The Perfect Husband Page 9

  My shoulders sank. I’d had some of my coffee mugs since college. For a moment, it occurred to me that I’d be surrounded by mostly Eric’s things. I felt a pang of regret that I’d moved in second. We didn’t need multiple slow cookers or canister sets.

  ‘Or, if you prefer, I can give mine away,’ Eric said.

  ‘No, mine’s packed. It doesn’t make sense to unpack mine and pack yours. It’s just stuff.’

  We hauled the boxes to the garage and Eric said he’d drop them off at the Goodwill store.

  ‘Let me call Jackie first to see if she wants them,’ I said. ‘We can keep the sheets and towels and use them when yours wear out.’

  That night, Eric made burgers on the grill and we sat outside on the patio overlooking the backyard. I was glad the sellers had sold us their patio furniture. We could have bought new, but buying theirs was easier. It was a perfect evening, warm enough to sit outside without a sweater.

  ‘Beautiful evening, isn’t it?’ I said, watching as the light of day slowly faded.

  ‘Not as beautiful as you.’ Eric removed the burgers from the grill and opened a bottle of wine. He handed me a glass and held up his. ‘Here’s to us!’

  I gasped. My free hand flew to my beating heart. A silver wine charm dangled from the crystal stem. Tears filled my eyes. ‘Oh, Eric!’

  Eric sat his glass on the table and removed the 1.5 carat solitaire platinum ring and knelt. ‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Shelly. Will you honor and cherish me and be my wife?’

  Tears streamed down my cheeks. Eric wanted me! He loved me! He wanted me to be his forever!

  ‘Yes! Yes! A thousand yeses!’ I cried as he took me in his arms.

  ‘I love you more than you’ll ever know,’ he said.

  ‘I love you more.’

  That night, under the glow of the moon, we made love on a blanket in the backyard. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.

  Chapter 17

  The next morning, Eric insisted on serving me breakfast in bed. He made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. He’d even picked a purple wild flower from the backyard and placed it on the tray.

  ‘I couldn’t find a bud vase,’ Eric said. ‘Guess that’s one thing neither of us had.’

  I sat up so he could place the tray over my legs. ‘You know I’m not used to eating this much for breakfast, if I eat it at all.’

  Eric shook his finger. ‘Naughty girl.’

  I raked my front teeth over my bottom lip. ‘I like being naughty.’

  ‘Stop teasing me,’ Eric said.

  ‘I’m not teasing.’

  The tray ended up on the floor and Eric ended up in the bed. An hour later, we were both famished so we ate the cold breakfast, feeding each other forkfuls of scrambled eggs and bacon.

  Eric jumped in the shower and I called Jackie. As soon as I said proposed she screamed in my ear and I had to hold the phone away.

  ‘Details, details! I want all of the details and don’t leave any out.’

  I told her about grilling burgers and the wineglass charm.

  ‘That’s so romantic,’ Jackie said. ‘Snap a photo of the ring and send it to me.’

  ‘Will do.’

  ‘So, how’s the unpacking going?’

  ‘Slowly. I decided I didn’t need my kitchen stuff. Eric had already put his in the cabinets and drawers and we don’t need two of everything. Rather than keep it, I thought I’d donate to charity, but I wanted to check with you first. Do you want it?’

  ‘I definitely don’t need it, but you have really nice things. I could store them in the basement for Lucy so she has them when she moves out.’

  ‘Great. I’ll have Eric put them in my car and drop them off next week.’

  I got off the phone with Jackie and sent her a photo of my ring.

  She texted back in seconds. WOW! Gorgeous.

  Eric walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. ‘Your turn.’

  After showering, Eric and I spent the day unpacking. The photo frame Jackie had given me looked great on top of my dresser. I was putting lingerie into a drawer when Eric walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck.

  ‘Stop it. I’m almost done. This is my last box.’ I placed the lacy bra into the drawer.

  ‘If you get breast implants you’ll have to buy bigger bras,’ Eric said.

  ‘True.’

  ‘I’ll buy them for you.’

  I turned around. ‘I can afford new bras.’

