Page 31 of Burned By Fire
14
SOL
Monday, May 30th
The jasmine and vanilla scent surrounds me as I move closer to her hair. A soft whimper leaves Ember’s mouth, and I lick my lips. She looks so peaceful as she sleeps, and it won’t be long until the alarm wakes her. The shallow rise and fall of her chest is mesmerizing to watch. I really care about this woman, and I’d love to wake up next to her every morning.
My dick hardens as my attention turns to her perky breasts and the movement of her full lips. Last night after the movie, I hadn’t intended to sleep over at her apartment, but the chance to snuggle with her was too tempting. Without me realizing it, Ember has become the center of my world, and I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve given her space and I’ve tried to be a good friend, but the truth is, I want more. Not just to tame my raging hard-on. I want her to be my partner. In some ways, it already feels like she is, but I need to have a serious talk with her. Once she goes to work today, I’ll arrange a romantic dinner and finally confess my feelings. It might be a cliché thing to do, but I have to start somewhere.
The alarm goes off, and she stirs in her sleep. A groan leaves her lips, and it’s not the good kind. Her eyes flutter open before she covers her face. “Morning,” she says.
“Morning, beautiful. Shall I make coffee while you shower?”
“It’s your first day working at the charity. Shouldn’t I be the one making breakfast while you get ready?” I’m wearing pajamas, but I don’t miss her side glance at my body. If she notices my erection, she doesn’t mention it.
“I don’t start work for another three hours. You’re going to be late if you don’t get your cute butt out of bed.”
She hugs me before leaving for the bathroom, and I go to the kitchen to make the drinks. While I’m waiting for the water to boil, I scroll through the local restaurants on my phone. It’s been so long since I’ve eaten out, never mind gone on a date. By the time I’ve made the coffee and got comfortable on the sofa, Ember appears, dressed and ready to leave. She stands over me, sipping her drink. “Will I see you later?” she asks.
“Why don’t you let me take you out tonight?” I watch her reaction intensely.
“You’re the one who should be celebrating. I should be taking you out.” She playfully pouts, and it makes me want to kiss her.
“It will be a celebration of sorts, but I’m asking you on a date.” My eyes stay on her, but I bring the cup to my lips and take a drink of my coffee. My nerves kick in and I’m glad she can’t read my face.
“I thought…” She stops whatever she was going to say. “Yes. I’d like that very much.”
“Whatever you were going to say we can discuss at dinner. Shall I reserve a table somewhere with Italian food?”
“That sounds great.” She places her mug on the table and kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you tonight. Have a great first day.”
“Thanks. Stay safe, and I’ll text you the restaurant details.”
The door shuts, and I take the dirty mugs to the sink. I wash up and then use her shower. I say a quick hello to Jackie on my way down the stairs before making my way to my new job.
Moving Forward is located on a back street and it doesn’t have the same charm as the Burton offices, but the place feels right for me. I go inside and find Clint in his office that’s filled with stacks of paper. “Hello,” I say.
He shuffles around a few things on his desk. “Sorry, I’d lost track of time. There’s so much to do before the park run on Saturday.”
“That sounds interesting.” I take a seat at the desk.
“I know it’s short notice, but I could use some help setting up the checkpoints, and I’m a couple of volunteers short.”
“Count me in.”
“Excellent. So, I thought we could start today by doing a biography profile of you for the website, and then we’ll go over some of the ways you can recruit new members. Saturday will be an opportunity for us to raise money, but also a chance for you to meet some of the guys I help.” He passes me a standard Moving Forward question sheet. It starts pretty basic, but towards the end, it’s more in-depth. The questions hit a nerve, and I want to answer them, but it’ll involve me digging into my past.
“I’m not sure I can fill all this in,” I say. Panic rises in my throat, and I swallow down the bile.
“The guys just want your honesty. The more real you are with them, the more they will connect with you.”
“This sounds like therapy all over again.” I laugh nervously.
“In a way, I guess it is. By helping yourself and sharing your experiences, hopefully it will help someone else.”
I nod because he’s making sense. If I could stop one person turning to the bottle the way I did, that would be a rewarding result. I almost lost everything, and then I’d have missed the thing that was right in front of me. Ember. This form isn’t so scary if I break it down as Jackie taught me.
“Do you have a pen?”