She loved him

even when things were a little stormy.

She loved him

before they knew each other's name.

And she will love him

until she takes her last breath and

her heart goes up in flames.

-Published by Family Friend Poems April 2021, with permission of the owner.

-2-

April 2012

She had knocked on his back door. Saw that the lights were dimm. She wondered then, because he had told her to come over. After a few long seconds she started to fumble in her bag to look for her spare key; nervousness making its way up.

She chose not to turn on the lights fully as she entered his home. Just in case. Her cautious steps now leading her in this moment around the corner into his small living room. There; she luckily sees him lying on the couch, eyes closed. Body limb with sleep. A little smile playing on her lips now. Even with her approaching him softly, he startles up nevertheless. Almost jumping.

"Bloody hell! Gill!" His eyes open now, face still crumbled, he lays his hand over his heart as to tell her, that she gave him a heart attack.

Afterwards he falls back into his cushions again. Just then she realizes that the left side of his face is red and swollen. Her steps leading her faster now.

"What happened to you!?" She sits next to him, in front of the couch, and she reaches out for his face. He lets her do that: studying the patterns on his skin. Her eyebrows form in worry.

He sighs. "You know I wouldn't do that unless I mean it, right?" He asks her first, as to check up, if she is willing to listen. Really listen. "Hm." Maybe she wasn't so sure about that, but her eyes find his and they ask for him to speak further.

"You know about the bloody group financial crisis, so I tried to make demands…"

"…apparently with a not so good outcome." She finishes the sentences, instead of him. Yes. Maybe she wasn't able to listen without bias. Her hands in her lap now. Cal sits up and starts to watch her face. Maybe looking for something then.

"Like I said: I did it for the group." A brief pause. "For us." He adds then, softly. And when she looks up again to meet his eyes, they are watching hers differently now:

Green eyes full of warmth. Pupils slowly delating. Holding her gaze and making it intense.

She can't control the smile that's finding her lips as she starts to blush, when she notices what she is recognizing. Her heart skips a beat and heat starts to rise up in her body. Filling out every part of her skin. He is grinning at her then, because he knows that she knows.

He is sitting on the edge of his bed. His arms holding him up as his upper body leans backwards. His eyes watching her, standing in front of him. She is slowly unzipping her dress. Her hands on the side of her rips to pull down the zipper. His eyes roaming over her full body now. Starting at her calves, up her still clothed legs, over her hip, her stomach, breasts, the outline of her shoulder bones, her jaw, lips that are slightly parted, cheeks that seem to be heated, eyes that almost were as dark as his. Down again to her hands that were now pushing down her dress.

He has to swallow then. As her body unfolds in front of him. Presenting itself to him the first time in that delicate way. Leaving her in front of him in dark red underwear. He is still fully clothed, which may seem unfair, but he doesn't give a toss about it. He could undress himself in less than a few seconds. She steps out of the turquoise cotton and towards him. A little cautiously, he thinks. Then her naked, cold thighs press against his. She sits down on his lap. Black irises' finding themselves. The tingling in his body makes it hard for him to think. Her tongue brushes over her lower lip and he pushes himself off, so that his body collides with hers purposefully. With his free hands, he is now able to take her face between his hands, to bring her painfully slowly closer to his face, not letting go of her eyes. Finally he crashes his lips upon hers. Kissing her so hotly, that she just has to lose every train of thought as well.

It's the same tingle he feels ever so often nowadays, when she was close. He leans further into her, registering that her eyes flutter almost close, but rather focussing on his lips. There were only millimeters now between them.

"DAD!" A high pitched voice came through the walls, letting them part. Cals eyes widen in shock as he rapidly gets out of Gillians face and her hand fall, once again, back into her lap, just in time when Emily comes around the corner.

"Gillian?!" The young woman asks in shock as she takes in the scene in front of her. "Dad. What happened? The door was open!" Her brown eyes reflecting her concern.

"Oh, Emily. I must have forgotten…" Gillian was about to explain herself, meanwhile standing up. But Emilys eyes and ears were only focussing on his dad, speaking out all her thoughts to keep up with what she was experiencing. "What happened? What happened to your face?" She was standing still then in the door frame between dining- and living room.

"Oi! Foster was just about to take care of that. Go. Get us some water if you want to be useful!" Cal only instructs her, huffing out some air.

"You're unbearable these days!" Emily replies in anger and then turns to leave. With that, Gillian just glares at Cal. "You could be more sentimental with her. She was worried." She turns around and follows Emily into the kitchen. Cal sighs, pushes himself up from the couch to follow the two woman.

Almost caught, he thinks to himself.

Next: June 2012