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My Heavily Caffeinated Heart 11

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'My Heavily Caffeinated Heart'

Macchiato - Part 5

Tom POV

Erin disappeared down the hallway and into what I assumed was her bedroom and shut the door behind her with an audible click. My attention was bought back to her tall roommate. She walked a half circle around me casually, making a hmm sound in the back of her throat. Katie placed a hand on the tanned exposure of her hip that peaked out from underneath her sleeveless peach coloured shirt. She was attractive for sure, all legs and beach tanned skin but the fact remained that she wasn't my cup of coffee.

"I can see why she likes you." Katie said.

The abruptness of her deduction made me do a double take.

"Can see why, what? We're just mates." I said, working to hide my bitterness. I shook off her scrutiny and made my way to the kitchen, depositing the plastic bags containing our dinner on the bench. Making myself at home.

She slid onto one of the breakfast bar stools and folded her hands under her chin, "And you want to be more. Plates are in the cupboard next to the sink."

I looked over at Katie to catch her smiling.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well you can't plate up sushi without plates now can you?" she said.

I put my hands on the table top and leaned forward, intrigued, "You blinkered? I meant about you saying I want to be more than friends with Erin."

She mimicked my movements with a tangible tease, "Because you do. Simple as that. Every guy that has ever come into our lives has wanted to stay in it. Because of her. They've always wanted more. Yeah you're cute, but you're no different."

I was cute? The sound of the shower running was determined to drive my thoughts to an image of Erin naked and under a stream of water. I managed to banish the intruding thoughts and focus on the task at hand - Making a good impression on her bestfriend and roommate who could potentially have the ability to throw me out of her life right now. The thought was daunting but it only made me want to hold onto this new course of action my life had taken.

I raised my eyebrows, "Maybe I'll prove you wrong." I searched the cupboard for a big ceramic serving platter and two plates. Since Katie wasn't staying. I had mixed feelings whether I wanted her to stay or not. Obviously I wanted her to keep talking. It was one thing to listen to Erin's life from Erin but another to hear about the observations that someone close to her made about her life. Besides, in a weird way, I kind of liked Katie. She was so sure of herself and the people around her. It was a good trait to have. It made her a lot more approachable than intimidating.

"With that British charm. I didn't say it was a bad thing. But I should warn you now, getting close to her won't be as easy as you think. I know my bestfriend better than anybody. She's clumsy, stubborn, irrational and acts crazy most of the time but she has a good heart, good intensions. There's no stopping her once she gets an idea." Katie slid off her stool and walked to a mirror hanging on the wall near the doorway. She combed through her straightened ash blonde and brown highlighted hair as she spoke.

I began unloading the take away sushi boxes onto the bench, "You're her bestfriend. I get that. I'm not gonna bonk her and run. So you should know that my intensions aren't to hurt her."

"Heard that line before Tommy. She was seeing ghosts for weeks." She looked back at me,
her soft blue eyes widening as if she said something she hadn't meant to.

I set down a take-away bowl of sukiyaki less gently than I'd planned to, "What do you mean ghosts? Like the ghosts of ex-boyfriend's past?" I kept a light tone.

Katie's expression held contempt and seriousness, "Something like that."

I filed that information away in my 'do not ever bring up' folder.

"Look, I know she doesn't want a relationship right now-"

"Can't." Katie interrupted, coming into the kitchen. Without the barrier of the bench between us, I felt more determined rather than unnerved, "It's not a matter of wanting one. It's that she can't let herself have one. There are so many things that you don't know yet. It's not my story to tell. When she's ready she might tell you."

I nodded and then returned to placing pieces of sashimi and omelette on the serving platter carefully with chop sticks.  

"But for now," she smiled, pinching a deep fried piece of tempura out of its container, "Just have fun. She's been smiling a lot more lately. Even painting again, I'd like to think it has something to do with you." She popped it in her mouth.

