Chapter 34: In Which She Tries To Clean But He Distracts Her

Aurora looked at the sky and closed her eyes in exasperation.

She saw her mother’s text this morning after she had finished clearing up her clothes from the kitchen, while Theo was still in the shower.

Mother: Call me.

Those two words never failed to suck the life out of Aurora. Suddenly, she recalled how Theo had described his mother and chuckled. Her mother might just be the same.

She ignored the text and read the others.

When she returned to the office at nine, as Theo had miraculously predicted, she dove into her work, ignoring her mother’s text. But it was nagging at the back of her mind, refusing Aurora a sense of peace. By noon, she couldn’t take it anymore.

With a bleak mood, she exited the building, went across the street to the city’s park, took an empty bench in a secluded area and dialed her mother’s number. She answered in a ring and then berated her daughter for taking so long to return a simple call.

After calling Aurora a dumb girl who never did anything right, the older woman was finally satisfied and revealed the purpose of her contact.

“Got yourself another one, huh? It’s all over the gossip papers.” Her voice was as cold as Theo’s mother. But this one went straight into her heart.

Aurora cleared her throat and replied, “H-he’s different, mum.”

“Well, you said the same thing about the last one and look at what happened. We're not as stupid as you, Rory. We learn from our mistakes. This time, we’re going to see him and decide for ourselves.”

“But he’s busy,” Aurora quickly jumped in. There are so many reasons why she can’t bring Theo back to that place. The main one, of course, was that secret she just couldn’t bring herself to tell him, no matter how hard she tried.

“As busy as you, I suppose,” the voice in her ear sneered, jarring her back to the conversation. “I texted you yesterday and you responded only now. It’s already noon, how stupid can you get?” Her mother’s scratchy voice has always reminded Aurora of a witch’s cackle.

“I have to work to pay all the debts, right?” Aurora was getting annoyed.

“Don’t you give me that attitude! You know very well what you did and you’re making up for it.”

“I know that!” Aurora snapped. Her mother would jump at any chance to remind her of her mistakes. What kind of a mother does that? Why can’t she have a warm and loving mother, like she was looking at right now, playing ball with her little girl, wearing a golden smile.

Oh right, Aurora silently reminded herself with a wry smile. She didn’t deserve it.

“We all have twenty-four hours a day, Rory. So don’t tell me it’s not possible. I don’t know what the hell you’re doing with that precious time. As your mother, it's my duty to guide you. You’re going to arrange for the day and time and bring your man home.”

“Mum… please! I really can’t find the time. I’m working three jobs now.”

“No excuses, you hear me! Your brother’s future depends on this! You better get right to it. You owe us!”

Her brother’s future? Aurora widened her eyes in aghast, “Are you going to ask money from Theo? Mum, you can’t!”

“Shut up, you ungrateful girl! I was only trying to be a concerned mother, looking out for her stupid daughter, making sure that she doesn’t get her useless self cheated again. How dare you degrade me that way!” Her voice trumpeted as if she was put on a speakerphone.

Aurora exhaled wearily, “I’m sorry.”

The more she argues, the harsher she would be criticized. Aurora has heard some of the worst remarks coming from her mother. When she was younger, she had even imagined that she was adopted so she wouldn’t feel torn.

There was a brief silence on the other end and then her mother was back again in her usual, emotionless tone, “I want a date and time, Rory. ASAP. Don't be difficult.”

And she disconnected.

No warm goodbyes or well wishes. F*ck, she didn’t even ask how her daughter was doing.

Suddenly, Aurora missed the way Theo called her ‘babe’.


******


Theo was grinning like an idiot again.

They were back in his apartment. Aurora had finished her second job and was ready to start the third - and final one for the day - when Theo stopped her for some snacks and a chat.

It was then she told him that her family wanted to meet him.

“Can you make it this weekend?" She asked, then added almost immediately, "Oh! You'll be busy, right? I get it. I'll tell my mum--."

Theo rested a hand on her shoulder. "Babe, I'm free this weekend."

She leaned forward, "Don't you have meetings? Golf sessions?"

His left brow raised and he chuckled, "Why do I get the feeling that you don't want me to meet them?"

She backed away with a lengthy 'no' that ended with a high note, then stared at the fridge and stammered, "I just… I just didn't want to trouble you that's all."

"No trouble at all," he was unusually cheerful. "I'd love to meet my in-laws."

Aurora’s eyes flared with shock, then she threw her small fist on his huge biceps, "They're not your in-laws!"

Theo caught her wrist and pulled her forward down onto his lap, then wound his arms around her waist to keep her there. Face to face, he smiled at the redhead goddess glaring back at him and whispered, "Give me a kiss, Aurora."

She studied his eyes, her expression melting into a shy one, then gently took his jaw, tipped his chin and dipped her lips to mold perfectly onto his. She opened her mouth almost instantly and his tongue swept in for a velvety kiss.

When his hands started to glide towards her breasts, she hastily pulled away. Leaning against his forehead for support, she said in between her shallow breaths, "I need to work now."

"What time will you be done?" He breathed with his eyes close, trying to steady his pounding heart.

She grinned and quickly got off him. "As long as I need."


******


She only worked for an hour, then Theo came to her wearing only his white sweatpants.

One look was all it took and she was upon him, kissing him with the same hunger. He fell onto the couch, bringing her along. He sat like a king while she straddled him.

Her clothes quickly came off and he started caressing her breasts roughly with his hands, admiring the weight of them. She closed her eyes, savoring the lovely sensations he evoked in her, then leaned in to kiss the side of his neck, tracing its outline with her tongue and tugging his earlobe, pulling a sexy grunt from his throat.

He slipped a finger into her core and began to heighten her pleasure, while she lowered her hand to stroke his already hard length, until they both throbbed with need. Then in a swift motion, he entered her.

She let out a satisfied cry and hugged his neck as he moved her hips, up and down, to take him completely. Soon she was moving on her own, harder and faster, pulling him deeper and deeper into her, until they imploded with a firework of happiness.

Aurora collapsed against Theo. “You idiot,” she breathed into his ear.

He flipped her hair and kissed the side of her damp neck. “That was amazing, babe.”

She pushed herself off him and frowned at his smug face, “Stop seducing me. I told you I need to work.”

“I waited for you to finish, as you requested,” he countered with a chuckle, clearing her face of loose strands.

Something on the floor buzzed loudly, breaking their eye contact. Aurora saw her phone screen blinking furiously and scrambled off Theo, much to his dismay, and answered the call.

She should have checked the caller ID first, so she could avoid the call at all costs.

“So when is he coming over?” Her mother’s cactus voice pierced through the air.

Aurora groaned inwardly. “This weekend,” she muttered and pinched the flesh between her eyes. “For lunch.”

Theo circled his arms around her belly and pulled her back onto his lap.