Gemini (25 page)

When I opened the door to the bathroom just off the hallway, I saw Allison’s beautiful naked silhouette through the frosted glass shower door.

“Hey, uh…I just wanted to make sure you were ok in here,” I said through the door.

“Yup…okay…doing just fine, thanks,” Allison said teasingly as she rubbed her body with soap slowly.

I struggled to see through the glass shower door. “Okay…well, you, uh, let me know if you need me for anything in there…okay?”

“Nothing now, thanks.”

Okay, that plan backfired. Just as I made my way out of the bathroom, Allison stopped me.

“Actually, can you reach under the sink and grab me a new shampoo…this one is kind of empty.”

I moved my way back in and searched under the sink, grabbing a fluorescent green bottle.

She slid open the shower door a few inches, reaching out for the bottle, her face dripping with water and smiled. “Thanks.” Then, she slid the shower door closed again.

I walked back out of the room, standing just outside of it peeking in, not certain whether she knew I was still at the doorway.

I stood frozen in awe watching her lather her beautiful long hair through the frosted glass. God, how I wanted inside (in more ways than one). Not wanting to assume it was okay to just barge in naked, I stood, dazed, staring…
dying.

As a few minutes passed, and the lathering continued, Allison chuckled.

“You’re going to give up…just like that?” She laughed.

I opened the door immediately. “Have you been fucking teasing me this entire time?”

“Well…I was hoping you would give in, actually.” She opened the shower door completely exposing her wet naked body. This time, she covered nothing.

I pushed down on my boxers and couldn’t jump in there fast enough. Pulling her slick waist into me, the hot water poured down over us and I slid the door shut.

We kissed slowly as the water gushed between our lips.

Kissing down the length of her body, I kneeled down and just held her stomach to my face, kissing it softly and licking the water that trickled down it.

I paused for a moment and closed my eyes, knowing I would remember this moment forever, no matter what happened with us.

Standing up, I grabbed the sponge, adding some of the green apple body wash she had
(that’s where the green apple smell came from!)
and began washing her, starting with her arms and rolling over her breasts, down her stomach and between her legs. Allison panted as I continued to move the sponge back and forth there before it dropped to the ground.

She completely floored me when she dropped to her knees and took me deeply into her mouth. Closing my eyes, I relished every moment at her unexpected surprise.

After a few minutes of pure ecstasy, I was about to lose it and pushed her away pulling her up, grabbing her face into my mouth, not being able to kiss her hard enough.

We continued to kiss as I lifted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist. Just as I was ready to carelessly plunge into her, someone burst through the bathroom door.

A familiar British accent broke Cedric’s and my passion in the shower.

“Holy shitballs!” I heard Sonia yell.

Cedric dropped me to the shower floor, shouting “What the fuck?”

“Sonia?! Oh my God…what are you doing back?” I asked, mortified at what she saw through the frosted glass.

My roommate wasn’t due back from London for another couple of days. I saw her flaming red hair and giant breasted silhouette through the glass.

“Ok, so apparently…I missed a lot while I was away…sorry!” Sonia’s voice shook in mortification as she walked out of the bathroom and said “Um…heading…to the kitchen…yeah.” The door slammed shut.

“Your roommate?” Cedric held me close, the water still pouring down on us.

My heart was pounding against his chest. “Yeah.” I sighed.

Cedric started to laugh and I quickly followed. All of a sudden, we both started cracking up hysterically under the water.  It was awkward, but you had to admit, it was funny.

Cedric shut the water off and squeezed the excess moisture out of my hair, pulling me in for one last kiss before we exited the shower.

I looked up at Cedric embarrassed. “We’ll have to join her for coffee, I guess.”

“Does coffee cure blue balls?” he asked winking, as he wrapped me in a towel, drying me off.

He grabbed a towel for himself and I enjoyed the view as he wiped down his tight abs and sexy tattoo. He placed the towel around his waist and we exited the bathroom, hurrying to the bedroom to get dressed.

Cedric pulled me in for one last kiss before he held his hand out leading me in the kitchen, where I could smell that Sonia had started to make coffee.

Cedric came up from behind Sonia and I laughed when she jumped in surprise.

He held out his hand. “Sonia…I’m sorry about that. I’m Cedric. Nice to finally formally meet you.”

I kept waiting for Sonia to let go of his hand, but she continued shaking it in awe. “I figured it was you, Blue Eyes…I couldn’t make you out through the frosted glass…nice to meet you, too.”

“Blue…what…blue…balls?” Cedric joked, as he looked over at me and the three of us all started cracking up.

“Blue Eyes, actually. It’s a long story,” I said as I smiled over at Sonia, pouring a coffee and taking a seat at the table.

I was definitely going to be late to work, so I decided to call the diner and let them know something unexpected had come up and I would be in at 8:00.

Cedric insisted on cooking us a delicious breakfast of cinnamon French toast that was absolutely divine. The three of us inhaled it and Cedric and I filled Sonia in on everything that happened with Nate and how we bonded that night.

“Holy Shit, Allison…I can’t believe Nate came after you like that.” Sonia sat with her arms crossed in shock. “Where is he now?”

I sighed, “His father is a lawyer. Officer Derin told me that his parents came from out of town and cut some deal where he would enter a special six-month rehab program instead of jail time. I don’t know much more than that.”

