You Leave Me With a Dangerous Taste

I froze when I entered Alex’s living room for the first time that day. What used to be a large elegant space no longer was as empty as it used to be. While I probably would have already noticed a small change such as a new picture frame or some fresh flowers in the glass vase on the table next to the smallest velvet couch, this was something nobody could miss. It was literally a huge change. What used to be a large empty space that was taken up just by a rug, two lounge chairs, a standing wooden lamp and a plant, had now been transformed. The only thing left was the rug, a black grand piano replacing the other pieces of furniture.

“You like it?” Alex smirked as he waltzed into the room from the direction of where the kitchen was.

“I mean…” I was flabbergasted and held in a breath as I let my hands drop to my sides to show that I didn’t know what to say. “I didn’t know you played.”

“I don’t really,” he shrugged and walked up to the instrument, letting his fingers glide over the shiny top, “but I’m guessing you do.”

“Well, yeah, but--” Still, I couldn’t find the words. So, I just gestured towards the piano and let out a confused sound.

“I was also thinking about getting somebody to give William piano lessons, but I haven’t found anybody yet. For now, it’s all yours to play with.” He winked and came up to me before adding with a whisper. “Plus, it’s another surface for us to have sex on.”

I snorted and pushed him away gently. I walked over to where the stool was and grazed the keys as if too afraid to make a noise. “On such a beautiful instrument? No way.”

"It’s like you’ve never seen a piano before,” he chuckled deeply at my admiration and came to stand with his chest against my back.

“One like this?!” I turned around so we were facing each other. “No, we had like five back home. Our house was so big that we needed so many.”

“Okay, no need to make fun of me.” He shook his head at me and put his hand on my waist.

“Kind sir, I believe you’re the one making fun of me.” I grinned back and circled my arms around his neck. “And I’ll have you know I have played one before on a frequent basis.”

“Oh, so I’m going to have to buy four more to impress you?” He asked as he played along with the joke.

“Indeed.” I gave him a nod and pulled him down to meet our lips in the middle.

Although I had kissed him so many times before and by now knew all his moves, I always waited in anticipation to see what would come next. The same old scruff rubbing against my delicate chin still sent shivers down my body. The smell of his cologne still tickled my nose and heightened my senses. His hands still made me wish for further contact.

“Hmm, I need to go to work.” Alex pulled away carefully and let his breath smother me.

“Ok,” I whispered back, looking into his eyes and slowly removing my arms from his shoulders.

“Remember,” he warned me before I could take a step away, “my parents are coming over for dinner tonight.”

“And you want me to be there again because…?” I let my fingers walk up his chest as I stared at the path they were taking.

“Because they want to see who I’m trusting to take care of Will,” he responded. “And because I can’t cook and get changed and set the table and entertain them all at the same time. Your food’s always way better anyway.”

“Right.” I gave a curt nod and retracted my hand, officially breaking us apart so he could leave.

It was only good that his work interrupted us this time. If it weren’t for him having to leave, my comment would have been false. We wouldn’t have stopped and before I would have known it, my naked body would have been sprawled over the still fingerprint-less black paint. The piano was being spared for now, just like my bed at home.

I went on with my day as usual. It started off with waking William and helping him choose clothes to wear. Then came breakfast and cleaning up. Soon after, we played together and I had time to do the laundry for the week. Then we had lunch together and put those dishes in the dishwasher. With more energy inside of him, Will and I played outside until he got tired out and it was time for a nap. I had some time to myself, this time spent staring at the piano while I tried to get other things done.

It wasn’t until William woke up again that I dared to play the piano. The evening was starting to approach and I had already put some of the food on the stove. I decided to sit on the stool and just enjoyed the feeling of the keys without playing a note. However, when Will decided to see what I was doing, I couldn't resist hoisting him up off the ground and putting him on my lap.

“Hey, William,” I spoke up, an idea sparking in my mind, “do you know the Sound Of Music?”

He rapidly nodded his head and had a big smile on his face. “I watched it with daddy a lot!”

“Well, then you should definitely know this song…” I started playing a song I used to play a lot just mere years before. I hadn’t touched a piano in the same amount of time, yet I still knew exactly which keys came next. It all came to me so naturally, it was like I had never left my dream of pursuing a music career.

