Page 26 of A Simple Love
“Oh, my gosh!” She exclaims, immediately crouching down to pick up her papers and the box of nails that has scattered all over the floor. It only takes me two long strides, but I’m right next to her on the floor in a heartbeat, helping her clean up the mess.
“Mike, what are you doing here?” She glances over at me while we’re bent over, her eyes full of surprise.
“I came to help you and deliver a gift,” I fire back, a little annoyed at her reaction to my presence.
“Well, I appreciate that, but Ben already surprised me this morning with his help,” she explains with a wide-eyed gaze, rising from the floor and making her way around me before dropping off her supplies on the pathetic excuse she has for a desk. Good thing that’s one thing I’ll be able to fix before I leave.
“Yeah, Vic said she’d be working in her classroom today, so I surprised her with coffee this morning and some manpower,” Ben winks over at her before directing his eyes back at me, the sly grin on his face showcasing his pleasure in one-upping me.
“Yes, it was a pleasant surprise and appreciated. He’s been able to fix the leg on that bookshelf for me and move some tables around in the few hours we’ve been here.”
Ben casually walks over to Victoria, placing an arm around her shoulders, instantly making my fists clench. “Yeah, you’re not the only one who knows their way around wood, Mike.”
I swear, if Victoria wasn’t here right now, my fist would meet his face and seek revenge for the black eyes from the Fourth of July, and any moment when this guy thought he could come between Victoria and me.
Victoria clears her throat in an attempt to defuse the standoff between Ben and me. “Okay then, well Mike… what did you need again?”
I turn my eyes back to her and try to soften the tense look on my face. “I have something for you, but I guess I can come back later.”
“Well, I actually was just about to leave, so I guess you’re in luck, Mike. I have a mid-shift to work at Mic’s Garage today, so I’ll leave you two alone.” He turns back to Victoria, completely ignoring the fact that I’m watching his moves when he places his arms around her hips, pulling her to him.
“I’ll call you later,” he whispers to her before placing a longer than necessary kiss on her lips. It’s all I can do not to launch my body at him and pummel him to the ground.
“Yeah, uh, thanks for your help,” Vic sputters, clearly uncomfortable of his display of affection in front of me, turning her head to face me, casting me an apologetic smile.
Ben turns to me, shooting me a knowing look, clearly aware that his move means war, before reaching her door and leaving us alone in her classroom.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry you had to see that Mike.” Her hands cover her face in embarrassment. “I didn’t think he would be that bold.”
“Well, I’m not gonna say that it didn’t make me uncomfortable watching him kiss you, Vic…. But I kinda figured you’d already done that with him. But hey, it’s not my business,” I state, throwing my hands up in the air. It’s taking all the control I have right now not to throw things. I want Victoria to know that I can handle this, her dating both of us, even though it kills me.
“Okay, let’s just change the subject. What did you bring me?” Her smile lights up at the thought of my gift, instantly bringing back that feeling of anticipation I had before Ben extinguished my light.
“You’ll have to wait here. I need to find someone to help me bring it to your room. It’s pretty big.” I gesture towards the door as I make my way to leave.
“Okay….. Well, I’ll be right here when you get back, I guess,” she eyes me suspiciously before I wink at her and turn to leave. Carl, the custodian, happens to be a few doors down vacuuming a classroom, so I ask for his assistance in retrieving the piece from my truck.
The heaviness of the desk makes this more of a job than I anticipated, but after a few close calls of dropping it from the bed of my truck, we get it belted onto the dolly I brought from home and wheeled just outside of Victoria’s classroom door.
I stick my head inside her door, which she must have propped open when I left. “Are you ready for your surprise?” She jumps at the sound of my voice, making me chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess,” she says, turning to watch the door as I tip the desk again on the dolly and wheel it through her door. It barely fits.
“Oh my God, Mike!” she shouts, her hands covering her mouth in shock. “You made me a desk?”
I push the hunk of wood further into the room before bringing it back down to rest on the ground. “I made you a desk, Victoria. You deserve it.”
The look on Victoria’s face right now is worth every ounce of hard work and stress over making this piece perfect, every sketch I threw in the trash, every fingernail I bruised with my hammer. Victoria is worth all of it, and her eyes full of tears tell me she has to understand the meaning behind my gift.
“It’s so beautiful, Mike!” She chokes out behind her tears, rushing over to me and wrapping her arms around my neck, burying her head in my chest. I let her have a moment, the small shudders coming from her body alarming me slightly. I wanted her to be happy, a few tears I expected, but not body-wracking sobs.
“Are you okay, Vic?” I rub my hands up and down her spine, attempting to soothe her.
She sniffles a few times before raising her head and meeting her watery eyes with mine.
“This is the nicest gift anyone has ever made me, Mike. Thank you so much.” Before I can respond, she presses her lips to mine in a supple kiss, the saltiness from her tears coming through. Even though I’ve been dying to ravage her mouth again, this moment seems more sincere. I wait to see if she offers me her tongue, and much to my disappointment, she doesn’t. But the feel of her softness pressed to my hard sends a wave of intensity over my body. She merely holds her lips to mine for a few seconds, a kiss so sweet and pure, it renders me immobile while I just focus on the feel of her skin on mine.
Breaking our connection, her hands come up to cradle my face. “I don’t even know what to say to you, Mike. But I do know exactly where it should go.” A transformative smile finally breaks through her emotion as she turns and pushes the pathetic excuse for a desk she inherited out of the way, making me laugh at her enthusiasm. After a bit of finagling of furniture, the custom-made desk is firmly placed in its new home and the look on Victoria’s face makes me beam with pride.