“I don’t mean a puppy. I mean a full-grown big-ass dog. Like a Rottweiler or a Doberman? We could get one that was already trained. I heard that you can adopt retired police dogs.”
“Do they use Rottweilers as police dogs?”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be a Rottweiler. A German shepherd would do.”
“I’m good with that. Let’s look into it.”
Sarah smiled.
“Thanks for tonight. I needed this. Even with everything that’s going on. I’m having a great time. I think we both needed this.”
Josh smiled back at her, then leaned in and kissed her on her forehead and then on the tip of her nose.
“I think I needed this too. I know I haven’t really been handling this whole thing well. I-I haven’t really said anything…you know…because I don’t really like to talk about it but part of the reason I’ve been freaking out is because this thing just brings back my own memories.”
“I know. I figured. And you’ve been great. I know it’s been hard on you too. Do you want to talk about it at all?”
Josh shook his head
“I’m having too good a time to fuck it up now. Let’s just listen to the band some more.”
Sarah wondered if even listening to this old music might have been reminding him of his youth. She laughed when the band made a major goof. Josh looked at her. He had caught it too.
“That’s not Prince. Is it?”
“That’s Michael Jackson.”
The band had launched into an energetic version of M.J.’s classic “P.Y.T.”
“I’m getting tired anyway.”
“Okay. Let’s go up to the room.”
They staggered toward the elevator, with the Prince band wailing out “Pretty Young Thing” in the background. For some reason, the absurdity of it brought them to another fit of laughter as they waited for the elevator.
An hour later they were back in the hotel room snoring soundly. For the first time all week, Sarah had no dreams.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sarah woke feeling rested and warm and cozy, wrapped in a goose-down comforter that smelled like lavender and jasmine. She reached beneath her pillow and took out her digital recorder. It had recorded nothing but hours and hours of snoring and the sound of rustling pillows and sheets. Sarah sighed, relieved. She stretched, reaching up toward the padded headboard and flexing her toes, smiling, feeling wonderful. She leaned over and kissed Josh on the lips. His breath reeked of alcohol but Sarah didn’t mind. She slid her tongue between his lips and kissed him deeply, teasing and tickling his lips and tongue with the tip of hers, then sucking on his tongue and twirling her tongue around it like she were giving him head. She knew she was a fabulous kisser and sure enough he responded.
She could see the outline of his erection through the sheets. She reached down and stroked it a little as his eyes fluttered open.
“Good morning, lover.”
“Well, you’re in a good mood.”
“Let’s order room service.”
Josh nodded toward the tent that was rising in the sheets.
“Do you want to play first?”
Sarah couldn’t remember the last time Josh had initiated sex. It figures that he would choose this time to do it. She was still feeling weird about sex, still feeling somehow violated. She didn’t think she was ready to open herself up to anyone right now, not even her husband. She wasn’t ready to feel anyone inside of her.
“I’m sorry. I’m just not ready yet.”
Josh visibly deflated, even down to the root of him where he had been swollen and throbbing just moments before. He looked disappointed. I guess it took her denying him sex before he showed any interest in it. Though, truth be told, she had never before given him an opportunity to miss it. He never had to ask for it because she was usually all over him before he had the chance to.
“That’s okay. When you’re ready.”
“How about we spend the day riding roller coasters and shopping and acting like tourists? We haven’t done that since we moved here. We could even hit the buffet or go to one of those new four-star restaurants with the superstar chefs?”
“Now,
“Have you ever had caviar?”
Josh wrinkled up his nose and shook his head.
“Well, we’re going to have to educate that palate of yours.”
“I thought you did that on our first date?” Josh joked.
“Second date. And I don’t recall you needing much instruction. You were already quite the cunnilingus connoisseur if I remember correctly.”
Josh turned and looked deeply into Sarah’s eyes. Sarah could feel her body melt under the heat of his gaze. She could feel all of his love and desire boiling from his eyes. It had been far too long since he’d looked at her that way.
“Actually, you were the first and only woman I’d ever done that to.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Wow. I’m flattered. What made me so special?”
Josh shrugged. “You did me first.”
“Don’t tell me that I was the first woman who ever gave you a blow job?”
Sarah saw Josh’s eyes gloss over and she knew she had gone too far.
“Yeah, you were the first woman.”
The air between them suddenly went flat and stale. Silence fell like a curtain. Once again Sarah felt like she needed to do something to comfort him even in the middle of her own crisis.
“Ever ride the Big Shot?”
Josh’s eyes refocused and he looked at her as if she were speaking a foreign language.
“The what?”
“The Big Shot. At the top of the Stratosphere?”
A smile spread across his face. A love of thrill rides was one of their mutual vices.
“Are you serious?”
“Oh yeah. Are you game?”
“Hell yeah! But first, let’s order that breakfast.”
Sarah grabbed the room service menu as Josh reached for the phone.
“Oooooh! They have bagels with lox and cream cheese. And they have French toast!”
“I just want steak and eggs.”
“Okay, go ahead and order it. I’m going to take a shower.”
Sarah climbed out of the bed. She saw Josh look at her as she scrambled up from beneath the sheets and then saw the look of disappointment when he noticed that she was wearing pajamas, long flannel pajamas. She had never worn pajamas in their entire marriage. She had complained and protested vehemently when Josh had worn them, calling them his armor, an attempt to put a barrier between them. She’d even gone so far as to cut holes in all of his pajamas forcing him to go to bed nude, the way she preferred him. Now, she was the one wearing armor.
Just feeling Josh’s disappointment again, twice in the space of two minutes, was overwhelming. Still, she walked into the bathroom and closed the door before she disrobed.