  Eric brushed the hair off my face. ‘Oh, I know you can, but I’d like helping you pick them out.’

  ‘You would?’ I was surprised. No guy I knew liked shopping let alone bra shopping. But then Eric was no ordinary guy.

  ‘Yes. I’d enjoy lingerie shopping with you.’

  I threw my arms around his neck and we kissed and ended up in bed.

  Later that night, I stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror trying to imagine myself with breasts twice the size of the 36B ones I had now. Eric had found a surgeon in the area and surprised me by making an appointment for the following week. ‘I want you in the best hands,’ he’d said.

  I brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. Eric turned to me. ‘So, what kind of wedding do you want? Big? Small?’

  ‘Definitely small. Maybe we could do a destination wedding. Like Jamaica or something.’

  ‘Or we could just go to the courthouse,’ Eric said nonchalantly.

  ‘True.’

  ‘Let’s get married at the courthouse. Next week.’ He sounded definite.

  I lifted my head from his chest so I could look at him. ‘Next week? What’s the rush?’

  He kissed my nose. ‘Because I love you and I want you to be my wife.’

  ‘Well, we can’t next weekend. It’s my high school reunion, remember?’

  ‘Oh. I forgot. How about the week after?’

  My entire body tingled. I was flattered Eric was in such a hurry to marry me. I’d never met anyone who adored me as much as he did. The constant gifts and over the top attention were a bit much at times, but I realized how much I’d come to need his love and adoration. If getting married at the courthouse made him happy then that’s what we’d do. I never wanted to please any man as much as I wanted to please him.

  We started kissing and within seconds we were both naked under the sheet. ‘Do you have any sexual fantasies?’ Eric asked.

  I managed to say ‘no’ as Eric devoured every inch of my body.

  ‘I’d like to tie your wrists to the bed,’ he whispered into my ear. ‘Would you let me?’

  ‘I’ve never been bound before,’ I managed to answer in between moans.

  ‘Don’t move. I’ll be right back.’

  Eric returned with two silk ties and held them up.

  ‘I won’t tie them tight.’

  I nodded, wanting him to pick up where he’d left off. He lightly tied my wrists to the spindles on his oak headboard and lit a candle he’d conveniently found in the nightstand drawer. The flame flickered, casting just enough light that I could clearly see him as he stood next to the bed staring at me. I wasn’t sure I liked being restrained, but he seemed to enjoy it. His eyes pierced mine and he coyly smiled, touching his hardness.

  I lifted my torso, beckoning him to join me. He held off until I thought I’d go insane. Then he covered every inch of my body with his mouth. His tongue flickered in all the right places. He entered me gently, slowly at first, then faster. He pulled out, teasing me. I moaned and begged him to continue. I pulled against the restraints, wanting to throw my arms around his neck.

  ‘Relax, my love,’ he whispered as he took me to heaven and back twice.

  He untied the wrist restraints and kissed each of my wrists. ‘See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?’

  ‘No,’ I whispered, laying my head on his chest. ‘It wasn’t too bad.’

  The next morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon. I found Eric in the kitchen making breakfast ag
ain.

  ‘Smells delicious.’

  He turned around. ‘I was hoping to serve you breakfast in bed again.’

  I smiled and poured a cup of coffee.

  He walked over and kissed me. ‘Thanks for last night.’

  ‘Uh, yeah, about that. Where did that come from?’

  Eric shrugged. ‘Guess it’s always been a fantasy of mine. Did you like it?’

  ‘It was okay. I didn’t like not being able to put my arms around you but I loved everything else.’

  He returned to the stove to stir the scrambled eggs. ‘I like that you want to make me happy, that you’re willing to compromise. You’re malleable.’

  I sipped my coffee. ‘Malleable? What’s that mean?’

  ‘You know, open to trying new things. It shows how much you love me that you’re willing to please me by doing something I think is hot even if it doesn’t turn you on.’

  I wondered if he had other fantasies, if there were other things he wanted to do to me. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted any man. And I was willing to do what he wanted me to do in exchange for the ecstasy he provided. I belonged to him. He was in control.

