Arms

Cool air nipped at her soft skin sending chills down her spine. A small rise of goose bumps made her brown eyes flutter open. Curiously staring at the green wall ahead of her she relaxed under the familiarity of her room.

It came to no surprise to her that she was cold considering she usually kicked off her duvet in her sleep. She fought to stay awake barely picking up her head to see the time.

A small moan left her lips plopping her head back down with distress. Belen has always been a morning person; she loved waking up to watch the sunrise. There were times when she missed it and those nights were filled with drinking, partying and consoling a friend. It was difficult getting up when her head felt like a woodpecker kept pecking at her.

Her mouth felt dry as an involuntary yawn escaped her lips. Right after she felt something move beside her. Not thinking anything of it she rolled closer to cuddle with her beloved Golden Retriever Comet.

Belen furrowed her brows wen her fingertips were met with skin instead of fur. Her naked breasts touched the muscular back of a man or she hoped to be. The person beside her fidget under her touch. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see that her senses weren’t deceiving her.

The musky scent of a man was still there. Small freckles dotted across his back her eyes connected the small imperfections towards his neck. Belen froze when her eyes were met with the said person.

Internally she panicked. How creepy did she look like staring so openly while he slept? Her cheeks flushed trying to apologize, but only is able to produce a small noise. The man blinked slowly gaining consciousness when he shifted she realized that she was still pressed up against him like some needy teenager.

Another attempt of apologies failed, her voice refused to conjure the feelings wrapped around her.

“Morning.” His voice sounded deeper with a groggy tone. Lying on his back so comfortably made her unsettled. Seeing how uneasy she was, he tried to ease the tension with a bit of flattery. “How lucky am I to be in bed with a beautiful woman my first week in the states?”

A small smirk welcomed on his lips while she stayed quiet wiggling her body under another set of covers as he stared at her. “Do you speak? Or is there a possibility that you don’t understand English? Maybe she’s deaf.” He muttered the last part to himself.

Belen tensed as she felt his fingers trace each of her ears, his face filled with concentration as he tries to figure out the mysterious brunette. “You don’t have hearing aids…I can’t rule that just yet though.”

He was an odd one. Did he not realize the situation they were in? Sitting on her bed stark naked and he held a conversation as if this was their usual thing. Nibbling her lower lip she drummed her fingers on her bed. In her thinking process a sudden touch sent her flying out of the bed.

The man chuckled as he rolled himself towards the edge to see if she was alright. He waited for some kind of signal only to see her fumbling to stand up. There she goes again, her mouth opening, but only small sounds coming out. He was truly puzzled and amused by the mousy girl. Her hair was a complete mess sticking up at odd places, eyeliner smeared and her lipstick faintly on her lips.

It was possible the evidence would be on the bed or on his body. Attempting to communicate with her, he scratched his head. “Do you um hablo espanol?” Due to the fact he moved to Los Angeles the majority of the residents spoke Spanish. It wasn’t a big stretch.

He was met with confusion. Blowing through his mouth he felt stumped until he saw her do something. Holding the blanket with her armpits her hands moved in lightning speed as if she finally got the courage to communicate to him somehow. His face said it all, he had no idea what she was doing she scrambled across the room after she held up a finger.

Scribbling something down she handed it to him.

Who are you and what are you doing in my room?

“Good question.” He muttered to himself before he wrote back explaining of how he might have ended up here and introduced himself. Quietly observing her lips as they mouthed the words and when she mouthed his name she looked up in curiosity.

Pointing a finger at him she mouthed, Matt Smith?

Matt nodded as she wrote back, Belen Soto.

Lovely name, it suited her perfectly actually. “Nice to meet you.” He said slowly overjoyed that she caught the words; she signed back the same gesture.

There was still no flash of recognition as she gestured that she was going to change. Matt sat in the bed alone as he almost sighed in relief that she didn’t know who he was. Unless she was masking it, he began to dress now feeling strange staying in Belen’s room.

They were still complete strangers to each other; maybe he can duck out of there to avoid awkwardness between them? “Belen?” He called out, “Belen?” By the second time he remembered that she couldn’t hear a word he said.

Belen finally reappeared fully clothed, a navy polka dress that fell to her mid-thigh. Running her fingers through her messy hair, she sheepishly smiles at him. Waving at him shyly as she tried to translate her signing with gestures, Matt felt like they were playing charades as he tried to guess what she was saying.

Scratching the back of her head she scribbled down what she wanted to say. He raised a brow, breakfast?

