Whispering Wishes (29 page)

“Aspen, it isn’t what you think!”

“That’s fucking original, Wes. I think every guy that is caught says the same predictable line.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you.
Not ever.”

“Why?
Because you’re such a great guy? Or because you feel bad and you’re trying to ease your guilt?”

“No goddammit!
I wouldn’t do that to you because I fucking love you, alright?”

I gasp in shock and freeze.
My heart, oh my heart just about blew up in my body at the sound of those words, and I feel like I’m having an out of body experience. He couldn’t have surprised me more if he told me he was the son of a leprechaun and danced naked under rainbows.

“W-what?”
Brilliant with words am I – because now apparently I’m Yoda.

“I said, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“No. Not those words.”

His eyes soften and he takes a step towards me, but I take one back.
He takes another and I take one back again stopping when my back meets a wall. “I said I love you.”

“Yes, those ones,” I whisper.

He reaches out to touch me, but I hold up my hands. “No. They are just words, Wes. It still doesn’t just make everything instantly okay. Doesn’t take the practically naked girl out of your house.”

He sighs and drops his hand
. “When I was at work that day I was moving a bunch of beer from the back to the bar, and a couple bottles dropped and exploded beer and glass all over me. When I got home, I was through the door for a second, before I removed my shirt and started to head up the stairs to get another. I made it two steps before I heard a rattling at the door, and turned around as it was opening. I was shocked when Arianna walked through.”

I nod.
I knew it was her when she asked why I was in her house.

“
I didn’t know she still had a key. It never even occurred to me that she didn’t leave it when she left, and I never thought I would see her again. I flipped out on her, angry that she just walked in like she owned the place. She claimed she was there because she left a pair of earrings on a shelf in my man cave in this little dish I have. I went downstairs to retrieve them, telling her not to move.”

He runs his hand over his face and then rubs his eyes
. “I came back into the room and she was standing there in nothing but a shirt. When I came into the room further, she dropped it, and she was just wearing… well you saw.” Did I ever. “I immediately told her hell no, that I had someone in my life, and that she needed to get the hell out.”

“Yeah, it really looked like it when I walked in.”

“When you walked in, you saw me putting her shirt on her. I picked it up off the floor, made her put her arms back in and was reaching out to close it.”

“So, what did she want then?
She wants you back?”

“Yes, she thought she did.
Her and her boyfriend broke up and I don’t know what she thought. She obviously didn’t. I don’t know why she thought I would take her back – I don’t want her – I want
you
. I wouldn’t do anything to mess us up, kitten.” He takes a step towards me and cups my face. I let him. “Aspen, she doesn’t mean anything to me. Nothing. I never felt a twinge for her, what I feel for you.” I scoff. “No listen, I loved her at one time, yes, but not the way I love you. You… you consume me. From the moment I walked up to your table and you were talking about some chick with big boobs who got a job over you, I was a goner. I told you before, I lived and breathed waiting for you to walk through the fucking door of this place, and every time you did, it took my breath away. All I could think about was how I could manage to somehow make you a part of my life.”

I feel myself softening and wanting to believe him.
“She was angry at my rejection, which is why she lashed out at you the way she did. I was so shocked to see you standing there, and the way I knew it would look to you, that I just froze. God, I fucking froze from fear and couldn’t move. All it did was make you think that I was guilty. When you walked out and what happened finally computed, I freaked out. I yelled at Arianna and was in agony. Didn’t you look at any of my messages?”

“A couple,” I confess
, “but then I couldn’t look at any more. It hurt too much.”

“Please believe me.
If I have to, I will hunt Arianna down and make her tell you her damn self. I am telling you the truth. I swear it.”

The desperation in his voice and in his eyes is enough to make me believe him.
“When I walked in and saw that… it broke me, Wes.”

“Kitten, I-“

I place my finger on his lips shutting him up. “It broke me. I thought that everything that happened with Jeffrey was happening all over again. It may not have been the same actions, but the end result was that I was afraid that once again I wasn’t good enough.” The sadness my words bring is apparent on his face, and I know he wants to say something, but he respects the fact that it’s my turn to speak.