I smiled too and I wondered what she had been painting before I arrived and made and mental note to ask later.

"Brilliant" I said.

Katie proceeded to help me finish placing all the food on the coffee table in the living room. The couches looked wonderfully comfy with their plush colours and springy stuffing compared to Chris and my boring leather ones at home. As it turns out, I did make a good impression on Katie. She arranged everything neatly. Casual, not formal. The lounge area was set up like you could see two friends hanging out rather than two people desperately trying not to fall for one another. I sighed, it was even obvious to Erin's bestfriend that I was falling arse over elbow for that girl. I popped the lid on a beer that I'd been told to help myself to and settled down on the couch after I bade Katie goodbye and wished her a good night at dinner and the movies.

Erin emerged from her bedroom soon after. Her sweet smelling damp hair hung just below her shoulders. She was dressed in a pair of baggy flannelette pants and an Owl City tank top. Looking more dressed for bed. It was adorable. "Shit, you're still alive. Kate didn't do her job right then." Erin exclaimed.

"Thank god. I'm bloody hungry."

Her pretty golden brown eyes lit up when she saw the arrangement of tasty looking sushi set up on the coffee table. "This looks amazing!"

We sat on cushions around the table and tucked into dinner with our wooden chop-sticks in hand.

"Do you know what we need?" I grinned, swallowing a taiyaki ball and savouring the octopus sauce filling on my tongue.

"What?"

"Jack Sparrow."

Erin whole heartedly agreed and so we began the marathon that I would eventually tell our future children about fondly as the milestone in their mother and my friendship. What started as bantering over oddly dressed people at a coffee shop evolved into us sitting on cushions on the floor and sharing a meal. Erin popped 'the Curse of the Black Pearl' in her DVD player and we continued eating dinner while mimicking and quoting some of our favourite lines from the film. Erin had a thing for the oden and anything served with egg. I stole pieces of fried meat from her ramen and she retaliated by stealing one of my salmon sashimi out of my chop sticks. We stretched out on couch a safe distance apart. Every so often I would glance sideways at her. Erin's hair had dried and shortened. It was wavier now and brushed over her cheek. I wanted so badly to push those strands of hair behind her ear, turn her head towards mine and kiss those parted lips. A smile touched them at a particularly funny part of the movie.
I rested one arm over the back of the couch, if I shifted it a little to forward I would be able to touch her. Both of Erin's bare legs were draped over a blanket that I had on my lap. She flexed her toes when she stretched after the movie had finished. Feeling well fed and a little sleepy, I was so content to just relax with her like had been. It baffled me sometimes how we could be so comfortable and casual around one another. Realistically we'd only met a week ago. We'd had coffee most mornings at Empire Rose before we'd both left for work. Her at Firefly Publishing, me at EB games. The days I didn't have to work, I'd been contacting some of my old friends from uni and finding out if they'd be interested in featuring some of their artwork in my gallery. I'd been faxed a longer list than expected, even some possible sponsors were included and interior designers, contractors. I'd spent most of last night going over all the information that had seemingly presented itself out of thin air, information just waiting for me to make use of and spin into an entire plan of action. I'd estimated that it would take just over seven months for me to get the studio & gallery up and running. The prospect both terrified and excited me at the same time. We'd drank two more beers as I told Erin about my plans, worrying a little that she was just humouring me.

"You're really committed to this aren't you?" she smiled, pressing the side of her radiant face into her palm. The light from the lamp behind her cast us both in a warm glow. Our shadows danced on the wall.

"Can you just imagine how the place will look after it's all done? All the people who'll be able to appreciate this city so much more?" I mused.

Erin laughed a little, "I dunno, I haven't seen the place in question yet. You'll have to take me to see it sometime."

"I will." I promised, "I want your paintings there too, your favourite one. You name it, it's first up for everyone to see."

"I'd like that." She smiled. Her long eyelashes kissing each other softly.