  Chapter 18

  Patty was the first to notice the ring when I walked into the office on Tuesday.

  ‘Omigod! Omigod!’ She waved her arms. Her dozen silver bangle bracelets fell down her limbs stopping inches from her elbow. ‘Our Shelly is getting married.’

  Soon everyone in the office was crowded around me wanting to see the ring and hear all the details.

  ‘That’s a huge stone,’ said Daphne, the receptionist. ‘Is there another one where he came from?’

  ‘Maybe it’s one of those fake ones,’ said Stan, who sits in the cubicle next to me. ‘My wife bought a cubic zirconia when we visited St Thomas and everyone thinks it’s real.’

  I flashed baby-faced Stan a mean look. ‘Trust me, Stan, it’s real.’

  I wasn’t ready for the firestorm of questions. In fact, I’d considered removing my ring before I walked in to avoid the commotion. I wasn’t in the mood for the barrage of attention I knew I’d receive. I managed to dodge most of the questions when my cell phone rang. It was a client I’d been working with. Mr Beach had contacted me a few months before. He’d lost his wife of fifty-five years to cancer a year ago and had just celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday. He wanted to downsize and was just about to sign the contract on a one-floor model when he suddenly got cold feet. He wasn’t ready to leave the house where he and Dorothy had raised their family and spent the better part of his life.

  ‘Sorry, guys. I need to take this.’ I sat down at my desk. ‘Hi, Mr Beach. What can I do for you?’

  ‘Gosh, darn it,’ he said. ‘I slipped the other week coming down the steps and it got me thinking that maybe I should’ve moved when I had the chance.’

  ‘Oh, I see. Are you okay?’

  ‘Yes, just twisted my ankle and it’s fine now. But I wondered if you’d stop by. I think I’m ready to move.’

  I checked my calendar. ‘How about four today?’

  ‘Thanks, I’ll see you then.’

  I got off the phone with Mr Beach and noticed I’d received a text from Eric.

  I see you made it to work. Did anyone notice?

  I texted. Yes. Everyone!

  He texted several heart emojis. Have a great day. Love you!

  Thanks! Love you, too!

  The day went quickly and I’d realized I hadn’t eaten lunch. I found a pack of almonds in my desk drawer and gobbled those down. On my way to see Mr Beach, I stopped to fill up my gas tank and ordered a chicken sandwich from the made to order kiosk.

  Mr Beach was working in the flower bed in the front yard when I arrived. He reminded me of Santa Claus in summer attire, wearing tan slacks and a blue polo shirt. Same white bushy beard and hair and a belly that seemed to have benefited from plenty of good cooking over the years.

  I scanned the flower bed, full of vibrant perennials that popped with color – purple, pink and yellow. ‘Your flowers look gorgeous.’

  He smiled. ‘Dorothy was always fussy about her flowers. She spent hours deadheading the plants so they’d keep blooming. Guess I don’t want to disappoint her.’ He pointed to the sky. ‘She might take it out on me when I get up there.’

  I instinctively looked up at the sky. If I had a dad, I’d have liked him to be like Mr Beach. I felt sorry for him that his two sons didn’t live closer. Both lived out of state and although they’d invited him to live with them, he declined their offers. ‘I was born in this town and I’ll die in this town,’ he’d said.

  I followed him inside to the robin-egg-blue kitchen, and he served me a cold lemonade.

  I took a sip. ‘Thank you. It’s delicious!’

  ‘Made it myself. Just like Dorothy used to do. See that metal lemon squeezer on the counter?’

  I looked in the direction he pointed.

  ‘Got that for a wedding present from my mom. She told us that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. We’ve made a lot of lemonade over the years, me and Dorothy.’

  ‘You miss her a lot, don’t you?’

  ‘Boy, do I ever!’ He pulled out a chair and sat down and invited me to do the same.

  After listening to Mr Beach’s story, the lemonade tasted even sweeter. I wondered if Eric would love me that much someday. I held up my glass to make a toast. ‘In honor of Dorothy and of the life you shared in this beautiful big house. May we find a new generation to make it their home and cherish it as much as you have.’

