At last, I set the final box of hers with all the rest in the corner of my garage.
I took a step back and smiled at the piles of empty boxes labeled in Chloe's bubbly handwriting. Each one used to contain something different. Some held clothes, some held random things, and some held decorations. All sorts of her various items that now found their place among my own.
After dating for over a year, Chloe finally moved in with me. For so long, I would have to drive over to her apartment or vice versa to see her. While seeing her like that is great, I now get to wake up beside her every day. Which is even better if I do say so myself. (And lowers my gas bill. So now I have more money to take her out.)
I walked back into the living room where a small pile of books laid on the couch. I picked them up and walked them over to the old wooden bookshelf. One by one, I placed them on the shelves while reading the titles. They all seemed to be pretty normal books until I came across a thick, black novel with a tie on it.
50 Shades of Grey? Oh, Chloe.. Shaking my head, I just laughed. Dirty little bird.
Just then, Chloe walked out into the living room carrying the old quilt her grandmother made for her.
"Hey babe, how's it- Oh no.." I held up the book with a smirk on my face. Her bright, blue eyes widened.
"I swear I just started it. I'm too scared to keep reading I just-" I couldn't help but laugh at how uncomfortable she was.
"You're so adorable when you're nervous." I kept laughing as I filed the book away with the rest. The color of her face matched her hair as she quickly placed the quilt on the back of the couch and went into the bedroom to finish putting away her clothes.
I made my way into the kitchen where a few dishes wrapped in paper still laid on the counter. I picked up one of the smaller items and unwrapped it. It was the "I 3 Beca" mug that we both had, except mine said Chloe. I remember how excited she was telling me about the website that could make these things. I carefully placed it in the cabinet next to my own. I smiled at the two mugs sitting there together. Just like us, they had been living apart too long. I probably stood there way too long admiring our coffee mugs.
"Okay, I think that's everything." The sound of her voice entering the kitchen made me jump. I tried to play it cool by continuing to put away the other dishes. The last thing I needed was her seeing me get all completely soft and vulnerable over coffee cups.
"Awesome." She picked up the last plate and put it away. I leaned back against the counter and watched her stretch and struggle to put the plate away. Her shirt rose just enough to show a little skin. She turned around and caught me staring down a little below the belt. I made a mental note to hide the stepstool I used for the high cabinets.
"Like what you see?" She came over and wrapped her arms around my neck. I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close to me.
"What can I say, your ass looks great." I whispered into her ear. Gently, she placed a few slow kisses on my collar bones and up my neck.
"It's from.. Lifting all those.. Boxes." She said in between kisses. I tried to suppress the moan rising in my throat but it just didn't work. Once the sound escaped my lips, I felt her smile against my skin.
"You know what I want?"
"Hhhnn?" I breathed out. She brought her face just inches from mine. The fiery look in her eyes made my knees weak.
"Lunch. I am so hungry. I'm feeling burgers. What do you say?" She smiled devilishly.
"Oh fuck you, you tease." She placed a kiss on my lips and began to walk out of the kitchen giggling.
"Hey, I'm going to go take a shower and then let's go."
"Okay, whatever." I let out a huge breath and ran my fingers through my hair once I heard the bathroom door shut.
God, she can't just do that to me, that's not even fair.
Chloe always has a way of getting under my skin, but that's okay, I'll find a way to get her back.
I made my way over to the couch and sat down. I picked up one of the "A Capella Weekly" magazines she left on the coffee table. Flipping through the pictures, a flash of black caught my eye. I stopped on the page and saw all the incredibly scary yet flawless members of Das Sound Machine. Right in the front of the pack of leather-clad German beasts stood Kommissar. Tall, blonde, and extremely intimidating.
"Beca! What the hell is this on your shower wall?" I threw the magazine back on the table and went to the bathroom door.
Chloe stood there in only a towel. She held the door open with one hand, and the other kept her towel up. The shower curtain was opened all the way. On the wall, were all the little balls of hair that I had lost while shampooing.
"Well, you know when you're shampooing, and some of your hair comes out? I just, stick it to the wall and swirl it up into a little ball. So it's all nice and neat for disposal, after the shower. I'm just trying to keep it neat. I guess I forgot to throw them away.." As I kept talking, the smile on Chloe's face grew bigger and bigger until she was in tears laughing. My face was burning hot.
"I love you. You're so weird." She said once she was finally able to breathe and then closed the bathroom door in my face.
And thus begins the rest of my stay with Chloe Beale.
