Dear Adam (15 page)

“
I do." He sounded like he
was grinning.

She opened her mouth. Closed it. Then opened
it again. “I don’t care! I’m just going to say it. You should be in
bed. It’s …” She glanced at the time and gasped. They had been
talking for three hours. “Five o’clock in the morning there!"

He laughed, at ease once more. It was as
though they had both come to a dark tunnel and emerged on the other
side, safe. Together.

“
Say good night,” she
commanded crossly.

“
Good night. Let’s do this
again tomorrow night, shall we?”

“
I have boxing,” she said
with regret. “After tonight, I’m going to need it.”

“
I wish I could watch you,”
he said, a little forlorn.

“
But you’ll write to me
tomorrow?”

“
I will.”

“
Alright then. Good night,
Adam.”

“
Good night,
Edie.”

Somehow she found herself down the stairs.
Her stomach growled. She was ravenous and emotionally drained.

She stood in the kitchen, staring at the
contents of the fridge, uncomprehending, before turning around and
toasting bread.

“
Who were you on the phone
with?" she heard Dante ask from the living room.

She stood by the table, plate of toast in
hand. “Adam.”

Dante turned his head from the T.V. to look
at her, perhaps alerting to the strange note in her voice.

“
How’d you
meet?”

She shrugged. Opened her mouth, but nothing
came out. She tried again.

“
Twitter?” It sounded
strange and made up, even to her own ears.

“
Ohhhhhkay,” Dante said,
shaking his head, a dubious expression on his face.

She sat down and put the toast to her mouth.
A minute passed before she bit into it. She had to remind herself
to chew.

Dante shook his head again and went back to
watching T.V.

Chapter 8

Subject: Wednesday

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:38 AM

To: Eden E

You once asked if I'd harm you. I'd bite
you.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:39 AM

To: Adam -

Where?

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:39 AM

To: Eden E

Thighs.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:40 AM

To: Adam -

That's all?

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:42 AM

To: Eden E

It isn't. Your derriere.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:43 AM

To: Adam -

I'm dissolving in a fit of giggles.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:46 AM

To: Eden E

What is the shape of your gluteus maximus?
Flat, round, pear-shaped, square, triangular?

Do you have that gap between your thighs
when you close your legs?

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 10:59 AM

To: Adam -

I'm shaped like a trapezoid.

No gap. Not with my undying devotion to
carbohydrates.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:00 AM

To: Eden E

Thankfully, I am turned on by
trapezoids.

Good, I'm not a fan of said gap.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:26 AM

To: Adam -

And if I had a gap? Would you still take
me?

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:38 AM

To: Eden E

If you had a gap, it would it be over.
Clearly.

Would I take you? In what sense? Missionary?
From behind?

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:43 AM

To: Adam -

Tell me about your hands. I know they're
scarred, but what are they like?

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:44 AM

To: Eden E

You avoided my lewd references.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:46 AM

To: Adam -

Yes, I did. You're impossible.

You didn't tell me about your hands.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:47 AM

To: Eden E

So it's OK to bite your ass but not discuss
taking you?

What about my hands? They're big, and women
usually say they're nice.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:52 AM

To: Adam -

I only discuss such things with someone whom
I can then immediately act on the topic. We'll talk about it, then
what?

Calloused? Square or tapered and
slender?

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:53 AM

To: Eden E

Then you'll hop on a plane and come and
kidnap me for all sorts of kinky pleasures?

Square and calloused.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 11:55 AM

To: Adam -

I'll get all worked up, then stuff my face
with even more chocolate, not ever sleep at all, and my skin will
constantly feel like it's on fire. That's what will happen.

I was just listening to your poem again. I
missed you and I miss your voice in my ear.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:10 PM

To: Eden E

Yes, I miss you too, and I do like your
voice, very much.

Do you go home before training?

Please dispose of said poem in a day or
so.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:12 PM

To: Adam -

Why can't I have something of yours? I can't
even have your voice.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:13 PM

To: Eden E

You can, just not that.

And if you can be a little patient I'm
preparing something nice for you which you should have this
week.

You didn't answer my question.

