Rhythm by Marie Lipscomb
Chapter Thirteen
Beth
Finn is still sleeping when daylight wakes her. The sky is bright but cloudy. Light streams in through the rain-specked windows and the small skylight above the bed.
The big, burly man surrounds her; strong arms holding her tenderly, thick legs curled against hers. His soft body pressed against her, the curve of his belly flush with her back, is warm and perfect. It’s heaven. His breath is slow and steady, deep, still dreaming. Her stomach flutters as she remembers.
An alarm clock on the nightstand flashes 07:36, counting the hours and minutes since the power came back on. She could happily fall back asleep, but she really has to pee.
Finn doesn’t stir as she reluctantly slips away from him. Her toes curl as they touch the cold floorboards, and as she looks back, her heart already aches with the need to climb back into bed with him, to feel safe and warm in his arms.
She hurries to the bathroom, tiptoeing so she doesn’t wake him.
On the way back, the flashing green light on the top of her cell phone catches her eye. She unlocks it to find seven missed calls from Sadie, and one text which reads: “Something happened, didn’t it? Spill!”
The phone vibrates in Beth’s hand. She rolls her eyes, biting back a laugh, and answers the call. “Hm?”
“How big was it?” Sadie all but screeches down the phone.
Beth can barely suppress her laughter as she rushes out to the balcony, closing the screen door behind her. If she doesn’t wake him, perhaps she can still climb into bed with him after the call. “How do you know we did anything?”
The question doesn’t detract from Sadie’s excitement. “Listen, I’m living vicariously through you. Okay? Don’t play coy. Tell me.”
Beth smiles and braces her elbows on the balcony, looking out toward the looming mountains. An eagle circles overhead, riding the air currents. “We had a storm last night, and his floor got flooded.”
“Oh my days, stop. Then what?”
“I painted him, and he bought the painting. He paid twice what I asked for because it’s for charity.”
“Holy shit, Beth. And then…?”
She chuckles silently pausing long enough to let Sadie squirm. “He spent the night.”
“Yes!” The creak of Sadie’s bed springs on the other end paints the image of her bouncing with glee. “So how was it?”
Beth’s stomach flutters. “Incredible.”
A choked squeal crackles from Sadie’s end. “Get his number. Keep him. Never let him go, okay. You have to tell me everything when I pick you up this afternoon, okay? I need details.”
“Okay.”
“Beth, shit, are you in love now? I can hear it in your voice.”
Something shutters inside Beth. It would be so easy to love Finn, to spend every day in those arms, but it’s reckless, and she knows it. The intensity between them makes no sense, and she’ll never hear the end of it if she admits she caught a bad case of feelings after sleeping with him once. “It was just one night.” Her heart sinks a little as she says it aloud. It feels like a betrayal. “I doubt I’ll ever even see him again.”
“Ugh, that’s no fun. Maybe things will work out. You never know.”
Beth makes a quiet, non-committal humming sound.
Sadie sighs on the other end. “How bad was the storm?”
Lowering her eyes, Beth grimaces at the mud and debris washed up on the road. If she didn’t have work that evening, she’d offer to stay and help Finn try to fix the mess. Hell, she’d gladly stay forever. “It was pretty bad.”
“Damn, I’m glad you’re okay,” Sadie says “I can’t believe he paid double for your painting. You must feel like—”
“An absolute asshole.”
Sadie laughs. “Oh no, you complained about him so many times.”
“I know. It was super shitty. I honestly hate myself for it.”
“Yeesh.” Sadie grows silent as the tinkling sound of cat kibble tumbling into a ceramic dish echoes down the receiver. Beth smiles, holding back on the oft-repeated joke of Sadie’s neighborhood having the fattest strays in the country. At last, Sadie comes back to the phone. “Go and enjoy your last few hours with him. For fuck’s sake get his number. I’ll be there in a few hours to pick you up, okay. I’ll let you know if I have any trouble getting there.”
“Thank you.” Her heart leaps with the excitement of a few more hours with Finn. She’s giddy with the notion of climbing back into bed, waking him with kisses, and exploring his beautiful body. “I’ll see you later.”
“Laters.”
She turns, and heads back inside.