Friday morning, I woke up in my guest room, not pleased, but at least I was home. My last day here for a long while, and my to-do list before my flight tonight weighed on me. Charlie lay flat on his back snoring softly, reminding me of Axel. Charlie must be exhausted from the jet lag, but his passion last night didn’t stop.
I picked up my clothes holding them in front of me like a shield and scurried through the living room back to my bedroom and adjoining bathroom. I contemplated how this all happened. Three men in less than 24 hours. Not that I had regrets, but it was so unexpected and unbelievable. Even to me, and I was there. I slipped on my nightgown, climbed into my bed, and shut my eyes trying to fall back asleep.
My hair was being pressed down and petted.
“Kat, oh my Kat.”
I opened my eyes and saw Charlie leaning over me, naked and looking concerned.
“Kat, you left me.” He sounded like a lost child.
“I came back here so you … we could sleep better.”
“But I can’t. I missed you.”
Oh, brother, what a load of crap I was tempted to say. I rolled over to Axel’s side of the bed and patted my side of the bed inviting him in.
Just like my first impression as Gotham’s Batman, Charlie flew under the covers. But he was wide awake and pushed off the comforter, so we were under the thin sheet. My bedroom was warm, and he heated things up, so I didn’t object.
“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
“Afraid we’ve been there, done that. Nothing left to show.” I mumbled and rolled over trying to ignore him and go back to sleep.
“I mean your appendix scar.” He pulled the sheet back moving down to see below my bikini line or where it would be if I wore one. Not that I was concerned about the thin line. I hadn’t worn a bikini for over ten years. From my intense workout routine, I was more toned and leaner than I’d ever been, but when you are pushing fifty, it’s time to give them up.
“Hmm.” He said tracing it softly with his finger. “He’s right. You can barely see it.” He rolled on his back and said, “Your turn.”
“What? Were you hurt?” Although, I wasn’t that concerned after his energetic dancing last night.
“A bit. Laid up for about six-months when I was fourteen.” He took my hand and rubbed it against his knee. I could feel his knee cap, and what felt like scar tissue, but I didn’t want to see it.
“Oh, must have hurt.” I was awake now but didn’t want to pry. He was probably one of those annoying early birds. Something else we didn’t have in common.
“I was working at home at the ranch. Moving some cows from one pasture to another. One was injured and went a little crazy. My horse reared, and I went down hard with my knee stepped on.”
“Sounds painful.”
“Yeah, well, at least I have a full range of motion. Even played football in high school.” He rolled on his side to look at me. “And, I know you’d be concerned about the animals. They were unhurt from the ordeal.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“In the end, Kat, it worked out. I started reading the Wall Street Journal while recovering and discovered a whole new world of finance. Maybe it was fate.”
Charlie lay next to me and traced soft circles on my skin with his index finger. “Do you believe in soulmates?”
“Aside from my cat?” I teased back, but I knew what he meant. “You mean finding one perfect person out of seven billion people alive right now?”
“Doesn’t sound very likely, does it?”
“Nope. I think most people find someone to love and adjust as best they can to the problems or differences, whatever you want to call it. Like finding a job.”
“Is that what you plan to do?”
“Find a soulmate or the perfect job?”
He didn’t respond, but I knew he meant the former. He didn’t care about my job.
His hair hung down over his forehead, and I combed it back with my fingers. I knew he wanted a positive response, but I was a realist. Even if the truth hurt, I couldn’t sugarcoat it.
“I’d like to say yes, but I really don’t know. Part of the reason I need to get away.”
~ ~ ~
Charlie was talking to someone in the living room by the front door, and I wondered who came by this early. I grabbed my robe, but when I got to the living room, Charlie walked towards me buck naked. He had already made coffee, and hazelnut was in the air. When he saw me, he pranced around bringing back memories from last night, but this time, he was dancing in the full Monty. I blushed and looked away.
“People can see you. There are offices over there.” I pointed towards the living room windows facing where employees work across the courtyard.
“Shoot. This is Manhattan. They’re used to it.” He stood facing the windows, so they could appreciate him in all his glory. He reminded me of a guy at a rodeo waiting for applause after lassoing a defenseless cow.
“Well, I hope you don’t end up on YouTube like me. Those offices are used by ABC TV.”