“My heart,” I clutch my chest as if I can touch it, “felt like it broke into pieces.
Wes, I had no idea that I was falling for you when I was. I was sure you just wanted to be friends, and when I found out that you felt differently, I felt like I won the lottery or something. Everything about you is amazing. You make me laugh, you don’t make fun of my horrible luck, or my ridiculous life. I feel like I don’t know half of what I want in life sometimes, that nothing makes sense, but with you for the first time, I know what I want. I want you more than anything. I guess, what I am doing a horrible job at saying is that, I love you, too. Desperately. So much, I can’t even breathe.”

His mouth smashes into mine and he presses me against the wall.
His tongue strokes mine and a sound of pure need escapes my throat. His lips are hard on mine, his tongue stroking over and over, his hands are clasped in my hair, holding my head so tightly I couldn’t move it if I tried.

I can feel his erection pressing against my leg and he removes a hand from my hair to grab the back of my thigh and hitch it up around his hip.
His hands begin moving up under my dress and rub my thighs. When he reaches the lace of my panties, I gasp in pleasure from the sensation. “You’re so wet for me, kitten.”

“Touch me, Wes.
Now. I need you to touch me.”

He wastes no time and strokes me with his fingers.
I slam my head back against the wall at the feeling. “You like that? Is that what you want?”

“Yes.
More. I want more. I want you.”

He wastes no time unfastening his pants, moves my panties aside with a yank and plunges into me.
We both let out groans simultaneously.

“Yes, I missed you.
I missed you so much,” I confess. I wrap my legs around his waist and I can feel my orgasm rising. He continues to pummel into me and as I come, I lean forward and bite his shoulder in an effort to stifle the scream wanting to explode from my mouth.

As he reaches his release he whispers, “I love you,” in my ear over and over and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.

“O
kay, I think
that’s the last of it,” I say, looking around the room.

Wes plops on his bed and puts his hands behind his head, “Yep, that’s it.
Come lay down in bed with me, kitten.” He doesn’t have to ask twice, before he can blink, I’m next to him with my head on his chest, “I’m glad you’re all moved into my room, finally.”

“Me too.
And thank you for the new bedroom furniture, it’s gorgeous.”

“I wanted to get us something special.
Something that’s ours -
just
ours.”

I kiss his chest
. “It’s perfect.”

He kisses my forehead,
and then suddenly sits up. “I have something for you.”

“More?
You’ve already done enough. You’re spoiling me.”

His only response is a smile as he walks to the bedroom closet.
He opens it and takes out a large box, then sets it on the bed in front of me. I look at the box, and then up at him with a question in my eyes. “What’s this about?”

“Well
, go ahead and find out.”

I open the box, and inside find a picnic basket.
It’s a large wicker basket in the shape of a heart. The basket has large handles on the sides for carrying and folds open from the middle. I look up at him and he smiles. “The basket reminds me of our picnic in the park, I thought we could use a new one for future dates. Plus you once mentioned going on picnics was something you wanted to do more of.”

“I love it! Thank you!”

“That’s not all. Open it.”

I pull on the loops that make the basket open, one door on each side.
When it opens, I see several items tucked inside, so I start pulling them out, one at a time. The first is a small white box. When I open it, inside lies, “a wine cork?”

“Yes, that’s a very special wine cork.
It’s from the bottle of wine I opened when I served you and Mischa that first time at D’Vine. The day I met you.”

Tears instantly spring to my eyes and I pick the cork up
, cradling it in my hand as if it’s breakable. I look at it closely and see he’s even written the date on it. “You kept this?” I don’t even know quite how to comprehend something so thoughtful, and sweet.

“It’s another one of those things you have to keep to yourself.
I can be sentimental. But I’m still badass.”

I laugh
. “Of course you are.”

“Don’t you forget it,” then he nods for me to continue.
Next, I pull out an envelope with my name on the front, and open it seeing a gift certificate inside to a local sex store. My eyes widen when I see the gift and the amount, and I look at him with a laugh on my lips. “It’s so we can replace the toy I accidentally dropped on the ground when I threw it down out of pure male instinct.”

