Chapter 1
How do short people manage this? Lizzie Anderson pondered stretching onto her toes, fingers extending in a futile attempt to reach the elusive items on the top shelf. Clearly, the supermarket staff wasn't overly concerned about catering to her height-related predicaments, as all the tantalizing flavors of sauces—tomato, pesto, fresh herbs—were strategically placed out of her grasp. Contemplating a rather ungraceful jump, she scanned her surroundings. An elderly man, with silver hair and a height even more modest than her own 1.73 meters, squinted at the minuscule letters on a cereal box. Meanwhile, a woman maneuvered a baby stroller with arms filled with vegetables at the opposite end of the aisle—no assistance there. Fortunately, salvation was in sight. A towering man, easily surpassing six feet in height, was engrossed in selecting eggs at the far end of the aisle Lizzie was determined to conquer.
"Excuse me," she called, catching his attention. "Could you help me grab that pesto sauce up there?"
The man's gaze lingered on her, almost captivated. Lizzie shifted her weight and met his gaze, refraining from flashing a flirty smile. He was handsome, for sure. In another time and place, she might have enjoyed the attention, but right now, her focus was on securing the sauce and heading to Paul's house. After all, what's better than a hot stranger checking you out in the supermarket? A hot date eagerly awaiting you for a night of passion, followed by a plate of cheesy pasta.
"Sure," he finally responded, his eyes fixated on her. "Pesto, you said?"
"Yeah, the one with the yellow lid, top shelf. See?" She turned and pointed to the elusive ingredient, strategically placed on the tallest shelf in the entire supermarket. The man, towering over her at what seemed like 2 meters, effortlessly reached up and procured two versions of the yellow-lid pesto. He quickly examined the packaging before presenting them to her.
"Traditional or with fresh herbs?"
She accepted the traditional one, trying not to notice the warmth emanating from his fingers. Having spent the past few months with Paul, who also ran a few degrees hotter than usual, she was accustomed to it. However, this tall stranger was not only physically warm but the brief contact of their fingers made her feel as if she were enveloped in a summer breeze—warm, inviting, and strangely tempting.
Shaken by her unexpected thoughts, Lizzie flashed the stranger a quick smile before taking two steps back, attempting to quell any irrational impulses.
"Thanks."
He smiled back, revealing perfect white teeth, his eyes squinting with the warmth of his smile taking over his entire face. Handsome, hot, and, she decided, cute. Blushing, Lizzie took a couple of steps back, her phone interrupting the moment with a vibration in her pocket.
The supermarket ambiance gradually returned—the bustle of people, clattering carts, and rattling groceries. The fluorescent lights regained their annoyingly bright quality. Her phone buzzed again, pulling her back to reality. Paul name fleshed on her screen
Remember to grab some ice cream too. I'll pay.
She smiled at the memory of his sweet tooth.
"Thanks again. Gotta go." She quickly shot the stranger a goodbye smile before turning away, attempting to focus on replying to Paul's texts and selecting a chocolate chip ice cream from the aisle.
As she paid for her groceries and headed to her car, Lizzie found her attention divided between her surroundings and her thoughts. She couldn't help but scan the checkout area and parking lot for the tall stranger who had come to her rescue. Only upon approaching Paul's home did Lizzie manage to shake off the persistent thoughts. And focus on better things…
"You know," Paul remarked, casually moving around the room in search of his underwear. Lizzie lay naked in his bed, leisurely observing his physique as he glided about. A twinge of vanity swept over her, but there was no denying that the guy was undeniably sexy. After two incredible hours, just gazing at him reignited her interest.
"Yes?"
"I've never had pesto before." He said while pulling his dark green boxers over his hips.
She laughed and rolled around in his sheets. Sex with Paul always put her in a giddy mood.
"And what's the verdict?"
"Good. Though I still prefer tomato sauce."
"Well, that's because you don't know how to appreciate the good things in life"
"I don't? What about how I appreciate you?
"You got me there…"
He pulled her towards him, his lips easily finding the skin on the side of her neck, the perfect spot bellow her ear that made her entire body wake with goosebumps. She moaned before she could help herself and Paul growled, his teeth light scratching her skin.
"You make me crazy, Liz."
"Good. That's the goal, Paul."
