Lulu's Loves (11 page)

“Come on, Lulu. Let’s go for a ride!” Thom said, loudly.

“That was one of the most special things I’ve ever experienced. That man, Mr. Meers, he was happy.” I felt tears sting my eyes. “You made an old man happy, and his daughter happier.”

“I love your heart, Lulu,” he said, and reached over to wipe a tear.

We drove all around Savannah, grabbing a bite to eat at a little place far off the main drag. It was a hidden gem; an old Victorian home converted into an eatery. There was only a small crowd when we entered. The waitress found us a table and returned with two filled glasses and a basket with a variety of mini muffins.

“Mint Tea Punch,” she said. “These are bran raisin, blueberry, sweet potato, pineapple, and this one is cranberry. I’ll give you a minute.”

“This is good! Minty, citrusy sweet tea, I’ve never had anything like it before.” I took a knife and cut the muffin that she said was pineapple in half.  “Oh my. That’s good.”

I noticed that Thom was watching me.

“What?” I asked, taking the napkin to wipe my mouth, in case I had something on my face.

“Nothing. I just like to look at you, Lulu.”

It made me uncomfortable. “Have you been here before? Because if you haven’t, how on earth did we stumble on this place?” I asked, as I glanced over the menu.

“I’ve been here. Someone told me about it when I was here once before.”

There must have been a questioning look on my face.

“Don’t do that, Lulu.”

“What?” I looked up.

He immediately added, “I was alone.”

“You don’t have to say things like that. I’m not a jealous person. Our pasts are behind us,” I replied.

“I know you wonder. I will tell you things the more we’re together, not because I feel like I have to, because I want you to know me, Lulu.”

“I want to know you.”

“The Savannah Crab Stew is good,” he said. I noticed the waitress approach.

“That sounds good.”

“Two bowls of the crab stew, and a zucchini and tomato wrap cut in half please,” Thom told the waitress.

“So?” he said, turning to look at me. “What’s the plan for the evening?”

“You said you’d make the plans. I’m in your hands.”

He waggled his eyebrows. I squirmed, remembering yesterday.

“We’ll go out for a bit-another walk along River Street. We’ll have a drink somewhere, and a bite to eat somewhere else. And then, we’ll head back to the room.”

I blushed and he grinned.

We went to the room and freshened up before we walked down to River Street. From one end to the other there was something going on. We had a cocktail at the same pub we’d been to the night before. Later, we made our way up the street. We stopped at another place at the other end of the chaos and had another drink. When we turned to head back, we stepped into Huey’s on the River.

Thom ordered drinks. I was already feeling mellow and a little tipsy. We began looking over the menu.

“I haven’t had them, but I hear the red beans and rice is really good.”

I peeked at him over the top of the menu. He laughed.

“There will be no beans,” I said.

“Huh?” he questioned. “It’s one of their specialties.”

“No beans, your plate or mine. No beans.” At last, he realized what I was insinuating.

Suddenly, he was attempting to contain a big belly laugh, and then I started to giggle.

“Stop it or they’ll ask us to leave,” I said, between body shaking giggles.

The waitress approached and Thom just laughed harder. She just looked at him. Finally, I put my head down on the table because I knew I was going to start laughing harder.

“Sorry. Sorry,” he said. “She just said something, so surprising, that I lost it.” He pulled it together, sitting up straighter in the chair, attempting to keep a straight face.

I peeked and the waitress was laughing. “Want me to come back?” she asked.

He nodded. “In just a minute, so we get ourselves back on track,” he said, but I heard the gurgle of laughter he was trying to contain.

When she walked away, I raised my head. I could see those around us stealing glances, wondering what on earth had us so tickled. I sat up straight, smoothed my napkin on my lap, and took a sip of water.

“I’m good,” I said.

“Yes. Yes, you are,” he said with a ‘chk’ and a wink, and I started to giggle again.

He waved the waitress over, as I put my head down once again. He rose and pulled his wallet from his pocket. He handed her some cash.

“We can’t keep it together, and we don’t want to disturb the other guests.” He reached for my elbow and helped me up, leading me to the door. We got to the street and both of us were laughing like idiots.

“It wasn’t that funny! But watching you trying to keep from laughing out loud killed me!” I snorted.

“And your face as you tried not to laugh–my God, your cheeks were puffed out. I was afraid if you didn’t laugh, you’d blow! Oh, how I love you, Lulu.”

He grabbed me in a hug, lifting me off my feet to kiss me. “Let’s go order room service,” he whispered in my ear.

“This is a much better idea anyway,” he said after he’d placed our order. “I don’t have to share you with anyone. I wish we could stay a week. I’ll hate seeing you leave.”

“I don’t want to think about it yet,” I told him.

“I don’t think I can explain how much I’m enjoying this time with you.”

“I feel the same way.” I looked down, thinking. “I’m afraid about all of this.”

“The distance?” he asked, as though he knew my thoughts.

I nodded.

“If you want it to work, we will make it work.”

“What do you mean, if I want to?”

“I already know that I have the will and there will be a way. I’m not sure what you want, Lulu. You have to tell me.”

“You. I want you, Thom.”

There was a knock at the door. Thom opened it and a young man with a pizza was waiting on the other side. When he returned, Thom grabbed a bottle of wine from the collection on the counter and opened it, pouring us each a glass.

