HDH #33

Welcome to Pt 2 of  the scene on Molly's blog:)  It's simply a continuation.  Enjoy:)

“Randi...what happened to us?”

           

  “I...don’t know...”she whispered.  She tore her gaze away from his, responding to the emotions he was still able to bring out in her.  “Brian, why are you telling me this?” she quietly asked, confused.

           

He stood up and went to sit beside her.  He slid his arm around her shoulders, feeling her stiffen, then gradually relax.  “I’ve always had a high opinion of you, and I’ve always been able to talk to you.  Hell, right now you know more about my frustrations and high points than my own family, or even John!  Denise just sees the benefits, but...you’re getting the whole picture.”

            

She started to speak, but he stopped her.  “No, let me finish.  Am I wrong in assuming whenever you have something bothering you, you call John, because you can’t call me?”

            

She smiled and blushed, leaning her head agaist his strong shoulder.  “No, you’re right.  You’re the first person I want to call if something’s wrong, or just good news.  But I didn’t feel right, calling you, now that you’re married.  So I call John, hoping he’ll cheer me up, or at least drop some news about you.”

            

“That’s what I thought.”  He breathed a sigh of relief.  “What I’m trying to say is, I’m tired of fighting my feelings for you.  One thing I’ve always admired you for is your loyalties to people.  A couple of years ago, when John was being an ass toward you, you let me have it when I suggested you ditch him and sleep with me instead.”

            

“That’s right,” she stated firmly.  “You’re married, Brian.  I don’t care what your circumstances...I don’t sleep with married men.  No matter how screwed up their marriages are!”

            

“And I admire you for sticking with it,” he tried again.  “But you’ve got to admit...we only had that one time.  I haven’t slept with Denise in over a year.”

            

“What the hell are you trying to say?” she jerked away from him and looked him in the eye.  “I will not have an affair with you!”

            

“I’m not suggesting that,” he placated her, grasping her hands in his.  “I just want to see you more often than whenever Fate has us in the same damn town.  I want you to tell me that it’s okay for me to call you when I’m in the city; I want to make an effort to see you more often.  Maybe even take you to lunch once in a while.”

            

“So...what you’re saying is, you want to see me once a week, maybe do lunch...all for the sake of maintaining a friendship?”

            

“Exactly.”  He flashed his dazzling smile at her.  What the hell...you’ve come this far.  In a low, silky voice, he continued, “I’d still like to sleep with you again, but you’ve told me in no uncertain terms ‘no’, so I’ll just have to be content with seeing you, talking to you face-to- face, instead of maybe catching a glimpse of you every three years.”  He raised her hand to his lips and softly kissed her knuckles.

            

“No strings?” she said huskily, her fingers on fire where his lips had been.

            

“No strings, no committments...no one gets hurt,” was his reply as he kissed her other hand.

            

She pondered the question as she turned around, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling back against his chest.  Am I strong enough for this?  Seeing him once a week would be wonderful, and I know it’s probably just a line married guys use, but this is Brian!  You want to be with him, admit it!  And none of the guys who have asked you out even come close to measuring up to him!  So just have fun with it; spend a little time with him every week, and get to know Brian the man, instead of Brian the boy whose body you crave.  Maybe in time, you’ll decide you don’t want him, after all!  Yeah, right.  And maybe he’ll divorce Denise in the process...or maybe pigs will fly...

            

Brian’s lips on her ear brought her back to reality.  She closed her eyes and inhaled his fresh scent, and a fierce longing welled up inside her.  She wrenched away and stood up, tears forming in her eyes.  Brian also stood, and went to wrap his arms around her again.  What happened?  All I did was kiss her ear...maybe she’s going to refuse, after all.  I can’t push her...  “Randi,” he whispered.

            
All of a sudden, she turned in his arms.  “All right.”