Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.54
She returned home to her apartment, carrying three bags in each hand. Katherine had insisted on spoiling her, even though she had a small child at home who deserved it more. Katherine had explained that Eileen had more toys than the 9 month old knew what to do with.
“Besides, my dear, you’re my daughter-in-law, after all.”
“I’m not though. Paul and I never got married,” Polly tried to say. Katherine waved her hand at the young girl, brushing the comment off.
“Not officially but another three months and you would’ve been. I consider you a daughter, whether a piece of paper says so or not.”
Then, as Katherine loved to do, she kissed the top of Polly head.
Walking into the apartment, she waited for Darren to come stomping towards her. Instead, she was greeted by dimmed lights, candles lit around the apartment and the vague scent of a subtle cologne. She set the bags down in the kitchen and followed a trail of flower petals to the bathroom where there was a bath drawn up for her, bubbles floating along the surface. Candles were lit in here as well, along the foot of the tub and on the counter. Darren was bent over the tub, checking the water temperature.
“What’s all this?” Polly asked. He turned around, grinning.
“Hey baby. I wanted to apologize for what I did. I didn’t mean to get so angry. I thought, I’ll draw her up a bath and buy some of her favorite wine. Hopefully this makes it all better,” he said. She smiled in response and he walked up to her. Slowly, he undressed her, starting with her jacket. He pushed it off her shoulders and let it fall off her arms. He took the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up. She raised her arms up and he slid the shirt up along her body until it detached. That too fell to the ground. Next came her shoes and socks, both of which she stepped out of and kicked towards the door. He unbuttoned her jeans and knelt before her, kissing the soft skin along her hips and abdomen. He pulled the denim down, tugging in places. She let out a gentle sigh as they came free from her knees and dropped around her ankles. She stepped out of them and Darren pushed them back along the tile. He stood up and kissed her, pressing her against him as he reached behind her and make quick work of the clasp on her bra. It fell away, onto the ground with a soft thud. This left her in her underwear only. He stepped away as she tried to lean in for a deeper kiss.
“Enjoy your bath, love.”
“You’re leaving?” she asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
“You’ll survive. I promise. Enjoy,” he said and he was gone, the door shutting with a click behind him.
She shrugged and pushed off her underwear, leaving it with the rest of her clothes. She stepped into the water and sighed. It was perfect, hot without being scalding. She sat down and then slid the rest of her body underwater, leaving just her head above the waterline. She let out an audible groan of both relief and pleasure. A good bath was exactly what she needed. Her muscles were tense and her nerves were shot. She was worried that her day out would send Darren over the edge. But thankfully, he was in a good mood.
She couldn’t say she loved him, but she did enjoy his presence at times. She still wanted to move back in with Alex and be taking baths there, in their tub that couldn’t fit a ten year old.
She wanted everything that had to do with Alex back, to be frank. Even if it was just a conversation.
“Besides, my dear, you’re my daughter-in-law, after all.”
“I’m not though. Paul and I never got married,” Polly tried to say. Katherine waved her hand at the young girl, brushing the comment off.
“Not officially but another three months and you would’ve been. I consider you a daughter, whether a piece of paper says so or not.”
Then, as Katherine loved to do, she kissed the top of Polly head.
Walking into the apartment, she waited for Darren to come stomping towards her. Instead, she was greeted by dimmed lights, candles lit around the apartment and the vague scent of a subtle cologne. She set the bags down in the kitchen and followed a trail of flower petals to the bathroom where there was a bath drawn up for her, bubbles floating along the surface. Candles were lit in here as well, along the foot of the tub and on the counter. Darren was bent over the tub, checking the water temperature.
“What’s all this?” Polly asked. He turned around, grinning.
“Hey baby. I wanted to apologize for what I did. I didn’t mean to get so angry. I thought, I’ll draw her up a bath and buy some of her favorite wine. Hopefully this makes it all better,” he said. She smiled in response and he walked up to her. Slowly, he undressed her, starting with her jacket. He pushed it off her shoulders and let it fall off her arms. He took the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up. She raised her arms up and he slid the shirt up along her body until it detached. That too fell to the ground. Next came her shoes and socks, both of which she stepped out of and kicked towards the door. He unbuttoned her jeans and knelt before her, kissing the soft skin along her hips and abdomen. He pulled the denim down, tugging in places. She let out a gentle sigh as they came free from her knees and dropped around her ankles. She stepped out of them and Darren pushed them back along the tile. He stood up and kissed her, pressing her against him as he reached behind her and make quick work of the clasp on her bra. It fell away, onto the ground with a soft thud. This left her in her underwear only. He stepped away as she tried to lean in for a deeper kiss.
“Enjoy your bath, love.”
“You’re leaving?” she asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
“You’ll survive. I promise. Enjoy,” he said and he was gone, the door shutting with a click behind him.
She shrugged and pushed off her underwear, leaving it with the rest of her clothes. She stepped into the water and sighed. It was perfect, hot without being scalding. She sat down and then slid the rest of her body underwater, leaving just her head above the waterline. She let out an audible groan of both relief and pleasure. A good bath was exactly what she needed. Her muscles were tense and her nerves were shot. She was worried that her day out would send Darren over the edge. But thankfully, he was in a good mood.
She couldn’t say she loved him, but she did enjoy his presence at times. She still wanted to move back in with Alex and be taking baths there, in their tub that couldn’t fit a ten year old.
She wanted everything that had to do with Alex back, to be frank. Even if it was just a conversation.