4.
Ariadne woke up to her cell phone ringing. It's rude cries pulling her back into the waking world. She had been sleeping so well. Had forgotten all about Arthur and their fight. She woke up and wasn't sure where she was.
Then it all came rushing back to her. A flood of memories, sights, smells and feelings. She didn't have to look at her caller ID to know it was Arthur. Reluctantly, she answered.
"Hello?" She groaned into the phone.
"I didn't I wake you up, did I?" The Point Man asked. His voice sounded alert and chipper as she looked bleary eyed at the clock on the night stand.
"It's 7 a.m." She said pitifully.
"I thought we could go out for breakfast." The Point Man said.
"Um... I think Sadie said something about just the two of us going out." Ariadne said as a means of an excuse. An escape.
"Oh." Arthur said.
Ariadne let the silence spin out between them. Spin and spin. Finally, it was Arthur who broke it.
"I missed you last night." He confessed.
She rolled over on her back and listened to his voice. If she closed her eyes, she could feel him there, laying beside her. The clear connection over the phone made him feel close.
"I missed you to." She admitted.
"So come home." He offered.
"Um... I will... later on." She said noncommittally.
"You are going to come back home right?" He asked. "Your not staying with Sadie forever?"
She sighed. It was to soon to give him anything.
"I'm not going to stay at Sadie's forever." She said finally.
"Ariadne..." he breathed in to the phone. She could almost feel his breath through the receiver. "Please, just come home so we can talk about this. I won't mention anything about kids, or getting married or anything else. We can just... stay in bed all day." He finished with a forced laugh.
Ariadne smiled as she listened to him talking. Her breathing becoming rapid.
"I love you." he said softly. "If you don't want to get married that's fine. It's what I want. Maybe your right, maybe we do need to slow things down a little. Take our time. Just... just come home. Please?" He asked.
To her shock, she found her hand had wandered down between her legs. Rubbing herself. Gently patting her sex till it started to dampen. The sound of his voice alone was exciting her.
"Arthur..." managed to say as she increased her tempo. Her breathing speeding up.
"Arthur..." She said again. "I'll... I'll call you later." She almost groaned as she shut off her phone and allowed her hand to abuse herself. Petting and slapping. Finally slinking her fingers beneath her panties. Rubbing her desire into a rage. Her body tensed as she bucked her hips up. Wishing, her fingers were his. Wishing his body was over hers. Thrusting. Kissing. Grinding.
She was breathing hard as she felt herself come. Half ashamed of what she had allowed herself to do. All over hearing his voice.
~ Ariadne wandered out of the guest room to find the apartment mostly empty. She could hear Sadie and Eames in the bedroom, sounds of them sleeping.
Sadie's redecorating had made Ariadne's old place look wildly different. A massive lighted dressing table was shoved against the wall where the tasteful antique sofa had been. Clothing was hung off walls for lack of closet space. Zebra print rugs and leopard print pillows. Pink feathery slips that would cover nothing. Tacky lamps with red shades, completed the thyme of a brothel.
"What are you doing up so early?" Sadie whispered coming out of the bathroom.
Ariadne turned and saw her friend. Looking tired and cranky. It was one of the few times she had seen Sadie without her make up. She looked much younger. Much prettier.
"Arthur called." Ariadne confessed looking in the refrigerator. Her friend had nothing but half and half, wine, strawberries and limes.
"Lets go out and get something to eat." Ariadne offered.
"Alright." Sadie nodded. Looking slightly hungover. "Just give me an hour or two to put my make-up on."
~ Freshly re-painted and dressed, Sadie joined the Architect at a small bakery a block away.
"I missed this place." Ariadne sighed tasting the lovely light bread she bought for her breakfast. It felt good on her stomach. The hot coffee warming her from the cold.
"What did Arthur say?" Sadie asked. Her own breakfast limited to hot black coffee and her endless supply of perfumed cigarettes. Ariadne shook her head and sighed.
"Wanted me to come home." The Architect said.
"Are you?" Sadie asked. Her long legs dramatically showing off in a short mini skirt and bold lacy print stockings. Not caring about the chill in the air. Only concerned with that people could see them.
The Architect shrugged indifferently.
"Well, your welcome to stay here as long as you want. If you don't mind Eames walking around in the buff. Or myself for that matter." Said sighed as Ariadne flushed red. "I still say you need to just sit down and have a talk with him."
"Maybe." Ariadne admitted. She squinted suddenly as she saw the Forger come out of her old building spotting the two women.
"Hello Ladies!" He called happily. Ariadne tried not to think about the screams and cries that he made the night before. She had to force herself to look away.
"Sadie, we need to by groceries. We cant live off of frozen yogurt forever." Eames said kissing the leggy spider woman on her heavily made up check.
"Fine, we'll do the domestic thing today. Happy?" Said said fitfully. Acting annoyed. Eames quickly coddled her till she relented and was kissing him sweetly.
Ariadne was trying to fake interest in the bakery's specials.
"So, Ariadne." Eames laughed finally coming up for air. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was with the late night visit?"
"Arthur proposed." Sadie said.
"Sadie!" Ariadne shouted in shock. Her secrets betrayed.
"Marriage?" Eames asked stupidly.
"Of course marriage." Sadie said scornfully.
"Well congratulations." Eames said with a devilish smile.
"She turned him down." Sadie said
"Sadie! I did not turn him down." Ariadne said to the Forger's surprised face.
"You didn't say yes." Sadie said with a shrug.
"I..." Ariadne bit her lower lip looking for a witty response.
"It's alright." Eames said. "I mean Arthur is a great guy. He really is. But can you imagine kids with him?" Eames laughed as he waived at a waitress to bring him a coffee. "A guess a little girl would be fine. As long as she's sweet, like her mother." He added giving the Architect a grin. "But can you imagine another Arthur running around? Little boy with that grumpy, serious expression?" Eames paid no attention to the women as he rambled on. "Probably dressed up in a tiny three piece suit with suspenders and a tie." the Forger laughed. "Truly awful."
Ariadne said nothing at all to this rant. Eames had painted a picture in her mind. A little boy, a toddler perhaps. Dressed in a neat, well tailored, little suit. Complete with a neck tie and shiny leather shoes. Arthur's grumpy look on his face. Dark hair brushed back.
A longing stirred in her womb at the idea of this little boy. A wanting, that was almost painful.
She couldn't help it. She felt a smile spread across her face as she cast Sadie a look. Her friend was smiling knowingly back.
"Oh shit." Sadie was laughing. Understanding perfectly what the Architect was thinking.
"What?" Eames said looking between the two women. "What I'd miss?"