Sign On The Dotted Line

Chapter 18

Claire

I heard my alarm go off on the nightstand beside me. I reached over and without opening my eyes and turned the annoying sound off. Beth was still asleep beside me, so I got off the bed carefully, not wanting to wake her up.

I padded barefoot into the kitchen, with a grimace on my face as I felt the cold tile under my feet. I loved my job, I did, but the call times were killing me. After putting fresh coffee beans in the coffee maker and switching it on, I made my way back into my room to start getting ready.

Beth was still curled up in a ball, her hair a beautiful mess against the pillow and her face peaceful. I couldn't help myself and climbed back into bed, my spot was still warm even though I was gone for a couple of minutes. I scooted closer and wrapped my arm around her, reveling on how well our bodies fit together.

Beth moved closer to me and wrapped my arm tighter against her. Whether or not she meant to, I didn't care as I snuggled closer with a smile on my face. We stayed in this position until I finally decided to get out of bed and I fought the urge to want to kiss her on the cheek as I untangled myself from her.

* * * * *

When I got out of the shower, Beth wasn't in bed anymore but I heard music playing softly in the kitchen.

I walked into the kitchen while I dried my hair with a towel. Beth was in front of the stove, wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts. She swayed her body to the music playing in the background as she flipped an omelet, "Oh yeah!"

I laughed as I stood beside her, "can I help with anything?"

"Good morning!" She smiled at me and fixed my hair, "Your hair is a mess," she laughed. "Do you want to get started on the pancakes?"

I moved around her to put little pancake batter circles in the pan next to Beth. I looked over at the omelet in her pan and remembered her flipping it before I walked into the kitchen. "What are the chances that I can flip this batch?"

She glanced over at me, "you won't." She flipped the egg in her pan, adding to the insult, "not everyone has this gift."

I scoffed, "I bet you I can."

She gave me an unimpressed look, "bet taken. Loser owes the winner dinner."

I loosened up my arms, for no particular reason and shook the pan to make sure the bottom didn't stick. "Get ready for greatness," I said as I lifted the pan up.

We both watched as 3 half-ready pancakes sailed through the air. 2 landed safely into the pan and the last bounced off of my forehead, then back into the pan.

I turned to her, with raw pancake batter on my forehead then set the pan back down, "told ya." I have the worst hand-eye coordination so how I managed to pull that off, I have no idea. But that will probably be one of the greatest moments of my life.

Her mouth was wide open at what she just witnessed. She shook her head and pointed to the pan, "that soooo doesn't count."

I wiped the batter off my forehead with the back of my hand, "why not!"

She chuckled as she helped me get some batter I missed on my forehead, "because your foreheard alley-ooped it into the pan."

I frowned, "it was an assist and they all ended up in the pan." I put my hands on my hips and smirked, "you never said it had to be a clean flip. I just had to get them all to land in the pan."

She scoffed and turned back to her pan, "you're the biggest cheater."

I put my pan down on the stove and moved around her, "And you owe me dinner," before I could stop myself I placed a quick kiss on her cheek.