2020-06-17 - A well earned break - Paige and Sasha

*****WARNING*****This blog post contains graphic sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.


Sasha Beaulieu closed his laptop at the dining room table and spread his arms wide and let out a happy little howl “Fini! (Finished)”. He looked at his younger siblings still hard at work around them and could swear he saw at least two of them flip him the bird as he bounded up from the table. He was as good as graduated as soon as they sent him the little paper. Sasha went to the front door and pulled on his trainers and bent down to tie them. He was wearing a worn comfy pair of blue jeans and an old school white Winnipeg Jets t-shirt. Over it he pulls a dark blue hoodie and then he steps out into the fresh air and freedom. He takes a long roundabout walk through town enjoying the sites and smiling at the locals. Some look at him twice because they haven’t met but many more just smile or offer greetings. It was a friendly town and Sasha loved that. He also loved food and his stomach growled at him. He still had some money left from his last job but soon he’d need to find himself a summer job here. Sasha was almost at the ferry and he sniffed the air, something fishy maybe but definitely fast food. He stood pondering it.

Paige watched as the cop got back in his car.  He had the same red hair as Seamus Reinhardt, but had green eyes.  When she’d first seen him, she’d already known that trying to sell her masks to people coming right off of the ferry was a bad idea, but the cop was actually nicer than she thought he would be,  He just told her that she needed to get a permit, how much it would cost and where she could get it.  Then he’d stayed long enough to make sure that she was putting the masks back in her pack and he left.  It was a deep purple bag and matched perfectly her almost ankle length purple skirt and light pink peasant blouse.  Her flats were a simple basic black.  She inhaled and exhaled and her stomach growled.  The air smelled wonderful here, she thought and she turned, thinking of eating when she saw a familiar face.  Sasha ….  Sasha who never gave her his last name.  Biting her lip, anxiously she screwed up her courage and called out.  “Sasha!” 

Sasha heard his name and looked around and then grinned broadly when he saw Paige and walked to her “Paige, hello!” He looked happy and relaxed “I just wrote my last exam….French.” He laughed. “How are you?”

Paige smiled at him.  “Hello.”  and then she giggles.  “Do you think you passed?”  she asks, thinking of his French accent.  “I finished my last final this morning.  I love online learning.”  she grinned.  The wind blows and her hair in a loose ponytail blows a bit behind her.

Sasha laughs “I better pass or I’ll have to go into witness protection from my family all the way back to the voyageurs!” He gives her an impressed nod as well “Then we are both celebrating…” He gets distracted by her hair as the wind blows it and then refocuses “Have lunch with me?” He asks sweetly.

Paige laughs at who might get upset if he flunks French.  Then she nods.  “I guess we are.”  He asks her to lunch and she smiles, opening her mouth to reply.

“Paige.'' The voice is male and approaching.  An older man is approaching and smiling.  He is older with grey hair and burn scars clearly visible on his face and hands, but it suggests there are more under his henley and jeans.  “I’m glad I found you.”  He offers her some pamphlets.  “I’m going to be starting a support group for burn victims at our community Center and thought you’d be interested in this.

Paige sees the man approaching.  He speaks and she winces.  “Thank you, Chief Stanley.”  she takes the flier and sighs.  Motioning to Sasha, she makes introductions.  “Chief Hank Stanley, this is Sasha ….”  she doesn’t know his last name.  “Sasha, this is Chief Hank Stanley.  The Fire Chief.  He’s … helping me with …”  sh swallows.  “My burns…  long story.”

Hank looks a little surprised.  “He doesn’t know… oh god I’m sorry Paige.  That was rude of me.”  he turns to Sasha and offers his hand.  “It’s good to meet you.  You’re the new dentist's son, if my inspection sheets are correct.”

Sasha watches Paige and Chief Stanley’s exchange looking cheerful about it until Paige winces and the Chief says oh god he doesn’t know. Paige was embarrassed by her burns? Shit. Sasha gives her a kind look and then turns to the Chief with a friendly smile “Sasha Beaulieu, yes. My parents have the practice.” He gives a firm handshake not looking bothered by the burns at all “I think it’s very cool that you’re starting a burn victims group.” He makes a point of glancing at Paige “No one should have to feel alone or embarrassed about that sort of thing. Very nice to meet you Chief Stanley.” He lets go of the hand now.

Hank takes the hand and firmly shakes it.  “Well, I just inspected them yesterday so they’ll be able to open whenever they’d like.”  he looks between him and Paige, his gaze lingering on Paige.  “I agree.”  he clears his throat.  “I’ll leave you kids to it, then.  Take care.”  and he turns, walking casually back towards the center of town.

Paige makes note of the last name.  Now she knew it!  Then Sasha and the Chief shake hands and she stares at the clasped hands.  Sasha doesn’t seem put off by the Chief’s burns at all.  She stares until they break the handshake and the Chief moves back to his SUV.  Then she looks up at Sasha and, her voice more heartfelt than she planned, replies to his earlier question.  “I’d love to have lunch with you …”  she replies.  “And explain,”  he waves the pamphlet then sticks it in her pack.  “This.”

Sasha gives the chief a little wave as he goes “Cheers.” And then looks at Paige and she answers him with such a presence he smiles “OK….but first...fish burgers!” He looks to the restaurant and then realizes he’s being a little pushy “If that’s ok?”

Paige smiles.  “Yes.  Food.  Do you smell the fish?  And .. beef too, I think.”  she inhales and nods across the dock to the far end.  “From that little shack.  Yes, very OK.”  she holds her bag loosely and walks at his side.

Sasha is pleased Paige knows where to go and that she’s into the same idea for food. There’s a bit of a line so they have to stand back and file in socially distanced but he lines up with her like they’re a unit. It’s a bustling time of day so there’s noise in all directions. As they shift forward to a spot with less of a crowd Sasha leans his head close to her ear “I did see your leg when you fell….I didn’t think anything bad about it...or you. My only thought was does it hurt? Because that would make me sad.” He looks at her earnestly hoping he hadn’t overstepped,

Paige watches the people social distancing and all around the dock.  About half the people are wearing masks, which seems to be the way of the world now.  Then Sasha leans in and whispers that he’s seen her scar and she looks at him sharply at first, but her face softens as he continues.  “You did?”  she blinks, and gapes a little.  “No … not anymore .. it’s .. it’s old … like … ten years old ….”  she swallows and stares at him in disbelief.  “It’s so ugly ...”  she murmurs.

Sasha watches her face and looks nervous at the sharp look and then exhales as she softens. He nods “I wasn’t trying to look….it just happened from the angle I was standing. I’m glad it doesn't hurt.” He hears how old it is and then sees her stare and hears her call it ugly. Sasha has a pained look and shakes his head “No Paige...it’s just part of you.” He reaches out his hand to touch hers if she lets him and will hold it if it all works out “You’re beautiful...burns and all.” He tells her, revealing some of his feelings for her.

Paige listens as he explains what he saw and then goes even further.  Just part of her.  And then he takes her hand and goes on to call her beautiful and she blinks, looking up at him.  Her hand wraps around his.  “Do you … mean that?”  she asks, her eyes filled with hope and then she bites her lip.  “Why would you say it if you didn’t mean it?”  she seems to be asking herself.  “They … go down my right arm past my elbow to my wrist … and then my leg from my thigh to below my knee.”  She tells him and looks at him again, almost challenging him to still say she’s beautiful.

Sasha smiles at her and is about to answer when she asks herself a question in answer? “I’m not sure you’re talking to me or you..” He laughs a bit “But yes I mean it. I have this problem in my face that doesn’t let me lie or bluff. It’s terrible with card games where you’re supposed to….my poker face is a muppet face.” He smiles wide and opens his mouth to illustrate, because he’s just like that. Then she explains the extent of her scarring and all he has in his eyes is compassion “That must have been really scary for you when it happened.” He squeezed the hand and they moved to the front of the line. He looks like he’s having trouble tearing his gaze from her but then the clerk prompts them and he quickly scans the menu “Oh...uh the Giovanni? The salmon burger please….and a rootbeer? Thanks.” He looks to Paige again waiting for her to order but he gets out his card “I did invite you to lunch….” He looks back at the clerk “Together with what she’s having please.”

Paige laughs because she realized that it would be hard to tell who she was talking to at first.  When Ssha explains what a lousy liar he is and opens his mouth, she makes a point of standing on tiptoe to peer inside.  Then he is asking her about the burn, but the clerk interrupts.  He reminds her that he invited her and she mods and says to the clerk.  “Make that two. Please.  And a side of the sweet potato fries, please.”  the clerk nods and gives them a number.  She takes it and steps away, realizing she is still holding Sasha’s hand.  “It was …”  she remembers.  “Scary and painful.”  she moves her eyes from him to the middle distance.  “I was nine and wanted to cook so I could help my mother with my little sister Aislin.  Just pasta and butter.  That's all I was trying to make.  But I knocked the pot onto myself and …  I was screaming and Aislin was crying and my mother … she whisked us all away so fast.  Loaded me and Iris and Aislin in the car and we were at the hospital and … I was in so much pain but they gave me something and then I wasn’t.”  she licks her lips and, still holding his hand with her right, pulls up the long loose sleeve of her blouse to expose the scar on her arm.  Then she  sticks her leg at an angle away from people and pulls her skirt up past the knee to show him the scar on her leg and the fact that it is unshaven.  She forces herself to look at him, bracing herself for him to change his mind and run … or worse … tell her how ugly it is … how ugly she is.

Sasha listens with a pained look for what she’s gone through and also for the random chance of a simple cooking task bringing her all of it. He nods at her gently and when she shows him the arm he gently runs his fingers over the scar with his free hand, not repulsed, sort of trying to offer comfort or kindness. When she pulls up her skirt he doesn’t touch her leg, not here and not so early in knowing her. He’s not at all bothered by her leg hair “You’re like a map.” He comments and then lets go of her hand and takes the other hand off her arm seeming like he might be backing up but really he’s just adjusting his stand so he can open his arms and approach her offering a hug “Is this ok?” He asks before he fully does it. “I feel like I want to hug you Paige. I’m so sorry you had to endure all of that.”

