Eternal Blossom

She opened her kitchen cabinet and took out her medicine organizer. Once she swallowed them, she put the container back in the cabinet and sighed as she closed the door.Most people kept their meds in the bathroom, but she had found it so much easier to keep hers in the kitchen, closest to the glasses and the water.

Taking a deep breath, she settled a smile on her face and turned around to face the living room, only to see Matt standing there. Her exhalation caught in her throat at the look in his eyes, not knowing him quite well enough to read the emotion laying there.

“Hungry?” She plastered a big smile on her face and moved around him to the fridge, scanning the contents. “How about chicken marsala?”

Matt had walked in to see her swallowing something and putting a pill organizer back into the cupboard, his mind began racing. If she took daily meds, and apparently had a timer to remind her to take them, what could possibly be the reason? Did she have a disease? Was she contagious? Had she been sick, or was currently sick?

“Yeah, that actually sounds delicious.” He slid onto a stool at the kitchen island, resting his elbow on top of the counter, his chin coming to rest on his hand. He was afraid to ask, afraid of the answers that he might find, but he needed to know if he was going to be intimate with her, didn’t he? After all, what if she had HIV, and this was an AZT break?

Clearing his throat as he watched her put the fixings for the meal on the counter, he began,
“Do you have anything I should know about?” It may have been blunt, but he figured he should know.

She spun around from pulling out a pot and pan, and her eyes widened. “I’m not sure what you mean by that statement, but I can guarantee you don’t have to worry about catching anything from kissing me.” She tried to laugh it off, but the laugh came out more forced than she wanted it to, almost bitter.

“So, no communicable diseases or STI’s,” he quickly countered her vague answer, only feeling partly relieved by it.

“God no! I may be a free spirit, but I get tested fairly regularly,” she answered truthfully. “I also don’t take just anyone to my bed, Mr. Sanders,” Aiyana further clarified, pointing a meat mallet in his direction.

Matt let out a deep breath in relief, and raised his hands up in defense to her pointing the object at him. “Woah, gorgeous. You can’t blame me for worrying. I don’t have any either, and part of protecting yourself if educating yourself, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right about that,” she acquiesced. “Thank you for sharing that with me as well. I’ll tell you about my issues, but can we actually get to know one another before I go into it? It’s going to be a long conversation. I’ll put your mind to further ease, though, as long as you promise not to push it any further tonight.”

Matt smiled as he visibly relaxed again, both dimples showing at her as he slid off of the stool. “I will take that concession.”

“You can’t catch it. I don’t have cancer. I’m not dying, and the meds aren’t something that are preventing my death.” She spoke without moving her eyes to him, knowing those were usually the starter questions. As she listed the answers off the top of her head, she began tenderizing the meat, pounding it to the desired thickness.

The singer stepped around the island, and rested his hands on her hips as he slid in behind her. “I won’t lie. My curiosity is raised, but I’ll refrain from asking you anything else about it for the night. Besides, doesn’t you cooking me a late dinner count as a technical third date?” He leaned forward and peered over her shoulder as he spoke.

Aiyana let out an actual laugh at his rationalization. “I suppose that it does, sir. That makes me realize we’ve been out together enough to ask for your help. Can you fill that pot with hot water and then find the noodles in the pantry?”

“Sure thing.” As he moved away from her, he squeezed her hips. Once he began to turn, he chuckled and slapped her ass before filling the pot with hot water.

Aiyana bit her lip to stifle the groan that threatened to escape her throat at the slap she’d received.

She began battering the chicken lightly, and got everything in the pan to begin the sauce. Once it was simmering well for a few minutes, she put the noodles into the water since it had reached a rolling boil. Knowing she now had a moment, she turned around, and walked to Matt who was leaning back against her island with his arms over his chest, watching her cook. As soon as she was to him, she placed her hands on his taunt stomach and leaned up to give him a kiss.

He smiled against her lips, and pulled back to look into her eyes. “How do you know how to cook this? Something else you picked up while traveling?”

She nodded up at him and turned away to finish the meal. He stood there watching, enjoying the way her body moved through the kitchen with such grace. He even strained the noodles for her, and pulled a few plates down once he found where they were in her cupboards.

Aiyana served them each from the pan, and Matt carried them to the other side of the island where the stools were as she finished cleaning up the kitchen so she wouldn’t have to do it later. Luckily, she was the type of person to clean as she cooked, so there wasn’t much to do other than put the final pan into the dish washer and wipe down the counters.

Taking her seat beside him, she bumped him with her shoulder. “Dig in, and don’t laugh if I dance this time.” She arched an eyebrow at him and picked up her own fork to begin eating. It had been nice to have help in the kitchen that also knew how to stay out of the way. She felt as though they had worked together well in the confined space, and that amazed her.

The only person that did so well with her in the kitchen was her Rayne.

She took a bite, and looked over at Matt, trying to gauge his reaction as she chewed. Aiyana was content with the taste, but she was curious as to what he would think. Luckily, his groan at the taste of the chicken and pasta hitting his pallet let her know that he was enjoying it.
They ate in a comfortable, talkative atmosphere at her kitchen island, and he was nice enough to take their plates to rinse and put into the dish washer for her once they were done. As he did that, she put the soap into it, and hit the start button once it was closed.
He took her small hand in his larger one, and lead her back to the living room. “I think we worked well together in there. Are you always this easy to get along with?”

She laughed at that, and sat back down on the couch, pulling him down with her. “No. Sometimes I can be a real bitch. But, I always feel it’s justified when my inner demons come out,” she answered him honestly as she laid down with her head on his thigh.

The raven haired beauty reached over and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV and handing the remote to him so him so he could pick something to watch. It was getting very late, but she was reluctant to let him leave. He made her feel comfortable and safe, and she was loathe to let that go right at that moment.

He smiled down at her as he took the remote. He quickly found a suitable title in Sweeny Todd, and put it on as his fingers began to play in her hair. Her eyes dipped shut for a moment, the pain from her body easing some as his movements relaxed her stiff muscles.

They watched the television in a companionable silence for a while until his fingers found their way to her shoulder, his fingers grazing the skin there softly as he watched her watching the movie. He watched the goosebumps spread down her arms and across her chest from his touch, and his gaze followed them as they spread to her cleavage. He saw her nipples begin to harden into tight peaks under her shirt, and he couldn’t help the way that visual made his jeans begin to feel tight.

In response, her hand slid to his knee, her hand sliding along the jean clad thigh in front of her face, even emboldening enough to slide along his inner thigh a little when he took a deep breath at her touch.

She turned over on the couch, and looked up at him, “Do you want to stay the night? After all, we have had 3 dates now.” Once again, her filter seemed to have been forgotten the moment she opened her mouth.

Matt’s lips spread into a large grin as his hand slid from her bare shoulder to her exposed chest, lightly stroking the skin right above her shirt. “I’d love to.”

Notes