The Mix Up, page 8
“That sounds pretty. What’s it like?” Mika asks.
“It’s nice. The house I’m in is right by the water so I get to walk along the water every day. Plus, I got away from the Miami heat.”
“Oh, you’ll have to send me the Airbnb info. Maybe I’ll book that place for my next vacation,” Tessa says, and I smile.
“Actually, it’s not an Airbnb anymore.”
“Oh, are you the last booking?”
“No, not quite.”
I fill them in on how there was a mix up with the booking and that Yates is letting me stay with him since the hotels are all booked for the week.
“Is he hot?” Delilah asks right away, and I grin.
I knew one of the girls would ask and I can feel my cheeks flushing. That tells them the answer without me having to say a word and the girls all cheer.
“He is!” Emery cheers and I laugh.
“He really is,” I confirm.
“You should proposition him. Just like the girl in the book,” Delilah says, holding up her own copy of this month’s book.
“I kind of already did,” I admit.
Everyone squeals and cheers and I just laugh.
“Oh my gosh! That’s so cute! It’s like you’re in a romance book of your own!” Emery says.
“Your very own meet cute!” Mika adds and I smile.
“Kind of,” I say, but I know that’s not necessarily true.
I mean we only slept with each other one night. Maybe that was enough for him and he’s going to break it off with me.
I haven’t talked to Yates all day and I’m not sure how to react after last night. Are things going to be weird or tense now? Does he want to do it again? Oh god, was I bad in bed?
The conversation turns to Mika and then one by one we catch up with everyone else. I listen and try to pay attention to what’s going on in everyone’s lives, but I can’t stop wondering where Yates is and what he’s doing right now.
Eventually, we get around to discussing the book and I smile. It’s always the last thing to be talked about and I kind of love that. The book club is more of a support group and a friend thing and I really need that. Especially right now.
The meeting ends after another hour and Yates still isn’t home so I make myself a sandwich and climb the stairs to my room. I plug my phone and iPad in to charge for the night and get ready for bed. I’m not really tired yet but I don’t know what to do with myself. I guess I thought Yates would be back home by now and maybe we could have another night together, but I guess that isn’t going to happen.
I try not to be disappointed or nervous as I tug on my pajamas and I am about to crawl into bed when I hear the front door open. My heart takes off in my chest, beating out of control, and I hold my breath as I hear Yates’ footsteps coming up the stairs.
TEN
Yates
I had been worried things would be awkward the morning after, but I guess I didn’t need to. By the time I woke up in her bed, she was long gone. Her side of the bed was cold so I knew she must have left a while ago.
I had gotten up and tried not to be disappointed that she left without waking me up. I got up, got dressed, and did some work but when she wasn’t back by late afternoon, I knew I needed to get out. Every sound from outside had me distracted, wondering if she’s finally home.
I don’t know why I’m so disappointed that she’s gone or why I’m so wrapped up in this girl. I barely know her after all.
But that isn’t true, is it? She knows you better than most people do and it’s only been a week since she got here.
I’m not sure how to feel about that. I stare at my computer screen, willing myself to push thoughts of her aside and get back to work but I can’t. I just keep staring at the chair in the corner of my office, the one that she always makes herself at home in. It’s even starting to smell like her and I take a deep breath before I push to my feet and wander aimlessly out of my office.
I need to clear my head.
I just don’t know how to do that.
I guess I could go for a walk on the beach or maybe take a drive through town, but I know both of those things would only remind me more of Arlowe.
So instead, I call Arlo to see if he wants to grab dinner. He answers on the second ring, and I relax as I hear the smile in his voice.
“Hey, man. It’s been a long time,” he says, and I roll my eyes.
“I just saw you yesterday,” I remind him.
“Yeah, but like barely.”
“Right, well that’s why I’m calling you now. Want to grab dinner or something tonight?” I ask him.
“Sure. I have plans later but I can meet you now for a quick bite if you want. Where are we going?”
“Wherever you want. I don’t really know the area as well as you,” I remind him.
“Alright, how about The Blue Plate? It’s in Lilac Harbor so we can avoid some of the traffic that’s coming over to Maple Bend.”
“Okay. When?”
“I can leave in about twenty minutes. Meet you there in like half an hour?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
We hang up and I climb up the stairs to change my clothes. I actually made quite a dent in my work today and I should be able to finish up the book that I’m working on in the next two or three days.
I almost wish I had more work to do. Then I could buckle down.
I take a quick shower and pull on clean clothes before I google the restaurant for directions, grab my keys, and head out the door.
The Blue Plate isn’t far from my house and when I pull into the parking lot, I don’t see Arlo or his car so I stay put. I’m a few minutes early anyway.
I wonder if I should have left Arlowe a note. Maybe I should bring her back something to eat. It’s already after five now so she must be getting hungry. I wonder if she’s already back home or if she’s still at work.
I see Arlo’s car pull up next to mine so I climb out.
