I’m a bundle of nerves and I keep staring at the clock. Ali’s plane landed an hour ago and she’ll be here soon. Any minute the doorbell will ring and it’ll be the doorman announcing her arrival. I do a quick walk-through again, ensuring my place is spotless. Fresh flowers are in the living room, and I have sandalwood candles burning in the bedroom. When my intercom buzzes, I actually yelp. Ali will be here in my arms in just a few short minutes.
I open the door to a very happy and smiling Ali.
“Hi, there,” I say. She drops her bags and reaches for me. We hug until I come to my senses and pull her inside. “How was your flight?”
“It was pretty quick,” she says. She kisses me soundly and I’m in heaven. “It’s so good to see you.” She kisses me again and I moan and lean into her, loving the fit of her long body against mine. She’s so warm and soft, and I’m flooded with delicious memories of just a short week ago.
“It’s so good to see you, too. Come on in,” I say. I take her hand to lead her down the steps.
“Wow. Look at your view,” she says. I have floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook downtown Chicago. The furniture on the lower level is arranged so I can look out at the city. “I love this layout.” The only room with four walls and a door is the bathroom. The rest of the condo is open space, including the bedroom. “How do you sleep with all this light?” she asks.
I smile and reach for the remote on the coffee table. I punch in a code and a dark-chocolate screen lowers in front of the bedroom area, providing adequate darkness to sleep. It’s fashionable enough and gives me the privacy to entertain guests without them having access to my bed.
“Perfect,” she says.
“You’re probably tired, aren’t you?” I ask.
“No, not really.” She shakes her head. “It was a direct flight and not that long.”
“Let’s sit down and get caught up.” I point to the couch. “Tell me more about the spa. Did you have fun with your family?”
“It was incredible. My body’s relaxed and recovered. I feel as good as new.”
“Well, you look and feel fantastic.” I blush at my outburst. Ali smiles at me.
“You’re so sweet,” she says softly, leaning over to kiss me. “And thank you.” We scoot closer to one another on the couch. Ali immediately takes my hand in hers. I smile at the gesture. I miss Ali. I miss the simple things that make me realize we’re a great couple.
“I have a few things planned. We can do the normal touristy things like visit museums and the planetarium. I’m going to take you to eat incredible food, and we’ll go listen to live music just around the corner. There’s a great Irish pub and I can guarantee you’ll love it.” I know how much Ali loves live music. I’m sure she’ll want to jump on stage and join in.
“It all sounds great. I’m pretty easy. Whatever you want to do.”
“No, this weekend’s about what you want to do. You’re my guest,” I say.
“There isn’t much left of tonight so how about we stay in, maybe order some food, and just relax,” Ali says. She lifts her eyebrow suggestively. I blush and laugh. She squeezes my hand again.
“Are you interested in real Chicago-style pizza? I know where we can get a really tasty pie.” I cringe at my innuendo. “Pizza pie. That’s what they call it here.” I blush again. Ali bursts out laughing. “Or I can just make a few small pizzas.”
“Why don’t I help you and we can just make our own? Do you have groceries?”
I snort and cover it up with a cough. I’m pretty sure I bought everything within a five-mile radius. “I stocked up.”
“I really love your place. It’s so…contemporary. Not what I expected.” Ali stretches her hands and runs her fingers along the smooth black-and-gray granite top of the kitchen island. I want those fingers on me again. I promised myself I wouldn’t jump Ali the minute she showed up. A part of me loves the wait, while the needy part wants to tear off Ali’s clothes and forget about the world for the next several hours. I decide to be sensible instead.
“I love the kitchen. It’s my favorite place to be. I can escape from life and everything and just bake and cook and learn. It also keeps me from going stir-crazy,” I say. I’m leaning on the counter trying to look as relaxed as possible while my insides are shaking. Ali is here!
