Chapter Ten*
Moni rose again earlier than Adam. Her internal alarm clock was
trumpeting reveille even though the past couple nights she'd been out past
the normal 'lights out'. Finding herself still wrapped in Adam's embrace,
she carefully slid his arm off her stomach and stealthily crawled out of
bed. Locating a pair of socks, she yanked her running shoes out of her bag.
Re-pulling her hair back, she took one of the room keys, slid it into her
sock and stole out the door for a much needed run.
Adam woke expecting to feel her beside him. Opening his eyes completely, he felt around her side of the bed, greeted by nothing other than emptiness. "Shit not again." Adam had hoped that things would be different today. So far, it didn't look promising. He flung back the covers and walked around the room looking for a note or something. Finding nothing, he pulled on his jeans and headed for the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Jeff standing there. "Hey man, you guys both up?" "Yeah, some earlier than others." Jeff sensed some bitterness in his friend's voice as he walked into the room. Looking around, he asked, "Where is she?" "Beats me man. I woke up and she was gone again." "Why do I get the feeling this has nothing to do with the other girls?" "Because it doesn't" Adam spilled out the current events to Jeff and had just finished as Moni let herself in. She was greeted by the sight of Adam and Jeff, obviously having stopped in mid conversation to see who it was. They looked incredulously at her. She was flecked with sweat from head to toe, but seemed refreshed for some reason. "Good morning sleepy heads." She offered cheerfully. She knew something was up when Adam asked Jeff if he'd give them a few minutes. Jeff assured him it was no problem and said to call when they were ready. Jeff squeezed her hand as he walked out. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought you left, like yesterday, without a word. And I thought it was because of me, of what happened last night." "Adam, I just went for a run." She seemed to be blowing him off and he didn't appreciate it. "Do you have any other solo plans for today?" He was frustrated and being rude. "No, should I make some?" his tone was pissing her off slowly. Who was he to dictate her time? "Well do you think you could stand to spend the day with me?" he asked finally trying to control his bruised ego. "What do you have in mind?" Adam ran down the itinerary for her as she gathered some clean clothes for a shower. "Is it going to be possible to do some laundry later?" It was piling up and she felt like she was slacking. "I think we can fit that in somewhere."
The morning progressed better than the tone it had started off on. Moni enjoyed breakfast with everyone, feeling accepted. She didn't know whether that was because of Amy and Kirsten or if that were from Adam's actions and demeanor. He opened doors for her, held out her chair, grabbed her hand and held on like he didn't want to let go. After taking as long as politely possible for their meal, everyone split to go their separate ways. Jason took Jennifer to the Mall of America, Amy and Kirsten went to the gym with Matt and Jeff, leaving Adam and Moni to themselves. Adam informed her he had found someplace she could do her laundry, so gathering it up, he carried it down to rental and they were on their way. During the cycles, their conversation covered a wide range of questions, topics and opinions. Adam had been subjected to her feisty side- mischievously he could see that coming in handy. He imagined an exhausting make up session after an argument with her. The last load was in the dryer and she was sitting on top of it, folding some of the previously washed items. He placed himself between her legs and took the socks from her, setting them aside. He ran his tongue over her lips, asking for acceptance and she complied, allowing him the requested access. Tangling her fingers in his beautiful locks, she moaned quietly as he invoked sweet sensations inside her. He ran his hands up her thighs, around to her ass and she shivered at his touch. He began running his tongue and his lips over her ears and down her neck. His facial hair tickling her skin the whole way down. She started to put her hands up his shirt to run them along his chest, down his stomach when she remembered that they were in the middle of a public laundry mat. "Don't you have a signing to get ready for?" she asked breaking the contact. Growling low in his throat he asked, "Did you have to remind me?" She countered with "Do you love your job?" He drew her close and brought her down from off the dryer. As he slid her down the length of his body, she couldn't miss his evident desire and wished she were completely free to give in to it. Adam felt her inner turmoil. "We should talk about this. Are you ok?" "This? I'm fine. I'm sorry, I don't ..." she trailed off not sure of how to continue. "What's started between us and why you're struggling? Is it because of him or is it just too soon?" Adam asked, exaggerating the inflection on the word 'him'. "No. I think I knew the minute we found the airport empty that it was over. But I can't lie and say that I don't still have feelings for him. On the other hand, you intrigue me and make me .. " she couldn't find the right words. "-I'm not going to lie to you and say that I don't want to resume this." Leaning in, he kissed her one more time, but she broke his hold again. "I'm not used to dealing with a man who has no inhibitions-no fear of speaking out loud what he really feels. Nor am I sure how to go about getting to know someone like you. Don't share yourself with me if you're looking at this as once I'm back in my world, out of sight, out of mind. I don't have much of a heart left, I'd like to save it in case somebody wants it someday." Finished with her speech, Adam's throat tightened as he caught a glimpse of the tears pooling in her eyes.
