STAND 35

I slowly open my eyes licking my dry lips. I’m so thirsty. Moonlight streams across the room and on the bed. I look at the alarm clock, it’s almost 2 a.m. Howard is wrapped in my arms, snugging with his back against me. I smell his hair and smile to myself. I quietly slip out of the bed. Our clothes lie scattered on the floor, I struggle not to giggle. Howard started undressing me right after he parked the car in our garage saying “we forgot to wish Gaz happy birthday, he’s gonna be pissed”. We laughed, leaving a trail of clothes behind us from the entrance door up to our bedroom. We had just closed the door behind us kissing and touching when we both almost yelled ‘Sam!” So still laughing we had retraced our steps collecting our stuff and then throwing it on the floor by the bed. “She won’t even know we came back” he said “should we leave her a note so she won’t worry about us?” And we made love falling asleep afterwards knowing our worst crisis was way behind us.
I carefully open the door, and make my way to the kitchen. I can see the light coming from behind door. I open it and I see Sam, sitting at the table sipping some tea. She absentmindedly turns the pages of a magazine. She looks mad.
“Hey” I whisper
“Hey back” she says keeping her eyes on the page.
I walk to the fridge to get some cool water “don’t you ever sleep?”
“Do you?” she asks back annoyed
I decide to ignore her innuendo and smile “you sound just like your brother”
“That’s reassuring. Does it mean I’m tyrannical and evil? Your panties are by the sofa, just in case you’re looking for them”
I blush “sorry, we thought we erased every trace of our troubled passage”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m not easily shocked”
I’m not giving up, “Sam I haven’t had the chance to thank you…”
“Don’t mention it. I love kicking men. It’s my daily workout”
“I’m serious”
“Do I look like I’m kidding to you?”
“Why do you do that?”
“Reading?”
“No, why don’t you want to talk to me?”
She looks at me and sighs “do you want to chitchat at 2 in the morning? Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow morning?”
“Sam…”
“Listen to me. The fact we live under the same roof doesn’t mean we have to be best friends. We can still go to the movies and spend some time together but I must tell you, I don’t have many girlfriends. I find women’s company boring”
“I’m here to stay Sam”
“I know that but right now, to me, you’re behind enemy’s lines. I hate my stupid, overprotective brother and you’re with him. So, I guess I don’t like you that much either”
“You don’t hate him…”
“Believe me, I do and I’m looking for another accommodation as we speak. No idea rents could be so expensive in London. And I need a place for a few weeks. I’m going to Nevada in a couple of months”
“Why don’t you stay here with us?” *can’t believe what I just said*
“Because I can’t stand him making stupid comments about me and James” she looks surprised by what she just told me. Maybe she fears she went too far. This could be classified as ‘being too friendly with the enemy’ as she would say.
I try to take her hand but she buries it under the table “do you really like him?” I ask her.
“I know you mean well, but I’m not used to this ‘Sex and the City’ style chitchat and I tend to mind my own business”
“You’re young, there’s still hope for you” and smile
“We’re the same age and you don’t have to be nice to me. Let’s face it. We come from two different planets. I wear trainers and you wear Prada. Looking at you it’s like flipping the pages of Vogue. Just out of curiosity. What’s this thing?” and point at my Luis Vuitton mini handbag.
“That’s my precious pochette. I know I shouldn’t have bought it but it was so cute and I had to celebrate I’m about to be a auntie”
“A pochette, is it French for expensive and useless? It looks like something Smurfette would carry around.”
I laugh but she ignores me “I have a 4 pounds silver bag from Primark. Have you ever been there?”
“I’ve heard of it… I just thought it was an urban legend… like size doesn’t matter…” I try to crack a joke but it’s not working.
“Do you know where Whythenshaw is? I went to uni to run away from that place and I’ve been running ever since. I have four brothers who don’t bother to check my ID realizing I’m not a kid anymore. I manage to find myself a decent job but it’s not enough since one of them is the member of one of the most famous English band since the Beatles. Whatever I do it will never be enough. And you, Howard told me about your parents, your boarding schools, and your sheltered life. Your grandma gave you the money to buy a flat in London. Mine gave me a bike for my fourth birthday. I don’t think we have so much in common. The princess and the pauper”
“There’s no reason to be so mad” I look straight into her eyes “I guess Howard omitted the juicy part. I shagged your brother at the end of the ‘Nobody Else’ tour. Ten years ago. And I had to trick him into doing it. I told him I was 17. How pathetic is that? I did it because Jason refused to have sex with me. When my parents found out they locked my out in a catholic boarding school with nuns and a bunch of lunatics. What do you reckon? Am I still a little princess?”
She bursts into a belly laughter “fuck! This is a great topic conversation for some family reunion”
“If you think you may upset me think again. I don’t care. Most of the people know it already. Don’t be fooled by the fact I’m a spoiled brat, as your beloved brother would say. Maddi and I are more a butchy version of Sex and the City believe me. So what do you say? Can I thank you now?”
“Don’t need to, I did nothing. After you left I told Maddi, she said she’s going to play football with Jason’s balls!”
“Your brother loves you very much”
“He criticizes me all the time”
“Just because he’s scared you’ll make the wrong decision, mainly marrying the wrong man. He wants you to be happy”
“I am happy, with James”
“So we need to make him understand that”
“He calls him Jack”
“He’ll stop”
“Speech therapist?”
“No” and I smile “let me take care of it. Make sure your free tomorrow” and I check the clock on the wall “tonight for dinner. Howard is taking us out. The four of us”
“Was it his idea?”
“Not exactly, he doesn’t know it yet”
She laughs and shakes her head.
“Sam, you said something about a secret, between you and Jason. What is it?”
She thinks about it “well…” and gets closer lowering her voice “you told me my delusional brother thinks I’m a virgin… let’s just say Jason knows for a fact I am not. And when we did it I wasn’t 18 yet…”