  We tapped our glasses and Mr Beach pulled a white cotton hankie out of his pants pocket and blew his nose. He was the only man I knew who still used cotton hankies.

  ‘So how long do you think it will take to sell?’ He leaned back in his chair.

  I opened my notebook and pulled out a pen. ‘The market’s good right now. Houses under three hundred thousand are selling fast. I don’t anticipate any problems. This is one of the nicest brick colonials in the neighborhood and you’ve taken great care of it over the years. Plus, it has a lot of curb appeal.’

  He nodded. ‘Any idea if the house you showed me a few months back is still available?’

  I shook my head. ‘No, but there’s another one just like it down the street. Brand new. They’re just finishing installing the flooring. Let me show you.’

  I pulled my iPad out of my tote and leaned towards Mr Beach so I could show him the photos. ‘I really like the dark wooden floors and cabinets.’

  ‘And how much to add the sunroom like there was on the other place?’

  ‘An additional forty thousand.’

  ‘And they could add that to this home?’

  ‘Yes, or you could build what you want from scratch. Pick the flooring, cabinets, fixtures. Everything.’

  He waved his hand. ‘That’s too much trouble.’

  ‘I’d like to show you the property. When would you be free?’

  ‘Well, I golf Wednesdays and Fridays. Sometimes Saturdays. But I’m usually done by one and I can go anytime the other days.’

  I checked the calendar on my phone. ‘How about tomorrow at three?’

  ‘Works for me.’

  ‘In the meantime, I’ll start the paperwork on putting this house on the market.’

  After we finished our lemonade and ironed out sale details, I followed Mr Beach outside. ‘Thank you for getting in touch with me again.’ I shook his hand. ‘I’ll get you the best price I can.’

  As I slid into the car to drive home, Mr Beach returned to gardening. I smiled. Dorothy would be happy.

  I’d forgotten to text Eric to tell him I had a late appointment, so when I checked my texts before starting the car, there were several from him.

  Where are you?

  Checked GPS. Whose house?

  Worried. Text as soon as you get this.

  I sighed. On the one hand, I wished he wouldn’t worry about me so much. On the other, it was great that he cared and looked out for my we
llbeing. I typed:

  Had late appt. Sorry didn’t text. Heading home now.

  K. Saw you were at house outside city.

  I replied. Yes. See u soon!

  I started the car and resumed listening to the audiobook Eric had bought me. ‘I want to make your commute as painless as possible,’ he’d said.

  An hour and a half later, I pulled into the driveway. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I smelled steaks sizzling on the grill. I walked around to the back to find Eric opening the grill cover and poking baked potatoes with a fork.

  ‘It smells delicious,’ I said. ‘And I’m really hungry.’

  He looked up. ‘Finally, you’re home.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry I was late. I thought you were going to the gym tonight?’

  Eric closed the lid to the grill. ‘I was going to, but since you weren’t going to be able to make it I decided to cook dinner for you instead.’

  I walked over and he kissed me and held me tight against him for what seemed like hours.

  ‘Besides,’ he whispered. ‘I have a surprise for you later.’

  I pulled away so I could look in his eyes. ‘You keep it up and I’m never going to want to leave you.’ I laughed.

  He pulled me in again. ‘That’s what I’m counting on.’

  A bottle of wine, steaks, baked potatoes and salad later, I thought I’d burst.

  ‘You were hungry,’ Eric said.

  I explained about missing lunch, finding almonds and the chicken sandwich. ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘I didn’t see you stop for a chicken sandwich.’

  I scrunched my nose. ‘What? Do you check my location constantly? When I stopped for gas I bought a chicken sandwich.’

  I guess he noticed I was a little annoyed. ‘Look, I just worry about you. I check it throughout the day to make sure you’re safe. I’ve waited my whole life for you and now that I’ve found you, I never want to lose you.’

  My heart melted. ‘Thanks, that’s so sweet. But please don’t worry about me so much.’

  Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and I felt like I was floating on air. How could someone love me as much as Eric did?