Chapter Seventy-Five

Shaking out the fitted sheet, Stephanie tugged the satiny soft, cream colored sheet over one corner of the mattress. She worked her way around the bed, covering the queen sized, pillow topped mattress with the fresh sheet. Snapping out the flat sheet, she repeated the process, tucking in the corners before covering the bed with the red and gold quilt. She added the pillows, the ones for sleeping and the ones covered in the shams that matched the quilt.

The four poster bed and the Egyptian cotton sheets had been an indulgence, but since she had had the money to indulge herself, she had done just that. When she moved out here, she had left her bedroom set in her old bedroom. New bedroom furniture for a new bedroom in her new house, new life, seemed only right. She stroked the mahogany bed post. It had been well worth the price.

Drawing her eyes from the bed, she scanned the rest of the room. The walls were done in a creamy beige so she had decided to accent with her favorite color, red. The bedding, the valances across the tops of the windows, the throw rug on the dark hardwood, were all done in varying tones of red.

It was a far cry from what she had once had. And that was the point. This was all her. She took the few steps from the bed to the window. The breeze that made her sheer curtains billow and sway was warm and the sun shone brightly through the sparkling clean window.

She sat for just a minute, taking that moment to bask in the sun's warmth.  She had enjoyed her week away with Richie, seeing her family, meeting his mom. Her family had taken a quick liking to Richie and she and Joan had gotten along just fine as well.

Now, it was time to get back to her routine. And that routine included cleaning her neglected house and getting ready for her dinner date with Richie. He was leaving again and she wouldn’t see him until July. He was coming home after their last show in Ireland and then she would leave with him a week later traveling with him to Europe for the rest of the tour.

She shook her head. What a difference a few years can make in a person’s life.

But for now, she needed to finish this mad dash of late spring cleaning. Stepping away from the window she crossed the room to her bathroom. The last room left to tackle on her mad day of spring cleaning. She turned up the volume on her iPod and started on the tub.

~

Richie let himself into her house, he really should put her key back, but she never said anything about it, so he kept putting it in his pocket instead. Setting his things in the office he looked around. Everything was neat and in its allotted spot. He sniffed lightly. It smelled fresh with just a hint of lemon around the edges. He stood and listened for a minute. Water was running upstairs and he could hear the faint, muffled sound of, he cocked his head trying to make out the song.  Was that Motley Crue?

All around the world

Girls will be girls

It's the same ol', same ol' situation

It's the same ol', same ol' ball and chain

I say no, no, no

No, no, no

Introduced me to her lover

In a cellophane dress
Then they bid me a sweet farewell
Last time I saw them
They were kissing so softly
To the sound of wedding bells

 Well,

All around the world

Girls will be girls

It's the same ol', same ol' situation

It's the same ol', same ol' ball and chain

He climbed the stairs with a smile. His girl certainly did love the eighties.

He found her in her bathroom, on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor, singing along, her butt wiggling in time to the music.

Working her way out of the room, she had her back to the door and didn’t realize he was there, until she backed up and bumped into his legs. Whipping her head around to look over her shoulder, she lost her balance and fell forward in a heap while she let out an ear-piercing scream.

AIEEEEEE!!

He stepped back and gripped the door frame for balance. Leaning over he lowered the volume on her iPod before reaching out a hand to help her up. “Sorry Sweetheart. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Standing, she yanked her hand from his and pushed back a lock of hair that had come loose from her messy top knot.  “Startled?!  You think I was startled?  You damn near gave me a fuckin’ heart attack, Rich!”  She pressed her hand to her chest to try to calm her racing heart.

He bit his lip to try to contain the smile that threatened to take over his face.   He took a step toward her and she stepped back, sitting down in the wide edge of her tub.  “I’m sorry Sweetheart.  But if you hadn’t had the music up so loud you would have heard me come in.”

“Maybe if you had rang the doorbell instead of just waltzing in here like you own the place, you wouldn’t have scared the gray back into my hair” she countered.

He crouched in front of her, long fingers tucking a stubborn lock of hair behind her ear.  “I really am sorry.”  He leaned in, pressed his lips to hers.  “Forgive me?”

She pursed her lips, considering.  Giving him a light nudge he toppled out of his crouch and landed on his butt on the floor.  Before he could right himself she was straddling his lap.  “What are you doing here already anyway?  You’re early.”

Sitting up he wrapped his arms around her.  “I’m not that early and is it a crime to want to spend time with you?”

She grabbed his wrist and checked the time.  “Shit, I didn’t realize what time it was.  The day got away from me.  And no,” she pecked him on the cheek, “it’s not a crime.  I’m just not in any way, shape or form ready to be seen.”