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things”

William’s face lit up even more when he did recognize which song I was singing, trying to mouth the words along with me.

“Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things”

“Come on, sing along with me,” I encouraged him and looked down while I continued to play the melody on the piano. “You should know the next words.”

William tried his best to sing along, but could only manage to mumble out things that sounded like the lyrics, able to loudly sing the few words that he did know.

“When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad”

I went straight to the outro, ignoring that all the verses had to be repeated. What I didn’t expect, however, was that there would be clapping coming from the doorway.

“I thought you said you weren’t any good,” Alex teased as he entered the room, two older people in tow--I was guessing they were his parents.

“My point still stands,” I retorted as William stretched out his arms to try and hit some of the keys himself. The sounds he created sounded out of order, but he was having fun doing so. I just didn’t want Alex to offer to sign me. He had already practically bought a piano just for me, he had given me a dress before we even started sleeping together, I didn’t want him to give that to me as well. If I actually was any good, then I should have been able to get the record deal all by myself.

Alex shook his head lightly at me, giving me a look to tell me that he thought I was being way too modest. However, he wasn’t the one to start speaking again first, his mother was. “You’re going to have to give that boy piano lessons now, he’s hooked! He doesn’t even notice his own grandparents are here!”

I tapped William’s shoulder, getting his attention and told him to look at who was here. When his eyes fell on Alex’s parents, he couldn’t get off my lap faster. He ran up to them similar to the way he had done with his aunt during his birthday. It was like he had a similar routine he used for all of his loved family members.

While that was going on, Alex looked at me as if I would be jumping at the chance to give Will lessons. However, I shook my head like my life depended on it. “Don’t even think about asking me. I’ve tried giving kids lessons before, it was not really my thing…”

“Are you sure?” He nonetheless asked me. “I’d happily give you a raise.”

“No, really, I can’t teach somebody else how to play an instrument. It isn’t my thing,” I still denied.

He came a little closer to me, a little too close if you asked me with his parents just a few feet away. “I’m still cool with giving you a raise, though, you’ve been doing really well.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” I shook my head and took a step away from him, hoping he would understand that he couldn’t do anything risky around his parents

“I mean,” he shrugged like it was no big deal, “I recently got a raise just for doing my job. So why not spend it on giving you a raise as well?”

I frowned and continued to disagree. “No, you should spend it on a brand new shiny car or something. Don’t pay me more than you already are.”

“You’d rather have me get you a new car?” He questioned in a surprised tone. “I can do that.”

“No, no, not for me. For yourself.”

“Why would I do that?” He huffed and started in the direction of William to greet him.

I was afraid that he would actually come home one day with a new car. He’d drag me outside, confusing me, and then he’d show off the car. I, of course, would think it was his and compliment him on it. Only, he would turn the compliment around. Then I would get confused and he would drop the keys in my hands. Alex was unpredictable concerning whether or not he’d do such a drastic gesture, but he was so predictable when he decided to go through with it. I did not want his petty little gifts. So, I knew that if it were to ever happen, I would not react in the way he would want me to. I’d make it difficult for him.

While I finished off making dinner, I had to remind myself that I didn’t have to impress Alex’s parents. I kept freaking myself out about it, wondering if I would make a good impression, wondering if I’d be good enough for them. But I was going too far with my thoughts. I only had to show that I was responsible enough to take care of William while Alex was at work. Nothing else mattered. I wasn’t in a relationship with Alex. I wasn’t ‘meeting the parents’. Well, I technically was, but not to that extent. Although, part of me knew Alex’s parents weren’t actually here because they wanted to know who was taking care of their grandson, but because Alex had invited them over.

It only made me want to have a little fun with him.

So, after we had all taken a seat at the dining table while we were waiting for the food to be ready, Alex insisted he help me take it out. I started putting everything that was in the pans on plates and in bowls. Usually, when it was just me, William, and Alex, I didn’t care and just dropped the pan or pot on the table as if I was some lunch lady, but I assumed things had to be a little different when there was company around.

“Anything you want me to do?” Alex asked, leaning against one of the counters as he watched me transfer everything.

“Hmm… yeah,” I nodded and rather than standing next to him to grab a large spoon from behind him, I was in front of him.

