Anchor Line (19 page)

             
“You okay to stand?” He asked, looking down at her closed eyes.

             
His eyes were met with very sated hazel eyes. “I’ll try. My legs feel like I’ve run about ten miles.”

             
“Just hold on a few minutes and I’ll get the towels.” Conrad set her on her feet by herself and he quickly washed off and turned the shower off completely.

             
“Where are the towels?”

             
“Linen closet.” Addie said testing out her shaky legs.

             
Leaving her leaning against the back of the shower wall, Conrad opened the linen closet and grabbed two big purple towels. He wrapped one around his waist and as he turned, Addie was stepping out of the shower, so he wrapped the other around her and kissed her on her forehead.

             
After making sure that she was dried off, he carried her to the bed and while still holding her, he pulled the covers back and laid her in it. Then went back to the bathroom to finish drying himself off and hung up both towels, turned off the lights and walked out to her bedroom. He didn’t go to the other side of the bed, he walked down the hallway and pulled his phone from his pants to see several text messages from Susan asking where he was and the later texts were asking if he was with the chubby girl from the sandwich shop. He decided to delete his text messages before he went back into Addie's bedroom. Putting his phone on vibrate, he walked back down the hall into the bedroom and sat his phone down on the night table. Not going to the other side of the bed Conrad slid under the covers pushing Addie forward while at the same time, taking her into his arms not saying anything. He pulled up the covers, kissed her on the head and told her to go to sleep.

             
Sleep wasn’t long in coming for either of them, being totally exhausted. Conrad woke Addie around three thirty while slowly sliding into her wet heat and bringing them to a swift climax. Then he rolled back over onto his back and slid her close to his side, her head in the crook of his shoulder, their legs entwined.

Chapter Thirteen

             
Sunday afternoon came and Addie was feeling around the bed for a warm Conrad. Encountering nothing but cool sheets, she reached over and pulled her cell phone from the night table. Swiping her phone, she saw the icons for text, voicemail, email and even her Facebook. Scrolling through her five texts, she saw the one from Conrad and opened it.

            
 
CONRAD: I put my information in ur phone so U have it. B’fast in kitchen. I’m packing for the field. Let me know when u r up.

             
She had one from her mom congratulating her on her new apartment, and one from each of her brothers. She checked her voicemail, which was the same as the text messages, and finally her Facebook where her family and Talia congratulated her on her new apartment. She typed out a few responses, then decided she had to hit the bathroom.

             
She groaned getting out of bed. Muscles that she didn’t think she had were protesting use. But she smiled in memory of why she was so sore. Then she felt sticky between her legs. Cranking the shower on, she realized that they didn’t get to wash her hair last night either. Using the toilet, she grabbed a towel from the rack and tossed it over the glass door to the shower and stepped into the hot spray. Ah, that felt good. Washing all over and her hair this time, she rinsed completely off and turned the water off and toweled dry. Getting dressed in jeans and a clean bra and t-shirt, she made her way to the kitchen to see what Conrad had left for breakfast.

             
The plate of french toast and the bottle of OJ had her smiling. Tossing the plate into the microwave to heat it up for a few minutes, she shook the single size OJ and opened the lid, tossing back half in a few gulps. As the microwave dinged, she took the plate out and opened the syrup packages to pour on the toast, grabbed the plastic fork and her OJ and set off for the patio. With the french doors open to the afternoon sun, Addie sat down to enjoy her breakfast at almost twelve thirty.

             
Taking in her immediate surroundings, she noticed that there weren’t that many cars in front of her building. The parking lot in the parking lot across from hers was full. And that was when she saw a truck that looked just like Conrad’s, which reminded her of the text that she had to send to Conrad. Putting her fork down, she raced to her bedroom to get her phone which was blinking.

            
 
CONRAD: Ur up. How’s b’fast???

             
How did he know she was up? She walked back out to the balcony.

            
 
ADDIE: Sorry. Took a shower, eating b’fast as you call it now.

             
CONRAD: So I see. Enjoying it?

             
Addie lifted her head from her phone. He could see her? She looked over at the black truck again. Pennsylvania plates, 4x4. No. Fucking. Way. He lived across from her. She took in the stairwells first, seeing no one, she looked at the windows of the building facing hers. Well, this was frustrating! Most of the damn windows had their blinds closed.

            
 
ADDIE: Where are you?

             
CONRAD: Wouldn’t u like to know.

             
ADDIE: Very much so.

             
He didn't text back. Smiling, she typed out her next text.

            
 
ADDIE: Chicken? Bawk. Bawk.

             
CONRAD: Nope. Just want to leave u guessing.

             
ADDIE: STALKER!

             
CONRAD: U love it!

             
ADDIE: No...not really. It’s kind of creepy. :)

             
She stared at her phone. It stayed silent. So she put it down and decided to finish her breakfast. Then gulped down the rest of her juice. Walking in from the patio, she threw the trash away and went to close the doors. Looking around, she was happy that all but the wall hangings were up. Looking at the dining area, she decided to text Talia to recruit help in getting a table and chairs.

