JoAnne von Locke – how she loved that name – stared down at her Galahad as he had his eyes closed in contentment. She smiled and kissed his lips, and he returned it, also reaching his arms up and wrapping them around her bare back, pulling her back down to the bed. “I love you, you know that, right?”
JoAnne laughed lightly, “Of course, I do.” She glanced up at the clock. “We have to get ready for dinner with the captain.”
He moaned, not wanting to move from his comfortable position, “He can eat without us.”
“Alphonse, please. I got a dress just for the occasion.”
“The one in the white bag that you won’t let me see?” He sat up, curious.
“That’s the one. Now get dressed, lover, and go wait upstairs on deck. I’ll be up shortly.”
He kissed her again, and got up, while she gathered the sheets around her. She watched him dress, impeccably setting everything to a T. He looked so rich, so handsome, and she fell in love with him all over again. He smiled at her staring. “Do hurry, love,” he said, and kissed her, leaving her wanting.
He went up to the deck, to look out upon the sea. He wasn’t a contemplative man who thought about his past. But he did think about his future. He wanted children just as much as she did. He knew her home life when she was growing up was nothing to write home about. Her father had up and left them, his brother got into a severe car accident, leaving him wheel-chair bound. Her mother couldn’t handle everything and turned to drink, her brother soon after. So when the Arachnos recruiter smiled at her and told her he thought she’d make a great Night Widow, she ran from that horrible family life and into what she thought would be something better.
It didn’t quite turn out that way. But she was used to this abuse.
His hands gripped the railing tight. Not on his watch. Eighteen people she had on her list. Two of them needed to die. The rest…needed to learn what it was like to be part of a team. She had promised him the list, but hadn’t given it to him yet. As soon as they got home, he’d begin. After all, he didn’t have much time left.
“Alphonse?”
He turned around from the railing, and his jaw dropped to the floor. She wore a beautiful bright blue dress, with a thick strap on the left shoulder and sequins. The strapless part came down just enough to cover the lovebirds tattooed on her chest. If she bent forward, they would be seen, but as it was, the tips of the wings blended easily with the color of the dress. The dress hugged her tightly across her trim torso, waist, and hips, flaring out around her knees just enough to give her room to walk. The sequins came out from her right side, wrapping around her dress. She turned around, and the back dipped to just above her hips. She had pulled her hair up into a tight bun, so the dip in the back would be noticed and appreciated. She carried a small purse to match, and her heels were also of the same bright blue color and high enough to be seductive.”What do you think?” She looked at him coyly over her shoulder.
His body was like lead, but he forced it to move up to this beautiful creature, the woman who was his wife. He walked over, curled his arm around her waist, and looked down at her, love and lust vying for prominence in his eyes. “God, I love you,” he said, and kissed her deeply.
She parted from the kiss, and smiled warmly up at him. “I’m glad you like it.”
“So will everyone else.” His hand drifted down to her hips, and he felt a hole there. He dipped a finger into the hole, and it touched something hard, cold, and metallic.
He chuckled, and then she chuckled lightly also. “A girl can never be too sure,” she said, and kissed him gently again. “Come on, let’s get a good seat.”
They headed to the main dining area. The Captain’s table was clearly marked, and a couple of people were already there. The two walked over, and Alphonse held out the chair for her. The three women at the table gave her a dirty look, while the men stared open-mouthed as she fluidly took her seat. Alphonse kissed her, glanced at the men in turn to make sure they understood she was very taken, and then sat next to her.
Soon enough the captain arrived, and then so did dinner. Alphonse discussed his business holdings with another man there from Greece. The wife of the man turned to JoAnne. “Don’t you hate when they talk shop?”
“No, it doesn’t bother me,” she said.
“So what do you do, dearie?” the woman continued.
“I work with Arachnos,” she said, “The ruling group of the Rogue Isles.”
“Worked, love,” said Alphonse, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “She’s retiring.”
“Oh, what do you do there?”
JoAnne shrugged. “Little things. Make sure people have the right papers and things.”
“Oh, a secretary.” The woman then seemed to have dismissed her, which was all right with JoAnne. JoAnne listened to the other women talk. They talked about schools. Plants. Decorating. Dancing. One was taking up equestrian riding. Another was on a board of a local zoo. A third was a somewhat practicing attorney. JoAnne sat and stared at her dinner. Is this what rich women do all day?
Alphonse knew something was bothering JoAnne, and he would glance at her, squeezing her hand reassuringly every once in a while. She would give him a small smile, and then go back to contemplating her nails. None of them mentioned their children. None of them mentioned how proud or happy they were about their husbands. They were so self absorbed, talking just about themselves, even to each other. She didn’t like them. She didn’t want to be like them, either.
Finally, the band came onstage. Alphonse got up, holding his hand out for her. She got up with a smile, and Alphonse slowly directed her to the dance floor. They put their arms around each other and danced slowly. “What’s wrong, love?” Alphonse asked, kissing her bare shoulder as they moved.
“Those women…they were boring.”
“You won’t be boring, Jo,” he said, continuing to kiss along her shoulder and up her bare neck. Their dancing movements slowed, as he continued to kiss up her neck, to her cheek, and then their lips met, and they merely swayed with the music as their kiss became their own world, the music and their heartbeats filled minds. It didn’t matter to her anymore, about the women. She was his wife, and she was happy to be his, the mother of his children, his lover and caretaker. “I love you,” she whispered when they parted to breathe. She meant it with every bit of her being.
“And I love you,” he replied, and leaned forward. “Let’s go back to the room.” He kissed her ear.
She smiled, and nodded. Alphonse took her hand when the music was over, and started leading her off the floor. They went out into the night air, and there was more music coming from speakers all throughout the ship. Alphonse began to waltz with her, and she laughed, trying to remember the steps that seemed to come naturally to Alphonse. They moved about the deck, under the starlight, laughing like newlyweds without a care in the world.
They went back to the room, laughing and holding onto each other. Soon enough they were in bed, and Alphonse was getting stripped while he tried to figure out how to get the dress off. She undid it, and the dress dropped gently to pool at her feet. She stepped out of her heels, and stood before him only in a thong. He moved forward and pressed his hand against the material of the thong, and suddenly laughed. He hooked his finger around the front, and tipped the very top toward him. A small, thin blade peeked out from a pocket in the material. “Contraception?”
“A girl can never be too careful,” she purred.
Music: Take it to the Limit – The Eagles
Comments: This came from a line thrown by me, about where she could possibly keep Widows’ blades in a bikini.
Words: 1424.