I reach for a bottle of wine and offer Ali a drink. We down a few glasses while we make our pizzas. That settles me down. She updates me on a few things happening back in Massachusetts, and I update her on my edits.
“We should celebrate. I don’t think we ever did,” she says.
“Celebrate what?” So many things are going on it’s hard to keep up.
“Finishing your books! I can’t wait to read them,” Ali says.
She pulls me closer and kisses my temple. We kiss tenderly, at first. Within seconds, our lips are hard against one another. Ali tugs me toward the bed and I stumble with her, excited she wants this as much as I do. We stop when we hear the timer announce that our pizza’s done.
“How hungry are you?” she whispers against my mouth.
“The pizza can be reheated.” I prefer sex with her over food any day. Reluctantly, I untangle myself from her embrace and head for the kitchen. I’m back in seconds and slide right back into place. We continue kissing until we hit the bed.
“Can the world see us or should we lower the blinds? I want to be the only one who sees you,” Ali asks. She starts unbuttoning my shirt.
I stop for a moment and make myself concentrate. I have a habit of forgetting things around her. I tear myself away from her again and find the remote, hitting the button that will hide us from the rest of the world. I turn back to Ali and gasp. She’s already removed her shirt and slacks and stands in front of me wearing a lacy black-and-cream bra with matching panties.
“You take my breath away, Ali,” I say. I stop and look at her. Her long, smooth legs, her tight, flat stomach, the rise of her creamy breasts are perfect. Her hair’s down, the long waves cascading all around her shoulders and down her back. I’m itching to bury my face and my hands in it. She’s so beautiful it almost hurts to look at her. “You look incredible.”
Ali grabs my shirt and pulls me close to her. She’s kind of rough and I kind of like it. It doesn’t take long for me to get out of my clothes and strip Ali completely down. It’s all a wonderful blur. I run my fingers down her sides, loving the feel of her curves in my hands. She arches into me.
I can feel her trembling, and even though I’m enjoying kissing her, I want more of her. I need to taste her again. I need to feel her come against my mouth and pull my hair and push my face into her. There’s a sense of urgency today, probably because we haven’t seen each other in over a week.
I trail kisses down her breasts, down her stomach until I’m nestled between her white thighs. She’s so pale and soft and I just want to stay here forever. This is my heaven. I run my tongue up and down her slick heat and capture her clit in my mouth. I’m pressed hard against her. I’m holding her hips down because she’s bucking them hard against me, and I don’t want either one of us to get hurt. Her hands are pressing me into her and I feel her shake. The harder I hold her, the more she moans. I want to be inside her. I slow down and she growls. It turns into an ecstatic moan as I slide two fingers inside her, as far as I can go. She feels tight and tastes warm and tangy. I want to be like this forever, but it’s not fair to her so I release her and she comes hard and loud.
“Wow,” she says. I smile and place a tiny kiss on her stomach and rest my head right below her breasts. I smile against her sweaty body, happy that she’s here with me. She’s tangled in my sheets still making little moaning noises at the aftershocks.
“I’d be content just to stay in your condo the entire week, both of us totally naked and doing this every chance we get,” Ali says.
“Definitely. Then you’ll just have to come back so we can do all the things on my top-ten list of touristy things in Chicago.” I turn my head to look up at her. Her eyes are closed and her lips are slightly parted. I can still feel little vibrations running through her body as the orgasm finally settles. She opens her eyes and stares at me.
“I’ll do whatever you want,” she says. “If you want to go to the zoo, we can, as long as we’re together and can find a private spot so I can steal a kiss or two.” I smile up at her. She smiles back.
“Now are you hungry for pizza?” I ask. Ali gives me a quick squeeze.
“You know what? I am. Let’s go get some plates and have a picnic in bed.” She starts to get up, but I gently push her back down on the pillow.
“No, no, no. You’re my guest and I’ll take care of you and your needs all week.” I wink. She laughs.