Paige stares at his hand as it traces the scar on her arm.  “A map?”  she blinks and thinks he’s about to bold, but he only changes how he is standing.  When he opens his arms and asks for a hug, she looks at him for nearly thirty seconds before she nods.  “Yes…”  and steps into his arms, hugging him.  She appears at first to be shaking but soon the shakes seem more like sobs, as she cries on him.

Sasha hugs her gently at first, not wanting to push her into anything too physical and when he feels her shaking he looks down and soon realizes she’s crying and then pulls her tighter and holds on, clearly the damage from these burns is not just what he can see. He strokes her hair “Hey….it’s ok…” He whispers into the side of her head.

Paige cries for a little while, holding him and being held by him.  She hears his words, but doesn’t reply to them.  What would she say.  She pulls away from him and goes into her bag, pulling out a handkerchief.  It’s pale blue and neatly trimmed.  She blows her nose and dabs her eyes with a clean corner before she puts it away.  “I’m sorry about that.  Just .. you … surprised me.”  she scoffs.  “Some first date.” she apologizes.  “Just … no one .. well that isn’t family .. has ever said anything .. nice … about my scars.”  she swallows hard.  “Some .. were downright cruel.”

Sasha lets go as she goes to get a handkerchief. A homemade one? Cool. He shakes his head looking sad and then angry “You don’t need to be sorry….but those assholes do. Holy shit that’s not ok at all.” Their order gets called and he looks at her sweetly “I have no complaints about this date….better that I know Paige.” He reaches and gives her another quick half hug before moving to walk and pick up food.

Paige listens to him and realizes that his anger is aimed at those who were cruel or mean.  She smiles a bit when he says he has no complaints about the date and pulls her sleeve back down as she watches him move to get their order.  She moves to one of the picnic benches and sits.  Like so many places, the tables are bare now.  She’ll watch him until he comes back and sits with her.

Sasha returns with a little tray and all their lunch stuff. He puts Paige’s in front of her “I got ketchup for you. Do you eat ketchup?” He looks like it’s an obvious question but still isn’t assuming. He sets the tray aside and sits with his own food “I should have gotten some of those fries too, they smell delicious.”

Paige looks at the food and smiles.  “Of course I eat ketchup.”  she watches him sit and she
 Slides the fries to a position in between both of them.  Reaching for one, she bites and chews and nods in approval.  “Oh they are good ….”  and then she bites the corner of her lip.  “Sasha. What did you mean my scar is like a map?”  she asks him, softly, picking up her burger and taking that first bite.  She grins around it.  It’s very good.

Sasha grins at the offer of shared fries and takes one “Mmm” He says as he chews and then swallows. He thinks and then says “If you were a country, it’s like topography?” He squints “Maybe that sounds stupid...but our bodies perhaps tell out stories in the end…” He places his hand on his lower right abdomen “When I was 12 they had to take out my appendix….it wasn’t as intense I’m sure as being burned but it was really painful before the surgery...now there is a scar…” He casually lifts the edge of his hoodie and shirt and pulls down just a tiny edge of his jeans, There’s a small scar above the waistband of his boxer briefs and clearly he’s not shy about showing it. His abs are very defined and he has a bit of belly hair but really just fuzz. He pulls the jeans back to where they were and the shirts back down “Sorry to flash you a bit…” He laughs “And my map is not very detailed.”

Paige considers that the body, or the skin can be a map of life.  She looks at his appendix car without shame, until she realises that it is his waist and she bites her lip, but doesn’t blush.  The body under the clothes is nice.  Not too much muscle.  Very toned.  When he speaks again, she realizes that she was staring.  “No … it’s .. it’s fine.  I shouldn’t have stared.”  she blows out a breath and takes another sweet potato fry.  “I tried to go on like nothing ever happened, but the kids at school teased, so I stopped.”  She eats the fry and drinks a bit of her rootbeer.  “Then, in high school … well … I’d hide them but boys … well … if they felt it … they thought it was weird.  Most of them.”  she shrugs and goes back to her burger.

Sasha chuckles a bit and then blushes at her admitting she was staring. He had seen her looking but he had also out himself a bit on display. Then he sighs “You school didn’t do a lot of work on accepting people with anything...different? I mean I know that’s every school in some ways.” He rolls his eyes a bit “But it still sucks.” When she talks about boys feeling her burns and being weirded out he sighs again “For the record, not that I’m ...trying to push for anything….but I wouldn’t find it weird..and I don’t.” He takes another fry hoping he hasn’t been out of line. He’s really enjoying getting to know Paige and he likes her a lot.

Paige shrugs.  “They did, but … in the face of it … kids got weird about it.  So I started wearing long sleeves, and eventually skirts.  First I tried leggings, but I’d hear the whispers about my lumpy leg.”  she sighs.  “So .. skirts.”  she straightens and crosses her legs under the table, bumping his leg with her foot, possibly.  “I felt ugly.”  she sighs again.  “Iris is the bold one who can stand up and fight.”  she quickly elaborates.  “It never came to blows … more … hurt .. heartbreak.  Like that.”  she begins eating the burger with a bit more gusto.

Sasha eats too but slowly, listening to her and looking compassionate. He was all heart. His leg gets bumped and he looks down briefly and then back up at her “You are not ugly, at all. You’re beautiful. I can only imagine how awful that was to endure. I’ve seen some bullying...why people behave this way I’ll never understand….it’s not right. It’s like some sort of power trip. And you are bold for talking about it Paige.” He encourages.

Paige looks at him when he calls her beautiful but looks at her food, taking another bite as he keeps talking.  “It is a power trip.”  she blows out a breath and sips her drink.  “Chief Stanley … the man who you met before.  He was the first person I’d ever seen with scars worse than mine.  With his … there’s no hiding them.  So I talked to him and he told me that humans can’t help themselves, but that doesn’t make them bad.  Just to accept others before they accept me.”  she sighs and drinks again.  “I suppose it could be worse for me.  But … you know .. high school .. boys … wanting to be accepted and loved.”  she shrugs helplessly and works on her burger.  She was hungry, but eating also gave her time to think.  “You’re really the first one I REALLY talked about it to … well besides family and Chief Stanley.”

Sasha finishes his burger while she talks and nibbles at the fries “I imagine Chief Stanley got burned fighting a fire? And it’s good advice.” When she talks about wanting to be accepted and loved by boys his heart really goes out to her and he also feels anger at the boys who made her feel so unaccepted and unloved. The next thing she said surprises him “Really?” He smiles “I feel honoured you’re confiding in me. I mean I can tell you’re close with your sister. I have three siblings myself so I know how it goes. But what about friends?”

Paige nods.  “Yes.  A bad one.”  she doesn’t get into too many details about the fire Chief Stanleh told her about.  Then she smiles.  “I … you were so kind when I fell and it felt like you really wanted to talk to me, even though .. you know .. the scars and the hair and all that.  I’m not terribly ladylike with grooming and whatnot.  I just stopped caring and now … well now I still don’t care.  Maybe it’s a subconscious litmus test for men.”  she stops herself and blows out a breath.  “I don’t have many friends.  My sisters, but my younger ones I think we .. me and Iris are more surrogate mothers to our younger sisters than sisters.”  she clears her throat.  “Aislin is 12 and Thea is 5.”  she tells him and finishes her burger, then sips looking at him and allowing  herself to relax and really look at him, especially his face.

Sasha wipes his hands on a napkin and then leans his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand really listening “I do really want to talk to you. And I don’t care if you shave or not...I actually find the natural thing…” He hesitates because he doesn’t want to make her feel objectified but then he also can’t lie “I find it kinda...hot.” He blushes a bit and lets his eyes drift to the planks of the docks. Then he listens to her say surrogate mother to her sisters and asks his next question cautiously “What happened to your mother? Are you parents divorced?” He shares who his siblings are too since she is “Genevieve is 15...we call her Gen, Rene is 13 and Catherine...we call her Cath is 11. I am the oldest as well but my parents are together and present, ever present really…” He laughs.

Paige smiles when he mentions that he wanted to talk to her and then is a little skeptical when he says he doesn’t care if she shaves or not.  But he mentions that it’s natural and she can’t argue that point.  When he goes on to say he found it hot, she blushes a bit and pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.  She found herself wishing she could be bold like Iris a moment until he asks about her mother and then tells about his siblings.  “My mother died a few weeks after Thea was born.”  she sighs.  “She had … problems.  Especially after Iris was born.  Pregnancies were difficult and I think she and my father … well .. none of us was planned.  But mama said we were her babies and how could she not have us.”  she smiles softly thinking of her mother.”  then she looks at him.  “Ever present?”  she wonders.  “You mean never giving you privacy?”  she giggles a bit.

Sasha looks back in time to see her blush and chuckles, relieved he’s not the only one. Then she talks about her mother and he slides his hand to hers, taking it if he can “I’m so sorry for your loss….clearly you were all very loved and wanted. That’s tough stuff. I shouldn’t complain about my parents, especially not to you...I’m sorry.” He smiles a bit “And yes I have no privacy. I share a room with Rene and my mother...well you know the term helicopter parent?” He does a little whirling with his finger and then sighs “But I know I’m lucky to have her. It comes from love all her hovering. And I think maybe she got that way more after Cath was born because Cath is….challenging. Sweet but challenging.”

Paige finishes her burger, then looks at his hand as he takes hers and, hesitating a second, wraps her fingers around it.  “No, it’s every childs right to complain about their parents.”  she jokes.  She cant’s her head and considers.  “So … like … ADHD or something?  Or just hyper and evil?  You know .. young priest, old priest sort of thing?”  she smiles, softly.

