No Looking Back

CHAPTER 17

  In the weeks that followed both Pete and Marla had been busy beyond belief. For not having a job Marla was amazed at how busy she was. She was thrilled with the arrangement her and Betsy had come to over their partnership. Soon they would have Sin*A*Mon & Spice back open again. They had already bought the advertising space in the local newspaper for the big advertising blitz planned for the grand re-opening.

  Right now she was reconnecting with her suppliers and explaining the circumstances that caused her to shut down in the first place. Glossing over most of the gritty details she assured them that they were back in business. With everyone willing to help they did a little redecorating while they had the chance. Fresh paint scented the air instead of sweet baked goods and they had hung new draperies, added some additional baker’s racks for self-serve customers. They even added a few bistro tables with matching chairs for customer’s that cared to linger and talk over their coffee and sweet rolls.

  Lizzie Michaels had agreed to come and work for them part-time as a kind of catch all/fill in person. It suited Lizzie’s her personality perfectly. Not many people instinctually knew what needed to be done and when. Luckily, Lizzie was one of those self-directed people.

  In the meantime Pete was busy in his own right, crafting a press release full of false facts and bogus discoveries. If he thought he had trouble lying in person it was even worse trying to write it convincingly. Every time he would read the statement over, he would change something and then read it again, invariably changing it back to its original prose. Finally he put it aside to give himself some distance, hoping that would help him detect any trace of deception. No one other than Marla would be able to proofread it for him. Finally, after two days of agonizing over it, he went home for lunch and had Marla read it over.

  Pete loved the look of Marla’s face when she set eyes on him. There was no mistaking the love he saw in her beautiful blue eyes. It never failed to make his heart sing with happiness as he reflected the feelings back to her in his eyes. Never in his life, even before his first marriage, had he ever anticipated how completely in love he could be with one, and soon to be, two, people in his life.

  Peanut’s arrival was getting closer and closer and he couldn’t wait. He walked into the house just as Marla was pouring over paint samples at the kitchen table, trying to pick just the right one for the baby’s room.

  “Hey you, I didn’t expect to see you until dinnertime. Is everything okay?”

  “Great, really. I need your help with the press release so I just thought I’d come home for lunch. What are you up to here?” Pete asked as he got a closer look at all the different color pallets she was reviewing. “Did you narrow it down to at least twenty choices here?”

  “It has to be just perfect for our little peanut, so stop teasing me or I’ll make you do it with me.”

  “I surrender. When you get a chance will you read this over and see if sounds even remotely possible, let alone believable. My eyes are ready to cross already trying to get it just right.” He opened the refrigerator and poked around until he found the left over dinner from the night before.

  Marla read the release twice before giving her verdict. “Pete, this is great. When do you plan on giving it out?”

  “I thought I’d wait until after the cookout, just in case things get a little hairy once it’s released. I wouldn’t want to ruin our first dinner party as a couple after all the work everyone’s done for it.”

  Pete finished eating his lunch and still had plenty of time to spare before going back to the office. He started nuzzling Marla’s neck while she continued examining the paint samples. He nibbled her neck up to her ear, making her giggle like a little girl when he touched her secret tickle spot. Her laughter was music to his ears after all the turmoil they’d been through, and he thanked God for her every single day. When his hand slipped under her shirt and cupped her growing breast he realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. He instantly grew hard, moaning at the excitement of his discovery. In no time at all they were both lying on the bed, partially clothed and panting with passion. They made love in a frantic flurry of excitement and passion. When their appetites were sated they took in the state of their clothing, laughing hysterically at their various stages of undress. Clothing hung from their wrists and ankles, neither one wanting to take the time to completely remove the clothing during the heat of passion. Less than a minute later they were both dressed and standing in the kitchen, saying goodbye to each other so Pete could get back to work.

  Marla decided she liked it very much when Pete came home for lunch and hoped he would do it more often. With a sigh of contentment she turned back to her paint samples.