We were quiet for a while, listening to the sounds of the night that could be heard through an open window nearby. Erin & Katie's apartment was small but well lived-in. I couldn't see the view of the ocean as clear as it would be during the day, but I pictured being able to. Living here, waking up every morning and tasting the salty breeze so close. The fantasy made me want to indulge in that life, here with Erin. My coffee girl. If she'd have me. She would, eventually. My brain told me to wait, be patient and be rewarded for that patience. But every fibre of my body was whispering and urging me to kiss her. The barrier space between us had become smaller as we'd talked. She was so close.

"Can I see it?" I asked, shaking my head of impossible thoughts once more. "The one you painted today?" I added.

I could see she internally debated for a moment. I'd noticed that she did that when her eyebrows pulled together slightly. "Sure." She said, "Why not?"

We heaved ourselves off the couch and stretched our tired limbs. The clock on the wall read eight thirty two. It was still early. I wagered that we would have enough time to watch 'Dead Man's Chest' before the hour was deemed late enough for me to go home and the alcohol left my system. Erin went to the kitchen for a glass of water and handed me one too, thoughtfully. She looked a little peaky.

"You right?" I asked her, concerned.

"Yeah, ate a little too much I guess. Dinner was lovely though, thanks." She replied and drank heavily, "Don't let me let you leave without paying for my half."

I smiled mischievously, "Wouldn't dream of it." If I had my way, (in a perfect world) I wouldn't let her let me leave.

She led me down the hallway, flipping lights on as we went. There were four closed doors. Two of which I assumed was Katie and her bedroom. The other had to be the loo. We passed the linen cupboard to get to what had to be the study, or as Erin would call it – her own studio. The smell of chalk and paint fumes assaulted me, but it wasn't long before my nostrils adjusted to it and I breathed normally, if a little light headed. I noticed that Erin had forgotten to screw back on the lids of the paint pots before answering the door. All her art supplies were scattered over the desk and paint stains decorated the plastic sheet that had been spread over most of the room. Various paintings rested in front of one another and donned the walls. Colourful, meaningful and beautiful replicas of people, places and objects in her life. Propped up on an easel was a striking canvas that had become dry now. It captured the image of the shadow of a bird on a wire. A spatter of blood stained the brick wall behind it. Various blues and greys had been incorporated beautifully on the canvas. Erin really was talented.

"Didn't know you could paint." I joked,

I glanced over at her, looking even paler, "Only on good days."

I wondered if I should open a window and get a draft in here to blow away the stench of paint fumes. "It's rather good. Rather very good."

Erin breathed unsteady, "Yeah, good." She began putting the lids back on various pots,
"Thanks."

"Cripes, you need to sit down. Let me-" I attempted to move in and take over her task.

"Oh god! I gotta-" she gasped and bolted out of the room.

"Erin?!" I stayed on her heels down the hallway, half regretting that decision when she fell through the door to the loo and was violently sick.

"Fuck that's not good." I bent down to rub her back and pull her hair from her sweaty forehead

"Ya think?" she threw out sarcastically before puking up more of our dinner.

I kept a steady rhythm on her back, hoping to sooth her even a little. Even I was feeling a little queasy from the paint fumes. "Take it easy, it's alright. You're right. Get it all up." I murmured, still holding Erin's hair back. She heaved deep spluttering breaths and wiped her mouth with toilet paper, flushing before leaning against the wall. Well and truly exhausted.

"I'm so sorry. Fumes don't usually make me sick." She admitted breathlessly, red-faced and probably embarrassed as all hell.

It was then that realisation stuck.

"Shit! Erin, I'm so sorry but I've cocked up big time. Literally, fuck. Erin, the other night we didn't use protection. I can't remember putting it on."
Tom has to face the scrutiny of Erin's bestfriend and roommate Katie before he can sink into a night with Erin that most definitely he won't forget . . .
© 2011 - 2024 AeshaLee
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Max306's avatar
just finished catchign up and..... wow. cliffhanger much??