“What have I done to deserve you?” she asks. I smile as I slide out of bed. “And put some clothes on. I don’t want your neighbors to get a free peek.” I roll my eyes and pick up Ali’s shirt. It falls to mid-thigh and I do a quick twirl.
“Is this all right?” I ask. I bat my eyelashes at her.
“You look delicious.”
I head for the kitchen and return with two small pizzas, two empty wineglasses, and a bottle of wine tucked under my arm. We dive in.
“This is the best meal I’ve had in months,” Ali says.
“Oh, just you wait. This is simple. Tomorrow night I have something incredibly yummy planned.”
“Well, this is pretty damn good. I’ll probably gain five pounds this week.”
“I’m sure whatever weight you gain, we will find a way for you to lose it.”
We clean up both pizzas and finish off the bottle of wine. I’m still wearing Ali’s shirt, but she’s completely naked, the sheet draped carelessly across her waist. I could stay like this forever.
*
We spend the rest of the weekend in bed getting reacquainted. As much as I want her to deepen it with different words, I’m still having a wonderful time. One day she’ll understand what words mean to me, but I can’t fault her for being careful.
Monday and Tuesday we hit a few touristy places on my list. The good thing about Chicago is that when two women walk down the street holding hands, the world keeps right on spinning and nobody pays attention. It feels good to be out and open with her. I don’t want the week to end. Our second chance is proving to be the best decision for both of us. Ali’s completely relaxed and dotes on me, and I can feel trust pushing its way back into my heart. I’m surprised it’s happening this soon. I thought for sure it would take a while.
Ali’s scheduled to leave Thursday night. She has an interview on a morning talk show Friday. She asks me to join her, but I have to be available to Tom until the first round of edits is done, which should be any day now. Technically, I can handle it from New York, but I need to take a step back from us. I love every minute, perhaps too much. I have no idea where Ali is in this relationship. She obviously cares for me and we have incredible sex, but I don’t know if it’s more. At times I want to tell Ali I’m falling in love with her, but I’m freaked out at the possible consequences of my confession. Ali always speaks her mind, and the fact that she hasn’t said anything really meaningful about us makes me uneasy and hesitant to say anything to her.
When Thursday rolls around, we’re both very quiet. I sneak out for donuts and coffee and am surprised to find Ali awake, sitting on the couch, watching the news, and waiting for me.
“Bummer. I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed and here you are up and ready to start the day,” I say. She smiles at me.
“Not really dressed to start the day. I just needed to get up and stretch for a bit,” she says. She’s wearing capri sweats and a tank top. Her hair’s pulled back, exposing her very kissable neck. I take a few precious seconds to stare at her. She looks so young and refreshed, and I know it’ll be heart wrenching to let her go. I place a delicate kiss on her lips on my way to the kitchen. Fresh fruit sounds good and so does yogurt. I bustle around and stop. I’m doing stupid busy work to keep my mind off Ali leaving in a few hours. I did this at the cabin, too. I force myself to stop and march back over to Ali. We eat in silence, Ali occasionally touching my arm or my hair.
“I think I’m going to take a shower, if you’re done,” I say. She nods at me and I clear the plates and make my way to the bathroom. I test the water, strip off my clothes, and slip into the wet heat. A wave of utter sadness hits me and I brace myself against the tiled wall. Ali will be gone in a few hours and I won’t see her again until the end of the month. It hurts. God, does it hurt. A few tears escape even though I’m trying not to cry. I stick my head under the water when I hear Ali enter the stall. I hope the water erases my tears.
“This shower thing seems to be a theme with us,” Ali says. I give her a soft smile. She senses my sadness because she turns me and holds me tight. “Don’t worry. We won’t be apart for long. I really want you to come and see me and my family soon. By the end of the month, okay?” she says.
She kisses me reassuringly. I can feel the slow burn inside me building up as Ali starts stroking me. I’m slow to orgasm but quick to fall apart afterward.