Sasha lets his thumb break free of holding her hand but keeps the rest and runs it over the back of her hand and the knuckles “I think more like ADHD. That’s what Mere says….sorry Mom. And she has some learning disability so school is really hard for her. I don’t know going from French to English next year could be better or worse. “Young priest old priest?” He looks curious “Most of the priests I’ve met are pretty old in St. Pierre. I’m from a small French...technically it’s a village in Manitoba. St. Pierre Jolys...if you google us it’s all about frogs. We race frogs….I’m not even making that up.” He laughs.

Paige nods.  “Oh, that can be bad.  Maybe a tutor?  I don’t know.”  she giggles.  “It’s a joke from this old movie about a possessed girl.  But all priests aren’t old, you know.  They have to start somewhere.”  then she blinks.  “Frogs?  You can race … frogs?  I thought you’d be like your friend.  He seems very … I don’t know … jockish?”  she offers, not wanting to insult his friend at all.  “Has he always been like that?”  she doesn’t mind that Seamus knocked her down .. accidents happened.  And Iris didn’t seem to mind how forward and flirtatious he was.

Sasha nods “Yeah maybe someone who’s not family. I’ve tried to help her...Gen too but she just breaks all the pencils. Seamus offered too so maybe he can...you know he’s actually like super smart right? I mean he’s a jock too but he’s complex. And yes I suppose I am a  jock but hopefully not the stereotype. Hockey is life.” He admits. “I just met Seamus, pretty much the day I met you. We were playing street hockey, my sisters and brother and I and he joined our game….” He laughs “We were too evenly matched...neither could stop blocking or score...and then he finally did and there was a hole in one of our nets and the ball ricocheted off a car and broke the mayor’s window…..but he came out and he was...first of all really young. I thought mayors were old like priests too. And more surprisingly really nice about it. Seamus is a good friend even though he’s a new friend. I can just tell.” He pulls out his phone and pulls up the webpage for St. Pierre’s Frog Follies and slides the phone to her. “Cancelled this year of course so I guess we picked a good one to move...but there’s pictures from years past.”

http://www.frogfollies.com/

Paige looks mildly surprised to hear about Seamus.  “Well .. he’d have to be super smart.  Iris is .... “  she doesn’t finish that, but it seemed clear in the bookstore that Seamus and Iris had a huge attraction to each other that neither seemed to be fighting any.  She smirks at him and teases a little.  “Oh no, Sasha.  Hockey is life doesn't make you sound like a stereotypical jock fanboi.  Noooo.”  and her eyes widen at the story of how they met .. and the mayor’s window.  “Most of the people here are very nice.  I would have thought you and Seamus were good friends and maybe he moved with you so you two wouldn’t be separated.  You know .. bromance.”  she giggles a little and looks at the phone one he gives it to her.  She reads and her mouth opens slightly.  “First hokey, not Frog Folleys?  It’s the end of days.  Grab your woman and kiss her before the rest of the world ends.”  she lets down another barrier, trusting this man more and more.

Sasha gives a little nod “Well he’s quite smitten with her too from what I can see. And yes very nice town...so welcoming. It’s like St. Pierre without the Catholics…” he jokes. “Bromance?” He laughs hard now “Ok yeah maybe a bit.” He laughs some more. “End of days...I know.” Then as her guard comes down he gets brave and says something flirty “Are you offering to kiss me Paige Page?” He blushes and grins at the same time.

Paige nods and looks around.  “They are smitten with each other.  And yes, this is a beautiful town.  It feels … not strange, but I feel … freeer here, if that makes any sense.”  she nods as he laughs.  “Yes, bromance.  But that’s OK, like besties.”  when he says something flirtatious her head whips around to look at him, but she is still smiling.  She blushes a little and finds herself squeezing his hand.  Biting her lip a little, she finds herself flirting back.  “Maybe.  Would that make me your woman?” and she blushes even more deeply and drops her head onto the table.  “I’m sorry!  I just … I …”  she tells the planks of the picnic table.  She just … wants that, she realizes and blinks in shock, thinking maybe the strong attraction isn’t Iris’s exclusive domain.

Sasha blushes again and laughs “Well I don’t seek to claim you like a caveman.” He squeezes her hand back and then pulls it to him and kisses it despite her head being on the table. He chuckles at her “It ok. I started that one, please don’t be sorry.” He sets her hand back down “I like you Paige. I like you a lot. I’ve been looking very forward to Sunday but I was hoping to run into you before too...so today is a very good thing.” His phone is still on the table near her and he turns it around and opens his contacts “I stupidly didn’t ask for your phone number in the bookstore. And I haven’t read a page of that bear book. I think Rene took it…” He snorts. “But if you’d be so kind as to put your contact info into my phone I would like to keep in touch between now and Sunday?”

Paige hears him, and when he kisses her hand, she feels something like a jolt of electricity course through her.  She looks up at him as he continues about liking her and looking forward to Sunday’s date.  She smiles as he tells her he hadn’t read a bit of that book and when he asks for her number she pulls her hand from his, reluctantly.  “I was hoping to get your number too .. and your last name even.”  she takes his phone and opens his contacts, then adds her name and number.  She slides the phone back to him.  “And I hope your brother enjoys the book, at least.”  she looks down at the table and then up to him.  “I thought Sunday would be our first date.”  She stands and moves around the table to sit right beside him, her body at an angle so she has half turned towards him.  “But this is even better…”  she reaches for his hand and the sleeve of her blouse rides up a little, exposing some of the sar, but she doesn’t do anything about it.  Sasha didn’t care about her scar, so when she was with him, it felt okay to let it peek out.

Sasha is about to pocket his phone and then decides to send her a quick text so she can add his stuff. He’s very fast at all of it and inputs his first and last name with the spelling and then a little emoji of a frog and a heart and hits send. “I thought Sunday would be that too…” He pockets the phone as she moves to him, sits down and takes his hand “It is…” He sees her scar when her blouse sleeve shifts and lays his free hand over it and gently rubs it, letting her know he’s not going to ever make her feel bad about it. The lunch crowd has dissipated and aside from and older Chinese couple still ordering a late lunch at the burger shack they’re almost alone. Sasha looks at Paige and smiles sweetly “I don’t even know where you’re from. I do know that you’re new as well….tell me everything. Favourite colour, favourite animal….food you love, hate….”

Paige is barely aware of how long they’ve sat.  An hour or a day.  He touches her arm again and the feeling is so warm she smiles.  She hears her phone and looks at the frog emoji with a smile before pocketing her phone again.  He asks her questions.  “I’ll answer but I want to know too.”  she says and schooches a little closer to him.  “I’m from Victoria.  The most beautiful parks in the world to walk through.”  she sighs in bliss, glas that Alexandra had so much nature as well.  “My favorite color is purple.”  she leans back to make sure he can see her plum colored skirt.  “Favorite animal … I wish I could say frogs, but ....  I like dogs .. they will stick by you through thick and thin.”  she giggles a little.  “Food I love … salmon.  Really all seafood.  You’d think being born and bred on an island I’d want to eat something that’s never seen a large body of water but …”  she ponders.  “Hate …  hmmm.  Asparagus.  Just .. no.”  she tightens her grip on his hand, eagerly.  “What about you?  All of mine and … what do you like to do besides hockey and frog racing?  Hobbies?  Oh!  I sew.  I make my own clothes and I made my bag and I started making face masks for extra money.  Annnd … What do you want to do for a living?  I want to teach.  English, I think.”  she bounces in excitement.  She is getting to know a guy she likes and it's intoxicating for her. 

“Victoria is pretty. I’ve only seen pictures and on the news. This is actually the farthest we’ve travelled moving here….my parents were homebodies I guess.” He looks down at her skirt which he’s already admired and enjoyed the way it fits her but now he’s being given permission to look again. “Dogs are nice for sure.” He smiles about her food answers and then squeezes her hand again, letting the hand on her scar ease off as he reaches over and  examines her bag that she made touching it with the flat of his hand “Wow, that’s really good. I actually sew a bit but not like this...I help Cath because she’s interested. We’ve mainly made stuffed animals.” he admits. “Mostly I untangle the thread for her when she gets frustrated.” Now he answers her properly “Frogs are not my favorite animal either. I really like otters. Their little faces, the way they show off...it’s so funny. And this is going to sound cheesy but they fall asleep holding hands...and river otters mate for life.” He blushes a bit “Dorky and mushy I know but I like that. And I found out Otters is the animal of the Alexandra Academy, all the team names, on the shirts. I didn’t graduate from here obviously but I may have to get one of my siblings to buy me a hoodie or something.” He laughs “OK my food one is sadly typical for a French Canadian. I love poutine. I make a  good one myself too because it’s important. I’m neutral on asparagus but the pee thing is always a little unpleasant.” He acknowledges. “I hate cilantro. I’m one of that percentage of people for whom it just tastes like soap.” He thinks “Hobbies….hmm well I ride my bike...I also, and I haven’t tried it on the ocean yet, but I love paddling, canoes, kayaks even a rowboat. It’s just a chill way to be on the water. I like swimming too. I play video games and watch TV but those are kinda boring to go on about.” He ponders the career question and laughs “Big question….I need to figure it out really. I like sports and working with kids. Maybe it’s being an oldest brother. Back home I was an assistant coach for awhile and I refereed kid’s hockey. The kids were fun...the parents could be real assholes. I don’t know what kind of coaching jobs they have on the island here but I’d do that again. I actually really need to find a summer job. I’m done exams so I need to start applying places.” He looks down at his sweatshirt which is a deep blue but not as dark as navy “Oh and blue, darker blues like this more but I like all the shades.” He exhales feeling like he’s talked a lot, but he felt really open with Paige and really good sharing time with her like this.

