Chapter 14

Henry

I wake up in bed alone. Last night, Meadow was in between my sheets, making love to me, but now she’s gone, leaving a hole behind her. It seems like she never wants to spend the night. But at least now I understand why she has intimacy issues after the shit that happened with her ex-fiancé.

Betraying her.

Stealing from her.

Turns out, on top of taking her money, he also had an affair while they were still together. I wanted to shout out, “Hey, I’m not that guy. You can see that, right?” But I didn’t think it would do any good. It’s clear that Meadow hasn’t moved beyond her painful past.

And as someone who has a painful past himself, I’d be ten times a hypocrite if I didn’t understand and accept her darkest shadows.

Right now, my dick is rock hard, just like it is every morning. I really wish Meadow was here to hold me and kiss me. I feel like I might explode just thinking about how good it feels to be inside her. I wonder if she’ll ever stay the night…

I’d like her to stay for the whole weekend. Better yet, the rest of our lives. But I know if I start talking like that I’ll just scare her away. I have to be patient. Just like the clay I mold into a beautiful piece of art, it will take time for her to become the woman she’s meant to be.

I can wait.

The bright sun comes through the window as I stand up and stretch. It’s almost eight o’clock, and I’m pretty sure that it’s too early to call Meadow, but I’m dying to hear her voice again. Talking to her recharges my battery and sets me up for an inspirational day of creating.

I make my way to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. Verdi slowly opens her eyes. I walk over and pet her. “Hey, girl. How’d you sleep?”

Verdi yawns and tosses me the superior kitty blink.

I laugh. “Still need your beauty rest, huh? Well, when you wake up, I’ll tell you all about my awesome date with Meadow. I really think she might be the one. But… shhh… don’t tell her that.”

Verdi has already drifted back to sleep, leaving me high and dry in the unconditional love from my pet department. Guess I’ll just have to have a conversation with myself. I wash my hands and pour myself a cup of coffee. I’m overwhelmed thinking about my to-do list. I can’t believe the show is right around the corner. It feels like time has sped up, especially because Meadow has occupied most of it… in person or in my thoughts.

I head to my studio and turn on a little Bach to get me going. I sit at the potter’s wheel as “Magnificat” plays in the background. The music is always inspirational, but today, my mind drifts away from the music to the woman who’s more like a concerto. As I mold the clay, I think of her smile and her witty sense of humor. I think about the way her skin feels against mine.

This burst of sexual energy pushes me to the finish line, and I now have a perfect vase as well as a hard-on like I haven’t had since I hit puberty. If Meadow was in the room, I would pull her close to me and take her right on the floor. We’d both be covered in clay, which would be so messy and so beautiful.

I snap out of my fantasy and remove the vase from the potter’s wheel to dry. I head back into the kitchen and wash my hands. I’m starting to get hungry, but instead of cereal, I heat up some of the leftover Thai food from last night.

As soon as I sit down to eat, my cell phone screen lights up. I notice a winking emoji from Meadow. Not a love sonnet, but she initiated so I’ll take it. My skin tingles like she has just kissed me a hundred times and a knowing smile tugs my mouth upward.

I take a bite of my food and grin. Verdi wakes up and walks over to me. She rubs against my leg. I look down at her. “What is it, girl?

She blinks and purrs.

As I stroke her silky head, I say, “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about Meadow… I know for sure that I love her, but if I tell her that again, we both know what will happen, right? Her asshole ex really did a number on her. But then again, if he hadn’t fucked up, I’d never have a chance with Meadow in the first place, so maybe I should be thanking the guy. She’s kinda like… I don’t know… she reminds me of a wounded bird.”

Verdi looks up at me.

“I know you like birds, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m just now starting to understand why it’s so hard for her to open up to me. I don’t know how I would feel if that happened to me. But then again, I don’t have much money worth stealing, do I, Verdi?”

Verdi continues to purr, oblivious.

“So, like I was saying, Meadow is hurting on the inside, and that’s why she has trust issues. At first, when she told me she didn’t believe in love, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I thought she was just being facetious. Now, I get it. I really do. I think that deep down inside, she does believe in love, she just needs to be shown the way. But I know I’m gonna have to take it slow. Really slow. In the meantime, I get to see her and have great sex. That’s the upside. I shouldn’t complain about that even though I want more.”

I stare out the window at the blazing sun.

“But I love her. And it kills me that I have to keep it inside. But I know I can’t go shouting it from the rooftops. I have to let my little wounded bird come to me… in her own time. No matter how long it takes.” I take a deep breath. “How long do you think it might take?”

Verdi stares at me with her huge eyes.

“That long, huh?” I pet her again. “I hope not. I’m really in love. Have you ever been in love before, Verdi? No, not with me. Of course you love me. I’m not talking about that kind of love. I’m talking about… let me stop talking to an animal before I go completely insane.”

I wash my dishes and head back into the studio. I check on the vase which is almost dry. I grab some clay and make my way to the potter’s wheel. Then, I mold and shape it as “Fugue in G minor” plays in the background.

Thoughts of Meadow occupy my mind, but I also think about the showing. The big day is approaching fast, and I’m determined to prove myself. I want to make a good impression on everyone, but only one person’s opinion really matters to me. I’m only doing this for her.

I finish my vase and take it off the potter’s wheel to dry. I look out of the window and see a young couple across the street. They are walking hand-in-hand on the sidewalk. The man stops to kiss his date. Suddenly, I’m craving PDA and a whole lot more with Meadow.