I tiptoe back into our bedroom sliding back under the duvet. Howard moves his body to rest his cheek on my belly “where have you been?” he hazily asks me.
“I was thirsty… go back to sleep now” and I run my fingers through his curly hair until his breathing becomes regular and I know he’s sound asleep.

5 hours later my alarm goes off. I switch it off with a fast move. I turn on my side to look at Howard. He’s still asleep, lying on his back, totally naked under the duvet. *don’t even think about it. You need to shower, get dressed and go to work. I said don’t even think about it! Ops, too late*. I hold my breath as I trace a finger along his jaw line barely touching his skin. I move to his neck as I lean in to place a soft kiss on his cheek moving my lips along the path traced by my finger. I softly nuzzle his neck as my hand travels across the muscles of his chest. I smile as he lightly stirs, a quiet, sensual moan leaving his lips. Glancing up from kissing his neck I see him looking at me through his half open blue eyes. A big smile on his face. I move slightly. My hair brushing across his skin while I lick along his chin to his lips. "Morning love. Did you sleep well?” I whisper. As he parts his lips to answer me I kiss him. His hands move to grasp my hair as he pulls me closer to him. Moaning softly as the kiss continues I slide my legs across his so I can lie against him. I gently break our kiss and I move my lips down his chin and to his neck.
“Good morning to you to” he moans and slides one of his hands down my shoulder and further down along my spine. "I slept quite well thank you...nothing like my wake up call though" he adds and starts caressing me while I nibble his ear.
“I thought about bringing you breakfast in bed, you know, as a token of appreciation” and I smirk “but I can’t cook… so…”A low growl erupts from his throat as I move my hand lower until I gently touch his manhood. I place lazy kisses on his collar bone to slowly move to his chest and his nipples. “Oh god” his guttural moan make me chuckle again. He locks his hands into my hair "Are you trying to drive me crazy...or just enjoying yourself? What time is it?" He looks toward my nightstand “did you set the alarm clock for this?” he sounds amused and flattered. I raise my head to look at him licking my lips. His eyes are so blue. I smile at him running my nails against his skin, stroking and teasing him. He gasps “don’t stop babe, just don’t stop”. I slide lower kissing his hard stomach muscles. "Are you sure? I mean… you could sleep in this morning…it’s not like you have a real job” I tease him."…please..." he mumbles and I keep kissing his stomach while I run my fingers up his thigh. I feel his hands clenching tightly in my hair holding me to his body. Nipping and licking the sensitive skin on his abdomen I slip below the duvet…

He’s still in bed, resting on his elbow, looking at me with a satisfied expression on his face. “Do you really have to go?” he pouts
I put my dark green dress on. “Zip me up man” I ask him playfully sitting on the bed. He places a hand on my lower back, his fingers caressing my naked skin “Howard… I’m running late…”
He kisses my back “call in sick” he whispers
“Yeah right. Howard please, zip me up and stop kissing me. I’ve just taken a shower… and I don’t need you drooling all over my back”
“Oi!” he objects
I turn around and straddle him laughing “I mean it Mr. Donald, it’s already hard enough …” and look at his groin smirking “no pun intended! I swear!”
“You are evil!” and chuckles
“Do you think I want to leave you? But I have to work. So, now behave, put the zip of my dress up so I can go and spend some BL quality money at today’s auction”
He slides his arms around my back and slowly put the zip up. When he reaches the base of my neck he pulls me closer to him “goodbye kiss”.
He gently bites my lower lip and kisses me.
“One more…” he whines
“No more” I sigh and get up from the bed. I take his scarf from the drawer and tell him with a casual tone “Can’t wait for tonight babe”
He looks at me lost “tonight? What happens tonight?” he asks me rubbing his head.
I place my hands on my hips “Howard Paul Donald! I cannot believe it! You FORGOT!”
“What I forgot?” he whispers, eyes wide open looking for clues.
“You know what? I don’t have time for this now! We’ll talk about it at dinner.” I stare at him and naturally he has no clue what I’m talking about.
I roll my eyes “you are just unbelievable! You don’t remember don’t you?”
He can’t even speak and I need to bite my lip not to laugh. “Men! 8 o’clock, at the Italian restaurant we had dinner the night of your press conference” and I walk out to get right back in yelling “and don’t even think about being late!” I run down the stairs laughing like a woman possessed. Sam looks at me “what did you do?”
“You have no idea… your poor brother must think he’s going crazy. If you see him just play dumb and meet me tonight.” I am about to close the door behind me when I tell her “make sure you dress up!”