"You're back," he said. "Perfect timing. Want to help me put up these curtains?"
I stared at Joe with the look of a kitten getting ready to pounce on a ball of yarn. My mischievious grin and tendency to rock back and forth before I just allow my desires to take over had Joe's eyes get wider and wider.
"Joe," I said softly. "Hi."
"Hi," Joe said and I catapulted myself from the chair and jumped into his arms where his tight hug nearly pushed all the air out from inside of me.
"I'm glad you're back," he said in a voice even quieter than a whisper.
"Me, too. You look good. What's up with the curtains?" I asked.
"Well, I got some to give this place a little bit more of a friendly feeling. I planned to have them up before you got back," he replied.
"Your windows are friendly. I like the bamboo shades, don't even need curtains, really," I said.
"That's what I thought, too, but while you were gone I just thought it might be nice to come back to things looking more put together than they are," Joe said.
"I think things look good when there's not something covering them up," I replied.
"Naked windows?" Joe asked.
"Yeh, like naked windows. Nothing to hide."
"I guess it was something I just figured with you being a girl and all, that you'd feel more comfortable in a place that had the frilly stuff," Joe said.
"Oh no, what kind of curtains did you get?" I asked.
Joe lifted white, ruffled curtains out of the bag. Along with two long and tassled ties that were a light shade of eggshell. He also had new curtain rods in the bag, which made a clang, clang sound as he dug around the bottom of the bag to show me the receipt. "Only thirty bucks for everything, not bad for two window dressings."
"Joe, did you just say window dressings?" I giggled.
"Yes, I did, the woman at the store kept calling them that."
We both started laughing.
"I have an idea. Let's go back to the store, return those curtains, take the thirty bucks and buy some Chinese food to celebrate your curtainless, naked windows," I suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea. I have an even better idea, though," Joe said.
I moved my head to the side slightly, in question.
"Let's get you out of your curtains and get you naked, like a window," Joe said.
I smiled.
"Then, we'll go return these window dressings," Joe finished, and we both laughed again.
"Joe," I said as my face came close to his and my hands were on his cheeks, "you don't have to dress up anything to make me feel more comfortable."
"I know," Joe said and kissed me on my nose. "I'm a man, though, so sometimes I'm going to think of you as just wanting or needing things you don't need or want. Guys do that sometimes, you'll find that out in your life."
I stepped back to look at Joe after he said this. Somehow, he'd already come to the conclusion that this was not to be forever. He'd made peace with it already. My heart was both elated and sad at the same time. I knew it wasn't to be forever, but Joe knowing it, too, just made it more defined. I went to the bed and laid down flat, looking at the ceiling. Joe came over, as I sat back up, and I undid his zipper and looked up at him, as his underwear came down and his slightly curved body part came up to greet my lips.
About two hours later, we headed out to get Chinese food.
Posted by nft at July 18, 2005 07:50 AM