My alarm on the phone goes off at 6:00 am, I reach over and silence it before resting my head back down. He hasn't been home with me in so long that I leave my alarm set, I just get up and head to the Arboretum to have something to do on the days I don't work.
"Do you work today?" Prince asks in a whisper from behind me.
"No, I work tomorrow, sorry about that," I whisper back.
The hand that rests on my hip moves upward to cup a breast. This is not unusual, and since he's been known to sleep this way sometimes, I don't question it. The hand squeezes ever so slightly, then again, a little firmer. "Ouch," I say and his hand releases back to soft cupping. My breasts have been more sensitive during my periods lately, although his squeeze was far from painful, I'm hoping to deter his advances. I don't want him to come home, slap on a band aid, so to speak, and leave. We need to talk and/or get away to see if we are causing each other more harm than good.
"I'm sorry, Baby," the shoulder kisses start, the hand squeezes gently.
Dammit, he's still pursuing, so I whisper, "I got my period yesterday."
"You know I don't care," he starts kissing my neck.
I'm folding fast, so I risk getting him angry by saying what I feel, "Prince, we really need to talk first."
The kisses stop, I brace myself for an explosion that surprisingly doesn't come. "I guess you're right," he sounds defeated more than angry. A long kiss is pressed to my shoulder, his hand stays cupped around my breast, but he falls quiet behind me. It isn't long before I realize he has dozed back off, and with the comfort of having him tucked in close, so do I.
When I wake a few hours later, he's gone. I sigh as I flip the covers back and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. On the floor near my side of the bed, my nighties matching slippers have been placed strategically. I press my eyes closed and shake my head. How can such a thoughtful, and considerate person be so distant sometimes? I slide my feet into the slippers and go down the hallway to my office window where I can see the deck below. Sure enough, there isn't a shard of china anywhere to be seen.
When I get downstairs I find my coffee already brewed and waiting for me. I pour myself a cup before I go looking for Prince. I can sense he's still here as I make my way to the back door to peek out. With the canopy of trees, it's difficult to see into our little seated area, but something tells me that's where I'll find him.
I cross the yard and mount the first stone step, I see him offer a small smile as he sits quietly with his tea. He takes a sip of tea as I sit down in the chair next to him. Trying to feel out his current mood, I teasingly say, "You sure are pretty. Do you come here often?"
He chuckles softly as he shakes his head at me, that half smile I adore plays on his lips, "Now who's feeling amorous?"
"I'm sorry about earlier," I feel bad for denying him.
He reaches over and smooths some hair back, "It's alright, Sugar, we do need to talk." Now I'm worried about his insistence to talk, and when he hesitates, I look away from him to focus on the house. "Dana, look at me, please," he says softly. I know I look anxious when my eyes finally meet his and he says, "I love you."
"I love you, too," I repeat.
He twists his lips, "I think I know what one of our problems is," he hesitates, "You're too strong." I knit my brows in confusion.
"No," I shake my head, "I'm far from strong," I say quietly as I cast my eyes downward.
He shakes his head, "Yes, you are." He sighs, "Sugar, I don't realize when I shut you out like I do, but you let it build until the dam is ready to burst. I need you to not be so strong, I need you to say something to me sooner."
I move my finger back and forth between us, "This is that whole sharing thing I talked with you about before. If I would have known that you need me to rattle your cage sooner, I would have." I look down at my hands in my lap, "I guess we're both strong, and maybe too damn proud."
He nods in agreement before he moves onto one knee in front of me. Using that smooth as honey tone, "You can rattle my cage, anytime."
"Oh, Lord," I laugh and cover my face with my hand, as I pull it away, I say, "That was bad."
He stands, pulling me up by my hand, his eyes are on fire, he whispers seductively, "I'll show you bad."
He grabs a blanket that he had stashed by the far side of his chair and leads me back to our little love nest just beyond the water feature.
*******
After we make love and while we are still in a tangle on our blanket, Prince finally shares more about the Warner Bros. agreement with me. Now that he feels like he's won this conflict, he promises that things will return to normal.
"Normal?" I ask as I prop my chin up on my hand to look into his eyes. "Do we even know what 'normal' is?" He shoots me some side eye. "Prince, are you sure you want to do the whole baby thing? I mean, how long do we have before I have to rattle your cage again? You know if Warner Bros. is already contesting you, this won't be the last time."
"Well, our normal is not everyone else's, and yes, I'm sure about the whole baby thing." He lifts up to sitting and starts pulling on his pants, followed by his shoes. He leans over and kisses me, "Once you're pregnant, everything else will be put on hold." He stands and helps me up from the blanket, I quickly pull my nightie back on. Once I'm covered, he cups my face in his palms, "I want nothing more than to have a baby with you. You'll be so sick of having me around, you'll be trying to get rid of me," he grins that toothy grin before he pulls on his shirt.
He seems to have this all plotted out, I just hope that Warner Bros. is willing to go along with his plan.
When we get back into the house, Prince kicks off our 'return to normal' by asking me, "Can you talk to Margaret about not scheduling you next week?"
"Oh, okay, yeah, I'll ask her. Why?"
He cuddles up to me in the kitchen as I slice up some fruit for a fruit salad, "Because I want you to show me that little town you love so much. I just need to know the name of the best hotel in the area."
I look at him sheepishly, "Prince, I just want to warn you, this is a quaint, little town."
"You had mentioned that."
"Are we staying there any length of time?"
"A few nights, why?"
I look at him seriously, "The best hotel in the area is a very nice hotel and it has great views, but Prince, were talking no marble floors, no room service, no place to drop a grand piano. Are you okay with all that?"
He nods, "Yes, of course, as long as you'll be comfortable there."
"I'll be fine," I write down the name of the hotel and the city for him, he takes the paper with a big grin, turning to leave the kitchen. He's almost into the foyer and he stops in his tracks, it's obvious he forgot something. "Will you be off your period by the weekend?"
The question causes me to look at him in disbelief, "Um," I do some quick calculating, "Not really, maybe by Sunday night." He absorbs the information with a nod and continues on his way.
