Chris

Something was different about Molly the next day. I woke up with a feeling of need and desire and she woke up with something else. She was not as light hearted as she usually was or had been and I knew that it was because of the pending date that I was going to have to be leaving. It was on my mind as well, but I didn’t want it to ruin what time I had left with her. She had instead backed off, way off and I was worried that we would spend the rest of our time together worrying about what could have been. I didn’t want that to happen and I tried several times to pull her out of it.

“Do you want me to make you some lunch Molly?”

She looked up at me and smiled. “The only thing you could ever make was grilled cheese Chris and if I remember right, you used to burn that too.”

I will admit that I wasn’t the best cook, but I’d come a long way since we’d been together. I was at least proficient at it now and I wanted to show her that we could have this easiness and still have the future to worry about. I just wanted to get back to where we were yesterday. It all came down to her damn mind going on too fast and me not being able to keep up or slow it down.

“I’m not as bad as I used to be Molly. I can cook now because I didn’t have you around to make it for me.’

“I figured that your servants would do it for you.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “I haven’t changed that much Molly. I can still hack it here in Alaska, don’t you worry about that.”

She smiled at me for knowing what it was that she as thinking about, but I didn’t want her to think that I couldn’t cut it anymore. I felt like my manhood was at a stake in her eyes and I wanted Molly to look at me like she used to. I knew that it was going to be hard to do with all of the changes that had happened, but for some reason, whether I left tomorrow or not, I didn’t want her to look at me like I was less.

“I hear ya, Chris. It’s been a long time. How long has it been since you cut wood?”

It had been a while and she knew it so I didn’t answer her. “A little bit. Do you need some?”

“Well since I have you here, we might as well get some real work done. I thought the trim would take longer. I had forgotten how fast you were when you wanted to be. Remember that job we did for old man Brenan?”

“Vaguely, yes.”

“He was paying hourly and it was a crappy wage so we made that job last three days, which was how much we wanted him to pay anyways.”

“Yeah, if I remembered right, that was all your idea. You drove a hard bargain. I wish that I was as good as you when it came to that. You never caved. I admired that in you, even if it did cause me some drama.”

I was thinking about how stubborn she had been when it came to leaving this damn state behind. She was so adamant that she stay that I hadn’t had a choice but to leave without her. I knew that my destiny was supposed to be in the city. Now I wondered again if I’d made the right decision. Some days it didn’t feel like it and being back home, with Molly made me remember all of the good times and how it was when life was a lot simpler.

“Yes, well I am glad that I have learned to compromise sometimes. It is a lot less drama, but I guess I am the same way when it comes to things that really matters.”

She was talking about the land and selling out. I knew that I wasn’t going to break down and stay, I knew that about myself. I also knew that Molly thought she could somehow keep me here and even though I cared for her, even loved her, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to do exactly what I said. The only thing that made it hard for me to feel guilty about it was the fact that I had told her exactly what I was going to do. I was upfront about it so she couldn’t be mad.

I tried to get us to another subject and we talked about where we were going to go to get some dry wood to put up. It wasn’t the time of year to need it, but it was something that was always good to start on because in the winter time, the last thing a person wanted to do was go out and cut wood. I didn’t miss all of the preparation that came with living here. It was hard living and there was something to be said about easy city living.

It wasn’t long before we were out in the woods together and I wanted to get back to the way we were. I started to flirt with her and when she was receptive to that, I decided to push it a little further.

Coming up behind her, I pulled her in with my arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She made a sound of pleasure before pushing me away.

“What are you doing Chris? It’s cold out here.”

I came towards her and leaned in for a kiss, telling her not to worry because I was going to warm her up.