Moni swallowed back the pitiful emotion and hoisted up her bag of now clean clothes. Leaving the laundry mat, Adam walked beside her silently. He wanted to stop her, pull her into his arms and make it all disappear. He had no words. Part of this was his fault-he'd given her the wrong impression about his job and himself. The other half of this was some unknown asshole's doing.
The ride back to the hotel was deafeningly silent. Adam stared at the road in front of him, occasionally stealing glances in her direction. She wouldn't look at him. Just remained motionless, watching the scenery flash by in the passenger window. When they arrived, she stubbornly refused to let Adam carry her stuff to the room. Jason cut them off as they were unlocking the door. "Hey Adam, man we gotta go-some sort of briefing before the signing." "Now? You've got to be kidding!" The timing was impeccable. Moni had made her way into the room, but heard Jason respond, "No, I'm not." "Shit" Adam grumbled. "Ok. I'll meet you in a minute." He hoped Jason would get the drift. Jason complied with Adam's silent wish and backed off heading downstairs. Adam came up behind Moni and gently turned her around to face him. "Please wait for me to get back. Promise me you won't leave. No malls and no runs- not even if they tie you up! OK?" "Ok. You have my word." She could use a nap right about now anyway. With obvious reluctance he left her alone, to attend that for which he'd been summoned. Turning on the television, she realized housekeeping hadn't come yet-she caught the scent of Adam's cologne from the linens. Exhaling dejectedly, she did her best to focus on the program before her. Facing Allen's rejection, combined with the overwhelming confusion of Adam's attraction, she wrapped her arms around Adam's pillow and cried herself to sleep.
Adam woke expecting to feel her beside him. Opening his eyes completely, he felt around her side of the bed, greeted by nothing other than emptiness. "Shit not again." Adam had hoped that things would be different today. So far, it didn't look promising. He flung back the covers and walked around the room looking for a note or something. Finding nothing, he pulled on his jeans and headed for the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Jeff standing there. "Hey man, you guys both up?" "Yeah, some earlier than others." Jeff sensed some bitterness in his friend's voice as he walked into the room. Looking around, he asked, "Where is she?" "Beats me man. I woke up and she was gone again." "Why do I get the feeling this has nothing to do with the other girls?" "Because it doesn't" Adam spilled out the current events to Jeff and had just finished as Moni let herself in. She was greeted by the sight of Adam and Jeff, obviously having stopped in mid conversation to see who it was. They looked incredulously at her. She was flecked with sweat from head to toe, but seemed refreshed for some reason. "Good morning sleepy heads." She offered cheerfully. She knew something was up when Adam asked Jeff if he'd give them a few minutes. Jeff assured him it was no problem and said to call when they were ready. Jeff squeezed her hand as he walked out. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought you left, like yesterday, without a word. And I thought it was because of me, of what happened last night." "Adam, I just went for a run." She seemed to be blowing him off and he didn't appreciate it. "Do you have any other solo plans for today?" He was frustrated and being rude. "No, should I make some?" his tone was pissing her off slowly. Who was he to dictate her time? "Well do you think you could stand to spend the day with me?" he asked finally trying to control his bruised ego. "What do you have in mind?" Adam ran down the itinerary for her as she gathered some clean clothes for a shower. "Is it going to be possible to do some laundry later?" It was piling up and she felt like she was slacking. "I think we can fit that in somewhere."