As I leaned forward to reach for the spoon, I acted like I lost my balance and as if the only way to steady myself was by keeping my hand on his crotch. His entire body stiffened up at the contact, showing that he was trying not to show any reaction

“Sorry,” I smiled innocently at him and started my way back to the food.

However, before I could get further than a step away, his hand was on my arm and keeping me in place. He whispered huskily, “you can’t just do that.”

“Do what?”

“You know exactly what.”

Instead of trying to act like I really was oblivious, I bit my lip and slowly released it as I turned around and out of his grip. You can bet your ass I skipped with a slight sway, knowing he loved the red skirt I was wearing. Messing with him now would only make the next occasion we had some time alone together so much better.

However, what seemed like a little fun to me turned out to bite me back a little later. The food had been eaten and we were all just conversing, William sitting at the end of the table with the pens I had gotten him for his birthday. Alex’s parents were really nice. Honestly, if this had been an important first meeting, I would have considered it to be very successful. But it didn’t matter how this went. After all, it was all up to Alex whether or not I was allowed in this house anymore, his parents didn’t get a say in that. If this were actually a relationship, then things would have been very different.

“So, Paisley, you haven’t told us much about yourself,” Alex’s mother spoke. It was true, I just decided to listen to the stories and only say something when it was relevant, including a few stories about my life. But I never really came up with a story to tell myself. Like I had said many times before, I didn’t like to mix my work life with my private life, especially if it meant mixing Alex into it all and making it impossible to hide the thing between us.

I shrugged, still not thinking it was necessary. “What’s there to say?”

“You were able to play the piano quite well, there must be something behind that, right?”

“I haven’t played in quite some time,” I shrugged it off. “I briefly played piano in a hotel lobby, but I decided it wasn’t really for me. Turns out I didn’t enjoy the evening shifts all that much.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Alex’s dad asked to keep the conversation going.

“My fiance has a nine to five job, so our schedules just didn’t work out together. I’d go almost as soon as he came home and I’d come home late. We rarely got to see each other.” It came out so easily. I didn’t want to bring up Jack with Alex sitting next to me. But every question that ever had anything to do with Jack, I was so used to answering. Well, that was except if Alex was the one questioning me.

“You’re getting married?!” Alex’s mom smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. “Oh, how exciting! Have you set a date yet?”

“No… We’ve been engaged for over a year now, but--” I shook my head and nearly choked when I suddenly felt Alex’s hand on my thigh. I tried to play it off, seeing that his parents hadn’t noticed anything. “But we know we don’t have the money yet. We’re just waiting it out a little bit. We are only twenty, anyway. There’s no harm in waiting a little longer.”

“Of course not,” she agreed with me. “You know, Peter and I…”

I couldn’t concentrate on the story that was being told. Alex’s hand had moved its way up my skirt and up my bare leg. I just nodded and tried to smile along at what was being said while all my senses were focused on the burning feeling Alex was leaving behind. Everything in me wanted him to touch me further and more intimately, begging for all my sensations to be addressed. My heart was yearning for him to make it race again, my lungs were preparing for the moans he could make me emit. But when the tips of his fingers pushed past the fabric of my panties, I chickened out.

I cleared my throat and pushed his hand away hopefully without making him move in a suspicious way. My eyes fell onto Will, who was barely able to stay awake. “I think it’s time I get William ready for bed.”

I stood up abruptly, not sure if I had just interrupted somebody or not. I just couldn’t let myself be tempted in front of people.

William was more than happy to oblige when I started guiding him towards the stairs. All I had to do was help him get changed and tuck him in. As soon as he was under the covers, he fell asleep. It wasn’t enough time to make me forget what Alex had done, but it was enough to let me breathe.

What did not help was Alex standing outside the door as I left the room. He claimed he wanted to say goodnight to William, but I knew better than that. The small breather hadn’t given me enough strength to push him away and tell him that we couldn’t have sex with his son just having gone to bed and with his parents downstairs maybe also wanting to say goodnight to him.

What I can tell you, however, is that we had to come up with an excuse as to why we stayed upstairs longer. It might have been wrong to make up a story revolving around William and his fear of monsters, but it worked.