            
 
ADDIE: T, I need a table and chairs. Want to help?

             
TALIA: Be over in ten. Need addy 4 GPS.

             
Sending her new address, Addie walked back to her room where she suddenly realized her clothes were not on the floor in the living room and her Docs were sitting in front of her night table. She smiled, walking into her bathroom to pull her hair back in a messy bun and put on just a little makeup. She saw her jeans and t-shirt from last night folded in half lying over the edge of the tub.

            
 
ADDIE: Thanks for cleaning up the clothes from last night. :)

             
CONRAD: YW :)

 
         The afternoon with Talia was much needed. They went to three different furniture stores before Addie actually found what she was looking for. With a new furniture credit card in hand, loaded with $599.00 plus tax and a delivery date for Thursday for a table and six chairs, they decided on an early dinner and drinks.

             
“I cannot believe you actually had sex with Renner.” Talia exclaimed smiling from ear to ear. “How was it? Tell me everything.” She exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement for her friend.

             
“He’s hung like a fucking Pringles can.” Addie exclaimed. “He’s huge.”

             
The two women started laughing hysterically. 

             
“But did you get yours?” Talia asked sipping her lemon drop.

             
“Oh yes. He made sure I got mine first.” Addie’s eyes were huge. “Like total five or six times, including when he woke me up at three thirty.”

             
Both girls squealed in excitement.

             
“He’s leaving in three months though.” Addie pouted into her Pina Colada.

             
“That’s the only thing that I hate about the Army. Or any branch of service really. You find someone you really gel with...and poof! They have to leave. It sucks.” Talia tried to give Addie a reassuring smile. “But...you have a ton of social media outlets available to you girl.”

             
“True.” Addie scrunched her nose.

             
Finishing their drinks and getting to-go boxes for their unfinished bar-b-que, Talia dropped Addie off at her apartment and drove off. How she was able to drive and Addie felt totally blitzed was beyond her. So, she waived at her friend yelling that she’d see her tomorrow at work and climbed the stairs to her apartment. Once inside she looked around the walls and decided to text Conrad to enlist his help.

            
 
ADDIE: Conny! I need your help.

             
CONRAD: Conny??

             
ADDIE: It’s better than Mr. Pringles I need hep handing shtuf

             
CONRAD: Have u been drinking?

             
ADDIE: Yessss.

             
CONRAD: Mr. Pringles??

             
ADDIE: Oh shit never mind that come hang shit

             
CONRAD: Only if u xplain Pringles to me when I get there.

             
ADDIE: Deal

             
Conrad knocked on the door a few minutes later and was greeted by a very flushed, drunk Addie Marshall. She was smiling, so he counted that in his favor. He took her in his arms and kissed the top of her forehead.

             
“How much have you had to drink?” He asked as he walked down the hallway to her living room.

             
“Just a Pina colada and I think I had a lemon drop. That shit is fierce.” She drew her eyebrows in when she said the last, like she was fierce.

             
“Seriously?”

             
“Yes!” Addie said triumphantly and smiled. “Let’s hang shit Conny.”

             
“No, no, no. First things first.” He crossed his arms over his large chest.

             
“What?” She stood there looking up at him swaying a little.

             
“Pringles.”

             
“I don’t have any.”

             
“Explain it to me.”

             
“They are chips that come in a round can. It’s cool because you can made duck lips from the chips if you don’t crush them.” She was clapping her hands like a duck’s beak near her mouth.

             
Conrad had to laugh. “No sugar. I know what they are. You called me Mr Pringles. That’s what I want you to explain.” He smiled taking her hands away from her mouth and held her hands.

             
Addie’s eyes suddenly got huge. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

             
“Why not?”

             
“Because.”

             
“Addie, explain it to me.” He sighed to try and keep from laughing over how she was going in circles in their conversation.

             
“Because of your...” She took one hand away from him and waived it around his crotch.

             
He looked at her pointedly, eyebrows raised, not saying anything.

             
“You have a big thingy okay.” Addie exclaimed pushing her face into his chest.

             
Clearly she was not only drunk, but embarrassed too. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly and chuckled. “Thingy. That’s what we call it now. Well, I’m not quite that big.”

             
She only nodded into his chest.

             
“Alright. I won’t embarrass you anymore.” He took her by the shoulders and looked down into her face. “Are you sure you want to hang shit?”

             
Addie shook her head no now. Looking at his watch it was only six.

             
“Why don’t we get you into some jammies and we’ll watch TV.” He suggested.

             
“Yes!” Addie exclaimed. Then she led him back to her bedroom with the hand that she was still holding onto him with.

             
She sat on the edge of her bed and pointed to the dresser. After taking direction, Conrad had pulled a pair of Sponge Bob jammie pants and a yellow camisole to match from her dresser, and turned to see Addie lying back on the bed with her eyes closed.