When he looked up again he saw the shy quality returning as she looked away. From what he remembered she wasn’t this shy last night, she was daring, sly, and utterly sexy as she worked wonders with that tongue of hers.

He needed to refocus on the question at hand. He agreed to breakfast as he followed her out of the room, Matt realized that he was in a small apartment. They easily navigated to the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen counter he watched her breeze through the fridge and gather the things she needed for the meal.

Matt was impressed when he saw that her fridge was fully stocked with a variety of foods, the whole diet pyramid at her disposal. He suddenly felt in the way as she weaved around him, moving near a corner where he knew he wouldn’t be in the way.

His stomach growled as he smelled the batter of the pancakes fill his nostrils. It was torture having his mouth water as he inched closer to have a taste. Belen sprinkled dried cranberries before drizzling the caramel sauce and topping it off with whip cream.

A look of accomplishment flashed through her features as she picked up a plate and handed it to him. He thanked her, Belen placed her fingertips on her chin before moving them away from her face she mouthed the words, thank you.

Matt understood and mimicked her actions. A sincere smile was etched on her face as she grabbed her plate and went to the table to eat. This wasn’t weird. Having breakfast with a woman that he barely knew and her making him breakfast…she was quite fit and adorable if that can all be in one category.

While they ate in silence they realized how truly weird it was to have such a civilized breakfast with someone that you had sex with. Belen had no idea what she should say and Matt couldn’t think of a way of taking off without sounding like a jerk.

When they finished their meal, Belen covered her mouth burping into her hand. A small laugh escaped from her lips as she excused herself. Matt only laughed alongside her noticing how normal and sweet this woman really was. As they exchanged smiles, Matt suddenly was wary when the lights started to flicker.

Belen instantly got up from her chair and dashed to the front door. There was silence before footsteps were heard coming down the hall and into the kitchen again. Matt stood up to see another woman a few inches shorter than Belen with midnight black hair. Obsidian eyes studied his form before the stranger started to use her hands.

He was confused as Belen quickly responded her hands flying in the air almost in a frantic notion as if she was denying something. The girl snickered before turning her attention towards him, pointing at him before finger spelling his name, no wait was she finger spelling her own name?

When she pointed at him again then he understood. Matt tried to remember what the letters were, but it escaped him seeing that American Sign Language was completely different from British. The yellow notepad that he was becoming familiar with flew to his face. Grasping the thick notepad he looked down to see a name written on it.

“Nice to meet you, Andy.” Matt did his formal greeting as the same signs Belen did before she did as well.

Matt suddenly felt out of place as Andy took all of Belen’s attention, their hands faster at forming words and letters like he has never seen before. It amazed him how natural and how full of expression deaf people were when they signed. The goofy faces always drew him in until he remembered he couldn’t understand a word they were saying.

Lightly tapping Belen’s shoulder she turned remembering that he was still there. She apologized, curling her fist before drawing a small circle on her chest. “It’s alright. I’m actually about to leave…so, can I see you again?”

He felt so exposed as he watched both women watch his lips so tentatively, taking them a bit more time because of his British accent. He repeated himself slower this time around and when she understood, Andy snatched a pen from a nearby table and scribbled a number along with Belen’s name.

The cheeky girl held up her hand in a ‘call me’ pose and winked at him. Matt chuckled, turning his attention on Belen again giving her a hug. Was it weird that he was giving her a hug? She has been so sweet and kind to him that he has forgotten that they had sex last night.

And before he lost his confidence Matt took the pen from Andy and grabbed her arm gently, he wrote his number and name across her forearm. Belen stared at him in shock, a small giggle when she saw the silly drawing that was next to his name.

Walking him to the door, she swung her body from side to side like a child. She paused when she felt his lips graze her cheek; he waved at her before taking off. Her reaction was a little too late as she waved at the empty space in front of her.

Andy waved her hand to get Belen’s attention with a sly grin on her face, “He’s cute.” She signed. “Where did you find him?”

“Nowhere special. I woke up next to him and made him breakfast…is that too weird?”

Her friend waved in dismissal, “Kind of, but that isn’t the point. Besides him being goofy and hearing was he good? I thought you weren’t going to date anyone that is hearing.”

Belen pursed her lips, “I’m not not dating him. We hooked up last night and that’s it.”

“But he wants to see you again.”

“So?”

“Are you?” Andy’s eyes gazed deeply into hers. “Are you really going to see him again?”

Belen actually thought about it. She honestly found him endearing and the way he was so calm about the situation made her a little more settled than she usually is. Belen didn’t see the displeased look upon Andy’s face too caught up in wondering if she should contact him.