Lulu's Loves (12 page)

“Text that picture to me, but it’s a no brainer; Labor Day. The question is are you coming to me, or am I coming to you?”

“The pub?”

“Can manage without me. Even if you come to Kiawah, I’ll take the time off. I want every minute with you that I can get.”

“If I come to Kiawah, there’s no hotel, no eating out every meal…” I said my thoughts aloud.

“Money isn’t a concern, but I see what you’re thinking. Are you okay with being the one who’s making the road trip? I’ll come to you next time. We’ll take that weekend in St. Augustine.”

“I can be on the road by 2:30, putting me there around seven.” I felt happy. We had a plan.

Thom took my phone and put it aside. He slid down in the bed and motioned for me to join him. He pulled the covers over us and wrapped me in his arms. He kissed me behind my ear and snuggled closer. Skin on skin, I felt my heart beat a little faster. I felt myself fall in love with this man. I knew with no question that my heart beat only for Thom Miller.

I had my bags packed, ready to put in the car. I was leaving right from the university. My dad came to help finish loading the car.

“Be safe, Lulu.” He kissed my cheek and slipped something in my hand. When I looked, I found a gas card.

“You didn’t have to do that, but thank you.”

“Lulu, I know you need to hurry off to work, but I want to tell you what I’ve observed.” I cocked my head his way to hear him. “You’re happy. It’s something that I’ve wanted to see in you for a long time. I love you.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I get to Thom’s. I love you, Dad.”

It was the end of my second week at the university, and I already loved my new career. I loved sharing my love and knowledge of literature with others. I loved taking a story and breaking it into pieces to analyze what the story means, or how we interpret the writer’s intentions. I loved when the students would come to me to talk about what they’d read. But what I loved the most was reading a paper by a student who’d found a story that moved them or a writer who they connected with. 

“Ms. Welk, I’ve noticed that you are always anxious for Friday,” Professor Wynn noted as he joined me for a cup of coffee after my first class of the day.

I grinned.

“No words needed,” he chuckled.

At the end of my second class, I had a text from Thom.

Hello, beautiful. Can’t wait to put my arms around you.

I called him when I was on my way. “I just hit the interstate heading north.”

“Come straight to the pub. I’ll be waiting.”

When I arrived, I called my dad to let him know I was there. I put some fresh lipstick on and walked into the pub. I looked around. The place was packed. I made my way through the crowd to the bar.

“She’s here!” Danno yelled, banging on the bell on the bar when he spotted me. He pointed to a stool. I laughed when I noticed my name on it. I sat down and he set a glass of wine in front of me. “Sissy white.”

“Thanks,” I laughed.

The kitchen door swung open, and there he was wiping his hands on the apron wrapped around his waist. When he reached me, he pulled me to my feet and smothered me with kisses.

“Get a room,” someone yelled, causing Thom to come up for air.

“Did you miss me or something?” I laughed.

“Or something,” he said. “Are you hungry?”

“Are you cooking?”

“Flounder. It’s ready to throw in the skillet. Ten minutes tops. I’ll be right back.”

“Speedy Gonzales,” Danno laughed.

Finally, Thom returned and set two places at the bar with placemats and silverware. He nodded to Danno, who topped off my glass. Thom went back to the kitchen and returned with two plates. He set them down and ripped the apron off, tossing it on the end of the bar. Sitting on the stool beside me, he leaned in for a kiss.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey, yourself. What’s this?” I asked looking at my plate.

“Fresh caught flounder with lemon butter sauce and fried eggplant.”

“I’ve never had eggplant.”

“Local farmer had an abundance; I bartered a dinner for two for three dozen of them. Are you going to try it?” he asked, with a laugh.

I took a bite of the fish first. It tasted wonderful. A bite of the eggplant let me know that this was something I’d eat again. “It’s delicious!”

“You act surprised.”

“Never!” I laughed.

“I’m riding with you. I had Danno pick me up today so we wouldn’t have two cars,” he told me, when we got ready to leave. I handed him my keys and we headed for his place.

“Are you staying in the apartment?” he asked with a sly smile.

“Only if you are.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said once we were inside and settled. He motioned for me to join him on the sofa. He slipped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer.

“Me, too.”

“What would you like to do tomorrow?” he asked.

“Hang out with you, maybe lay on the beach.”

“All right, we’ll go to Charleston on Sunday. Tomorrow we’ll relax. Tell me when you’re ready to go to bed. You’ve had a long day.”

“I’d like to get a quick shower and wash the day away.”