“St. Augustine,” he said while we ate. “It’s a place I’ve never been. I’ve read about it, read of places I want to explore there. We can go there. I can stop in Jacksonville and meet your dad, and then we can go to St. Augustine.”

Meet my dad…

“I’d like that.”

“Soon, Lulu.”

He set the pizza box aside and poured more wine in our glasses. He took my hand and led me to the sofa. I sat beside him. There was no conversation, just quiet. I wondered what he was thinking.

I leaned closer and slipped my hand to the back of his head, drawing him close. “Penny for your thoughts,” I whispered in his ear.

“Just you, Lulu. You consume me. You have become my every waking thought. I’ve never experienced anyone like you before. You hesitate, but when you let go, it’s so freeing. You are a beautiful woman. I want you like nothing I’ve ever wanted. I need you like nothing I’ve ever needed.”

He pulled me closer, placing his lips on mine in a tender kiss. It was sweet, and then it was hot and desperate. “I want to make love with you.”

“With?” I looked in his eyes and they seemed to smile back at me.

“I want you to make love
with
me, too.”

He led me to the bed. He began to shed his clothes quickly. I did the same. Joining me, he straddled me and leaned forward to kiss me. I could feel his erection touching my stomach. I reached for him. He sucked in a breath and rolled off to my side.

“I want to touch you,” I whispered.

“Where do you want to touch, Lulu?”

“Where it pleases you most,” I answered. “Because it matters to me. I don’t want to be a selfish lover.” 

“Lulu. That’s one of the sexiest things anyone has ever said to me.”

The kiss we shared was sweet. It was romantic. I moved to straddle him, my knees at his sides. I leaned forward to kiss behind his ear. He tightened his arms around me. I wriggled free and moved to kiss his shoulder. His fingers lightly brushed my back and I could feel him getting harder. Moving to his chest, I raised up to watch his reaction. I traced feathery light circles around his nipples. At first, he seemed surprised, and then he smiled. Feeling brave, I leaned toward him and brushed his nipple with my tongue. His hands on my shoulders tightened and I looked up. His face showed pleasure, so I moved and did the same to the other nipple. He was getting harder and I flashed a smile.

“Lulu,” he whispered.

I moved to his side and lightly sucked the nipple into my mouth, running my tongue around it. When I was done, I took his hand and kissed the palm.

“Jesus, Lulu.”

At the same time, I reached for him. I heard his breathing change. He was getting anxious. He reached for my hand to guide it to his erection, moving it so that I was pleasing him. He quickened the pace and I felt his body tense. All of a sudden, I felt him touching me. He was pleasing me while I was pleasing him. I closed my eyes because I couldn’t concentrate.

“Lulu, I’m ready.” His breathless declaration excited me. Suddenly, he exploded in an orgasm as he yelled my name, “Lulu!”

At last, I was there, and shook as I had my own orgasm. All I could do was moan, I had no energy left to yell out. He pulled me to his side. I lay my head on his chest, trying to catch my breath.

We lay there, quietly for a few minutes. But we weren’t done.

“I want inside you.”

“Don’t make me beg,” I laughed, teasingly.

He kissed me and rolled me on top of him.

“Wait.” I said. It felt like panic. “I’ve never done it this way.”

“Good,” he grinned. I felt him move under me. He took my hand and helped me guide his erection into me.

“Oh my…” His hands on my hips brought me lower. I sighed as he went deeper.

“On your knees, slowly, kind of rock back and forth.”

“Thom,” I moaned his name.

I quickened my pace. He raised my hips just a little and brought them back down, showing me what he wanted me to do. It was awkward, at first. Finally I found a groove that was right for both of us. It felt good, and I threw my head back, moaning. I could tell he was about to lose it, so I moved quicker.

“Lulu!” he yelled my name.

Breathless, I rolled to his side.

He moved his hand back to me. “Now I have to make you cry out,” he said, with a devilish smile.

If I weren’t so close, I would have stopped him. I was exhausted, but I wanted what he was giving me. A moment later, my body was shaking with an orgasm like I’d never experienced. “Thom! Oh my God!” He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around me.

“Damn. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” he said kissing me.

“Me, neither.” I was wet with sweat. I was breathless.

“I told you, you would do this to me,” he said, kissing the top of my head.

“Do what?”

“Make me an addict. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” He nuzzled my neck, kissing where his lips touched.

I needed to say something funny or I knew I would cry. “You’ll just have to jack off.”

Thom roared at my comment. “Lulu, you’re adorable.” We lay wrapped in each other’s arms for a bit.

Finally, he announced, “I’m starving. Pizza?”

“Yes.”

We sat in the bed naked, eating cold pizza. I was heading home in the morning. Suddenly, I was overcome with emotion, fighting tears. Thom noticed and put his arms around me.

“I know. I don’t show it the same as you, but I feel the same way. I told you, Lulu. If you want this, we can make it happen.”

I didn’t say anything; I slipped from his arms and went to find my purse. I looked over my shoulder and saw him watching, wondering. When I found it, I took my phone and went back to the bed. I pulled up my calendar. I’d added all of the university meetings, my classes, personal commitments, and holidays. I handed it to Thom. He looked over the dates and took a screen shot of the calendar.