Page 25 of Falling Slowly
“Nobody knows her over here, but she’s actually huge in Russia and Europe. Exhibitions all over the place. Top galleries.”
“Are you talking about the Estonian teacher?” I asked.
Others made room for me and Charlie, who stopped right behind me, placing a hand on my waist. Everyone turned to him with keen interest. “We did a quick search, out of interest. Look at this!” The suspender guy angled the iPad to show it to Charlie.
I reached on my tippy toes to get a peek at the screen. It was a watercolor painting with a flower motif but primarily abstract. Gorgeous.
“Incredible skill,” Charlie confirmed, adjusting the screen so I could see it. “Look, babe. I know you like this style.” He pecked a little kiss on my temple, and I jumped, startled.
Charlie forced a laugh. “Sorry. Forgot to ground you with my hand.” He rested his hand on my shoulder, effectively holding me in place, and kissed the side of my face again, slowly, deliberately. His warm breath lingered on my skin.
I smiled, trying to relax. I needed to question him later about the level of PDA necessary. Right after I let myself enjoy the tingles traveling down my spine and stopped inhaling his scent.Citrus and pine trees. A hint of something smoky. Intriguing and dangerous.
The suspender guy laughed. “Matthew’s the same, except he’ll throw you on the ground like a ninja if you try to sneak up from behind. I have to announce myself when I enter a room.”
“It’s my jiujitsu training. I can’t help it.” Matthew pursed his lips. He was starting to look less like George.
“I’m Harry,” the suspender guy said. “I’m an artist. Matthew will tell you he’s an art dealer, but he’s an artist too and more talented than I am.”
Matthew harrumphed, but couldn’t help smiling. No, he definitely didn’t look like George, I concluded in relief. In fact, he looked a little like Charlie, but older. Probably because Charlie resembled his dad, even if I tried hard not to notice it.
“Charlie Wilde from Wilde Creative. And this is my better half, Bess. She’s a brilliant designer.”
I blushed and the guys cast dubious looks at me. I could hardly blame them—they’d seen my pitiful sculptures and drawings. “I work on the production side,” I quickly amended.
“Bess is multi-talented,” Charlie insisted, and I subtly elbowed him in the stomach. “Uhh. I’m just telling the truth, Bessie-Boo.” He chuckled, sliding his arms around me, locking my misbehaving elbows against my body.
My mind registered the stupidity of the nickname, but I could barely focus on that part, suddenly distracted by his touch. Heat flooded me from the inside out. This was the closest I’d ever been to him, my entire backside pressed against solid muscle. Something else solid dug into my bottom. I tilted my pelvis, just enough to confirm I wasn’t imagining things. No. A couple of layers of denim did nothing to disguise the situation between my butt cheeks. That was definitely Charlie’s penis. My body took this as a signal to fire out every hormone related to arousal, sputtering sensations like a rusty engine that hadn’tbeen started in a while. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to. I heard sounds of humans speaking but struggled to understand words.
To my relief, Charlie carried the conversation. Something about art. Estonia. Was I imagining things, or did he deliberately grind himself against me? His fingers wrapped around my torso, mindlessly brushing the sides of my ribcage as his breath tickled my ear. Charlie was everywhere, taking over my senses.
It was unfair. This may have been easy for him. I was just another date to touch and tease. But I hadn’t been touched. I had no routine, only a crater of unmet need I’d shoved so deep down I’d almost forgotten it was there. A mere hug from a male sent me into a state of overwhelm. It was part frustration, confusion, and unrelenting full-body ache.
I had to get my vibrator from the car. I’d packed it on a whim, thinking maybe I’d use it, the same way I thought I’d finally use that face mask Teresa had gifted me last Christmas. That’s what a vacation was for, right? But I’d never expected to feel this level of need. All I could think of was sneaking that thing into my bed. The vibrator, not the face mask.
To my relief, the teacher arrived, and everyone returned to their respective tables. Charlie released me, grinning. But I noticed a hint of deeper color on his face as he discreetly adjusted his jeans. Had he got a little too excited?
For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine it. Imagine him. It couldn’t happen, but my mind ran scenarios without my permission, and they all felt amazing. It would be perfect fodder for my imagination tonight.
“You’re evil,” he hissed at me as we got behind our table.
“Why?”
“That ass of yours.” He took a deep, exaggerated breath. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Bess.”
I glanced up at him, as innocently as I could. “What amIdoing? This is all your plan.”
“You know what I mean.” He winced, raking his fingers through that stylishly messy hair. “You know you’re hot, and I’m just a man…” His words trailed off as he blew out a sigh.
I could hardly process his words, every nerve on my body still buzzing from our encounter. He thought I was hot?
“Everyone! Let me introduce Ilme Kuusk. She’s fresh off the plane from Estonia.”
I had to drag my attention to Leonie and the Estonian artist in front of the class. Ilme was maybe in her fifties and had long, dark hair done up in a messy top knot you’d never find on Pinterest. Her long-sleeved lab coat was covered in paint. Layers and layers of color. Her pitch was low and she didn’t smile, but something about her immediately put me at ease.
“Thank you for inviting me. I look forward to putting on weight,” she deadpanned.
Leonie stared at her, stunned silent.