He started kissing her again, his lips meeting hers, and their tongues intertwined in a way that made Lizzie's eyes roll back. Paul's big, calloused hand ran up and down the sides of her naked body, exploring the skin he was already so familiar with. His mouth began exploring more of her body, and Lizzie bit her lips in anticipation. He was taking his time, his tongue playing on the skin just above her hips when a phone started to ring. She noticed it wasn't hers, but even if it was, she would have ignored it. Anyone trying to reach her right now could wait until she got her second orgasm of the night.
Unfortunately, Paul didn't seem to think the same. His kisses came to a stop as the phone kept on ringing, and after the third ring, he cursed loudly before shooting her an apologetic glance.
"It's my boss's ringtone. I gotta take this."
"Fuck… Your boss has terrible timing."
She sighed, watching as Paul reluctantly reached for his phone, leaving her in a state of longing. "Sorry love. Stay here. I'll make it up to you." He said before giving her a long wet kiss on the inside of her thigh and jumping off the bed. As he answered the call, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Some things, apparently, couldn't wait—even if she strongly believed that pleasure should always come before business.
He picked up the phone from the nightstand and ran his hand over his short hair before pulling it to his ear. "What is it Sam?"
Paul moved out the bedroom with the phone glued to his ear and Lizzie sighted, turning around his bed a few time before noticing that maybe the night would have to be cut short. But overall, even with this interruption, seeing Paul was always a good idea. They had been hooking up for a couple of months now, and the best thing was that neither of them wanted anything more than good sex and nice company. They had a friends with benefit situation that weight heavily on the benefits side of the relationship, way more than the friends side.
Surely, after you sleep for two months with the same person, intimacy is bound the grow. But still, they only saw each other to have sex. Everything else that happened in their relationship was mere consequence of it. Yet, Lizzie appreciated the honesty between them. Their relationship was uncomplicated, enjoyable, and incredibly satisfying.
After five minutes passed without Paul's return, Lizzie decided to move. It was already one in the morning, and with an early class to teach, she needed to leave. Dressing quickly in jeans and a sweater, Lizzie made her way out of his bedroom and into the kitchen.
In the sink, the remnants of the pasta she had prepared earlier soaked in water. Paul sat on the sofa, still on the phone, eyes fixed on a painting. He shot her a confused look as she closed the bedroom door, clearly wondering why she was dressed to leave.
"Fine Sam. I'll be there soon. I gotta hang up now."
He waited for the other person hang up and then turned to Lizzie.
"Sorry…"
"It's fine." She smiled. "You can always make it up for me another day."
He grinned mischievously and stood up, heading towards the kitchen.
"I like that plan. Friday, your place. I come over, what do you say?"
"It's a plan. Text me when you are free." She said, sitting on the floor to put on her boots. "What did your boss want at one o'clock in the morning?"
"Don't ask. One of the guys I work with is freaking out… Honestly you don't wanna know."
"I'll take your word for it"
"Any chance you'll help me with he dishes before you leave?"
"I cooked and I gave you one hell of a blowjob Paul. I think I deserve being excused from the dishes tonight."
He laughed loudly before offering her a hand to help her stand up and pulling her around the waist to press her body against his.
"If you always give me a blowjob like that I promise to always do the dishes, no complains."
"Ah, I need to ask you for something else too."
"What?"
"The window in the second floor of my place broke down a couple days ago with the wind. I've been blocking it with plastic and tape but I have this feeling that when it rains I'll have an indoor swimming pool on the second floor. Any chance you help me fix it?"
"Your window broke Monday and you still haven't fix it?"
"It hasn't rain, so it's still ok."
He glance out the window in his place, outside dark grey clouds covered the night sky like a think blanket of stormy weather.
"But it's going to."
"And that's why I'm asking for your help."
"I'll bring some tools Friday."
She thanked him and said her goodbyes with a long kiss before grabbing her things and leaving. In the beginning, when Sam, Paul's boss, called during their hookups, Lizzie had been suspicious. Who's boss calls at two, three, four in the morning? But Paul never talked much about his job. She knew he had a carpentry job during the day and worked for the tribe in a community protection organization, but he never spoke much about the latter. After a few weeks, she realized their relationship had a lot of unspoken limits, both for him and for her. Many things remained unaddressed, and truth be told, it was fine with Lizzie. She didn't ask many questions about his peculiar job, and he didn't inquire about her private life. All in all, it was a great arrangement.