The morning progressed better than the tone it had started off on. Moni enjoyed breakfast with everyone, feeling accepted. She didn't know whether that was because of Amy and Kirsten or if that were from Adam's actions and demeanor. He opened doors for her, held out her chair, grabbed her hand and held on like he didn't want to let go. After taking as long as politely possible for their meal, everyone split to go their separate ways. Jason took Jennifer to the Mall of America, Amy and Kirsten went to the gym with Matt and Jeff, leaving Adam and Moni to themselves. Adam informed her he had found someplace she could do her laundry, so gathering it up, he carried it down to rental and they were on their way. During the cycles, their conversation covered a wide range of questions, topics and opinions. Adam had been subjected to her feisty side- mischievously he could see that coming in handy. He imagined an exhausting make up session after an argument with her. The last load was in the dryer and she was sitting on top of it, folding some of the previously washed items. He placed himself between her legs and took the socks from her, setting them aside. He ran his tongue over her lips, asking for acceptance and she complied, allowing him the requested access. Tangling her fingers in his beautiful locks, she moaned quietly as he invoked sweet sensations inside her. He ran his hands up her thighs, around to her ass and she shivered at his touch. He began running his tongue and his lips over her ears and down her neck. His facial hair tickling her skin the whole way down. She started to put her hands up his shirt to run them along his chest, down his stomach when she remembered that they were in the middle of a public laundry mat. "Don't you have a signing to get ready for?" she asked breaking the contact. Growling low in his throat he asked, "Did you have to remind me?" She countered with "Do you love your job?" He drew her close and brought her down from off the dryer. As he slid her down the length of his body, she couldn't miss his evident desire and wished she were completely free to give in to it. Adam felt her inner turmoil. "We should talk about this. Are you ok?" "This? I'm fine. I'm sorry, I don't ..." she trailed off not sure of how to continue. "What's started between us and why you're struggling? Is it because of him or is it just too soon?" Adam asked, exaggerating the inflection on the word 'him'. "No. I think I knew the minute we found the airport empty that it was over. But I can't lie and say that I don't still have feelings for him. On the other hand, you intrigue me and make me .. " she couldn't find the right words. "-I'm not going to lie to you and say that I don't want to resume this." Leaning in, he kissed her one more time, but she broke his hold again. "I'm not used to dealing with a man who has no inhibitions-no fear of speaking out loud what he really feels. Nor am I sure how to go about getting to know someone like you. Don't share yourself with me if you're looking at this as once I'm back in my world, out of sight, out of mind. I don't have much of a heart left, I'd like to save it in case somebody wants it someday." Finished with her speech, Adam's throat tightened as he caught a glimpse of the tears pooling in her eyes.
Moni swallowed back the pitiful emotion and hoisted up her bag of now clean clothes. Leaving the laundry mat, Adam walked beside her silently. He wanted to stop her, pull her into his arms and make it all disappear. He had no words. Part of this was his fault-he'd given her the wrong impression about his job and himself. The other half of this was some unknown asshole's doing.
The ride back to the hotel was deafeningly silent. Adam stared at the road in front of him, occasionally stealing glances in her direction. She wouldn't look at him. Just remained motionless, watching the scenery flash by in the passenger window. When they arrived, she stubbornly refused to let Adam carry her stuff to the room. Jason cut them off as they were unlocking the door. "Hey Adam, man we gotta go-some sort of briefing before the signing." "Now? You've got to be kidding!" The timing was impeccable. Moni had made her way into the room, but heard Jason respond, "No, I'm not." "Shit" Adam grumbled. "Ok. I'll meet you in a minute." He hoped Jason would get the drift. Jason complied with Adam's silent wish and backed off heading downstairs. Adam came up behind Moni and gently turned her around to face him. "Please wait for me to get back. Promise me you won't leave. No malls and no runs- not even if they tie you up! OK?" "Ok. You have my word." She could use a nap right about now anyway. With obvious reluctance he left her alone, to attend that for which he'd been summoned. Turning on the television, she realized housekeeping hadn't come yet-she caught the scent of Adam's cologne from the linens. Exhaling dejectedly, she did her best to focus on the program before her. Facing Allen's rejection, combined with the overwhelming confusion of Adam's attraction, she wrapped her arms around Adam's pillow and cried herself to sleep.