Paige listens, paying close attention.  “Stuffed animals?  Wow…”  she grins and shakes her head.  “It’s not mushy.  Mating for life … just meeting the right … otter and never wanting another …”  she sighs softly.  “I’d like to try your cooking someday.”  she blushes, realizing how that might sound.  “So we both want to work with kids.  That’s nice.”  she blows out a breath and considers.  “Oh, I forgot to mention figure skating.”  she tells him.  “I can’t compete ..  I’m too hippy, but my chest is flat enough.”  she scoffs and then bites her lip realizing she would draw his attention to those areas of her body, and then realizing that might not be the worst thing.  “And … my favorite season is winter.  First of all I love sweaters.  Thick, knit, crochet, warm sweaters.  And, to be honest … People wonder less why I dress so much like a librarian or a nun in winter.  They just assume it's because it’s old.”  she blows out a breath.  “I feel like I’ve told you everything I know about me, never mind what you’d want to know.  I got carried away.”

Sasha listens intently and then is conflicted by his urge to look at her chest from what she says about it. He laughs at himself and just calls himself out “You tell me you feel you’re flat chested and I have to force myself to stare at your face so you don’t think I’m a pig.” He lets his gaze roam up and down her and grins, blushing “OK maybe a bit of a pig but I still think you’re beautiful...face, body, burns….and your hair….don’t get me started on your hair…” He lets his hand drift up to it and lightly runs his fingers down one side of her head looking like he could just happily climb in and live there. “A figure skating hippie? You’re breaking my brain here Paige….” He chuckles. “Winter is my favourite too. I’m a little sad about your reasons but I understand. I just like snow and ice and the feeling of the air when it’s crisp and biting. I love when you get that really sparkly snow and the moon shines on it at night. Sweaters are cool too though. My mother knits like it’s some sort of Olympic sport so I have lots of those.” He smiles sweetly at her “Well I want to know everything so it’s all good with me.”

Paige bites her lip.  He didn’t seem to mind that she was flat chested  “I didn’t mean to .. you’re not a pig, Sasha.”  his hand moves to her hair and she reaches begins her own head to touch it as he continues to speak.  “No broken brains.  I love your brain.”  she murmurs and then he goes on about winter and she imagines the moon on the snow.  “That sharp really loud sound when you step on the crisp snow?  How the air gets all quiet.”  she takes a firmer hold on his hand and, moving it with hers, moves it along the back of her head, ducking under his arm as she hooks her scrunchee and, with him, pulls her hair over her left shoulder, taking the scrunchie off and leaving it in her hand as she lets go of his.  She tilts her head up to look at him.  “You know me more than any other guy, Saha .. in just these last … couple of hours or however long we’ve been here.”  she licks her lips a bit and connects with his brown eyes.

Sasha smiles and when she gives her own winter’s night description he inhales and feels himself holding his breath. He exhales slowly as she moves his hand with hers to undo her hair and his jaw drops as it falls loose. When he sees her lick her lips and meet his eyes he can’t hold back. He takes another breath and moves his hands back to her hair on both sides now, his thumbs caressing the sides of her face and he leans in and kisses her on the lips. It’s not a peck, not remotely. Sasha is a slow kisser, he lingers, he draws out his movements, his breath warms her face as he gently catches her lips in his over and over.

Paige closes her eyes in bliss as Sasha kisses her.  The man could take a hint.  She couldn’t imagine having to straight out ask him.  Not yet, at least. She didn’t think of herself as coy, but also didn't want to be bold; hence the perhaps less than subtle hints she gave him.  But he got her hints and now they were kissing.  Paige’s kisses are eager, following Sasha’s lead, but may feel inexperienced, as she is inexperienced with kissing.  She moves her hand to his face and touches it as they kiss and she finds she enjoys his kiss.  His presence.  Him.

Sasha could happily kiss Paige all day. Her mouth, her movements, their connection, it’s intoxicating to him. He feels her hand on his face and sighs into the kiss and then his phone rings in his pocket and he tries to ignore it, still kissing. It goes to voicemail and it chirps to indicate a message and then it starts ringing again. With a groan he breaks the kiss “Fuck…” He mutters as he looks at his phone. It’s the home line so he answers but sounds annoyed “Quoi?!(What?!)” Paige most likely knows that one with basic high school French.

Cath’s voice can be heard through the phone sounding panicked “Rene’s gonna set the house on FIRE!”

“Cath I highly doubt that. Where’s Gen?”

“She finished her work and went for a walk. I tried calling her too. He’s making grilled sandwiches and all the butter went over, there’s smoke….” The fire alarm goes off behind Cath and she screams.

“Fuck…” Sasha mutters “Put Rene on….now Cath…”

A moment passes. Sasha actually does look nervous. He heard Rene’s voice and says “turn off the element, take it off the stove and then get the fuck outside with Cath….do it NOW...I’m on my way!” He hangs up and jumps to his feet “Sorry apparently our first date gets to include making sure my brother doesn’t burn down our house. I have to go, you can come with me but I’ll understand if you don’t want to take this on…”

Paige loves kissing Sasha and the moment that thought flitted across her mind, the kiss was interrupted.  She listens and her eyes widen.  She stands with Sasha and reaches for his hand.  “Come on!  I’m right behind you.”  she assures him, tugging him in the direction of Water street.  If he runs, he will find she is quite capable of keeping up with him.”

Sasha gives her a brief and grateful smile and then takes her hand and starts to jog, and then seeing her keeping up begins to sprint. They make it to thirst and turn and then Cath and Rene are visible on the sidewalk. The front door is open and the smoke detector is blaring. Sasha lets go of Paige’s hand, doesn’t stop to introduce her and bolts inside, It’s smokey but there are no giant flames coming from anywhere obvious. When he gets to the kitchen there is a little fire on the stove and he grabs the extinguisher from the wall, pulls the pin and sprays it out with the yellow foamy dust covering everything in range.

Cath watches her older brother run up holding hands with a girl with long black hair and looks totally confused but he rushes into the house before she can ask him about it. She exchanges a look with Rene and shrugs.

Rene was both panicked and thrilled at his cooking misadventure.  But he did what his brother told him and, outside, sees Sasha run up with a pretty girl with long black hair.  Starting a second, he realizes that Sasha is in the house, battling the blaze like a badass.  Hopping up and down he cheers, jumping upland down and clapping.

Paige runs up with Sasha and stays outside with his sister and brother while Sasha goes in to fight the fire.  One hand goes to her chest, holding in her beating heart.  But she doesn’t see a fire, but does hear an extinguisher.  But her heart is pounding.

Genevive came walking out of the woods behind the school to see her younger siblings and a girl she doesn’t know standing in front of the house.  She walks up and ses Rene’s excitement.  “What are you two doing out here?”

Rene is still jumping up and down.  “Sasha is putting out a FIRE!”  he proclaims.  “It’s so COOL!”

Genevive’s jaw drops.  “A … what?”  she runs up the stairs and calls in the door.  “Sasha?  Oh god, Sasha?”  she is trying to see if she should panic, but knows to stay out of the house.

Sasha focuses on trying to get the smoke out now that the fire is smothered. He runs around opening windows and trying to air the place out. As he gets to the front ones he sees and hears Gen “I’m fine...it’s out...do you know where the fan is?!” They’re still unpacking and it hasn’t been that hot yet. The smoke detector still blares so he goes to that next and because he’s tall enough he just stands on his toes and pushes the button. However it starts right back up again because not enough has cleared “Ah fuck…” He says and jams it with his finger again and again. He’s now in view of the door since the smoke detector is in the hallway.

Cath looks at Rene with disdain at his excitement “You could have burned down the whole house Rene. It’s not cool!” She sighs at Genevieve and then looks at the girl who was holding hands with her brother “Hi...who are you? Are you Sasha’s girlfriend? I saw you holding his hand.”

Rene stops hopping up and down.  “No way!  I had it under control.”  he outright lies.  “Sasha took care of it so fuck you, Cath!”  but then he looks at the girl and looks eager to have Cath’s question to her answered.

Genevive watches Sasha and his attempt to put out the fire.  She hears voices outside, including something about Sasha’s girlfriend.  She’s glad to know he ha one, but right now, she is furious.  She turns around, marches down the front steps to her younger siblings and starts in telling Rene off in rapid fire French, questioning his competency and his parentage in no uncertain terms.  She can be heard for a decent distance, as she is not holding back.  Finally she points inside the house and Rene flees as if the sidewalk beneath his feet is on fire.  She takes two deep breaths and turns to the girl.  “Hi.  I’m Genevive.  And you are …”

Paige looks bemused now that she is sure the fire is out, but before she can answer any questions about being anyone's anything a female version of all the kids comes up and then lays into the smaller boy who she knows is Rene.  She can’t blame the sister, who has to be Genevieve and avoids the smile when Rene runs into the house.

Sasha had run to the kitchen for a dish towel and started fanning the smoke detector until it stopped. At some point Rene shot by him but he just kept going. When it finally did he leaned back and exclaimed “Mon dieu...finally…” and exhaled. He was warm from running and then putting out the fire and fanning the detector so he took off his hoodie and just was down to his white Jets shirt. Sliding the hoodie to a nearby chair he casually walks out still holding the dish towel in case he needs to fan again. He collapses into the doorframe a bit and smiles at Paige and his sisters talking just as Cath answers Gen.

“She’s his girlfriend of course! They were holding hands!” She looks again at the black haired girl and then at Sasha “Is she not your girlfriend?” Cath seems very insistent.

Sasha gulps and then chuckles “Uh….I’d like that...very much.” He introduces Paige now “In case you haven’t exchanged names, this is Paige.” He spares Paige telling them her last name since he already teased her about that and it seemed a sensitivity. “Paige this is Genevieve and Catherine...Gen and Cath. Rene our firebug I’m sure you saw before he went inside.”