Now that he was naked in the daylight, I couldn’t help but compare him to the others. He wasn’t fat, but not as trim and fit like Greg or the perfect model for a Roman god statue like Matteo. Over the years, he’d probably gained a few pounds, maybe ten, around his waist. Not quite love handles, and it suited him.
“I’ll chance it. You know Kat, I deal with risk all day, all the time.” He looked around the apartment. “This apartment suits you. Bohemian, edgy, and filled with small treasures. Great and unexpected like your heart.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to his series of compliments, but l liked my apartment. If I didn’t, I could redecorate. After watching hundreds of home renovation shows on HGTV, I knew what to do. My apartment was a little dark since it was on the fourth floor and nearby buildings towered above it. But while I didn’t have a view or tons of light, I liked it here and had no plans of ever moving.
Bread was burning, and he ran back to the kitchen pulling them out of the toaster oven and onto the counter. “Not to worry. They’re salvageable.”
“Fine,” I said, not concerned. Kitchen accidents happened often. I frequently put things in the toaster or stove and got sidetracked, so they ended up burning or boiling over.
Maybe breakfast or brunch gods did exist. Twice in one week, someone made me breakfast in my own kitchen.
“Who were you talking to before I came out?”
“Oh yeah. Matteo came by to talk to you. But I told him you were plumb worn out on account of this old cowboy.” He spoke with an exaggerated Wyoming accent and beamed with pride.
“No,” I said horrified. “You didn’t say that.” And even worse, Charlie had nothing on.
“Just kidding. Oh, the expression on your face. Priceless. I would almost think you had a thing going with that Italian.”
I took the cup of coffee he offered me and added some milk. Sitting on my kitchen barstool, I drummed my fingers on the counter impatient for him to tell me the truth about what actually happened.
“I told him you’d call him later. Don’t worry. He didn’t see the goods,” looking down at his crotch. “I stood behind the door. He only saw my head and maybe my shoulders.”
I slumped down on my barstool relieved he hadn’t paraded around in front of Matteo. “Maybe you should wear something. Isn’t it dangerous cooking in the kitchen like that?”
“You mean with knives around? Are you planning something?”
“No,” not wanting to be reminded of our first date. “I mean it doesn’t seem sanitary, and you could end up with a sautéed sausage.”
He grinned. “We wouldn’t want that.”
I opened the door to the kitchen pantry and pulled out an apron hanging behind the door. Axel bought it on a trip to New Orleans a long time ago but never used it. Then again, he never cooked in the buff.
Charlie slipped it over his head tying it in the back. “Perfect fit,” he added sarcastically since it would fit anyone.
My doorbell rang again, and I stood quickly not wanting a half-naked dancing man as my doorman. “Let me. You stay here.”
Abby stood in the hall, and her arms were overloaded with my gifts from last night. “Thought you might want these before you finish your packing.”
“Thanks. I’ll be over soon to help clean-up.”
“No need. All done. I knew you’d be busy today.”
I tried to take the gifts from her, but she didn’t want to hand them over. She let me take the half-full bottle of spiced rum from last night precariously held by her thumb through one of its glass loops.
She said, “Allow me,” and pushed past me into the living room that was open to the kitchen.
Before I could stop her, she froze in her tracks nearly dropping my gifts. I started to explain but how do I explain a half-naked man making breakfast? At least she’d met him last night.
“I’m sorry, Kat. I didn’t know you had company.” She said in shock.
I was about to say, “I didn’t either,” but I didn’t want to offend Charlie who was working hard on breakfast. I was hungry and looking forward to whatever he was creating.
Charlie, the consummate host, smiled and offered Abby some coffee and thanked her again for the party last night. At least he was partially covered by the apron.
“Thank you, Charlie. Great to see you again, but I better be going. I’m telecommuting today so back to work.” She looked mesmerized seeing him in my kitchen only partly covered with the black apron that said, ‘Louisiana Yard Dog’ with a green alligator sprawled across it.
“Suit yourself,” Charlie said while he turned around to look in the fridge.
Not only did he turn around, but he leaned over to find something giving us a clear view of his naked rear. Abby and I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Looks like a Cajun coonass.” I joked with Abby to hide my embarrassment.
“I heard that,” Charlie said good-naturedly. He probably did that on purpose to shock us. “I do believe Texas is a hell of a lot closer to those Cajuns than Wyoming.”
Abby grinned and shook her head still in shock. “I’m leaving you two to enjoy your breakfast. See you later.”
