Preparations

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After a little snack Barbara took a long refreshing shower and then stopped in front of the mirror above the sink. A blush suddenly ran deep inside and warmed her body and soul. Then a hot thrill of anticipation shot through her abdomen when she realised what she was about to do in that moment - behind the mirror was the blister with her daily pill she was about to take.

Finally you have a real reason for it, old girl. she thought while she frowned at the image. Yes, she planned to let it happen. If it all was for this weekend only or for some more weeks or perhaps even a little longer, it did not matter. She craved to take from this man whatever he wished to offer and as long as he wanted. She wanted it all and forever but was not sure if he felt the same for her, or better she was sure that he did not feel the same for her. Nothing so deep. The eighth Earl of Asherton would not likely take his clumsy Sergeant into his life. Wife.

"How absurd to even think of that, Barbara." she muttered and teared open the door of the mirror cabinet. But still, hope dies last. She shook her head to get this absurdity out of her mind.

It took her some time to figure out what to wear but finally she was dressed in one of her new outfits she had bought yesterday when she had been dragged out for shopping with Haddiyah. She tied her hair in her usual ponytail and opened her seldomly used make-up box but closed it again without having applied any of it. After she had put on her sandals she stood in her bathroom again and looked into the mirror for a long time, musing about what is going on at the moment. He can't seriously have fallen for that ungainly small woman, she believed. Or could he? With those cheekbones and that peakish nose? So, should I put on some make-up or what?

Barbara was getting frustrated.

"What?" she asked her reflection. "You'll never get rid of your face."

With one more hair clip she pinned her ponytail into some sort of up-do. Afterward she had applied some colour around her eyes and then startled when precisely at one forty the taxi driver knocked at her door. Barbara grabbed her handbag and with an excitedly beating heart she left her flat.

This is going to be a very interesting day.

Having talked once more with Denton about his plans for this evening's dinner and having pre-arranged most of it Tommy took a short refreshing shower. Well, that was what he had planned but it took him more time to get her out of his mind and system again. Afterwards he stood in front of the sink and watched his meanwhile very shady face. He could very vividly recall how she touched his cheeks. The memories once again stirred something in his groin that could be interpreted as a prediction for the coming evening. Get a grip! he thought to himself and washed his face. Counting the wrinkles around his eyes he sighed deeply and wondered once more if he was not rushing things with Barbara. Though her response to his kisses had been everything else but restricted. Tommy planned on finding out how far she was willing to go this evening. What he wanted had been coming up very clearly under the pleasurably sparkling water under the shower. He wanted to make love to her for the rest of the weekend.

He stopped to let the wave of tremor in his hands go by before he continued with his shave.

Well, anyway... He also continued musing about Barbara. We've wasted enough time and we're not the youngest anymore.

His memories wandered back to the ultimate first touch of their lips this morning. How everything in his body screamed a loud and big cheer when he finally had the guts to kiss Barbara. How every fibre and every nerve in him jubilates when Barbara kissed him back with a tenderness and an intensitiy he had never dared to dream of. He thought about his realisation when he was at Howenstow and the substantiation of it when Barbara and he talked the entire night about everything and the world.

So, it's fast and furious at last. We've had the first kiss this morning, I plan on making this our first night tonight and tomorrow morning I'm going to ask her if she wants to marry me. His thoughts nearly drowned out the scratches of his razor.

She'll be one hell of a Lady Asherton.

He was thinking while he was concentrated on not getting cut but this last thought brought him back to real and his eyes grew wide and he had to stop his shaving once more.

"You're in trouble, Mister!" he said to his reflection with a large grin.

After getting dressed in dark blue casual trousers and a cream coloured cotton shirt he had been waiting at his window so he saw the taxi arriving. He also saw the discussion Barbara had with the driver before she got out and it made Tommy chuckle because he knew what it had been about. He had paid the ride beforehand.

The taxi had stopped on the other side of the street which Barbara now had to cross so Tommy had all the time to drink in her appearance while he waited in the open door.

Apart from her usual oversized handbag with the shoulder strap across her chest she wore her new sandals and the thin cloth of the light brown greta garbo style trousers wafted around her ankles with every step she made. Its waistband hung not as low as the pants she had on yesterday but still it promised that the slack shirt, which was not long enough to prevent it, would from time to time reveal some of the pale skin of her belly. The wide round collar and low neckline of her emerald green shirt showed not only her collarbones but let the straps of her bra flash into sight with one or the other movement and that fact alone made Tommy swallow.

Behave, Tommy, you're not a teenager anymore, you should be used to the sight of a bra strap. But this was entirely different. This was Barbara. Barbara usually was covered up to her neck. She's dressed that way for my sake. Tommy swallowed once more.

"Hello." he said low when she had reached the door. Barbara knew that nothing would be like before when she stepped forward. She stood there slightly hesitant, adoring the handsome man standing casually leaned at the doorframe, waiting for her to approach.

Well, nothing could change back to how it was before anyway. she thought and melted under the look he glanced up to her while he kissed her hand in the old-fashioned manner.

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