I've Arrived

"I don't know what that was."

I sat up and looked at him. "Are you serious?" he sat up too.

"How about this.... You think about what I said, and get back to me about it." He lay back down and pulled me into a snuggling position.

"So you're serious." All of my insides flipped and fluttered and dropped all at once.

"Yes. And as for your things, just go get them and come back." I couldn't help but smile. "But I really want you to think about it, and I want you to be sure. After this weekend I couldn't imagine going back to my life the way it was before." He said in the most sincere tone I've ever heard.

"I'll think about it." I said.

"Good."

"Not to be a party pooper, but I have to get going."

"I know, but letting you go makes it all too real."

"I have to pack up my few things, get dressed, and check out."

"Okay." He let out the most dramatic sigh.

"I could be back here before you know it." I blurted.

"This is true, but you could also never come back again.... I don't know what you're going to decide." He held me tightly.

"Eric, I will at least come back for visits." I offered the idea of that.

"Yeah, but how often would you come back to me?" he craned his neck to look at me. "I like the thought of coming home and having you right then and there after a long hard day."

I couldn't have this conversation anymore. I needed to get clothes on, and so did he before we got carried away, or I get seduced by the idea because he's naked cuddling me and I agree right here right now. I got up.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I need to get ready Eric."

"Layla, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I pulled on my panties and bra. The look in his eyes was one of hurt.

"It doesn't seem that way. You literally pulled away from me, and I feel like you are emotionally."

"You're saying everything I dreamed you would say to me!" I divulged my inner thoughts that were suppose to stay in my inner thoughts. "I don't know what to make of all this and I keep thinking this is just a sex high, and I would like to make my decision with a clear mind. I'm about this close..." I hold my thumb and fore finger a smidge apart. "To saying fuck my things and my job."

"I don't want you to make a rash decision without thinking it through."

"I know, and I didn't mean to snap." I got quiet. He rose from the bed pulled on his boxers and hugged me.

"I can wait, although I don't want to." He said.

"Okay, you have got to stop that." I looked up at him.

"Sorry." He kissed me on the nose and released me.

We busied ourselves with getting dressed and packing my things that I brought and bought. He smiled when he found my panties in an odd corner of the room. I snatched them from him before he pocketed them. When we were finished I zipped my bag and we stood together and looked at the room.

"We'll have to come back here for our anniversary if anything becomes of us. And to this exact room." He said.

"Okay." I wrapped my arm around his waist, as we stood there and reflect back on our sex escapades we had in this room. I couldn't help smile and blush at the thought of it all. We did some dirty things in this one room, as for his house.... We did worse things.

"Let's go." He tugged on me a little.

"Now you're in a hurry?" I asked.

"We shouldn't prolong this anymore than we already have."

"I suppose you're right." I grabbed my bag and we left our room for the last time. As I closed the door behind us I remembered that I should probably let Pierre know that we're leaving. "I have to do something; I'll meet you in the lobby." I said and handed him my bag.

"Okay.... But give me the key to the room; I'm paying for your lodging."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Layla, I had you waste money by staying the night at my house, so let me just do it."

"Fine." I handed over the key.

"See you in a bit." He kissed me again. "I'll never get sick of doing that."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. I watched him walk away from me and step into the elevator. Once he was gone I knocked on Pierre's door.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Well hello!" He practically shouted at me. "I'm glad you didn't forget about me."

"Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied."

"A bit?" he looked at me with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Okay, so tell me about it." He said.

"I'll tell you on the drive home." I said.

"That bad?"

"No... get your shit together and let's go. I'll meet you at the car." I started down the hall.

When I reached the lobby Eric was putting his wallet in his back pocket. He thanked the receptionist in his polite southern boy way, and then turned to me.

"Hey baby." He walked up to me.

"Let's go." I intertwined my fingers with his before we started walking out the doors. He put my belongings in my trunk and closed it for me.