I walked her to the door still not knowing what to say about Charlie. We agreed that I should come by later this morning. She was going to pay any unexpected bills for me while I was gone.
Returning to the kitchen, I asked Charlie if I could shower and change first.
“Only if you want a cold cheese omelet.”
I stayed in my seat and watched the showman as he made do with an old chunk of cheese abandoned in the fridge and Mel’s remaining eggs. I was starving since I’d missed dinner last night.
He said, “You like it spicy from what I can recall.”
I nodded and pointed to the spices in the cabinet. At least, Charlie paid attention to something on our ill-fated first date.
“Not much to work with, but I know you’re leaving town.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him the fridge stayed bare all the time. Axel was the grocery shopper and cook, but it was the basics and not something he enjoyed.
“Do you like cooking?” He looked genuinely happy working in the kitchen.
“Yeah, but I rarely get a chance. I work late all the time, but I grill a mean sirloin steak.”
“I’m not much of a cook, but I make a pretty good lasagna and Mexican food. And deviled eggs.”
He grinned. “I’d expect no less.”
Charlie divided up the omelet adding the partially burnt toast and sat down next to me. I didn’t want to visualize his naked rear on my barstool. Not that it was unattractive, just unusual.
Between bites, he said, “You know Kat, I had a perfect night. The best time ever, even if I was beyond tired. I’ve been dating around, mainly younger women. They don’t click with me like you.”
I didn’t say anything savoring my side of the cheese omelet he’d made extra spicy for me. Not quite as delicious as Mel’s cooking, but better than mine.
“I could have sworn you purred last night.”
“Oh, you. Well, you were howling at the moon, like a dog or gator, whatever you are.” I jabbed him in the stomach with my index finger where the alligator was covering him.
But he was right. Sex with him was almost perfect. So good it was scary. Greg was tentative and gentlemanly while Matteo was the extreme opposite, a professional who could bill me for services rendered. Charlie was more the American boy-next-door enjoying it, but not taking it too seriously. Maybe our mutual girlfriend Susan who cajoled me into this blind date after months of arm twisting was right. We were well suited for each other.
He laughed and looked up at Axel’s face peering down at us. Axel’s everyday ‘I can’t be bothered’ smile wasn’t a full grin like Charlie’s.
Charlie glanced at Axel and me. “Cool to be in a coffee can. His idea, I guess? Loved that movie. Jeff Bridges and the Dude. My idol too.”
I wasn’t sure what to say and what Axel must be thinking. Here I was in my kitchen with the first new man I’d slept with in our apartment. He’d even stayed the night and was wearing his apron. I knew Axel wouldn’t like him. Charlie was too American, over-confident, and driven, not to mention super-rich. All things Axel would want nothing to do with.
“You know, in a way, you are luckier than I am.” Charlie started up at Axel and his photos.
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes I wish my wife had died instead. Not in a painful way or anything but the ten years we were together was destroyed and replaced with pain. I played by the rules, but she broke them all. I can’t look back on anything in our past without anger after all the fighting through our attorneys.”
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t imagine something so awful.
“At least when he left, you still loved each other. You have all those happy memories together. I have nothing, and it’s not even over. It’s worse than death, all this hate and disgust.”
I considered the pain he’d gone through while I put our dishes in the dishwasher. But I wasn’t lucky and would have preferred a divorce not death for Axel. “I’m going to shower. Feel free to use the shower again if you want.”
“Thank you, Kat,” and he went off to the guest room on the opposite side of mine. He’d be dressed and gone soon. And if he didn’t leave, I’d kiss him goodbye and push him out the door to get things done.
With my radio blaring, I climbed into my steamy shower. I knew I wasted water by letting it heat up first, but I couldn’t bear a cold shower, not even for a minute. Despite all the fun last night, I didn’t feel tired. Maybe Charlie cleared some clogs out of my system.
I started shampooing my hair and heard Charlie say, “May I?”
Before I could answer, he climbed into the shower. I leaned my head onto his chest.
“You said to feel free to use the shower.”
He knew I meant the guest shower, but it was nice being scrubbed and bathed. Not only was he an excellent shampoo boy, but he also added in a nice head and neck massage. If I could have purred like he said I did, I would have. I offered to wash his hair, and he accepted.
“Now I know why you tasted a little salty like the ocean last night.” He held up my jar of coconut salt scrub. We took turns with the scrubs and bath gels which led to other fun and games. At the rate this was going, I was never going to make my flight.