Chris

I went upstairs not long after Molly went up. I was hoping that I would catch her in the hallway and convince her that we had a lot of catching up to do and it was the only thing that made sense, but she was in the shower when I got up there.

While I was passing, I heard a soft moan that I’d heard before and I stopped to listen to her for a moment. It wasn’t hard to figure out what it was that she was doing in there and so help me I wanted to burst in there and finish what I’d started. I would feel much better than her own hands.

But I was a guest and Molly may not look different, but she wasn’t as quick to fall into my arms. The restaurant proved that her body was still mine, whether she liked it or not, but it was her heart and mind that I had to convince, not my own. I knew what I wanted and was willing to take as long or as little of a time as I had.

I tried to lie down, telling myself that I was doing what she asked of me. She made it clear that she didn’t want to start up with me again, even though she was so turned on she had to take care of it herself moments later. This was what bothered me so much and the sounds of her pleasure that were trapped in my ears.

It was impossible to sleep. I mean fricking impossible. I had too many thoughts and images running through my mind. It was too much for me to lie down and try to make it go away. It wasn’t going away. Molly wasn’t going away and this room and bed even smelled like her. Everything about this place was oozing Molly and I just couldn’t take it anymore.

I was filled with far too much energy, so I went downstairs to where she’d told me that she wanted me to do the trim and I got started. I wasn’t able to cut much because she was still sleeping, but I got a game plan figured out and started doing all of the measurements. I was on my fourth cup of coffee when she came downstairs and I was left in a trance as she descended the stairs slowly. There was just something about her and the smile she gave me won me over and made me forget why I was down here in the first place.

“Good morning.”

“Morning Molly. I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

“No, it’s usually what time I get up. I like to get up before the sun so I can watch the sunrise.”

I nodded at her and watched her move passed me and into the kitchen. She had a way about her that never went away. She was like magnetic and I was the metal that was stuck drawn to her no matter where and what I was doing.

“I made some coffee a little while ago, so it’s still pretty fresh.”

“How long have you been up?”

I didn’t want to tell her the truth, so I left it open and just said that I had been up a while. She didn’t need to know that it was all because of her that I couldn’t sleep. I had gotten some progress done and would be able to get a lot more done now that I didn’t have to be quiet.

“I see that you are already back to work. I’m surprised you remember how to do this stuff after having been in the city for so long. I’m sure that you have maids that do all of the work for you now.”

She was just trying to mess with me now and if I was honest, she was. I hadn’t become some soft-handed man while I was away. I just had to work out in a gym now instead of outside in the crisp air. The look was the same, but I have to say that getting it done this way was more enjoyable.

“I am capable of everything I was before. I don’t think I ever heard a complaint from you.”

“That’s true, you didn’t. You always took good care of me.”

“I’m trying to take care of you again.”

She went right to what I was thinking about and she got that beautiful pink blush to her face. She did remember, as much as I did. It made the night before a little easier, but there was still part of me that wasn’t happy with the speed at which Molly was working to make it change. I wanted her now. I didn’t want to wait for her to want the same.

Molly looked damn good this morning. I miss waking up to her hair slightly wild and the smile on her lips that she had now. It was lopsided, but so much what I was used to. Her body was not covered very well with her shorts and a small camisole that had a low cut in the front. She was trying to entice me. I was sure of it.

“Do you want me to make some breakfast or do you want to just get started?”

“Breakfast would be nice.”

“Anything in particular?”

She was talking about food, but when I nodded my head that I did have something in mind, I had to scramble for something to say bcause what I wanted I couldn’t say out loud.

“What I want isn’t on the menu.”

That look was back to her eyes and I knew we were on the same page again. It didn’t mean that it was going to help my cause any.

“Do you ever think of anything else?”

She was being serious and when I told her there was nothing else that I could think about right now. Fuck, this woman had my head all messed up. “You haven’t lost your touch Molly.”

“It’s just an omelet Chris, not too fancy.”

“Yes, but everything you do is done well. I remember you could make a ham sandwich taste amazing.”

“It was the spiced mayo.”

“I don’t know what it is that you do, but it’s always been better than I thought it would be.”

“Don’t they have good food in the city?”

“Yes, but nothing is the same. I miss Alaska sometimes.”

“Ready to change your mind and stay?”

She was relentless and it made me feel bad. I did want to stay, just like I had before. I could stay in bed with Molly for the rest of my life. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough. She wanted more, as did I. “It’s going to take more than some reminiscing to get me to stay Molly.”

“So what would it take for you to not sell the land and for you to stay in Nome where you belong?”

“I don’t know that there is anything that would make me stay. I almost stayed for you. I wanted you to come with me.”

“This is my home.”

I sighed loudly and nodded my head like I understood. I’d heard this before.

“That’s what you said before.”

“And that wasn’t enough to keep you.”

She had the same look of pain as before. She always took it so personally, but it wasn’t supposed to be that way. I’d left to fulfill family obligations and to see what was out in the world. Nome was a place to come back to for holidays, but it wasn’t a place that I could stay. There wasn’t enough to keep me there.

“I don’t want to argue Chris.”

“We aren’t arguing Molly. This is a fight that we’ve already had.”

“I know. I just wish it had all ended up differently. Haven’t you ever thought about what would have happened if you wouldn’t have left?”

“I do, but have you thought about what would have happened if I would have stayed?”