Paige watches Sasha emerge and smiles as Cath becomes insistand.  But she didn’t need encouragement.  “I’d like that very much, too.”  she replies with her own chuckle.  “It’s good to meet all of you, really.”

From above comes an excited voice.  “Yea!  Sasha’s got a girlfriend!  And a pretty one, too!!”  he can’t be seen, but clearly Rene is in the master bedroom leaning out of the window and spying.

Gen smiles.  “It’s very nice to meet you, Paige.”  she looks between the girl and her brother.  “Did Rene interrupt a date?”  she asks just as the aforementioned begins yelling.  She glares up in his general direction, shouting a shorter rant in French.  A window can be heard slamming.  She turns back to Paige and Sasha.  “Well I hope you two can continue.  I’m home and Sasha really needs some fun.”  her eyes narrow and travel back up to where the voice was.  She turns to Cath.  “Come on.  Let’s go in and order something to eat, because I’m not cleaning up that mess.  I want Mom and Dad to see it.”  she huffs and heads in the house, patting Ssha on the shoulder in a sort of i got this you go sort of a way.

Cath gets herded in but stares curiously at Paige. She had really interesting hair and her skirt was cool. “Can we get cupcakes?” She asks Genevieve “I want cupcakes...Mom said no sugar but the house almost burned down...we could have died…” She exaggerates.”Bye Sasha...bye Paige….”

Sasha had to smile at Rene when he was excited for him and called Paige pretty. It was true of course, even if his brother was a brat right now. He then nods at Gen and gives her a knowing look “Yeah they need to see it. Could be a rough night for Rene. I owe you about a million times Gen…” She had taken on their siblings when he went off to hang out with Seamus recently too. He sure as hell hoped Gen was connecting with new friends in town as well as he was right now. “Bye Cath….bye Gen.” He hangs the dish towel on the porch and walks up to Paige and hugs her “I swear it’s not always like this….well not fires…” is all he can admit truly.

Genevive can be heard inside of the house.  “But you DIDN’T die. If you had, we could have had cupcakes.”.  She turns at the door and waves to her brother and his new girlfriend.  Rene had a point about one thing.  Paige really was pretty.  She closes the door to face Cath’s pouting about not getting cupcakes.

Paige waves back and accepts the hug from Sasha.  “So …  you’re Catholic .. flies, locusts, and stuff like that?”  she takes his hand and leads him away from the house, crossing the street and going along the lines of row houses towards the community garden.  She giggles.  “I like your family.  Especially Gen.  Going to find your real family if it's the last thing I do.”  She quotes a part of the rant Genevive had spewed out to Rene while she told him off the first time, translating it from French to English.

Sasha walks hand in hand, letting their hands swing comfortably “My mother is Catholic. I’m baptized and confirmed in it but in truth I don’t know if it’s for me. But I respect my family’s traditions….I’m not terribly concerned about the locusts.” He jokes. And then she reveals she understood Gen’s rant and he beams at her and asks her in French “You speak French?” He actually stops walking and turns to look right at her to ask it.

Paige nods at the religious talk and when he stops to look at her, she smiles cheekily up at him, takes his shirt in both hands and stands on tiptoe to reply.  “Oui, mon cherie.” and moves to kiss him.

Sasha gives a little gasp when she grasps his shirt and then grins as she answers in French. He kisses her back deeply, wrapping his arms around her and tips her back into an almost dip. When they break the kiss he eases her back down off her tiptoes and teases “Well you might have to be my otter now Paige.”

Paige settles down on the flats of her feet and looks up at him.  She bites her lip and nods.  “I might ….”  she agrees and takes his hand again, leading him into and through the Community Garden.  Through it they could see one of the small homes.  “That’s where I live.”  she tells him.  “I thought it would only be fair.”  she crosses the street with him, still holding hands with him, confidently.

Iris Page is just opening the door of the small house to come out and head to her shorter afternoon shift at the library. She leans her head back in “Aislinn’s in charge….Thea don’t throw those in the house. And unload the dishwasher please.” She says like she’s not sure it will be heard. “Bye!” She locks the door and exhales and then looks forward and sees Paige walking up with Sasha holding hands. She descends the stairs “Well look at you two…” She says with a  big smile “Hello Sasha. How are you?”

Sasha closed his eyes and smiled when Paige said she might. “Might is fantastic.” He gets led and then looks at the little house “It’s cute...how many sisters again?” Before she can answer the one he’s already met comes out of the house and greets them “Hi Iris. I’m really good, and you?”

Iris doesn’t linger. She has somewhere to be. “Good, off to work.” She winks at Paige and then winces “Fair warning, Thea’s in a cannons firing mood today...she made them herself out of modelling clay…” And with a little pat on her sister’s arm as she passes, she’s on her way.

Paige smiles up at him.  Fantastic, indeed.  As they approach the house the door opens and Iris walks out, sort of answering the question of how many sisters for her.  She hears Iris and then waves her off to work after the arm pat.  Then she goes in her pocket for her keys and unlocks the door.  “I met yours … now it's time for you to meet mine.  Then we can run away before they drive us insane.”  She opens the door and steps inside an actually large living room for a tiny house.

Aislin Page is sitting on the couch with a pamphlet in her hands.  The title is almost frightening.  ‘How to pack your own parachute’.  Dressed in bib overalls with a white tshirt underneath she might be mistaken for a boy, as her hair is cut very possibly shorter than Sasha’s.  On her face are Harry Potteresque glasses.  She looks up and sees her sister and a guy she doesn’t know.  Dropping the pamphlet, she hops off of the couch and approaches Sasha.  “Hello.  I’m Aislin.  Who are you?”  she doesn’t give him a chance to answer before shooting off a couple more questions.  “Are you a boyfriend, because Paige could use one and if you are a new boyfriend, can you just marry her now, because I really need my own room.”  she folds her hands behind her back and stares up at him, patiently awaiting the answer to her questions and possibly her prayers.

Sasha laughs and goes in with her. He’s not too worried after his little fire crisis Paige witnessed at his house. He sees the younger sister on the couch and curiously reads the title of her pamphlet and then is bombarded with questions “Hi Aislinn, I’m Sasha, and yes I’m Paige’s boyfriend.” He confirms and then laughs “I’m not quite old enough to marry her and it’s a little early so you might have to share a little longer I’m sorry.” He’s not at all phased by being demanded in marriage by the younger sister. He looks like he might say more but is suddenly being bombarded in a completely different way, by wet balls of clay coming from behind the couch as Thea lobs them over.

Thea is a tiny adorable pirate girl complete with a  pirate captain’s hat and a pin striped brown vest that looks like it might be from one of her Dad’s old suits. She has on what might be a pajama top underneath but it’s yellow and billowy. Thea had glasses two, like the whole Page family just was born with them on. Hers are shapes like Irises but smaller and red. She’s got an eye patch over one side regardless. He raven black hair like the rest of the Page girls is chin length. She has leggings on under it with skulls all over them in bright pink. “Die English Pig Dog!!!” She bellows.

Sasha knows the only way to react to a small child trying to kill you in a game is in fact to pretend to die so he dramatically falls down in an epic death scene pretending to utter his last words weakly “But….I’’’ He lets his eyes close before the last two “Am…”his head lolls to the side “French….” and he plays dead.

Aislin sighs with exasperation.  “Well … how long do I have to wait?”  she demands and then the cannons begin to fly and she throws herself back onto the couch.

Paige looks at Aislin.  “We’re looking for a place.  Can we just get settled HERE first?”  she demands and then Thea is shooting Sasha and he falls to the floor in dramatic death.  Paige covers her mouth with her hands emitting the parents scream and throws herself on top of Sasha.  “No!  NO!”  she dramatically cries.  “I loved him!  There was no other!  Now I can NEVER move out!!”  and she moves in dramatic sobs, as if her heart were breaking.

Aislin suddenly jumps up.  “Thea you benign him back to life RIGHT THIS INSTANT young lady!”  she demands, emulating her maternal sisters.  “Or I'll never share another fish stick with you EVER AGAIN!!”

Sasha stays perfectly still on the side that’s facing the younger sisters but slides his arm around Paige on the side they can’t see. He’s loving her throwing herself on him and is highly amused and flattered, even though it’s all in good fun. He also notes that she said she...she said we’re looking for a place. He’s wondering if she means Iris because that would make sense.

Thea looks delighted by the death scene. She liked this boyfriend already. Then Paige plays along and she practically squeals but it backfires because now Aislinn might deny her fishsticks? Fishsticks!!! She sighs “Oh fine….he’s French anyways. I wasn’t trying to sink his ship,,,he just got in my way.” She holds up a finger “Wait where you are….I need to get a potion from the sea goddess Calypso….” She walks to the kitchen for a plastic cup and then to the fridge and opens it. She takes out some apple juice and carefully pours a little bit in and then puts the container away and walks to the poor dead Sasha and kneels down “Ar me hearty...this will cure you.” And she unabashedly pulls his chin and tries to pour the juice into his mouth, spilling quite a bit of it down the side of his face.

Sasha has to work really hard not to laugh now and actually tries to drink some of the juice and then has a miracle recovery “Calypso! You saved me!” He smiles at Thea and Aislin in turn and then looks up at Paige “Fair lady...now we can run away.” He declared dramatically.

Aislin plops back on the couch, now watching the drama unfold.  This new boyfriend knew how to play along .. even better.  No he only had to get old enough to take Paige out of the room Aislin wanted for herself.

Paige feels the arm around her but continues to mock sob until Thea brings Sasha back to life.  She smiles as he hams it up and does some of her own.  “Mi amore!  You live!  Yes, let us run from this dangerous place and ….”  she suddenly stops and narrows her eyes in mock suspicion.  She turns on Thea.  “He was just in the way?  You weren't trying to sink the French?”  she pretends to be angry.  “That means you were trying to sink ME?”  she cackles like a sea hag.  “Never!  I’ll teach you!”  and she grabs Thea and will tickle her on the floor, her hair flying all about and making her look a little bit the part of insane.