He showed me around and put clean towels out for me, while I grabbed my things.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” he told me.

‘Waiting for you’ wasn’t what I expected when I came out of the bathroom, naked. I figured he’d be in the bed. “Where are you?”

“In the living room. Do you need me?” he asked. I could hear him walking toward the bedroom.

“What? Wow,” he said when he rounded the corner. “Lulu, I was going to give you tonight to rest.”

“Why?” I asked.

He reached out to touch me. “I thought you’d be tired. Jesus, Lulu. Jesus,” he said again, as his hands began to roam. “I wanted you the minute I saw you at the bar. I thought you’d be exhausted.”

“I’d never be too tired for you,” I said, stepping closer.

“You smell like love.”

“Love?” I giggled. “It’s just my body wash.”

“It smells like you. That’s love to me.” He stepped closer and kissed my shoulder. “Did I say that I’m glad you’re here?”

He led me to his bed. I lay waiting while he stripped his clothes off.

“298,” he said, as he lay down beside me.

“What?” I laughed.

“It’s been 298 hours been since I’ve held you.”

“You counted?” I laughed.

“Do you want me to tell you in minutes?” he chuckled. “I’ve missed you.” He kissed me passionately. Burying his face in my neck, I felt his breath on my skin. He kissed behind my ear and I shivered. He kissed my shoulder and held me tighter.

“I just want to hold you. Is that okay? ‘Cause I’ll make crazy love to you all night, if that’s what you want, but I don’t want you to think that’s all this is.”

I looked at him. My heart was melting into a pool of love for him. “What do you mean?” I needed his explanation.

“Lulu,” he began and took a big breath. “Love has so many different meanings: I love pizza, I love Friday, I love you, Dad. Each use means something to someone, maybe not to anyone else and that makes me nervous right now. I want to say something, and I want you to understand how I mean it. I’ve never said these words to anyone this way before.”

He paused and I felt my chest tighten with anticipation.

“No one I’ve ever met has consumed my thoughts as you have. No one has filled my dreams like you. No one has ever made me feel like I couldn’t live without them…”

Oh my God, what is happening?

“I want you every minute of the day, but it’s not just the lovemaking. While, that pops in my head quite a lot, both heads actually.” He snickered at the words, as though he needed the dose of humor to continue. “You have captured a place in my heart that I didn’t know existed.”

I rose up to look down at him. I had to see his face. I needed to look in his eyes, because you can’t hide the emotions he was pouring out. He smiled a smile that had my heart thumping like I’ve never felt before.

“I know it’s soon. I know, for a while at least, that the distance will be an obstacle that we will have to work around.” Nervously, he fidgeted with my hair. “Lulu – Louisa Welk, I love you, but it’s more, I’m in love with you, and there’s no greater feeling I’ve ever known than telling you this.”

My tears dripped onto his chest. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. I wanted this moment captured like a photograph in my mind. It seemed like a million minutes passed as I looked in his eyes to find love: real love, looking back at me. I lowered myself to kiss him. I pressed my body to his, snuggling into the warmth and love that was Thom Miller. I knew he was waiting for me to say something, but I prayed that, for just a moment, I could revel in this moment.

“I am young and inexperienced in this world sometimes…” He started to say something, but I kissed him to interrupt. “Let me finish, I have more to say. When I came to Kiawah two months ago, I came for respite. My world was about to change, how much I didn’t know when I arrived. You came along and swept me off my feet. I figured I was ready for a weekend fling.”

“I’d been alone for a long time, and the idea of wild crazy sex with an older man…” I saw him smile and my heart started thumping again. “I thought I’d be your plaything for a couple of days, or you’d be mine.” I smiled, watching him watch me. The anticipation that showed on his face, and in his eyes, made me happy.

“You squashed that dream by showing me something different. When you said you’d see me again, I couldn’t have imagined what that would come to mean. Aside from the only other man I know–really know, you showed me that I could trust you. You showed me what wild crazy sex really was.” I laughed and he pulled me to him for a kiss.

“I fell in love with you in Savannah. I love you, Thom.”

“Christ, Lulu, I don’t think I can not make love to you now,” he said. I noticed his eyes glisten.

“Good.” I wrapped my body around his and a night of lovemaking began.

In the morning, I pried myself from his arms. His closet door was open, so I peeked in and grabbed a t-shirt. I went to the kitchen and snooped until I found what I needed to make a pot of coffee. I looked in the fridge to take inventory and started making breakfast. He came around the corner a few minutes later; his hair was a tousled mess, and he was wiping sleep from his eyes.