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:13 PM

To: Adam -

Yes.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:14 PM

To: Eden E

I'm glad you are enthused and excited by
what I just told you.

I will leave my Skype on if you like and you
could try calling me to see if I'm still awake when you come home
from boxing?

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:15 PM

To: Adam -

I won't have time because I want to fix
dinner for Dante.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:16 PM

To: Eden E

Have I upset you?

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 3:25 PM

To: Adam -

I'm fine. I'll call you tomorrow.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 4:32 PM

To: Eden E

Kindly tell me why I upset you?

----------

From: Eden E

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 4:38 PM

To: Adam -

All this secret stuff with you. Things you
won't tell me. I guess I can't demand anything. This is just not
what I'm used to. We share intimate things and yet I have nothing
tangible.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: Wed, Aug 8, at 4:41 PM

To: Eden E

I would appreciate it if you shared any
convenes you have with me, when you have them, I want us to be able
to communicate or we'll get nowhere.

Remember we are at the beginning. It's
logical that things will become more tangible as time progresses,
and I believe that.

I'll come on chat for a minute before I
sleep then.

----------

From: Adam -

Date: August 8

Subject: Chat with Adam -

To: Eden E.

Adam: Hello, my hairy, trapezoidal
goddess

Eden: Hello

Adam: We have to communicate, OK? It's our
only salvation

Adam: Equally, if I have any concerns I'll
share them with you immediately

Adam: But tangibility will come, gradually,
the more time we have together

Adam: Are you there?

Eden: Yes, sorry, there was an attorney
standing over my shoulder.

Adam: OK... so are we on the same page?

Adam: When you say attorney it's always
strange for me.

Adam: We British folk only ever hear that
word in movies

Eden: I am communicating. I was going to
tell you when I got home.

Eden: Barrister?

Adam: It just seems unkind when I know
something is wrong to be kept in the dark.

Adam: I wouldn't do that to you

Adam: Sometimes I just want to squeeze your
nose and smack your derrière

Eden: Smack it then bite it? Or vice
versa?

Adam: At the same time

Adam: Temperature has dropped again,
brrrrr

Eden: I wish I could burrow next to you.

Adam: That'd be nice.

Adam: A weird fact about Adam-

Eden: He likes to refer to himself in the
3rd person?

Adam: Haha, no.

Adam: After sex, my next greatest physical
pleasure is having my feet tickled and scratched

Eden: Just your feet?

Adam: And there is some method behind this
madness.

Adam: Because I like it so much, I
researched it.

Adam: People with extremely good circulation
enjoy it most.

Adam: When you tickle the feet, the blood
rushes to the surface.

Adam: When you scratch them, it disperses
the blood evenly.

Adam: I hope that's not a deal breaker.

Eden: What size feet do you have?

Adam: UK size 12, or were you indirectly
asking the size of my manhood?

Eden: Not everything is about your
wanker.

Adam: My wanker??

Eden: Isn't that what it's called?

Adam: In English, we say wank, as a verb to
wank.

Adam: You can insult someone by calling them
a wanker.

Adam: But the penis itself is not a
wanker

Eden: Oh, I didn't mean to insult you.

Adam: That is cute and funny. You
didn't.

Eden: I think I must have heard it in a
movie and thought that's what it meant.

Adam: Not everything is about my penis? My
whole world has just come crashing down on me.

Adam: I will teach you many things

Adam: Including how to spell

Adam: COLOUR

Adam: FAVOUR

Adam: And buoy is pronounced boy not boo-E,
which always cracks me up

Eden: I don't need spelling lessons from
you.

Adam: I know you don't, I'm playing.
Defensive little monkey

Eden: If your feet don't smell then I'll
tickle them personally.

Eden: Otherwise, I'll use a feather or
something.

Adam: They don't smell

Adam: Thank you.

Adam: And scratch them. You can't forget
that

Eden: Yes, that too. You drive a hard
bargain.

Adam: I do

Eden: Alright, I'm mollified.

Adam: Happy to have been of assistance

Adam: I got an electric shock today and when
I moved my hand away I cut it

Eden: How? Did you put anything on it like
antiseptic?

Adam: My hand jolted into a metal edged
table. Just a plaster (band aid)