Maid for Each Other

by Lynn Painter

The words spilled out before I could stop them. “You are stunning,” I said, my eyes drinking in a sight I hadn’t been prepared for.

“For a felon,” I added, unable to help myself.

But as soon as I stepped onto the sidewalk, five warm fingers slid between mine and it did something to my stomach.

“Oh, honey,” he said, and dear God he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

Folded like a freakin folding chair

“So I’m all in the zone when I hear, like, slipping. Like the sound of someone losing their footing. I turned around—I was smart enough to pause my treadmill first—just in time to see Dexxie fall and then get shot right off the back of his treadmill.” “Abi—” he interrupted. “Thankfully he was in the last row, so he hit the wall instead of another person, right? I mean, he’s a big boy—he could’ve really taken someone out.” His parents were laughing, the loud, head-thrown-back kind of laughter that couldn’t be faked. “So I jumped off my machine and ran over, asking him if he was okay as he lay there, all sprawled out like a big, clumsy puppy. His backside actually put a hole in the drywall, which must’ve hurt, but he was tough about it and climbed to his feet all on his own.”

HAH ABI-

“You better look me in the eyes when you’re saying things like ‘forty K,’ honey.”

“Shut. Up,” she very nearly shouted at me, her eyes huge. “Are you serious right now?” “Please don’t yell at me, but yes. I am.”

“Please don’t yell at me” Dex you’re so cute

Her hair was sticking up everywhere, and she was wearing black pajamas that had pictures of her face all over them. I knew I should let it go because something told me she’d be pissed if I laughed at her, but I said, “I like your narcissistic pajamas.”

“Okay,” she said. “Well, be careful on the treadmill.”

HAH. Abi you’re hilarious.

he is ridiculously gorgeous,

I couldn’t have him glaring at me, the perfect girlfriend, so I whispered, “You’re cute when you’re serious.” And I dropped a kiss on the tip of his nose.

“For the most beautiful girl in the room,” I said, meaning that part of it. She was just so fucking alive that she very nearly glowed.

SHUT UP. FOLDING CHAIR

She let out a little breathless laugh at our inside joke that made me want to make her do it again, and I couldn’t stop myself from dropping a kiss on the side of that long, exposed neck that had driven me crazy since she’d shown up in my closet holding her sweater together with her hand.

EEEEEEEK

The day was perfect. So perfect that I ended up accidentally kissing her.

“I hate Doug.” Dex looked down at me and said with ferocity,

Dex held the box so I could use both hands to open the book, and when I pried the sides apart, there was a tiny folded piece of paper inside. I unfolded it, expecting a printed fortune, but instead found a book quote. In the prettiest handwritten font. You have bewitched me, body and soul

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

I wanted, so badly, to close my eyes and rub my cheek against his big hand. But instead I said, “You’ll get over it.” “I won’t. I can’t.” As if reading my mind, he stroked his fingers against my cheekbone and said, “Because I’m in love with you, Mariano.”