Cedric interrupted. “Well, we have to keep tabs on his whereabouts when he gets out. I don’t want him ever touching you or anywhere near you, for that matter, again.”

I shivered at his possessive tone and relished the fact that I had this beautiful man wanting to protect me. Cedric glared at me fiercely with his beautiful eyes, a cross between fear and desire, prompting me to reach for his hand from across the table. He entwined his fingers into mine.

Sonia looked down at our connected hands and glanced up at me with a knowing smile. I knew she was flabbergasted at the bond Cedric and I seemed to have in such a short time and the real conversation with her about this situation would come later, one where she would demand to know every juicy detail. 

Sonia stood up from the table to give us some privacy. “Cedric, it was an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for breakfast. I’m gonna hit the hay for a bit; jet lag is a bitch. We should all go out soon.”

Cedric smiled and got up from his seat to give her a hug. “Absolutely.”

I loved this man.

***

I ended up calling in sick altogether and Cedric and I spent the day together, followed by another night at my apartment where the sex was even more intense than the first night.

When we weren’t physically connected, we were up most of the night talking about anything and everything. I came to the realization that if this didn’t work out, it would be the biggest heartbreak of my life.

It took all of my strength to separate from him and head to work the following morning.

Thoughts of him invaded my head all day at the diner as I served customers in a haze.

He had driven me all the way here and we decided that rather than come in for lunch, he would pick me up at the end of my shift. He would spend the morning and early afternoon catching up on some work in the office instead.

As I poured coffee for the hundredth time, I kept replaying our amazing nights together, still feeling the soreness between my legs from the times he had been inside me. There, of course, would have been one additional time, if Sonia hadn’t shown up Thursday morning. It was just as well, since we were so caught up in that shower moment, there was no condom in sight. The idea of having unprotected sex with Cedric thrilled me, though, and I wondered if I should tell him I am already on the pill to regulate my periods. I’d need to make sure he was 100-percent clean first, since he admitted to a man-whore past, though he claimed he always used protection. We’ll see. There is plenty of time to discuss that.

My lunch break rolled around and I sat down as I normally did at Mr. Short’s table.

“Fancy meeting you here,” I said jokingly, since we did this almost every day. Mr. Short lived around the corner and came into the diner for breakfast, lunch and dinner most days. He was a true round the clock regular.

Mr. Short smiled and said, “Allison. You look lovely today.”

I took a bite of my grilled chicken salad. “Thanks, Mr. Short.” I started munching on the mixed greens.

“You always look great, Allison, but I have to say, I’ve been watching you today and you seem to have a certain glow about you.”

A hot flash suddenly overcame me at his perceptiveness. “You think?” I definitely had to have been blushing.

Mr. Short smiled. “Does it have anything to do with that handsome young man I saw drop you off this morning? I saw the way you looked at him. It reminded me of the way Marie used to look at me, God rest her soul.”

Okay, I was definitely blushing now. “You saw him walk me to the door?” I asked.

“Yes. In fact, he was parked right outside the window by my booth here. Let me ask you, is your boyfriend religious?”

“He is not technically my boyfriend. Why do you ask?”

“Well, like I said…what’s his name?”

“Cedric.”

“Well…Cedric…after he dropped you off…I watched him for a bit before he started the car. He took a phone call and when he hung up, he put his head on the steering wheel for a bit and then he made the sign of the cross before driving away.”

My heart nearly stopped as Mr. Short described this observation. Why would Cedric make the sign of the cross after taking a phone call? That was bizarre.

“Hmm…well, I can’t tell you what it means, Mr. Short, but thank you for telling me.”

Mr. Short reached across the table and placed his hand over mine. “Anytime, Allison. You know I am always looking out for you. You’re like the daughter I never had.”

That wasn’t the first time he referred to me like that. It was sweet and I knew he was just as lonely as I had been for a long time.

Mr. Short then made a fist-like gesture with his hands. “And you can tell Frederic that if he ever breaks your heart, I’ll kick his ass military-style.”

I belted out laughing at his facetious threat and the fact that he called Cedric, Frederic. Well, Mr. Short was a former solider, after all.  “Thanks, Mr. Short.”

I excused myself from the table and my smile turned to confusion as my thoughts drifted back to the phone call he said that Cedric received, after which, according to Mr. Short, he made the sign of the cross. I impulsively decided to text Cedric, asking how he was doing, just in case, something bad had happened.

Allison: How is everything?

Cedric: Great. I miss you.

Allison: Ok, just checking in.

Cedric: Later, sweetheart  

Allison: Later xo

Okay, well that didn’t give me any clue. My curiosity was killing me, so I typed again.

Allison: Can I ask you a silly question?

Cedric: No such thing as a silly question…Shoot.

Allison: Are you religious?

Cedric: I am spiritual. Why?

Allison: Someone said they saw you make the sign of the cross in your car after you got off the phone outside the diner after dropping me off.

About a minute passed and no response. My heart started to pound and then he finally responded.

Cedric: It was a work call. Sometimes I do make the sign of the cross when I am asking for, you know, assistance from above on things. Nothing bad. Don’t worry. I guess Bettina taught me some things that stuck with me, even though I don’t go to church anymore.

Allison: Okay…see I told you it was silly. Sorry for bugging you. Glad everything is okay.