Thea squeals and loves it, falling down and getting tickled by the sea hag now “Help me! It’s the sea witch!” She mock protests to Aislin or Sasha. “I’m going to Davy Jones locker…” She laughs out.

Sasha pretends to look shocked “My love was the Sea Witch? It cannot be!” He looks to Aislinn to see if she plans to save Thea before he engages. He has only just met them after all.

Paige suddenly stops the witch act,, but holds Thea down securely.  She turns her head suddenly to Sasha, her hair now wild and a crazy mock smile on her face.  “No, Sasha.”  she widens her eyes.  “I’m not the sea witch. The pirate lies!  LIES I say.  She is trying to keep us apart to deny Princess Aislin her own room.  I love you.  I’d never torture the best pirate in all the seas.” and she moves to him and winks.  “You believe ME, don’t you, darling?”  and she kisses him, because … she wants to.

Aislin watches Thea attacked by the Sea Witch and beg for help.  She hops up as if to help when Paige changes her personality completely.  In mock horror she shakes her head.  “Nope!  You're on your own Pirate.  I have to unload the dishwasher.”  she vaults over the couch yelling.  “More fish sticks for me!”  She moves to the kitchen and looks back at her sister and Sasha kissing.  “Oh gross.  Get a room!”  she demands and begins to unload the dishwasher.

Sasha is still working to keep a straight face as he plays a long “Yes ...I am under your spell…” And then Paige kisses him and he physically can’t not kiss her back. He’s chaste of course in front of the little sisters but it is kissing.

Thea reacts to it too “Ewww! Retreat retreat!” And while they’re distracted she wiggles away and runs to make more cannonballs “Aislinn you betrayed me...you shall die…” She chants from behind the couch.

Paige kisses Sasha as her sisters retreat.  She breaks the kiss and looks into his eyes.  It was a fun game … no back to reality.  “We can sit on the sea wall out back.  AIslin is really responsible … when she has to be.”  she offers, standing and offering him her hand.  She will lead him through the tiny house and out the back to the narrow porch if he allows.

Alslin snorts as she plts away plates.  “I die and NO ONE mkes fish sticks!!”  she threatens and opens the freezer.  “I’m warning you pixie pirate!”  she shakes the box threateningly.

Sasha takes the hand stand up with her assistance and gets lead. “It was nice to meet you both.” He calls on the way out.

Thea makes her cannonballs but stores them for later. She really liked fish sticks. “Hmmmph” She retorts defeatedly.

Aislin watches them go out the back door.  “Nice to meet you, Sasha!”  she calls as they head out in the backyard.  She grins and puts the fish sticks back till she can finish the dishes. It’s a long time till dinner, anyway.

Paige leads Sasha out into the backyard and laughs, spinning around completely carefree.  “That was GREAT!”  she dances to the thick concrete back wall.  “So is this what it is to have a boyfriend?”  she asks him, looking genuinely curious.  “I've never had one before.”  if this is what it was like she was all in.

Sasha lets her hand go and watches her spin with a delighted look on his face “It was very fun. Your sisters are hilarious. I shouldn’t be in any way surprised.” Then he looks truly surprised “I’m your first boyfriend?” He licks his lips and exhales “But you mentioned other guys from high school? I mean...I’ll try to be extra good at it since I’m your first impression.” He gulps a little sort of in jest but not totally. Sasha sits down on the top of the wall.

Paige laughs about her sisters.  “They are.  I love them, even if they both want their own room so bad I half expect me and Iris to wake up ome morning on park benches in new towns.”  she giggles.  Then he gets serious.  “Yea .  I mean … I tutored Tom Staples in my freshman year.  He was a senior … he was my first kiss … during a tutoring session.  And we made out .. during tutoring sessions … and then he took me to a dark corner of a parking lot in his car and …”  she sighs.  “He took my virginity .. or I gave it to him.  Either way … he felt my thigh .. turned on the car light  and saw it.  He said it didn’t bother him but he drove me home and never asked me out again.  He even got another tutor.”  she sighs.  “There were two other guys in high school.  One wasn’t even in school.  But … none of them were what I thought of as a boyfriend.  They used me for sex on a good day and were just ass holes on a bd one.”  she moved between his knees and rested her forehead on his chest.  “I don’t want this to be like them.  I want this to be as wonderful as its been from the beginning … god .. was that only a few hours a few hours ago?”  she can’t believe that.  She and Sasha had been together a year at least … right?

Sasha laughs hard about the park bench comment. “Don’t let Rene in on that idea….” Then she talks about the men from her past and he looks both anguished and angry. When she leans in and puts her head on his chest he hugs her with both his arms and his legs, kissing her head “No I promise it won’t be like that...at all. And I know it feels like longer.” He smiles at that idea and then pulls back a bit “Do you want to sit?” He gestures at the spot beside him and then gently pushing her back, if he can he hops down and if she lets him he;ll gently lift her up like in a low hug that ends in her on top of the wall before sitting down again beside her, his body position open to her with one knee flat on the wall so he’s turned to face her. “My past isn’t like yours but I haven’t had that many girlfriends...two if you want to get technical, one that was significant, and heartbreaking in the end...well for me…” He sighs “Live and learn I guess in my case.”

Paige listens to him and nods at his promise that it wouldn’t be like the others with him.  She nods when he offers her a seat and leans into him on the wide wall.  “Live and learn.”  she murmurs over the surf.  “The second guy … he and I were only together the one time.  In an office building.  A stairwell.”  she sighs.  “His wife caught us as soon as he was done and I was just … humiliated.”  she rests her head on him.  “The third is the worst.  More tutoring.  He took me out, but I refuse to call it a date.  He put the pressure on un his van afterwards and … I was … scared so i just let him fuck me.  And then he said he wanted me to give him exam results.  I told him no and he said …”  she swallows hard.  “He said ‘The other tutors are cooperating, Paige.  And with those ugly ass scars, you should be happy I fucked you at all and didn’t just buy the damn grades.’ and I just .. left … but … then in school the next day I reported him … and he got in trouble …  I was strong and I was in the right … and .. and …”  she gulps but she doesn’t cry.  “And the next day most everyone in school heard a rumor that I fucked him and half the lacrosse team .. well the starting lineup.”  she tenses.  “I haven’t really even paid attention to another male until Seamus knocked me down … and you helped me up.”

Sasha is visibly gutted by how men have treated Paige in the past. He pulls her back into his arms and hugs her hard. “I fucking hate these guys Paige...I’m so sorry.” He strokes her hair and sighs “I feel like that last asshole you could have reported to the police also…” He doesn’t come right out and say for rape but that’s what it feels like she’s describing to him. He nuzzles his face into her hair “I’m in no hurry for ANYTHING...but if I ever do anything that makes you feel pressured or rushed or bad in any way please say stop...I’ll stop the second you say it. I promise. I never want you to feel scared with me...ever.”

Paige feels safer pulled into Sasha’s arme.  “Oh no .. no police .. no thanks.”  she shakes her head.  She nuzzles him back.  “I … promise I will say something.”  she tells him.  “We can take it slow … or at least as fast as we both want.”  she caresses the arms around her.  “I feel so safe with you just like this.”  she leans her head into him and is silent for a minute.  “You know.”  she laughs a little.  “This is fast for me.  It’s like … the air is intoxicating.  You’re intoxicating.”  she cranes her neck.  Looking at him she grins.  “And I like it.”  she will kiss him softly at first, then deeper if she can.

Sasha holds her tight as she says she’ll say something. Then when she  says it’s fast and intoxicating he can only grin at her and nod. “I like it too….it’s perfect.” He matches her kisses, letting her set the pace, especially after all she just told him. He can’t help but give into his passion a bit as she deepens the kiss. It’s biochemical. His hands are in her hair again as he gets lost in her.

Paige kisses him,  Enjoys kissing him.  And she breaks it to tell him, breathlessly.  “I love kissing you.”  and then she chuckles.  “I’m not a virgin, but I feel like one.”  she sighs.  “Iris is the bold one, usually but with you I just want to … tell you things…”  she laughs again in amazement and kisses him gratefully.

Sasha’s breathless too “I love kissing you.” He has to chuckle and blush a bit at the virgin comment “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He kisses her back happily and when they break again he’ll say “I haven’t been a virgin since I was 14...but tell me anything, clay I’m telling you everything too…” He snorts.

Paige giggles.  She glances to the side and sees her house.  She isn’t worried about her sisters inside at all.  “Alright …”  she takes up his challenge and takes a deep breath, calling up her inner strength … calling her inner Iris to the fore.  “The only person to ever make me cum has been me.”  she tells him.  “I want you to change that, Sasha.”  she tightens her jaw and turns her head so she’s looking out at the water.

Sasha had let his arms around her drop a bit, on to her mid back and then one to her hip resting on the fabric of her skirt. When Paige tells him her request he tenses up and without thinking grips her hip and bites his lip. “Mmmm…” He sighs out looking like he’s battling something, in truth it’s his self control. “Paige…” he breathes out…..wow…..um first of all yes to that…” He has to take a few more breaths “Sorry mind racing  bit...and I really do want to take it as slow as you need me to….” He starts to laugh “Sorry,....”

Paige feels his grip tighten on her and breathes with him.  He explains he wants to take it slow and the truth is that she does too.  “No sorrys .. please?”  she tells him and they chuckles with him.  “See I think you already see our problem … ‘my place or yours’ is an easy answer … neither.”  she looks up at him and kisses his cheek.  “I want it to be special.  And I feel like with you anyplace could be special but … at least a little privacy?” and then the back door pops open as if on cue, Aislin streaming.  “Page can I borrow some thread to tie up the roast?”  and Page yells back.  “Use the black from my sewing kit.”  the back door slams shut.  “See … not on this property we won’t.  Hell half the time I can only pray Iris is actually asleep .. or in the shower while my family thinks I am washing my hair.”  she snorts.  “And I bet it's the same at your house.”

