Becoming a Couple

He looked up while patting the couch next to him, "Come on, the movie is starting. Tomorrow we'll get you something that fits you better, to keep here."

She stared at him a moment, mulling over his comment and sitting down next to him thought to herself, "Tomorrow is a holiday, neither of us has to go to work, and since no one cares if I come home I'll relax and enjoy his company."

The movie ended and they started to watch another one when he got up, "Hon, you find a new movie, I'm going in the other room a moment and start the shower!"

He walked in and started to rummage through the hall closet saying, "I just have to find one thing and then we can shower!" Rummaging around he finally produced a small box, still wrapped and announced, "Soap! I fount it!" He turned to her holding up the box and smiled at her, seemingly very pleased with himself.

She smiled at him and laughingly said, "You were missing soap?"

"Nope, this is the soap I wanted for you when I said we would come here and shower...and I promise, no hanky panky in the shower!" He grinned at her and added, "One standing performance was enough for us...next time it is straight comfort."

She was so stunned by his candor she couldn't speak and sat there laughing, "Fine! As long as you said no hanky panky a shower sounds great...uh...and so does the 'no more standing performance'."

He grinned at her as he held out his hand, "Liar, you loved that standing performance!"

He was still rubbing his arm where she had just playfully punched him as the entered the large bathroom, off the bedroom. Handing her the scented soap he said, "Okay honey, you go first, because if I join you I don't think I'll keep my hands off you! I'll sit here and chat with you." He proceeded to take off his clothes, put them in the bedroom and returned naked, sitting down cross-legged on the thick bathroom carpet.

She stood there for a moment, took a deep breath and said, "Be right back!" She returned with a towel wrapped around her, stepped in the shower, pulled the curtain and then threw the towel over the top of the curtain rod.

"NOT FAIR!" he yelled and laughed, "And this from a women I had bent over my desk only about 6 hours ago...modesty, now?"

He was met with a wet washcloth being thrown at his chest and the curtain closing again. "Darn you're a mean woman!" He threw the washcloth back over the curtain rod; and he knew, by her laughter, he hit his target.

"So how is the soap I've been saving until I met you?"

Innocently she replied, "Oh I'm using the regular soap...was I supposed to use that other soap?"

"You better be using that other soap after I pulled half the closet apart finding it for you!" They both laughed as the shower turned off. The towel again disappeared and she stepped out in front of him fully wrapped in the towel saying, "Shower is all yours."

He stood up wrapping his arms around her and pulled her close, "Ahhh, now you're nice and clean and it's my turn...but damn, you feel nice to hug." He nuzzled her hair and kissed the top of her head as she snuggled in against him. Pulling himself away he said, "Okay enough of this hugging. Here is where the hairdryer is, and just dig around and you'll find everything you need, I'm jumping in the shower!"

She was drying her hair while he told her about the ranch he would purchase next year and seemed to have it well thought out as he went on, "So then I will work out of the ranch office and only come in to the city on Mondays for meetings...Hey! What do you think about living on a ranch...ever think about it?"

She had never even thought about dating again, much less moving to a ranch and stammered, "Uh...well not really, but then I never thought I'd be getting divorced."

He smiled to himself as he replied, "Well that's because you were destined to live on a ranch and we wouldn't have room for your husband, except to clean the stables, so you have to get divorced."

The thought suddenly seemed nice to her, seeing her ex clean the stables for them, but she shook that thought from her mind and continued drying her hair. He waited a few more moments for her reply and repeated, "Well you didn't answer, what do you think about living on a ranch?"

He heard her sigh and finally after a few more moments she answered, "I just met you and never thought about a ranch, much less living on one...there, okay, you're now answered, satisfied?"

He chuckled, "Wrong answer! But that's okay, we can work on it. Oh, you can dig through the bedroom dresser and pick what you want to wear to sleep."

She sounded irritated, as she replied, "I never said I was staying over!"

"Oh yes, that's correct! Would you please stay with me? ...and try a better answer than the ranch one!"

As she walked into his bedroom she called over her shoulder, "I'll think about staying over...it depends on if you have something I like to wear." She walked out and started looking for something...anything...since there was no way she was leaving him.

She had settled on a soft blue t-shirt to wear that came to above her knees and walked back to the den to watch television. A few moments later she heard him calling her to the bedroom, "Hey, where you are, come back in here please?" She walked to the door and he was already in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin, grinning at her, "Hey, come on under the covers...aren't you the slightest bit curious if I sleep in the raw?"

She approached the bed hesitantly, not quite sure if he was naked, when he suddenly flipped back the covers yelling, "Surprise! Gotcha! You thought I was stark ass naked!"

She laughed, surprised to see he was indeed wearing the bottom half to a set of blue pajamas. He patted the mattress next to him, "Come on in, I even warmed up your half of the bed." He watched her as she slowly lowered herself next to him. He bundled her in the covers, with him hugging her tight to his body, tucked her head on the crook of his shoulder and said, "Do you need me to tell you a bed-time story, sing a lullaby, or can you fall asleep tucked in my arms?"

Her voice was low as she answered, "I think I am quite comfortable."

He smiled at the sound of her voice and whispered, "Good, then lets sleep, and tomorrow we can cook breakfast and get something for you to wear...uh that's okay, right? You still want to see me after tonight, right?"

She heard the insecurity in his voice and felt a strange feeling in her heart that she thought she wouldn't feel again...compassion. She hugged him close to her, running her fingers through his hair and said, "From the moment I walked into your office, I've wanted to be with you, and I do want to be with you tomorrow, even if it means cooking breakfast for you."

He smiled into her eyes and whispered, "Thank you for that."

They drifted into sleep together--held secure from their first day of meeting as strangers--to holding each other as a couple.

bigpapabare@2005