Page 21 of Blackout

Nine

‘What are your plans for today?’ I threw at Zach, but what I really wanted to know as I stood at the edge of the kitchen was what his plans were for me today.

‘Work,’ he replied over his shoulder as he crossed the threshold into his bedroom.

‘Do you work every day?’ I asked as I followed him to the same threshold, curious to know more about the man in front of me.

‘Just the days that end in Y,’ Zach told me in a serious tone, and I wanted to laugh, I really did, but I didn’t. I couldn’t help the smile though that played across my lips. He didn’t want to give anything away. I wasn’t sure why there was so much mystery with this man.

‘Actually, I need to go in to work today.’ Zach turned around, faced me and stepped closer, then took my hand and pulled me into his bedroom. When I was close enough, his other hand reached for my face and cupped my cheek. Then his hand slid down my skin to rub circles at the base of my neck. In a whisper close to my ear Zach said, ‘Because you haven’t paid me yet.’

There was nothing to say. Zach was right. I hadn’t paid him.

Zach’s hands moved up to my face, both thumbs brushing my cheekbones, and I felt my whole body shiver. Then his touch was gone as he disappeared into the shower. I melted every time Zach was close to me, and I wondered if it would always feel this good, whatever this was. But I told myself not to get my hopes up and not to fall too hard. This may only last as long as I was here, and if that was the case, I may not be ready to leave just yet.

I knew we still needed to talk and that I needed to explain more than a few things. Then Zach appeared beside me, hair wet and wrapped in a towel. He had showered already, and I questioned how long I had spaced out for. Everything I wanted to know about Zach, I was sure he wanted to know about me.

‘I’ll leave you to shower,’ Zach told me and just like a gentleman, he intended to leave me alone. ‘There’s a towel on the sink for you.’

‘But…’ It was all I got to say. I wanted to protest, but I didn’t really know what to say. I guess Zach really did need a minute to himself.

My head told me this might be where I take my bags and go back to Melbourne. My heart, though, beat away as if it knew nothing but what it had done for the last ten years, yearn for a future that would never be with my parents and my sister or the boy I’d lived next door to.

I spun myself around to grab my bag and wondered how I would tell Zach who I was and that he had more than one piece of my heart. And had for a long time. When I reached for my bag in search of clothes, a brown paper bag at the end of the bed caught my eye. I debated whether to look inside but couldn’t help myself. I reached inside the bag to find a pretty watermelon-coloured maxi dress. I pulled it out to find there was underwear hidden under the dress.

‘This man can buy me clothes anytime,’ I told myself, especially if they looked as good as this dress. I was curious as to when Zach had had time to buy me clothes, both the tee-shirt dress I had worn down to the river and now this watermelon maxi dress. But I had gone back to sleep in the hotel room and had woken up alone to a note that had told me not to go anywhere. Was that plenty of time for Zach to purchase me clothes?

I didn’t know why he had bought me new clothes when the clothes from my car were right next to the bed. The gesture was sweet, and it let me know he cared. I pulled my denim jacket from my bag and laid the maxi dress out on the bed then took the underwear with me into the bathroom.

I showered, maybe not as quickly as Zach, but this was not the time to take things slowly either. I rinsed the sand from my skin, and with the help of my own toiletries, I lathered beauty products from top to toe and rinsed off. I washed my hair with Zach’s shampoo and conditioner, the one thing I’d forgotten in my rush to get out of town.

When all the sand was gone from my hair and skin, I turned off the shower and dried off. I rushed through my beauty routine and admitted my beauty products made me feel like a princess again. Slipping into my underwear, I then got dressed before standing in front of the bathroom mirror.

The dress was pretty and comfortable, and I confessed to myself it did look damn good on me. I applied make-up that was softer than I had previously worn, and I felt the most comfortable in my own skin than I had in a very long time. My hair I tied into a messy bun. Now I was ready.

I opened the bedroom door to see Zach seated on his lounge, phone in hand. He hadn’t heard the bedroom door open, and for the shortest of moments, I got to check him out. He was dressed in light blue jeans, boots and a black tee-shirt. Zach looked good, and his armour tattoo (that I hoped I would one day be able to trace my fingertips along) played peek-a-boo at the edge of his tee-shirt. Zach hadn’t shaved since I’d been here, and I had to admit facial hair looked good on him.

He looked perfect, surrounded by everything that was his, while I stood in the middle of his lounge wanting the level of comfort he had. I moved forward slowly towards him, and he must have sensed my presence as his eyes landed on mine.

‘Wow!’ I heard, and there was no music today. I wasn’t singing. So, the ‘wow’ wasn’t for my voice. It must be for me and the way I looked.

‘You blow me away with how beautiful you are.’ Zach’s face lit up, and his eyes sparked with both warmth and desire.

It wasn’t just his closeness that could make me come undone, now his words were having the same effect. My heated stare caught Zach’s own as he told me again how beautiful I was. This time, I didn’t move or look away from him.

‘Harley.’ Zach had come around behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He took hold of my hands and pulled my back to his chest. His skin was warm against mine, and I felt my skin spark from our contact. The rush that coursed through me was immediate. When my body relaxed into his, the spark travelled over my skin, through my veins and left me with sensations I hadn’t experienced before. No way near as intensely, anyway. Was this what true desire felt like?

I felt Zach’s stubble brush down my neck and along my shoulder. I shivered at how he felt on my skin and breathlessly said, ‘This dress…’ My words were just above a whisper.

‘Is absolutely gorgeous,’ Zach finished. ‘And it looks good on you. I knew you would be more comfortable if you had clean clothes.’

Zach was right. I appreciated the clean clothes. ‘Thank you,’ I told him. ‘For this dress. For this weekend. I’m grateful you didn’t leave me passed out in the bar.’

‘You’re welcome.’ Zach’s lips were against my ear, and I melted again from the inside out. His voice, his touch, turned me into a puddle of goo.

‘Are you ready?’ Zach was still behind me. ‘I need to go into the bar.’