Sasha is grinning and nodding “OK, no sorries. I want it to be special too…” He chuckles and waves at Aislinn and then concedes “Yeah not my house either….” And then she goes on and his mind races again. His answer is delayed for a long time and then it dawns on him that she's prompted him for one “Uh….I got stuck on you in the shower and I forgot what I’m supposed to be answering…” He laughs and blushes.

Paige grins and laughs when she realizes that in her ease with Sasha she’d had him thinking of mer masturbating in the shower.  “I was trying to think of places you could take me and make me cum.”  she says, sweetly.  “And teach me how to make you cum.  Where we could experiment and play.”  she sighs.  “I’m sorry .. my sister is a writer and … the fires my damn imagination.”  she nearly growls in frustration.

Sasha’s pupils dilate but he can tell she actually wants to talk this through so he tries not to just imagine everything she’s saying and risk his budding erection becoming so obvious he’d have to stay up on this wall until the night fell. He exhales “Well I used to have access to a  car but we sold it….not super romantic but can be private.” And then he raises an eyebrow “Seamus said she was writing something for him….she writes...like sex stuff then?” Then he gets really honest “Paige I’m a guy...it really doesn’t take that much….women are more complicated so when the time comes, you first, always.”

Paige turns slightly.  “No .. cars aren’t romantic.  Vans even less so.”  she huffs and hops down on the east side of the seawall.  If she walks two meters she’d come to giant boulders .. some natural and some not so much, keeping the ocean from eroding the island.  They are like a large quasi natural stair to the water below. She turns and moves Sasha’s legs in the hopes he will turn and face east .. face her and put his back to her house.  She nods when he mentions the story she knows Iris wrote, but also looks at him.  “Erotic fiction, Sasha .. not sex stuff.  Is bold as Iris is, she still loves a plot.” she sounds a little amused at his description.  “It was about a woman ho meets a man on a train and something … the sex stuff … happening between cars.”  he mentions that he’s a guy and she snorts again.  “Yea … none of the guys I’ve been with lasted more than a couple minutes.  And I can do half an hour IF I had the privacy and time.”  she blows out another breath and turns. Wrapping his arms around her she murmurs.  “Romantic … romantic.”  she places his hands on her hips as she looks out at the water.

Sasha laughs at the correction “Well I’m just a small town prairie boy...my reading list can be expanded….” He snuggles into her, contemplating sliding down and being closer to her as she says romantic romantic. They’re looking at an ocean view right now. If he’s standing though he’s concerned it will be so obvious how turned on he is and she’ll think he just wants to bone her like all those other assholes. He is turned on but he can wait.  He inhales and just holds onto her hips. “Paige you’re making me a little crazy here…” He admits. “If I jump down from here please don’t think I’m one of those guys…if that’s really fucking obvious.”

Paige giggles at the whole prairie boy and reading list.  “You gave your brother your last book, remember?”  she teases.  Then he mentions that she’s making him crazy and she bites her lip.  As a woman, her excitement doesn’t show as much.  She takes his hands off of her hils and walks forward.  “I know you're not one of those assholes already.”  she tells him and moves to the breakwater.  She beckons him to follow and hops carefully down a huge boulder to the one below.  It’s almost like a ledge but quite wide.  There's a bundle off to the side and she reaches for it.  “I found this little alcove our first night.  It’s a good place I could come and just think.”  she tells him.  She spreads the bundle .. an old worn blanket out and lays down on it, the wind picking up and blowing her hair all over her head again and patting for him to join her.  It’s isolated here, although you can see out to sea.  If he joins her, she will look at him with a shy smile and bites her lip as if she wants to say something.

Sasha nods “Yep I did. I don’t know if he’s even read it….” He relaxes a bit and hops down but immediately adjusts so it’s not so bloody obvious. The inconveniences of his body sometimes….He hops after her and then she spreads out a blanket on a bg flat rock where they actually do have some privacy unless a curious fisherman happens by. He chuckles a bit and crawls in to sit with her. Taking her back into his arms immediately. Looking at her she seems to have something on her mind “What’s up?” He asks as he watches her hair blow and just adores her.

Paige moves, settling herself beside him, leaning sideways a bit on her left hip.  She takes his hand and, looking into his eyes, she guides it up her peasant blouse and under the elastic of her long skirt to her outer thigh, where he can feel the lumpy scar tissue.  She searches his face for his reaction to the mass of scar tissue.

Sasha looks at Paige tenderly and knows her vulnerability as she shares herself this way, the place where other men had made her feel so awful and unwanted. He caresses as his hand is moved and then he bends his body so he can kiss the scars on her arms gently and lovingly. He moves up and down and then stops and looks at her, his hand still caressing her leg scar “I don’t want to assume...but if you let me I’ll kiss your leg too…”

Paige watches him kiss her arm and swallows hard as he doesn’t pull away.  As if he was sincere that her scars didn’t matter.  When he offers to kiss the scar on her thigh, she looks at him and pulls his hand away, but then she turns to face him, trying to think of a way to make that happen.  “Please….”  she murmurs and straightens her left leg on one side of him and pulls her skirt up on the right side, exposing the leg and the scar on it.  It is lumpy from here the water poured on her and is now whiter than her skin and hard.  Even though she bends her knee inwards, plain purple cotton bikini panties are visible.

Sasha rolls to an all four position so he can face her leg and access it, then he lowers down on her a bit and begins to slowly kiss and caress the whole scar on the leg. He stops partway through to reassure her because he can only imagine how she’s feeling after all the unkindness “You’re beautiful Paige…..so beautiful…” He nuzzles the leg and kisses some more, moving up it a bit. His one hand caresses her, stroking the leg, hairs and all, her leg hair is soft and downy and feels nice to him. As he hits the thigh he looks up and takes in her panties and without meaning to, he lets out a little moan and the thought of letting his fingers and face move further up and under her skirt. He hears himself moan and rests his head on ehr leg “Oh fuck…” he murmurs “You’re incredibly sexy…”

As Sasha rolls on all fours, Paige pulls her left leg under him and straightens it on the other side of his body.  His touch is maddening and she watches as he kisses her scar.  There is very littl feeling there but she seems to be feeling the feelings behind the kissing and she realizes that she is excited.  His stroking is turning her on, which she didn’t expect, for some reason.  He calls her beautiful and she takes in a sharp breath.  The more he kisses the more excited she becomes.  And then he rests his head on her thigh and calls her sexy?  She looks down at him.  “Really?”  she reaches to stroke her face and moves her knee out some.  She strokes his hair and almost whimpers, knowing she is wet and wondering if he realizes that she is.  She moves her leg out more, silently offering her the unscarred flesh of her inner thigh.

Sasha nods into her leg and then looks up at her “Really….it’s taking all my self control not to get right under your skirt right now….” Then she moves her legs as if opening to him, inviting. He looks almost pained and needs to come up and make sure he’s reading her right. He slides into an almost plank over her and then lowers down so he can kiss her deeply but as he does the hardness in his pants is totally pressing into her. He can’t deny it. Sasha kisses down her neck “I fucking want you….so bad right now….but what I really want is the challenge you gave me….” He kisses her again slowly, lingering and then he pulls back and tells her “I want to be between your legs, with my fingers and tongue...I want to please you...i want to make you cum.”

Paige trembles at his words.  He wants to be under her skirt … and then he moves up and kisses her and she can feel him.  But before she can say anything he reminds her of the challenge and she whimpers.  When he talks about pleasing her with his fingers .. with his tongue … her hips lift as if accepting the invitation.  “Yes … please Sasha … I want you to.  God I hurt I’m so turned on.”

Sasha was only waiting for that yes. He smiles at her and then kisses her again before moving back down her body. He stops at her chest realizing he’s not even acknowledged it beyond checking it out earlier. He pushes up her blouse  and caresses and kisses on top of her bra, playing lightly, going between them and trying to make her nipples hard. He gently pulls aside the fabric of it one each side in turn and flicks with his tongue, playing for a little while until he kisses down her stomach and disappears under her skirt, beginning with giving his kisses back to her scars, wanting ehr to know each time he was never going to see them as any less than a part of her beautiful body. Then he moves right to her inner thighs and caresses and kisses, moving up and up and up until he’s at her panties. He doesn’t waste a moment once he can see she’s already wet through the fabric. He grunts at her and works to get them off her and then settles in, parts her hairs, and gently begins to lightly lick her labia, passing by the clit every so often while he lets his fingers just stroke her in all directions.

Paige was a little surprised when he moved her breasts from the cups of her bra.  Her nipples grew hard and she gasped, silence being the force of her habit at this point.  Then he is moving on and kissing her scar again, which makes her smile.  She moves her legs so that the lanties can come off and then she moves her feet to his shoulders, opening her legs wide for him.  She’s sopping wet and can barely believe it.  She’s never teased herself to this level of wetness and yet Sasha had without even touching her nether region.  Then he licks at her labia, not seeming offended by her thick pubic hair.  Her hips lift a bit.  “Sasha….”  she breathes.  She wonders if he knows he is teasing her, or if it is just that she never teased herself.  Now someone else was in control and she felt at his mercy.

Sasha feels her legs part more and her feet on his shoulders and moans into her, directing his tongue right on her clit now, flat and firm in circles. He’s had quite a bit of experience with this but basically with one person for most of it. He’s not sure what Paige will like. Experimentally he slides a finger inside her and moves it in and out in time with his tongue circles. His name in her voice all breathy is egging him on.