“Hey,” he greets me.
He claps me on the shoulder as we turn and climb up the front porch steps to the restaurant.
The Blue Plate is a two-story casual dining place that’s situated right on the water. I follow Arlo up to the hostess stand and since we’re kind of early for the dinner rush, we’re seated right away.
“How have you been?” he asks me as we take our seats and look over the menu.
“Pretty good.”
“Is your little houseguest still there?”
“Yeah.”
I set my menu down and he does the same.
“I thought that she was getting a hotel room or something. Isn’t that what you said?”
“Yeah, but I changed my mind,” I mumble.
To be honest, I had kind of forgotten about her moving to a hotel once the festival was over. Now I can’t imagine her not humming around the house or dragging me outside and off on adventures.
“Anything that you want to talk about?” Arlo asks, giving me a knowing smile.
I’m saved from having to answer by our waitress coming over.
“Can I get you two something to drink?” she asks, and we both grab a beer.
She heads off to grab those and Arlo aims his gaze back on me.
“So, you and the female Arlo, huh?” he asks with a grin, and I wince.
“Let’s not call her the female Arlo.”
“What do you call her?” he asks with a laugh, and I shrug.
“Arlowe.”
“That’s not weird?”
“Not really because when I’m talking about her with you, it’s obvious that we’re talking about her. Unless you’ve started to refer to yourself in the third person?”
“No, not yet.”
I laugh as the waitress sets our beers down and takes our order. Arlo and I both get the bacon cheeseburger.
Once the waitress is gone and it’s just the two of us again, Arlo is right back on me.
“What do you call her in bed?” he asks, and I roll my eyes. “Oh, don’t give me that! I can tell that you’ve slept with her.”
“How?” I ask and he waves at me.
“You’re glowing.”
“Oh my God,” I groan and he smirks at me.
“No, but really there is something different about you. You look… I don’t know, happy.”
“I am happy,” I try to argue but he shakes his head.
“No, you’re not. You’re usually stoic or a million miles away. It’s like you were existing but now you’re living life. I’m glad that she was able to wake you up.”
“Me too,” I admit quietly as the waitress comes back over with our burgers.
We both dig in and I ask him how he’s doing. He tells me about working at the bar and then the conversation turns to his girlfriend, Iris.
“She’s amazing, man. So smart and pretty.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“She says the same.”
“How’s the pregnancy going?” I ask as I take a sip of my beer.
“Pretty rough.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She’s got really bad morning sickness and she’s so tired. We’re hoping it passes once she’s in the second trimester.”
“And you said that she owns the antique store in Destiny Falls?”
“Yeah. Blast From The Past Antiques.”
“Is she still running that right now?”
“Yeah, for the most part. I’ve been helping out where I can but some days, she’s just so miserable that she can’t go in.”
“What did the doctors say about her morning sickness?”
“That it was kind of natural for this stage. They’re hopeful that it will pass in a few weeks too. If not, then she might have hyperemesis gravidarum.”
“That’s the extreme morning sickness, right?”
“Yeah, and that tends to last all nine months.”
“That would suck.”
“I know. She already goes through like a bag of those pregnancy pops a week. I’ve started buying them in bulk. It sucks to watch her go through that though. I wish I could make it go away.”
“Did you ever think that we would be here when we were kids?” Arlo asks and I laugh.
“Absolutely not.”
Arlo and I met in middle school. We were both driven and I wasn’t surprised when he joined wall street after college. He was a broker for about seven years before he had enough. He wanted to slow down and enjoy life.
I was halfway around the world, on a trip to Germany with the company that I was working for at the time when he retired and moved to Destiny Falls. I kept promising him that I would come visit but it took almost a year before I did it.
By then, I was tired of traveling and being close to no one and was ready for a change too. Now I get to see Arlo whenever I want and still do something that I like and that I’m good at.
We finish off our burgers and he gets a call from Iris.
“I’ll be right back,” he says, and I wave him off.
“I’ll talk to you later. Go take care of your girl.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll talk to you later.”
I wave at him as he weaves his way through the tables and not long after, our waitress drops off the check. I pay it and leave a tip on the table before I head out too.
Arlowe’s car is in the driveway when I get home and I head inside. The lights downstairs are all off so I climb upstairs to find her.
“Hey, there you are!”
“Yeah, I went out to dinner with my friend.”
“Ah, the male Arlowe.”
“Not you too,” I groan and she looks at me in confusion. “He was calling you the female Arlo at dinner.”
She laughs at that and I smile.
“I meant to text you and see if you wanted me to grab you anything for dinner but I don’t have your number.”
“I know. I thought about that this morning when I got to work.”
She passes me her phone and I type my number in. I hit send and call myself before I end the call and pass it back to her.
“I’m going to take a shower. I need to wash off some of the sawdust,” she says with a small laugh. “They put in the last of the shelves today.”
“That’s exciting. So is the remodel done then?”
“Yeah, I just need to set up all of the paint and pieces.”