She had on her oldest plaid cotton pajama pants with white bleach spots scattered on both legs and she was pretty sure the back pocket was falling off.  The black cotton cami was faded to ash and she could only imagine what her hair must look like after a day of playing cleaning lady.  She blew a lock out of her face and reached up to pull the hair band out.  Running her fingers through it she gathered it up again and Richie stopped her.

“Don’t.”

She looked at him.  He had that look in his eye. 

She shook her head, “no, oh no.  Not right now.  I’m a sweaty, gross mess.”

His hands slid up her sides, his thumbs caressing the sides of her breasts.  “Did I tell you how cute you looked with your butt wiggling to the music when I came in?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”  He couldn’t be serious.

He shifted her closer to him and pressed his hips up against her. 

He wasn’t kidding.

He kissed a trail across her chest up and up the length of her neck, nipping at her chin before finding her mouth with his.

Her last coherent thought as they tipped sideways was thank God I washed the floor.

~

Humming along with George Michael, Stephanie slipped her dress over her head and let it slither down her body.  Tugging on the wide straps, she flipped her hair to one side and tied them behind her neck.  The dress was a deep, rich wine color, the halter straps leaving her shoulders and back bare.  Stepping into the bathroom she dabbed a little bit of curl cream on her fingers and worked it through her hair until the curls tumbled down her back in a barely controlled riot.  A few deft touches with her make up brushes, a spray of perfume and a mad dash into her closet for her shoes and she was nearly ready. 

Pulling the black patent heels from their cubby she sat down on the edge of the bed to slip them on.  She couldn’t even really call them “strappy” sandals as they only had two straps.  One across the base of her toes and one that crossed behind and wrapped around her ankle.  And the heel was a wicked one.  At nearly five inches she would be almost eye to eye with Richie tonight. 

She crossed to the full length mirror for one final check.  The rose gold “S” glinted in the waning sunlight as she studied herself.  Her hair was going to drive Richie nuts.  He was a sucker for the curly, slightly messy look.  She smoothed the dress down over her hips, turning this way and that.  She was as ready as she was going to get. 

Turning, she picked up her clutch and her wrap and headed for the stairs.

He heard her before he saw her.  Shutting the television off, he set the remote on the arm of the chair and stood.  After their tryst on the bathroom floor he had been relegated to the living room so she could get herself together.  The anticipation was killing him.  Not that he hadn’t seen her all done up before, but he never knew what to expect with her.  He turned to look out the window.  Curly hair or straight?  A dress and killer heels or jeans and boots?  He hoped it was the former in both cases.  Her heels quieted on the hardwood floor and he turned from the window to the doorway. 

He cursed Jon six ways to Sunday for having to leave this woman for the next month and a half.  And he thanked God, Allah and every other deity he could think of for the warm Southern California weather. 

A simple summer dress and a little product in her hair and she was the best looking woman in Los Angeles.  He crossed the room to her and took her hands, bringing them to his lips for a gentle kiss.  “Stunning, Sweetheart.  You are absolutely stunning.  I almost don’t want to take you out of the house now.”

Her cheeks flushed at the compliment and she gave him a soft smile.  “Thanks, I think.”

“You know every guy in the restaurant is going to be drooling the minute we walk in, right?”  He let her hands go and sat down in one of her kitchen chairs to put his shoes back on.

She laughed, “now you’re just being ridiculous.”  She turned down the light in the living room and pulled her car keys off the hook by the door.  “Where are we going again?”

He followed her out to the garage and waited while she unlocked the car and opened the overhead door.  “Moonshadows Malibu.”  They had a corner table looking out over the ocean waiting for them. 

She didn’t get in the car right away.  She stood, twirling the keys in her hand.  A look of uncertainty on her face.

“What’s the matter?”  She had nearly chewed all the lipstick off her bottom lip.  Was she nervous about going out with him?  Now?

Her eyes dropped to her keys and then back up to his face.  “Do you want to drive?”

He rounded the back end of the car and stood next to her.  “I’d love to.”  He took the hand that held the keys, “I’ll be careful with her, I promise.” 

 
Stephanie walked around the back of the car and got in on the passenger side.  She had never let anyone drive her car.  It was her car.  Hers and Mark’s, and he had only had the pleasure of driving it once.  She looked over at Richie as he backed out of the garage.  It was okay, she realized as they headed down the street.  It was okay to let this little thing go.  She settled back, laid her hand on Richie’s thigh as he drove and enjoyed the ride.