Our Hearts Entwined (3 page)

Smiling as he approached her, he reached out and grasped her around the waist, pulling her firmly against him. “Mia,” he growled by way of greeting.

“Eric,” she whispered, her head starting to swirl as she inhaled the scent of a fresh shower and clean skin. When he dipped his head to kiss her hello, a tingle crept over her body as his lightly stubbled chin brushed against hers before their mouths met.

Humming, she pulled his body closer, sliding her tongue out to gently tease him, earning her a fervent response as he reciprocated tenfold, their tongues dancing together as they pressed their bodies firmly against each other.

While they continued on, oblivious of those around them, a group of teens walked by on their way into the restaurant and told them to get a room, causing them both to laugh into each other's mouths and slowly break their connection.

Blowing out a steadying breath Eric was the first to speak. “Whoa Mia, what has gotten into you? Suddenly, I’m not so hungry for food anymore.” His voice was thick with a lust he hadn’t felt toward his girlfriend since he was eighteen, and they were first discovering the delights of a more carnal nature. “Hang on a second, it’s period week – why are you teasing me like that?” he laughed.

“I’m not teasing,” she blushed.

“Wait a second, you’re not pregnant are you? I mean, you’re still on the pill right?”

“Everything’s fine Eric,” she laughed, “I just… skipped it. That's all?”

“You can do that?”

“Of course, you just don’t take the sugar pills.”

“Five years Mia –
Five years
and you haven’t thought to do this?” Eric joked half-heartedly.

Giggling, she told him that she only just discovered it recently and took him by the hand, leisurely leading him into the restaurant.

When they reached their table, Eric placed his phone and keys in the centre and excused himself, claiming he needed to make some slight adjustments to himself after the kiss she had greeted him with.

Taking her seat with a grin firmly attached to her face, she watched as he walked towards the restrooms, marvelling how one man could make her feel more alive with one kiss than she ever had in her life. At that moment, her thoughts were broken by the ringing of his phone.

Noting the name on the screen, she picked it up and sent the call to voicemail before switching his phone off. She didn’t want anyone to bother them tonight. He was all hers from now on.

***

“Finally! I got through – where were you last night?” Mia asked a very sleepy sounding Eric the next morning.

“What are you talking about? I was with you remember? We had dinner then we did something really out of character in my car,” he responded grinning at the memory of their back seat rendezvous.

“We did what? No Eric – I wasn’t with you. I wanted to see you, and every time I called you it went through to voice mail,” Mia accused.

“What? I don’t have any voice mails. When did you call, after you got home from the restaurant?” he asked, growing confused and quietly wondering if maybe he had lost a day somewhere – either that or his girlfriend had lost her mind.

“What? What restaurant? And I didn’t leave a voice mail. I wanted to talk to you, not your message bank. I called you when I got home from work.”

“Mia, what the hell? Don’t ruin this. We had such a great night last night. Don’t fuck around with me – we were together having dinner at Sofia’s. You turned both of our phones off so it could be just us, then you jumped me in my car in the parking lot. Remember?”

“What? But we didn’t…”

“Jesus Mia! This isn’t funny, and I have to get ready for work. I’ll talk to you later,” he said, his patience wearing thin.

“Fine,” Mia said to a dead line. He’d already hung up.

Eric was a fairly simple guy. He worked all week as a plumber, played AFL football, went out with his team mates and hung out with his girlfriend. To him, it was a good life and one that he had been living happily for many years.

His life didn’t have a lot of drama in it, which is why he was so thrown when Mia had called him that morning claiming not to remember the night before. It had sent him to work feeling very confused over his girlfriend’s behaviour. Everything had felt so fresh and he’d even go so far as to say, electric, between them at dinner the night before. This morning her phone call had turned it all on its head.

When Baz pulled up outside the 7-Eleven, Eric’s face was clouded with his thoughts, so much that he wasn’t paying attention to those around him. That was until his body sensed her behind him. Turning slowly, he was greeted with the view of his now smiling girlfriend.

“What’s going on?” he asked immediately, all the while wondering why his body was suddenly acting the way it was around her.

“Nothing’s going on. I just wanted to see you before work,” she replied, sliding her arms up around his neck and into the back of his hair. Her touch made his breathing accelerate and he almost forgot that he was annoyed with her.

“No Mia. Stop it,” he said, pulling her arms from his neck and holding them in front of him. “What was with that phone call this morning?”

“The phone call?... oh… nothing, why?” she replied nonchalantly, her eyes cast towards to the floor as Eric released her hands and she waved one about dismissively.

“You said you didn’t see me last night. Are you playing some kind of game here? Because I’ve got to tell you, last night was fantastic Mi – it was like when we first started dating. Better actually. I want things to continue this way.”

Eric hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face so she was looking at him.

“What’s going on?” he repeated, softer this time.

“Nothing’s going on Eric, I, uh… just had a strange dream and um… got my days mixed up – that’s all. Can I come and see you tonight? Maybe… spend the night?” she ventured, trailing her index finger over the ridges of his pecs through his shirt.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. “You can stay with me anytime babe,” he growled lowly in her ear, before stepping away suddenly when he heard the impatient horn honking from Baz outside. “Shit, I’d better get this stuff. I’ll see you tonight, okay? I’ll cook.”

“Wait! Give me your phone,” she demanded. Eric wondered what was so important to her but handed his phone over anyway as he collected the food and drink and then paid at the cashier.

“You done?” he asked her when he returned from the counter, holding his hand out for his phone.