I nod and follow after her up the stairs. She disappears into her bedroom and I walk past and head into my own room. I lie down on the bed and listen as the water turns on in the next room. I try not to picture Arlowe naked, with soap running down her curvy body.
I fail miserably.
By the time the water turns off, I’m hard as a rock and dying to be with my little sunshine.
I climb off of bed and take off down the hallway to her bedroom door. As I knock, I realize that once again, I went to her first.
Maybe I should have waited to see if she came to me.
Too late now though.
“About time,” Arlowe says as she opens the door and I grin.
“You should have invited me to join you in the shower.”
She pulls me into her room and I crash against her. The towel is already starting to come undone and I want to yank it away from her perfect body. I want to feast my eyes on her sweet curves.
Before I can do any of that, she steps into me.
Her hands trail down my chest until they get to my belt buckle. I shudder under her touch and she smiles. She must like the effect she has on me.
She rests her hands on the button of my jeans for a beat and the anticipation of what’s about to happen is almost too much for me. My cock is already hard and standing at attention, begging for her hand or pussy to wrap around it.
She looks up at me, her green eyes glowing in the low light. She looks like a little minx with the mischievous glint in her eyes and my heart kicks against my ribs. She finally undoes my jeans and opens my pants, spreading them as wide as the zipper will go. She grips the waistband of my jeans and starts to pull them down.
I help her pull them and my boxers down and reach for my shirt. When I pull it over my head, she drops to her knees.
I swear, I almost come right there and then.
My eyes stay locked on her as she places a kiss on my hip before licking her way over to my dick. It’s standing straight up and precum is already leaking from the tip. My cock is way too excited about how close her mouth is getting to it.
My whole body tenses as I feel her warm breath fan over the tip. I watch as her tongue darts out and licks up some of the liquid pumping from my cock.
Knowing that I’m the first man to ever have his dick this close to her perfect mouth has me ready to bust and I grit my teeth to stop from coming.
She moans at the first taste before her mouth opens wide and she takes my tip into her mouth. Her wet heat surrounds me, and I bite back a curse.
She licks and sucks up and down my length, taking more and more of me with each pass. Soon I can feel my cock hitting the back of her throat and I moan at the sensation.
She can only take about half of me but that’s fine with me. Her hand comes up and massages my balls before it wraps around the half of my dick that she can’t fit into her mouth.
Looking down at Arlowe with her mouth stuffed full of my cock, her handing jerking me off, is the hottest thing that I have ever seen and I’m close to coming already. She takes me deep and moans around my length and the sensation is too much.
“Fuck, Arlowe,” I moan as my free hand tangles in her hair.
I’m so close to coming but I want her to come too, so before I can bust down her throat, I step back and reach for her.
She pouts as I pull her to her feet, and I pull her against me.
“Need you,” I tell her, and she nods.
It takes nothing for me to tug on her slipping towel and then she’s naked in record time and I grab the back of her thighs. She jumps, wrapping her arms around my neck. She kisses me as I turn and pin her against the nearest wall.
“Ready for me, sunshine?” I ask and she nods.
I line myself up with her entrance and thrust into her in one smooth move. We both groan as we join together.
“It feels so much deeper this way,” she moans, and I nod.
“Wait until I take you from behind.”
“Okay,” she says eagerly.
Her green eyes are dilated, and I can see the lust swirling in their depths as I start to move.
I grip her legs firmer as I fuck her hard against the wall. She’s clinging to me, her arms and legs wrapping tighter and tighter around me with each thrust. I can feel her body coiling tauter with each movement and I know she’s close to coming.
I run my lips down her throat and nip at her shoulder and she goes off like a firework.
“Oh, God! Yates!” she screams and I keep moving as she comes all over my cock.
My thrusts slow and I look into her dazed eyes.
“Ready for me to take you from behind?”
She nods quickly and I carry her over to the bed. I lay her down and kiss her slowly as I pull out of her. She hurries to roll onto her stomach and I pull on her hips until she’s kneeling before me.
She’s drenched from her first orgasm, and I slide in easily.
“Oh! Oh! Oh!” she screams as I sink all the way inside of her.
“Yeah,” I grit out.
Jesus Christ, she’s so tight. So hot and wet. I’m not going to last long.
I pick up a frenzied pace, pounding into her like an animal. I can feel the familiar tingles racing down my spine. I reach around her hip, my fingers finding her slick clit, and I run my fingers over that little button until she’s coming all over my dick once again.
This time I come with her. I spill inside of her and my eyes roll back in my head as I feel her cunt milking the cum from my cock.
“Fuck, Arlowe,” I pant, and she giggles as she rolls over onto her back.
“I liked that,” she says quietly, and I nod.
“Me too.”
She holds her hand out to me and I join her on the bed. She rolls onto her side, resting her head on my chest and I wrap my arms around her.
I’ve never been much of a cuddler but being with Arlowe like this feels right.
