeping his gaze firmly fixed on anything other than the couple, he sighed heavily, now understanding their nonconversation so much better. His eyes slipped closed, the words coming out choppy and pained when he told Joselyn, “I got an internship. It’s at Chanordi. Two months.” He had to stop speaking, unable to trust his voice for a moment.
Swallowing hard, he said, “Leave your key on the table when you get your stuff out.” He opened his eyes, staring straight ahead at the door. “I have to go.” He sucked in another breath. “Stuff to do, you know? I have to change my plans.”
His shoulders tensed when she said his name again, softly, the one word filled with deep regret, “Kevin.” He didn’t respond, hearing the couple moving, the quiet sound of her skirt falling around her legs striking deep as he walked away.
That night he rode the streets of Paris restlessly, not recklessly speeding, just without purpose. Jos had always hated it when he pushed the bike, going fast, leaning deep into the curves and turns of the surrounding countryside and villages. His deathtrap, as she called it, had been one of the best investments he had made over here because on the bike he found the ability to escape the city. The stress of being always “on,” always competing meant he needed a way to relax, and he found riding soothing. She had anchored him for so long, their well-planned travels seemed directed and safe. Now, without her wrapped around him, he just rode.
Most of the bikes he had looked at were more like scooters on steroids than motorcycles, maxing out at 125cc, which seemed laughably small to him. Any bikes that resembled the ones he had glimpsed long ago on the Chicago city street were so expensive there was no way he could afford them. He knew he had gotten lucky when he came back from Madrid, buying the 650cc off a former classmate.
Lost in thought, he idled to a stop at an intersection. Sitting and staring at nothing, Kevin was startled out of his reverie by the roar and whoosh as a motorcycle came up beside him, back tire sliding slightly as it stopped inches away. The rider lifted their helmet visor with one small hand, and a stunning feminine face looked at him. The angry words falling from that mouth backed up the spark and fire he saw in her eyes, and he sat there, taking her in.
“You aren’t even listening to me, are you?” Shaking her head in frustration, she was about to drop her visor when he responded.
“I found my girlfriend making out with another man today. He had his tongue so far down her throat I didn’t even know it was her until she said my name.” Nervously he rolled the bike’s throttle, feeling the vibrations from the motor speed up, then slowly decrease. “I was supposed to be on a plane back to America in the morning, but have to stay in Paris another two months. She’s moving out right now, and I don’t know what to do.”
Her eyes swept down then back up, locking on his face and they sat there for a moment, gazes locked, staring at each other. “You’re going to follow me.” With a nod, giving him no time to refuse, she flipped her visor back into place and turned left, riding away and up the road into the darkness.
Not letting himself consider his decision, he purposely kept his mind blank as he put the bike into gear and pulled out behind her, following where she led.