“Sure am,” she replied, handing it back. “I just wanted to update my photo. I uh, like my hair today.”

Eric laughed a little at this as he pocketed his phone, singing “
You’re so vain,
” as he leaned towards her cheek and kissed her goodbye. “But you do look hot today. I like it when you wear your hair out,” he winked, grinning. “See you tonight.”

With that he was out the door. She watched him as he drove off wondering how she was going to stop him from thinking she was running hot and cold on him all the time.

That afternoon, Mia had arrived home from work with an apple-cinnamon tea cake in hand after stopping off at the bakery on her way home. Her best friend Louise was due back home today, and she was eager to see her again.

As she arranged the cake on a plate, she heard a gentle tap on the front door. Knowing it was likely to be Louise, she looked up and waited, relying on her to test if it was unlocked so she could enter. As the door swung open, revealing her friend, a smile spread over her face as she watched Louise’s tiny frame step through.

You’re back!
Mia signed excitedly, rushing toward her friend and pulling her into a tight embrace.
I got the cake for you,
she told her, earning a fist pump from Louise - it was her favourite.

Moving back into the kitchen, Mia loaded up the tray with the plate of cake, a plunger full of coffee, a milk jug and two cups, spooning in sugar for Louise and some powdered sweetener for herself.

Since when do you use artificial sweetener?
Louise signed to Mia as she watched Mia prepare the tray.

Since I’m trying to kick my sugar habit. I eat way too much,
Mia replied, before carrying the tray over to her dining room table. It had been over a month since she had seen her best friend. Louise had been up in Sydney visiting her older sister with her parents after the birth of her sister’s first child.

I’m so glad you’re back. You’re not going to go and move up there on me are you?
Mia asked. Louise’s sister had moved up to Sydney when she married a few years ago. Her parents had wanted to follow when they’d heard about the pregnancy, as they didn’t want to miss out on their grandchild, but had decided to stay in Melbourne with Louise. They were very protective and didn’t want to leave without her, and she refused to go. She didn’t refuse out of any sort of jealousy or unkindness - she had good friends and a good job in Melbourne and she was happy for her parents to go without her, she simply wasn’t willing to join them and lose everything she loved about her life.

I’m glad to be back too. Sydney is so busy, and everyone talks so much faster than they do down here. It was harder to lip read. I’ll stick to Melbourne thank you very much,
she stated, taking a sip of coffee.
I’m still trying to convince my parents to go up there and leave me alone though.

Don’t be hard on them, they worry about you.

I know, but I’m twenty-three years old. I’d like to move out of home but they seem to think I can’t live without a hearing person around me. I keep reminding them that my hearing aids let me know when someone is approaching or calling to me – but they don’t really get it,
Louise explained before shaking her head and waving her hand through the air to dismiss this much talked about subject. Louise was a very independent girl, and while she loved her parents, she was more than ready to come out from under the proverbial wings.
How’s Eric?

Frowning, Mia thought about their phone call that morning and wondered why he hadn’t called her yet.
I don’t know, how’s Josh?

Josh is fine,
she signed, blushing at the thought of him. They had only been dating for a little over a week when she left, but they’d been texting and video calling the whole time.
His signing is getting a little better, but I think he feels silly when he’s doing it… What do you mean you don’t know about Eric?

We had a really weird phone conversation this morning. He was insisting that we went out to dinner last night, but we didn’t – I was here all night.

That is weird. Maybe he has his days mixed up or something?

How? It’s not like we go out to dinner midweek all the time,
Mia responded, staring into her coffee as Louise attempted to continue some sort of a conversation.

“Mia!” Louise called out loud, causing Mia’s head to snap up.

“I’m sorry!”
I guess I kind of drifted away there.

You did… You know what? I’m going to get going. It’s almost five thirty and I have a lot of unpacking to do before I go to see Josh. You look like you could do with a lay down. I’ll text you tomorrow and maybe we can have lunch, ok?
Louise said, a concerned look on her face.

Mia had to admit that she wasn’t really feeling the best. She was hoping to spend some more time catching up with Louise. But she was struggling to focus, her head felt as though it was wrapped in cotton wool and weighted with sandbags.

The two women embraced as they said their good-byes at the door to Mia’s flat. The moment the door closed, Mia locked it, and went to lie down on the couch, wishing she had a mother around who insisted on taking care of her, and hoping that she wasn’t about to be subjected to some sort of migraine.

In Mia’s bedroom, the built in wardrobe seemed to be made with a trick door. Depending on the weather, the door would either open easily or be jammed shut as the wood swelled and shrunk with the changes in the barometer.

Today the wood was swollen and she had to wrestle with the door to get it open. Grasping the handle, she gave it a hard pull, stumbling backwards and landing on the floor at the end of the bed as it flew open. Puffing her fallen hair out of her face, she looked around the room as if someone might have seen her embarrassing fall. She then stood and surveyed the neatly hung and folded clothing in front of her, trying to make a decision on what to wear. She was excited about spending the night with Eric and wanted to look just right.

Glancing at the clock next to the bed, she noted that it was almost six-thirty. She only had an hour until she was due to meet Eric. Reaching out, she selected a pretty summer dress with a royal blue floral pattern and cap sleeves. It flattered her slender figure and showed off her legs, ending perhaps only an inch or two below her buttocks.

She took the dress with her into the bathroom, hanging it on the back of the door as she turned to face the mirror. As she ran her fingers through her hair, she noticed that her cheeks were glowing in anticipation, feeling both excited and nervous as she thought about how she wanted the night to progress.