Under the Elms

Rhapsody

‘Everything moved so fast, it didn't occur to me,’ Sofia replied defensively. Then a memory changed her expression from defensive to loving. ‘The Rachmaninoff has been running around in my head ever since you got down on one knee this morning. That's what was wearing on me. I could hear it, but I needed to feel it. Know what I mean?’ That last part should make sense to him…

‘Yeah, okay.' Prince's expression mirrored Sofia's, briefly. Then he went into problem solving mode. 'It probably would have bled through the studio doors in that house anyway. It wasn't completely soundproofed. No problem, we’ll get you set up in a studio space here. That way you won't bother anyone.’

‘Oh, so now I'm a bother, huh?’ Sofia's defensiveness was back. It feels like he’s dismissing my talent, my artistry, as a bother. Something to be ignored.

‘Naw, babe, that isn’t what I meant at all. It's just that, when I'm working, any sound distracts me. I love being inspired, but being distracted is a whole different thing.’

‘Then I guess you should take me home. I don't want to be a distraction.’ I get what he's saying, but it feels like what I've worked on so hard is being dismissed. That stings. Sofia stood, picking her gloves up off the piano, pulling them onto her hands to signal her seriousness.

‘Babe, this is your home now. We have to figure out how to make this work.’ Prince said soothingly, as he walked around the piano towards her. She turned her back to him, arms crossed under her breasts, still hurt by her musical artistry being called a bother. I may not be famous, but I'm a musician. Creating  music is part of my life, too, even if I'm only a performer. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her toward him while relaxing her arms and drawing the coat from her shoulders. Placing the coat on the piano bench, he pulled her closer; reaching around and pulling the gloves from her fingers so slowly and carefully, it felt like a caress. Each glove was tossed aside, landing on the floor by the piano bench.

‘Will you please stay a little longer? There's something I want to ask you.’ He finished his sexy murmur of a request with a nibble on the earlobe he had exposed by drawing her curly hair away from the side of her face. ‘Pretty please?’ he whispered in a tone of voice so sensual it made her shiver in response. He could feel the shiver, and the smile it brought to her lips, as he laid his cheek on hers. Her proximity caused his pants to tighten in the most rewarding way. She felt it, and lightly ground herself against him to enhance the feeling for both of them.

‘All right, but I do need to go home for awhile today; I'll pick up the mail, check my voicemail, that sort of thing.’ She turned around in his arms to face him, and gave him a sweet kiss that he ran with, threading his fingers through her hair to cradle her head and draw her still closer. She retaliated by nibbling on his lower lip while grasping his perfect butt, a sure signal she was turned on. Reluctantly, he ended the kiss, easing away from her slightly while making one, two, three pecks of kisses the punctuation of his ardor.

‘I wanna get back to that later. Come with me, babe.’ Taking her by the hand, he drew her back toward the elevator to his upstairs office. She pulled him to a stop. Brushing a hand along the length she could see outlined under his pants, she lifted one eyebrow. “Isn’t there something here that needs immediate attention?’

Prince groaned. ‘Upstairs. Now.’ Pulling sharply, he kept her beside him while marching toward the elevator. ‘We can start in here, and finish in my office.’

‘Your office?’

‘You’ll see. You know, you have a bad memory. We were just there last week…’ Prince winked, hoping he’d jog her memory with one of his new favorites.