Paige moans when she feels his tongue on her.  She’s never felt the like and her hips lift more.  HIs finger inside of her makes her back arch.  “Sasha …”  she breathes  “Please …  don’t stop … make me cum … please.”  she begs, on the very edge and then she feels it, she knows that feeling of impending orgasm and silently she lifts her hips.  Its powerful but she doesnt want it to stop.  “Sasha ….”  she is whimpering softly, barely audible above the wind.  “Yes .. yes .. please … “  she grinds, eagerly.

Sasha shudders when she starts to cum feeling his own body respond as he doesn’t dare stop on her. He will if she asks but he could go all day. He moans into her as she grins and just goes for it. His body tenses and he moans again a few times and then he relaxes a bit. Paige’s orgasm made him cum too. She didn’t even have to touch him. He keeps going and waits for any signal either way just basking in her,

Paige rides out one and is beginning to relax hen Sasha moans into her and she cums again, bucking her hips again.  “Oh god …  Sasha.”  she moans and sids up a little, pulling him off of her and into a kiss.  Tasting herself on his lips and laying back with him on top of her.  She kisses him deeply and passionately and finally groans, her hips lifting again.  Breaking the kiss, she pants.  “God, Sasha.  Thank you, thank you.”  there are tears going down her face as she whispers into his lips.

Sasha loves every part of her orgasms and revels in them. When she pulls him up he lies down on her kissing her with intense passion and then she thanks him and he tastes her tears and kisses at them “Oh...oh Paige thank you….” He murmurs “My otter…” He only half jokes because he loves that idea. He kisses her again and then snuggles into her neck and hugs her.

Paige laughs lightly at his words.  “What do you have to thank me for?”  and then.  “Yes.  I’m your otter.”  she decides and hugs him back.  “Teach me, Sasha.”  she all but demands.  “I want to make you cum too.  Teach me ho.  I want to learn to give a blow job.”

Sasha hugs harder when she affirms it and then has to laugh and blush as he pulls up and looks at her “OK but not right now….I uh….I kinda already...I came when you did...it was just so hot to make you cum I exploded and did too.”

Paige blinks and almost shrinks back when he begins to laugh.  Then he explains why and her eyes grow wide and she giggles.  “I … um …  oops?”  she offers.  “I’m sorry.  You .. I came before you touched me but it was small, then I came again and then again.”  she bites her lip.  “I could keep cumming even now.  And want to.”  she shrugs.  “WOmen versus men?  Ill you teach me .. um .. later?  How to touch you and all?”

Sasha exhales and nods “Yes….oh god Paige...you’re amazing. Do you want me to do more? Because honestly I’ll do anything you want…..” He kisses her again and then relays one fact that relates “But I don’t have any protection….so we can’t do THAT…..I’ll get some though...for another day…”

Paige nods and takes his hand, moving it between her legs.  “We’ll do more, Sasha, I promise.”   she smiles at him.  “But you’ve opened up a door I didn’t know existed….” she kisses him.  “Am I selfish?  Am I terrible?”

Sasha immediately begins to stroke her and grins “No, you’re fuckin hot….it makes me so happy to get you off I can’t even put it into words……” He gives her another lingering kiss and plays for a while and then like he did with his tongue he makes circles on her clit with his fingers for awhile and then he moves his hand so he can slide the index finger in her again while playing at her clit with the middle finger. He pulls back from kissing her and just watches her for her reactions now.

Paige has cooled off as they talked, and stays as still as she can as he strokes her,  she grasps his arm and looks into his face, his brown eyes.  “Sasha…”  she breathes.  “How do you do this?  I can’t even make myself feel this good.”  her hips begin to move.  “Please … don’t stop.  Please…”

Sasha keeps going, smiling at her and talking into her ear in a  low voice “Oh god Paige, do you want two fingers? Do you want my mouth again…..tell what to do for you….I could do this all day…”

Paige is writhing as his fingers play.  Staring at him, watching her as he plays with her.  “Two fingers … please …  look at me ….  Look what you do to me … oh Sasha…”  she grinds on him, gripping his shoulder and then hooks the back of his neck and raises herself to kiss him hard.

Sasha kisses her back hard, her lips might even feel gently bruised from it later. Without breaking contact he slides his middle finger into her beside the other and switches the one on her clit to his thumb which has a bit more strength and control. Then he pulls back from the kiss and watches her going a little harder and deeper with his hand work. “You feel so fucking good…” He murmurs.

Paige keeps her eyes open so she can watch him.  She feels the change up and the two fingers inside of her plus one on her lit.  Beginning to pant, she looks at him.  “Don’t stop .. please, Sasha.”  she grabs his shoulder.  “Make me cum … make me cum for you, Sasha.  Don’t stop please …  I’ll ..  I’ll let you know when I’ve had … had enough …  Just make me yours.  Make me cum for you.”  her hips lift matching his thrusts.

Sasha doesn’t stop for anything just watching her and hearing her words, feeling her pressing back with her hips. “Oh Paige...mon dieu……” He starts murmuring to her in French “I love every inch of your body…..inside and out…..”

Paige begins to cum when he starts murmuring to her in French.  “Le tiens (yours).  Sasha.”  she bucks on his hand and she looks up at him.  “Amour.  Je t'aime.”  she trembles as she feels another come over her.  “Sasha …  yes … yours …”  sh goes on like that for long minutes, occasionally sling her bucking only to begin again.  A minute and then three.  It's five minutes before she slos, shaking like a leaf.  “Enough …”  she pants.  “Enough…”  but she grabs his face and kisses him like she's never kissed anyone.  Then she laughs.  “I’ve never cum this much … this hard … Do you do this to every woman you’re with?”  she laughs but it is a tired sound.

Sasha gets losts in her orgasms. He’s gotten hard and cum again somewhere in all of it but he doesn’t even care. Paige is the entire universe for all he cares right now. She goes over and over and he marvels. He’s never seen any woman do this, it’s not his magic but hers, or maybe theirs? When she also murmured in French was when he came. And her words Amour, Je t’aime. His heart bursts at the same time as his cock. Finally she said enough and he immediately pulls his hand away and smooths her skirt and kisses her back, feeling his hands on her face. He grins at her after “I’ve never known anyone who can do what you do….I suspect it’s your magic...or maybe ours but I’m modest so let’s say yours.” He kisses her hair and her face. “Wow, just wow.”

Paige's hair is all over her head and on some of Sasha’s.  She is still panting.  “I .. sort of … phased out?”  she takes in a breath and lets it out slowly.  “Not mine .. ours .. ours.  Together … me and you, Sasha.”  she blows out a long breath.  “Wow indeed.”  she snuggles with him.  “We need to rest …  nd .. oh dear I don’t dare bring you back in the house.  I’ll have to sneak in and at least change.”  she giggles and nules the hand, the fingers that were inside of her still smell like her and she inhales deeply.  “How did you make me so hungry?”  she marvels.  All she knows is .. she wants more of him.  She knows she went aster than she planned but every move, every kidd, every second felt perfect.

Sasha just grins “Together...I came again too….when you spoke French to me….a lot of powerful words there….it got me...:” He looks down the rocks “We could wash up in the ocean….but I honestly probably just need to change too at this point.” He snuggles into her “I did not expect today…..and I’m very very happy.”

Paige blinks.  “You did?  Oh god, I failed you twice?”  she sighs and then does a double take.  “I spoke to you in French?  What did I say?”  she goggles.  “So we roll in the water and tell everyone we fell in the ocean to explain our wet clothes?”  she smiles.  “I can see that.  Oh Sasha …  I’m .. beyond happy.”

Sasha laughs “What the hell do you mean you failed me? You had orgasms so big they jumped into my pants too!” He rolls to her as he had been more side lying after and then on top of her but playfully more than sexually now “You said…” He grins a little “Amour, le tiens, Je t’aime…” He kisses her sweetly and then grins “It was all awesome…..the falling in the water story is a great idea...then I can get some of the apple juice out of my ear too…” He laughs.

Paige laughs .. he had a point.  Maybe she hadn’t failed him.  Then he tells her what she said and she bites her lip.  “I … do …”  she murmurs and then he reminds him of the apple juice.  “Yea ….  Lets swim…”  she won’t swim much .. not in that skirt, but she wasn’t swimming in the water, she was falling in it … only for a moment.  She will move to the edge with him if he will allow it and look in the cool water in case its dangerous at this spot, but it isn’t.  Part of her is afraid to look at him … because of what she said to him … it may … it might be … it could be far far too soon.

Sasha is totally ready for a swim but first he empties his pockets. He doesn’t care about having to explain why his phone is fine later. He’s currently looking for work so he needs it to survive this. He sees Paige’s apprehension and he watches her curiously “Are you ok? We didn’t go too fast?” He’s actually not worried about the words as much as the physical. Sasha is truly a hopeless romantic. She could tell him she loves him and he would think it’s just sweet and romantic even today. And his feelings for ehr are incredibly intense.

Paige watches him take his phone out of his pocket.  Her’s is in her bag in the house, so she isn't worried.  When he asks if they went too fast, she shakes her head immediately.  “Every second .. since we met .. had felt .. perfect.”  she tells him.  “But … Sasha?  Do you … do you love me?  I mean … it’s … it’s fine if you don’t.”  she drops her eyes, the confident woman he was  making cum minutes before once again replaced with the shy insecure girl from the bookstore.

Sasha sets a small black wallet beside the phone and adds his house keys. He’s about to step into the water when she asks if he loves her. He gives her a completely devoted melting look and nods “I fall hard and fast. It can get annoying for some people.” He kisses her again “I do love you. You’re my otter….maybe that’s why those words hit me so hard when you said them.”

Paige nearly sinks into the rocks in relief.  He loved her.  She loved him.  “I’m your otter.”  she tells him, taking his hand … and taking the plunge with him.