Time Changes

Part Twenty Four

                “Come on Miss Carmichael! Can you get your arse out here? I said we were going out at eight and it’s quarter past!”

Peter laughed at the still closed bedroom door; she’d been in there for forty minutes, long after their shower, that in turn had followed their makeup sex. That reminded him of exactly what that entailed, and he sighed.  He knew that she was stressing, that she wanted the future mapped out ahead of her, ahead of them. But he wasn’t that kind of man, his future was a muddle, but he knew what the next few weeks, maybe month entailed, that was how he rolled.

Finally the door opened and he knew that every minute of wait was worth it, Alexis stood there in what he knew was termed a maxi dress. How he knew he didn’t know. But it was blue, royal blue, and clung to her breasts, before cascading to her feet, tight, yet loose, provocative yet fairly conservative, and it did things to him that drove him wild. Her hair was scooped up into a tumble of curls, and her long, elegant neck was adorned with a fine silver necklace.

His breath caught in his throat, and he could only silently offered her an elbow, then lead her out of the apartment.

“You look amazing!” he offered as the elevator doors opened to reveal a carriage filled with her upstairs neighbours.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, she smiled, “really? Without underwear?”

For Peter it was the longest trip to the ground floor he’d ever experienced.

Dinner passed, the conversation light, the tone of promise and intrigue making the whole evening enchanted. Peter watched Alexis respond in her very basic Portuguese to the flirting waiter, everyone in the restaurant was aware of her she was such a vivid and vivacious presence, yet he was the only one who knew she was underwear-less. Peter knew he wanted more of her, but he wasn’t ready to give up his commitments to travel with her on a whim, he travelled more than enough, and his reliability meant everything to him. He had a business and a reputation that could be depended on. He couldn’t put off his waiting job, they’d agreed to hold on for their work until he came back from Australia, he couldn’t delay that anymore.

Not that a month back packing with Lex wasn’t a tempting thought.

They strolled back to the apartment holding hands, and he barely got through the door, her revelation when they left was still fresh in his mind, and had made him forget all common sense, all evening. So he had his revenge, dragging her into the bedroom and helping her forget common sense for a change.

               

                “I don’t want you to go!” She announced as she came out of the bedroom to see him packing his bag in the lounge, his flight was VERY early the following morning. “It’s too quick.”

He turned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her nose, “I don’t want to leave, it that’s any consolation. But I have to. Work, the bane of my life, hey?” He spotted her suck in her cheeks and sighed, “look, it won’t be long and we’ll be back in Europe and we can sort things out, we’ve waited eight bloody years for this, we can wait a few more weeks. Can’t we?”

Lex hated that she was on the verge of tears yet again, but she was, so she turned away from him.

Peter sighed, “Lex, please. You have to put trust in me. Because this is all I can promise at the moment.”

Her bottom lip quivered and he fought the urge to comfort her, he was serious about this, "I can hardly just drop everything and bum around for weeks!" he was too aggressive, he knew it and saw her eyes flare.