Now I can breathe, I can see, I can touch, I can feel
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss
You give me all the things I've ever missed
I've never felt like this
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive.
- The Hollies
It felt as though they had spent a lifetime together. As though every Saturday was a lazy day spent around his flat. Edith disappeared upstairs for a little bit to take a bath while Anthony took the opportunity to run over to the market. He returned with an armful of groceries to be met by Edith laying on the couch in his office wearing his bathrobe.
"Hi." She smiled brightly, jumping up to help him.
"Hi. Good bath?"
"Marvelous. I was tempted to just linger in the tub all day."
"What stopped you?"
"Prune fingers… although, I was thinking that tub might be big enough for two." She murmured, moving a bit closer to him so that he was pinned between her and the counter.
"Certainly something to keep in mind." He whispered before dropping his head down far enough to reach her lips. "I quite like the look of you in my robe."
"You don't mind then? I left mine at home."
"No, by all means. Looks much better on you." He smiled, pulling her back into a kiss.
"You do that so well." She murmured blissfully, resting her forehead against his shoulders. His kisses were much more preferably to Michael's. Michael was always demanding, every embrace was a means to reach his own pleasure. Whereas Anthony was keen to explore her, his mouth always eager against her, ready for her to take the lead if she wanted something different.
"Years and years and years of practice."
"Not that many years." She laughed. "What did you get from the market?"
"Ingredients for dinner."
"Is that right?"
"Yes. I'm cooking for you." He said casually, moving to the bags so that he could put things away.
"You cook?"
"For you."
"Breaking all the stereotypes."
"Am I?"
"Wealthy gentleman, cooking for his young lady friend."
"Don't forget I'm also old. Set in my ways, probably misogynistic."
"The absolute last word I would ever use to describe you. And you aren't that old."
"I'm not that young."
"I prefer you that way."
"Strange young lady."
"I prefer quirky. I should probably go get dressed."
She disappeared upstairs, leaving him alone in the kitchen to ponder a number of things. Her interest in him was certainly in the front of his mind. How could she be interested in him? It wasn't his money, her family was far more wealthy than he was, she could clearly have her choice of young men, what was it about him?
She found him in the office, now out of his robe and wearing a blue sweater dress and black stockings. Much to his delight she had foregone makeup, he liked her eyes free of the heavy black liner.
"What?" She asked, drawing his attention to the fact that he was staring.
"You look beautiful."
"Really?" Edith sound confused as she looked down at her clothes. She wasn't wearing anything special, nothing overly alluring.
"Really."
She blushed, pushing a few things away from the edge of the desk so she could sit on the surface.
"Plans for this afternoon?"
"Nothing in particular. Chop up the vegetables for the stew."
"Mmm, I love stew." She grinned, moving one foot towards his lap then the other. Anthony faltered for a moment, surprised by her movements, but eventually rested his hands on top of top of them.
"Thought it would be nice with the weather… and it's one of the few things I know how to make."
"I'm looking forward to it. Want some help chopping?"
"That would be wonderful."
They sat down at the kitchen table, each with a chopping block and knife, Anthony cutting up potatoes while Edith saw to the carrots.
"This isn't too domestic for you?" Anthony asked, looking across the table at a very comfortable Edith.
"I don't have a problem with domestic."
"But you're fighting your parents on marriage?"
"I wouldn't mind if they actually cared about who I married. They just want me paired off with someone. I'm of a certain age, should be married to a respectable young man preparing to make his way in the world. Otherwise I'll be relegated to the role of spinster and parental caretaker once they reach that age."
"You haven't found a respectable young man to call your own."
"I don't care for the men my age. All of them are on the fast track to becoming like Michael, Thomas, or my father. Last thing I need is another empty relationship where my only role is meal ticket, shelter, and bed warmer."
"You're so much more than that." He smiled reassuringly, his foot brushing her's under the table.
"Am I?"
Anthony simply nodded, pushing the pot towards her to put the carrots in. They finished getting dinner ready then took a walk through the nearby park while the stew cooked. They stopped for the evening paper before heading home.
"Planning on doing a lot of reading tonight?" Edith teased as they walked back to his.
"Edith… if you… I don't want you to feel as though you have to sleep with me because of something I said while…"
"High."
"Yes. If you don't want to…" He stammered.
"I want to." She said with a tone that noted the end of the discussion. Taking his free hand in hers they walked along, not worried about the impending storm overhead.
"Why don't we eat in front of the fire place in your office?" She suggested as they climbed the stairs to his door. There wasn't a room in the house that didn't smell of the delicious stew. Everything was warm and homey, Edith wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and curl up with Anthony, but her growling stomach disagreed with her plan.
"I'll get the wine and start the fire, you get the bowls?"
Edith returned from the kitchen to find Anthony had already set out two glasses of red wine and lighting the fire. Setting down the dishes of stew she turned on the radio.
"If law and teaching fail to pan out any further I think you've got a third career option." Edith managed between mouthfuls of beef and vegetables.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I don't think I've ever done this."
"Eat dinner?"
"No."
"Eat dinner with a bright young thing of this marvelous decade?" She laughed.
"That is new for me as well. I meant eating on the floor of my home in front of the fire."
"Somewhere in Yorkshire my granny is feeling a stab of impropriety and has no idea why."
"I hope she's lying down, I have a feeling the pain is going to get worse before it gets better." His tone was low as he put their dishes aside and slowly started to move towards her, shifting one of the pillows she had been resting against under her head.
"I do like the sound of that!" She grinned, shifting so that he could rest between her legs. As a new song began she tilted her head back to look at the radio before laughing. "Apparently a DJ out there agrees."
He paused for a moment, dropping his lips to her neck, lingering at the hollow of her throat.
This whole world
Wouldn't be half as bad
It wouldn't be half as sad
If each and everybody in it had…
"Just a little lovin…" Edith whispered her arms tightening around Anthony's shoulders, relaxing beneath the weight of his body.
"Aiming for more than just a little."
Their lips met again, Edith's legs curling around waist as he gently shifted her dress up around her waist. The world quickly faded away, nothing else mattered, not even the ringing phone. Clothes were quickly disappearing, being thrown haphazardly around the room. Any noise other than the soft moans fell on deaf ears.
The phone continued to ring in the background, trilling unnoticed as Anthony and Edith saw to each other's needs in front of the fire. Blissfully unaware that on the other end of the line Thomas was in a phone booth, across the street from the burnt remains of what was once Edith's flat, Michael Gregson and a pair of young mod girls next to him, all covered in ashes.
"Should… should I get that?" Anthony asked, though he knew he couldn't pull away from Edith at that moment, he wasn't even sure he'd be able to find the phone let alone converse with someone. She was breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed, hands desperate to touch every inch of his bare skin that they could find.
"Leave it. Nothing else matters right now but you and me and this."
Anthony nodded in agreement, suddenly aware of how he wanted to spend the rest of his life.
Oh, someday I know
Someone will look into my eyes
And say hello
You're my very special one
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
- The Velvet Underground