"Watching you leave is going to be hard on me." Eric stated as a matter of fact.

"You're not the only one." I said.

"Now, I have a question." Eric said a little shaky as he pulled out his cigarettes.

"Okay." It was weird to see him all nervous after our recent festivities. During all of that he was confident and sure of himself and what we were doing. I joined him and smoked.

"Well, since I asked you to move in with him, I guess it's kind of along those lines..... Would you like to be exclusive with me?" he took a long drag.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask." I said.

"So is that a yes?" I laughed.

"Yes."

"So it goes without saying, you're mine and only mine from now on."

"Pretty much."

"Okay, now that that's all established." He relaxed and settled back into Eric, confident and sexy, and now mine.

"Hey!" Pierre yelled from off in the distance.

"Who's that?" Eric asked.

"Oh that's my friend Pierre."

"I'll ask you about it later." He then gave me a look.

Pierre walked up to where we were. "Hi, I'm Pierre, you must be Eric." He held out his hand in a friendly gesture. Eric shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you." He said politely.

"The feeling is mutual." It sounded like Pierre kind of growled his response. "Can you pop the trunk?" They both turned their attention to me.

"Yeah." I clicked the button to open the trunk and Pierre placed his things inside.

"Are we ready to hit the road?" Pierre asked.

"Yeah, here's the keys, you're driving first." He took the keys from me and got in the car.

I walked up to Eric and hugged him. "He's just a friend, don't worry." I said in his ear during our embrace.

"Does he know that?"

"Yes." I kissed him like I was never going to see him again.

"Okay, have a safe trip. Call me when you get home, we still have things to talk about and sort out."

"Okay, I don't know if I'll make it back tonight. Do you want me to call if we stop for the night?" I asked.

"Call me, text me, at every stop along the way, I'll love to hear from you." He gave me quick kiss.

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

"You better." He squeezed me a little. "Bye."

"Bye." He planted one last kiss on my lips, and then released me.

My heart broke a little for having to leave, but I needed time to make a very important choice. I held his hand for a moment and then let go and got in the car with Pierre. We drove off, leaving Eric in the dust.

"So where have you been the past couple days?" Pierre started to drill me, and I could still see Eric staring after my car in the side view mirror.

"I have a boyfriend." I blurted out as we turned and I lost sight of him.

"What?!" Pierre squealed the car to a halt and squared off with me. "I thought this was just supposed to be a meet and greet and leave him wanting more?"

"I can't do that now, not after all that we've experienced." I said still in a daze.

"So are you guys just strictly long distance now? Or what?"

"I might move." I said nonchalantly.

"That's it." He threw the car into park and got out. "ERIC!" he started yelling as he ran back in the direction of my new boyfriend.

"Oh shit." I realized what he was going to do. I jumped out of the car and sprinted as fast as I could but it was no use. Pierre was in his face shouting and waving his hands around in big gestures to get some point across, then I could finally make out what he was saying. "Do you have any idea what you've put that girl through in the past?! I do! You like to disappear on her, when I've stuck by her all this time and you just swoop in and carry her off into the sun set.... No it's not fair to her and it's not fair to me. Do you have any idea how long I've loved that girl?" I was stunned, I knew Pierre had liked me, but loved me?

"Layla?" Eric peeked over Pierre's shoulder. Pierre turned towards me and turned pale.

"Pierre I..." I began to say.

"No Layla, save it, go ahead and be with this Houdini act over here, but don't come crying and crawling back to me to console you, because I won't. All you've ever done is give me hope that we could be together, and you choose these douche bags time and time again. I'm done being your handkerchief." Pierre started to head back to the car. "I'll be in the car waiting to drive you Ms. Daisy!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Maybe you should stay with me now." Eric offered.

"You know everything he said is true?" I said.

"Like what?"

"You were disappearing."

"I get busy Layla, I work a lot, I don't have time for a online or normal social life."