Trying to Throw my Arms Around the World

Trying to Throw my Arms Around the World Part 2

Game-changer

“I’m leaving,” Jennifer said.

“Fine.” I had no more words. I had no defence. Was I really that awful to her? And did she really have such a low opinion of me? One thing was crystal clear though, Jennifer, my girlfriend, was having some major regrets about leaving Kim for me. I went into passive-aggressive overdrive. “Go. Clearly, this is not where you want to be.” Without another word, Jennifer stormed down the stairs and violently banged the front door shut, a shadow of the woman I had fallen so head over heels for. I sat on my bed. I was home alone. There were no cats to comfort me. Jane was off working the night shift. Eleanor was out to a poetry reading. Alex and Ben were on a train to Paris for a weekend away − to rekindle the romance in their stormy affair. All I could do was scream a loud fuck at my walls. Then the bell rang. My heart jumped, she had come back. I nearly fell down the stairs, tripping over my own feet, as I ran to answer the door. We could make up. Somehow, it would be alright.

“Oh, hi Lee. Is Auntie Eleanor in?” It was Lucy. My heart dropped straight down, through my guts, on to the floor. I should have known. Jennifer was probably on the tube by now.

“No, Lucy. She’s out. Didn’t she tell you about that poetry thing?”

“She probably did, but I can’t keep up with her schedule. Am I disturbing anything? Are you alright?” I certainly was not. For all I knew, Jennifer and I had just broken up.

“Come in,” I said.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked. “You look like you could use a stiff drink.”

“Jen and I just had a big fight. One I’m not sure we can recover from.” 

“OK, I’ll get the wine.”

“She’s still in love with Kim.”

“Of course she is, silly.” Lucy said, as she planted a large glass of red wine in front of me on the coffee table. “They’ve been together for so long. You can’t expect her to just stop loving Kim, because she’s with you now.”

“She broke down in tears in front of me because Kim went on a date tonight.” The wine tingled in my throat, not enough though, I could have used something stronger.

“Situations like that are always difficult. Give her some time. She chose you, remember?”

“I’m not so sure she still stands by her choice.”

“Oh, of course she does. You’re such a catch, don’t you forget it.” Lucy put her glass down and swung her arm around my shoulder. “Come here,” she said. We sat like that for a couple of minutes. My head resting on my boss’s shoulder, her hand resting on mine. I was too dazed to notice what was wrong with that picture. I could smell her perfume. Her bones felt hard under my cheek.

I lifted my head up and our eyes met. I reached for my glass of wine, but Lucy took hold of my hand. Briefly, she looked down and then searched for my eyes again. “You have the most beautiful blue eyes,” she said. Hers were the colour of hazelnuts and oak trees. It was the first time I noticed the faint freckles on her nose. She swallowed, indicating she was about to say something game-changing. “Do you have any idea how irresistible you are?” I didn’t reply. Not that I considered it a rhetorical question, far from it, but I didn’t think she was expecting words in response. “Unbelievably… incredibly… undeniably… irresistible…” She smiled. This was no longer flirting, this was an all-guns-blazing seduction. “Can I kiss you?” She asked.

Chaos

“You’re the boss,” I said, staring into her eyes, those deep pools of coffee-coloured lust that were drinking me in, chaining me. She brought her lips closer, but not before flashing me a wide, beguiling smile. Surely, I was not the first victim of Lucy Rowe’s charms, these were practiced moves. The moment our mouths met, her touch transmitting a blistering buzz through my veins, the night’s strain drew out of me. I kissed her back. I grabbed her head and pulled it towards me, but she withdrew her lips and said, “Easy. I want to enjoy this.” She gently pushed me down on Eleanor’s couch. I hadn’t pegged her for the gentle type. I wasn’t used to being treated so delicately anymore. Sex with Jennifer was always raw and wild, because half the time it was make-up sex, and the other half, it was driven by guilt, need and mute desire. Lucy’s touch was soft and tender. She didn’t hungrily rip at my clothes the way Jennifer did, she slowly stripped them off. Her hands floated over my skin in a sensual haze. Soon she had me panting at her fingertips, whispering in her ear for more.