Minnelli Love Stories

Intoxicating

Two weeks later
Ice Cliff, Colorado

Jai didn't flake on Greyson knowingly. Her grandmother was sick, and she'd volunteered to watch after her while her mother was gone to do her shift at the diner. She twisted her lips at his text before sending a weak ass sorry. She wouldn't even lie and say that she wasn't running from the mysterious green-eyed man. She was. But watching her grandmother was her cop out. Shameful really.

But right now, she sat inside of her studio and molded the handmade moisturizer with a cute tune in her head.

"Jai! You have a visitor!" her grandmother weakly called her from the back porch. Her white hair blew in the gentle wind and a shawl was thrown over her shoulders carelessly.

It ain't nobody but Old Man Jenkins, she thought quickly. "Send him back!" she was restoring his 1975 GT Mustang and making a stained-glass window for the church he used to be pastor of. Jai always made sure to keep the shed locked, except the days she knew she could work on it uninterrupted.

Deep in her thoughts, she doesn't even realize that Greyson had perched himself on her back counter with a smile. "Smells like cocoa butter and sugar in here."

"What...how did you get in here?" she wants to frown but a smile graced her face just like his.

"You gave me permission... what are you doing?"

"I thought it was a customer." She sighs instead. "Making moisturizers while waiting on the glass." She points to the melted material behind them. "What do you want?"

"You." He couldn't help himself. Jai swivels around with a lifted eyebrow and hands full of moisturizer. "Nah, I just wanted to see you since you blew off the date."

"And in my defense, I told you that something came up. I did not blow you off!" she cleans her hands with a towel. Greyson swings his long legs from the counter in amusement. "Get out. I'm done for the day."

"Gimme one of those things bruh. My shit ashy." He grabs a small tub and places it on his hands. "You should try to sell this shit." The product is instantly silky on his hands.

"I do. Now run me five dollars." She opens her hand to expect payment.

"You serious?"

"Run me my money, Grey. I'm not playing with you...took me days to get that to the right consistency."

The smirk on his face is priceless. "I don't carry small bills. I have a hunnit though." Her face turns red. "Thank ya kindly."

She turns from him and puts on a leather apron with gloves and safety glasses and turns the melted material carefully. "If you're going to be in here distracting me, you need on an apron." Her head tilts to the small pile of aprons to her left. Greyson grabs one quickly, along with glasses as well.

"You from Ice Cliff?"

"You weren't listening the last time we were together. I told you I was born and raised in these rugged mountains." Her skill and focus did not stop her from listening to Greyson's questions. "And I'm the only child. You know this." Her hazel brown and green eyes stared back at him seriously.

"I just like listening to you." His shrug is honest, sexy even. He watches Jai pour the liquid carefully into the spaces created where it will dry into glass.

"Gotta be quick now, don't want it to start hardening before I get the color right."

"What are you making?"

"Stained glass for a church in town. A better question is, how did you find my house? We're off the grid for a reason." She is undressing from glassmaking and watches him carefully.

Greyson wonders should he tell the truth or lie. "I followed you."

"What? Get out. You crazy as fuck. Get out." Her reaction is reasonable but what else did he see when he followed her.

She pushed him with all she had out of the door. Though her body is smaller than Greyson's she was still very strong.

"Chill, Jai. Chill...I just wanted to make sure you got home safe."

"Nah muhfucka. I texted you that I was safe, and you responded. That was proof enough."

"You right. And I wanted to make sure for myself. I'll do it again too." Greyson shrugged his shoulders again. The air is crisp and cold around them. Snow was near.

Jai doesn't respond but instead makes her way to the house. "That's invasion of privacy and I would like it if you didn't do it again." She conceals her anger. "Hot chocolate?"

"Nah, I'm headed back to work in a bit." His timbs are heavy on the wooden porch. "I had a good time today."

"Yeah, being in my way." she says seriously. And then her face splits into a big smile. She watches him get in his car and drive away from the front porch.

"I know that face. Your mother looked like that over your father all those years ago, Jai." Her grandmother smirks playfully. "Before he died."

Instantly her smile faded. "Grams, please. Not today." Jai goes to the back and showers before starting lunch.

A week later

Jai sat in the cabin themed restaurant in Denver, watching Greyson order his food after her. The snow moved around slowly outside. Suddenly his green eyes searched her face.

"Finally. I have you all to myself."

"Dramatics are so unbecoming of you." She rolls her eyes. "But, to answer your previous question before we were interrupted, I am done with the stained glass. After working nonstop."

"That's cool. I shared my moisturizer with my sisters-in-law." Greyson admits. "They want more."

"I guess that could be arranged at a later date. I'm sold out." She admits with a drink of water. "I'm glad they liked it."

"Look at my shit, Jai! I'm ashy as fuck. You gotta hurry up."

"I would hurry up if you got me the materials to make it. they're expensive." She is playfully baiting him. "Besides I need time to do such. Surely, you'd want me to do my best if this such a big order."

"Stop fucking with me, Jai. You know you got time." He calls her out. "Please." His green eyes dance in the dim lighting.

"Since you said it so nicely. I can have a new private shipment for them. How many sisters-in-law do you have?"

"Three. And what other products do you have? Sierra is curious."

"I have scrubs, sugars and butters in three scents. I typically like when customers get the same scent for each, that makes it easier on how to plan for material purchase." She watches him. "What else?"

"I have a vacation coming up, to Miami, so I won't see you until like January." He continues. "That's why I wanted to have another date with you before the holidays. But you had other shit going on."

"Oh...okay. That's fine." Her eyes shift. Plenty time to finish my other car restoration projects, she thinks. "And shut up. I was watching my grandmother for my mom."

Far too defensive, he thinks.

After the date is over, Jai allows Greyson to follow to her home. he knew where it was anyway. He got out and sat on his car hood.

"You can go home!" she waves at him from halfway down the well-lit path. Greyson shakes his head at her.

"I can't get a good night kiss?" he asks. He could see her grandmother watching from her bedroom window. Jai didn't know but walks toward him anyway.

Instinctively, her arms link around his neck and his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Their noses butterfly kiss, sparks taking over the situation. Their lips touch. Greyson taps her lips for permission, Jai eagerly opens. The warm cocoon burns their skin just right.

A small scream came from her grandmother's bedroom window.

She pulls back first. "Good night, Greyson." Her face is beat red.

He doesn't respond but instead watches her walk to the porch and into the house before he pulls off, back up the mountain. His home isn't that cold anymore.