After getting lost for about thirty minutes (even using a GPS), I finally found Melissa’s neighborhood. It was in a gated community where every lawn was perfectly maintained and trees grew greener and taller than in any other neighborhood I had ever seen (which, admittedly, weren’t many).
When I saw the house number, I drove up on the driveway and set the parking brake. I took a deep breath, clenching the steering wheel in my fingers. I took deep breaths, and eventually, my grip loosened on the steering wheel. I nearly felt brave enough to go in, but I needed a moment or two more. I had gotten overly stressed when I had gotten lost earlier, and I was also stressed by moving in with someone who I didn’t know very well.
I closed my eyes.
Finally, I turned my keys to the left, yanking them out of the ignition, unlocked the doors on my car, and stepped out onto the driveway, slamming the door shut after me. Under the shade of the black night, with crickets chirping in my ears and the frigid night air freezing my bones, I looked Melissa’s home up and down.
“Wow…” I whispered, a white puff of air blowing out of my mouth as I did so.
She had a beautiful garden out front--gorgeous, green grass, colorful rose bushes, and an ash tree as tall as her roof. The house itself was two stories high--the face of it was blue, and the roof was pink. I smiled. The color combination was pretty--it made me happy. I knew she must have even more money than I thought she did if she could afford a registered artist to come by and paint her house.
I pulled my shirt down and pulled my pants up, making sure that I looked as put-together as possible, and then marched up the driveway and knocked on Melissa’s front door.
My heart leapt. I hoped that I had the right house--it would be so awkward if a stranger opened it.
One…
Two…
Three…
I counted, and then the door swung open, and there stood Melissa. She looked stunning--her black curls hung softly over her narrow shoulders, and she was wearing simpler clothes than she was earlier in the day. Just a pair of blessedly, tight jeans and a low-cut tank top.
Cherri once told me that women who wear necklaces with low-cut shirts are usually trying to draw the eyes of someone they like to their breasts. Melissa was wearing a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant that was nestled nicely between her… shapely bosom. I stared at it for a moment, enthralled, and then managed to tears my eyes away.
Melissa wrapped her arms around me. “It’s great to see you, Kay! Can I help you bring your stuff in?”
I shook my head. “No, I can get it. I’ll be right back.”
I headed back to my car and retrieved my single suitcase. I would have to come back for the potted lilies, which was one of my only other items other than the clothes on my back. At the front door, I asked Melissa, “Where should I put my things?”
Melissa’s hand disappeared into her bushy curls, scratching her head with a sheepish smile. “You can put it in my room or the guest room. Whichever you like.”
My cheeks went red. This was a big choice. I wanted to share a room with her badly, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to share a room with her. I wanted what I wanted, however, and my words left my mouth before I could think them through. “How about your room?”
Melissa couldn’t control the joyful, excited expression on her face. She shifted from foot-to-foot coyly, and then cleared her throat awkwardly. “Sounds great. I’d really like to help take the rest of your stuff in for you. Do you have anything else?” Melissa asked again.
My suitcase was heavy, and I was feeling incredibly exhausted for some reason. I suppose it was because I had stayed up late, gotten up early, and I was… overstimulated from all the stressful interactions I had had with Melissa and Dr. Green earlier and the fact that I was moving in with a woman who at once seemed very familiar, and at the same time was nearly a stranger. My stomach was in knots, and I hoped that letting her take in my lilies would untie some of those knots.
“There’s a pot of lilies in the back. Could you take it in for me?” I asked her.
Melissa nodded. “Of course. My bedroom is on the second floor to the right.”
Melissa walked out to my car while I entered her home and hauled my suitcase inside. My senses were overwhelmed by the fact that I was entering a very wealthy house. The tile floor was spotless, the furniture was a vibrant orange (and a matching set). It had an interesting, futuristic design to it. The walls were covered with solar system wallpaper--telling me that Melissa was an even greater lover of science than I thought. I found myself charmed, yet intimidated by it. The staircase was… furry. White and furry to be specific. I wanted to take my shoes off so I could discover whether it was soft or not. I resisted for now, continuing my way up the stairs to the second floor.
The second floor was as spotless as the first. She must be able to afford a maid… I thought to myself as I whistled aloud.
The rug beneath my feet was embroidered with the solar system and was otherwise a very earthy shade. I gasped at how much gorgeous it was. It must have been made by a government-approved artist. I headed down the hall to the right, my stomach becoming more and more unknotted as I went.
Something about this place felt like… home.
I was glad that Melissa’s room was already cracked open, it saved me from having to put my suitcase down.I pushed the door the rest of the way open with my hip, and then stepped inside. Her bedroom walls were painted a deep shade of blue, and her ceiling was painted with stars and a moon. I put my suitcase down, my heart thudding.
I stared at the wonderful ceiling, enamored by the ceiling.
A minute passed, and then I padded across her fluffy, white carpet and into her closet where I cracked open my suitcase and began unpacking my clothes. Once I had finished, I was glad to see Melissa had a few extra hangars in her spacious closet, which I used to hand up my few articles of clothing.
I heard the patter of footsteps climbing up the stairs and assumed it was Melissa. I headed out to the hall to help her with the lilies, but she was doing fine. She was smiling as she walked past me with the lilies in hand. “These are so beautiful, Kay! Are they for me?”
My face fell. I wanted to keep them all to myself, but I saw no reason to say that they weren’t for her. We could share them regardless since we lived together. I nodded. “Yep! They’re for you. I bought them to celebrate our new life together!”
Melissa blushed as I followed her into the bedroom. She placed the pot of lilies on her dresser and then sat on her bed with a yawn. “I’m kind of tired. Maybe we should go to bed.”
My cheeks went beet-red.
“Sure, just let me lock up my car and then I’ll be back.” I told her hastily.
I rushed the stairs and took a deep breath at the bottom of them. I clasped a hand to my thumping heart. I couldn’t deny how much I wanted her--I knew that I would end up sleeping with her--even if I knew it was reckless. I hadn’t made love since Cherri died, and Melissa had captivated me both physically and mentally, after all.
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