This makes me laugh out loud
. “Hmm, maybe we can find something new since I have plenty of others, which you’ve seen.”

His eyes smolder as heat flashes in them
. “I like that idea, maybe we should do that later today.”

I giggle
. “Sounds like a plan.” Next, I pull out a cheetah print umbrella. “From when you found me in the pouring rain?”

“Yes.
Best luck ever that night and of course it’s cheetah print for a reason.”

“Of course it is.
Since I’m your ‘kitten’.

“That you are.”

The next few items make clanging sounds as I remove them from the basket and it takes me a few moments to realize what they are. He explains, “Finger cymbals from the amazing concert we went to. There are smudging sticks in there too.”

“Where in the heck did you find finger cymbals?”

“I have my ways,” he says mysteriously, making me laugh.

“Hmm, maybe my next strip tease should include finger cymbals?”

He throws his head back and likely laughs at the image that creates. “Now that I would really, really like to see.”

There’s a huge bottle of strawberries and cream lotion, which makes me smile and Wes again makes suggestions about our evening.
The last item is a piece of paper that looks like it has been folded, and unfolded, many times. Full of curiosity I open it. My eyes scan its contents, and I look at Wes, “What is this? I don’t understand.” There are things written on here in his handwriting like, ‘find the perfect location and open my bar’, ‘take the bike out more often for a leisurely rides’, ‘sign up for those advanced guitar lessons I’ve always wanted’, ‘take a vacation to some place exotic’.

“I wanted to show you the proof that I know we’re meant to be together.”

I lift my eyes from the paper and meet his. “I still don’t understand. What do you mean?”

He sits down next to me
. “From the moment you told me about your list of wishes, I knew that you were the one. I fell for you the moment I saw you, but when you told me about the wishes, I knew you were my other half made just for me. No doubt about it.”

“Well, sure I think we are
, too, but how does this paper tell you that?”

“At the beginning of the year, I made a list of the things I wanted to accomplish this year.
Look at the last one.”

I do as he instructs, and when I read it, I gasp, my eyes instantly filling with tears and escaping down my cheeks, “Oh, Wes,” I whisper, so overcome with emotion.

He comes to me, puts his lips on mine, and then smiles down into my face with a beautiful smile. “You see what I mean, Aspen? I wished for you, too.”

I keep seeing the words – ‘I will find the girl meant just for me’ – in my mind.
The universe really did lead me to this place right now. And the truth is, I would go through all of it again in a heartbeat. As I kiss Wes and he lowers me to the bed furiously kissing me, I’m anxious to show him just how glad I am that our wishes came true.

“Hello?”

“Hi, sweets! How are you and Wes doing?”

“We are so great.
I’m glad you called; we spoke so briefly the other day. I just wanted to tell you thank you for being my best friend, for talking sense into me, and for being there when I needed you.”

“Wow
, that’s a lot of things I’m really amazing for.”

“Ha. Ha.”

Mischa laughs. “You know you don’t need to thank me.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t. It’s what friends do.”

“Well, not everyone is lucky enough to have a friend that thinks that way.”

“I’m here for you always, you know that. Besides, you would do the same thing for me.”

“True,”
I clear my throat and get ready to eat my words. “Also, I have a confession, you may not have been too far off with that list of wishes after all, so I’m sorry I kept giving you a hard time about it.”

“Well, well, well, do my ears deceive me?
Is this really my best friend Aspen telling me that maybe, just maybe, my new age witchy stuff works?”

“Okay, okay stop teasing.”

“I will if you tell me what brought on this revelation.”

I laugh and tell her about Wes and his list, and that it seems the universe brought us together after all.
Just like she said it would.

“That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.
But I can’t say I’m surprised. I’ve told you again and again that the universe works in mysterious ways. You just had to be patient. And since I love you, I won’t say I told you so.”

“Oh
, thank you so much, oh wise one.”

“You are so welcome. Besides, you know what you have to do now, right?”

“No, what do you mean?”

“Well, now that you and Wes have goals and things you’re excited to accomplish together, you have to make a dream board – have you ever heard of one?
What you do is manifest your dreams…”

Before she can continue, I hang up the phone.