I didn’t resist. Honestly, there was no reason to. Julie wasn’t a big fan of PDA. That meant you didn’t get a lot of kisses, or that...stuff.

“ Quite pent up, I see.” she smiled through her chestnut hair.

I made some very intelligent comment, like “Gnghhh..”

My head felt fuzzy. It was the middle of December out there, but my cheeks buzzed with the warmth of making out. Or love, whichever way you put it. I could vaguely grasp the geography of our bedroom. The bedside lamp by my side, the mirror on the wall across. But most of my focus was taken up by her. Julie hated it when I didn’t pay attention.
Her white nightdress hung dangerously on her shoulders. Her soft hands  were wrapped round my neck, pulling me into her lips.  Eight years and she still knew how to get me worked up.

Her hands trailed through my hair, leaving it as ordered as my high school dorm. I wished I had greater control over my respiratory tract, because I was choking on oxygen.

I really tried to hold myself back. But the game wasn’t anywhere near fair. The hemline of her dress clung closely to her knees. And it didn’t help that her skin was so chocolatey. (That sounded really possessive, but roll with it.)

“Julie..” I groaned as I wrapped my hands around her waist, burying my face on her neck.

In a split second, I realized what I had done.

“ Game over. “ the she-devil smiled.

I felt like banging my head on the wall, the drawer, anything, in fact. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What did you do, stupid me?

“ That wasn’t technically locomotion, for your info. I didn’t move my butt.”
“ We didn’t bet on moving butts. We talked ‘movement’. Keyword.” Julie pulled back, the space between us gnawing at me like frostbite.

“ Julie, please.”

“ We talked about this, Dave. You don’t move. I do.”

I wanted to point out that she couldn’t just order me around. But that would be a lie. She had me wrapped round her finger.

Besides, it was so unfair, this bet. Okay, I might have gone a little overboard in describing my inertness to sexual advances. But leaving things like this was absolute hell.

Julie straightened her gown. Now that she wasn’t nipping my neck, the mercury got to me. Vests and boxers weren’t the most warm clothes.

“You would catch a cold.”

“I might, if you don’t come back."

“ Fine. Don’t come running to me for tissues.”

I shuddered. Running noses without tissues was the sort of nightmare  that wetted your pants. That didn’t work. Now, plan two.

“ Honey, don’t do this to yourself. I know you were aroused. Come back here. Let’s have fun.”

“ Wow, you really are desperate today. Mr. High School Teacher, let me teach you something. Your sex potential doesn’t even rank in the top quartile of the country."

“ Hey, that was low. Don’t bring up the jobs. I don’t call you banana girl."

“ Dave White. For the seven hundredth time, I work at a food processing company. And bananas are not our only imports."

“ Yeah well, remind me again why we have a banana invasion in our refrigerator?”

“ We had a surplus!” Julie shouted.

“ That doesn’t mean you have to bring them home!” I felt my temper rising up.

“ At least that got me a promotion! I earn more than you, now.”

“ I earned more than you for the past eight years! I never used that as leverage!”

“ Yeah, right. That's because you..."

“ Dad, Mom. You are being too loud. “ sleepy eyes and tousled hair peeked in through the door.

Julie mouthed, You didn’t lock the door?

I mouthed back, I thought you did.

Julie face-palmed.

“ What are you two doing? “ Will yawned.

“ Nothing, honey. We we’re just talking about some business. Anyway, why are you still up?”

“I wasn’t. You guys woke me up. I thought you people were in danger!"

I switched on the bed light. Will had really come prepared. His potato gun was slung on his shoulders and a light saber hung on his pajamas.

“ That’s some ammo.”  I commented.

Julie glared at me. But, Will's eyes shone. That kinda made up for it.

“ You think so too? I thought I would bring my craft knife along. But you know, I read in this book that soldiers always travel light."

“Nicely done. The Army would be so proud.”

I wasn’t sure the Army would like someone in underwear endorsing for them. But.. I digress.

Julie looked like she couldn’t decide between yelling and handing us over to the police. She rolled her eyes like What are you doing?  I shrugged in reply, knowing it would annoy the soul out of her.

“ I am going to take a shower.” she marched past Will, leaving us together alone.

Silence. I straightened my vest, trying to look as fatherly as possible.

“ Is she angry?” Will asked.

I wanted to say, I dunno Will. She is just annoyed at me to the point she could rip my lungs out. Is that being angry?  But being an adult was a bit more than gaining access to alcohol. It came with responsibilities. That meant you couldn’t always say what you felt. Especially when it came to your own kid.

“ She isn’t mad at us, boy. Your mama just had a hard day at work.”

And a hard night too, I realized. Maybe, I had gone a bit far.

“Let’s get you to bed, lion.” I picked Will up, earning shrieks and giggles from him.

Fifteen minutes later, I had managed tuck him into bed on the condition that I would be his backup, if the Minotaur decided to attack. I had absolutely no idea why the Minotaur would attack NYC, by the way. But I hoped potatoes were super effective against mythical beasts.

By the time I was back in the room, Julie was already in bed. No surprise there, she probably didn’t want too much trouble in the middle of the night.

“ Joules, you up?”

I counted three. No reply.

“ If you are asleep, say so.”

“ You think I would fall for that?” a muffled voice replied from under the covers.

I grinned, climbing up beside her. It works every time.

“ Hey."

“ Dave. I told you. Its not gonna happen tonight.”

I raised my hands in surrender, “ I wasn’t making a move, honest.”

“ You want me to believe that? “ she snorted.

“ Yes. I know you would.”

I admit, I wasn’t the best guy out there. I did lie to Julie from  to time. But somehow,  she always knows when I am being earnest. I dunno how she did it, but I was glad someone could see through me.

“ What do you want, Dave?  I have morning shift tomorrow." she grumbled.

“ Just wanted to say sorry, you know. I know we had a deal. But we were in the middle of it and everything and you just stopped so suddenly... Anyway, I apologize."

I couldn’t see her face in the darkness, but I knew she was smiling that devilish smile of hers.

“ Huh, well. I suppose I could give you the benefit of doubt. When is Will's trip?”

“ The twentieth, I think. He has circled the date on his calendar. Only, it also includes the nineteenth and the twenty-first.”

Julie laughed. “ That’s him alright.”

I laughed too, thinking of the six-year old's antiques. With him around, you never really had a moment of boredom.

“ Tonight was close. I am glad he didn’t get to see his parents wrestling.”, Julie commented.

Suddenly, I was grateful for the darkness. I was sure my face was redder than a blushing tomato.

Julie yawned, “ You should get some sleep now. You are going to have a long, long night on twentieth, after all."

I was trying to fall asleep, but that line jerked me up.

“ W-what?  Joules, you mean.. "

“ Sleep.” she commanded, cuddling close to me.

A/N: Hey. This is my first try at romance. I have always been a bit interested in the Romance genre. But I also hate being cliche. That's why I never got down to writing romance. I was scared of making something totally ordinary  The theme's a bit mature, but I hope its good.
I am still editing. So let me know about mistakes.
Thanks to my friends from SAMOSA-SAN for helping me out. You guys rock.

Aidan-san Happy Birthday!  🎊🎂🎂
This one's to you.