Loss and Longing

After a moment, she sat down next to him. Side on to the bench, she was facing him, with her left forearm and hand resting on the white surface.  “I’m sorry I ran out like that” she said and needing to be honest with him she said “you didn’t scare me exactly. I think I scared myself. I’m not known for jumping into things.”

He looked over at her and turned in his seat to face her. He rested his arm on the bench and moved his hand until his fingers were close to hers, but he didn’t touch her. He nodded, “right” he said.

She moved her hand towards him until their finger tips were touching.

He sighed and moved his fingers against hers a little.

She trembled and when she didn’t pull away, his movements slow and deliberate, he slid his fingers under her hand and then turning his hand over, he clasped hers and held it. His eyes never left hers.

Stevie swallowed hard and wrapped her fingers around his.

He smiled.                             

She smiled back.

Then lifting her hand off the bench, he pulled her towards him. He didn’t use any real force, just a gentle tug, and she knew he was letting her back away if she wanted to. She didn’t. While what she’d felt when he’d kissed her had rocked her, it had also filled her with a peace she’d never felt before. She stood, and stepping towards him, she shivered again as his arms wrapped around her waist.

“I wanted to kiss you the other night in the rain you know” he said, his gaze dropping to rest on her mouth.

“Is that why you paid for my car to be fixed?” she asked with a frown, worried again.

“No” he said, lifting his eyes to lock on hers. His expression was serious now. “I’d have done the same for anyone.”

She continued to look at him, and knew she had conveyed her niggling doubt when he admitted with a rueful smile, “well maybe I wouldn’t have paid extra to get it done fast, but I’d still have paid.”

Relaxing, she smiled at him. Then with slow movements, she lowered her head and kissed him. It was an intense, heated exchange and as she moved back a few minutes later he teased “for someone who doesn’t jump into things, you sure as hell don’t hold back.”

Stevie stared at him in surprise for a second and then laughed and blushed. “Why do you think I don’t jump in?” she said. “It tends to be all or nothing with me.”

Grant laughed. “I like that.”

“What do we do now?” she said looking away.

“I don’t know. I realise you didn’t see this coming” he said, “but it has taken me by surprise too, so how about we just take it slow and see what happens?”

Stevie nodded “okay.” Then moving out of his arms, needing some time alone now to process everything, she added “I have to go.”  

Maybe he sensed she needed time, because he didn’t try to dissuade her. Instead he got up and walked her to the door. “Is it okay if I call you?” he asked as she turned around to say good bye.

“That would be good” she said.

“I’m going to need your number then” he said with a smile.

Astounded to think she’d kissed him, more than once, and he didn’t even know her number or her his, she smiled and shook her head.  

As he pulled out his phone and typed the number she gave him into his contacts list, he grinned and said “so as you’re happy to leave it up to me to get in touch, I’m guessing I don’t need to worry about you being a control freak.”

“Well if you don’t call, I know where to find you” she teased.

He laughed, “good point.”

She turned away and holding up a hand in farewell, she got into her car and backed away from the house.