A Kiss

Kate's POV

At the moment, my heart is racing while we pull up to his parent's house.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the modest ranch-style house on top of the hill wasn't what I was expecting from his parents. As Clyde arrives at the end of the long driveway, I lean forward to take it all in. In the cold weather, the grass is starting to wilt, and there are trees and bushes along the property's edges.

At the front door, I watch Clyde's car parked in front, and as I walk over, the curtains fall back into place. I turn around to see Clyde rolling his eyes, making me laugh.

I take the wine out of the trunk, and Clyde takes the cupcakes and flowers out of the back. Then, we get out of the car. This year's holiday decorations are all around us as we make our way up the short driveway. Just as we're about to step onto the porch, it occurs to me that Clyde and I are supposed to be a couple and that we should probably be engaging in some physical affection, so I reach over and tuck my fingers into his arm. In the beginning, Clyde makes eye contact and looks down at me with wide eyes. My hand is resting in his arm's crook, and he looks down cautiously before straightening up and leading me inside.

"Mom!" Clyde yelled. "We're here."

He and his family descend on us during the introductions, and I smile while trying to keep track of everyone. Unfortunately, my knowledge of his extended family is limited to meeting his parents and Sheila, his sister. I see Clyde's mother smile as he presents her with the flowers, and then she turns to look at me with a knowing look. I smile back at her, and then she motions for me to follow her in the direction she is going.

Shortly, after entering the kitchen, I place a bottle of wine on a countertop. As soon as Mrs. Wilson arrives, she rushes toward me and cradles me in a bear hug. In the beginning, I'm taken aback, but I soon find myself in a good mood and hugging her back.

"Thank you for coming here, and thank you for the flowers, too!"After a wink, she turns to face the stove and begins to stir the pot.

I lean against the counter as Clyde rushes through the open door behind me.

"There you are," he murmurs.

"You found me, honey!" Once again, my words are met with Clyde's deadpan stare.

Because he appears to be wary of it, I can't help but tease him about it. "Don't you like it? But, wait, I'll try to think of the worst possible pet name. Um…how about Honey Bunny?"

"Honey Bunny?" A look of fury can be seen on his face.

I cover my mouth and pretend to cough as Clyde gets closer. When I look him in the eye, I can see him fighting the urge to smile as he looks down his nose at me. My head rests on his chest as I lean in and put my arm around his waist. Clyde stiffens at first before leaning in and holding my shoulders with his arm. He will have to work on his sweet-talking if we want to pull this off.

"How long have you been together?" Sheila wonders aloud as she enters the room with her infant son strapped to her hip.

"Seven months," Clyde and I both say.

"I see, my intuition told me that you liked her. When she started working for you, I could tell," his sister says as she places the baby in a highchair in a corner.

"Aw, sweetie, is that the case?"

Clyde's eyes dare me to do better with his gaze when he compliments me on my sweetie carving skills.

"Yes, sweetie. How could anyone dislike you, right? "Clyde response.

A low murmur comes from his sister, who says, "What was the first place he took you on a date?" she ask me.

"The first date was a business dinner, so it wasn't a date. We went out to dinner to celebrate our new contract. The moment I saw Clyde seated across from me, I knew he was the one."

While his mother and sister are engrossed in the tale, I feel queasy. I had high hopes of resisting the temptation, but it was impossible. Because Clyde doesn't share my feelings, I don't understand why. Because my smile is shaky, I excuse myself and proceed down the hall. Several of Clyde's aunts and uncles detain me en route, but I eventually locate the restroom and lock the door behind me.

As I lean against the door and close my eyes, I try to make sense of my emotions. As I contemplate returning to work on Monday and pretending nothing happened, my eyes well up with tears.

In stuttering, I heard a knock on the door and took a deep breath before responding.

"It's me, Kate. Open the door for me, please."

Taking a last look in the mirror, I make sure my eyes aren't too bloodshot before attempting to pry the door open. Instead, I see Clyde slamming the door shut and locking it behind him before turning back to look at me. His gaze travels over my features before he extends a hand to embrace me.

"Can you explain why you're crying?" Clyde asked in a worried tone.

"How did you know I was crying?"

"Your eyes turn red around the rims when you're sad." He said as he taps the left side of my lip.

"Oh…"

I'm surprised at how much Clyde has noticed about me. This is the only time that I've burst into tears in front of him.

"What's wrong with you? Is there anything you'd like to share?" Clyde asked.

"Um…it is just the sight of you and your family made me miss my own family."

Clyde's face contorts into a frown before tightening his grip on me. Then he whispers to her, "You can take an extra week off for Christmas."

"Clyde, you don't need to be alarmed. I will be fine." I said.

Because he is so attached to me, he doesn't let go of me. Instead, he begins to stroke my back with his hands. Indulging in his soothing presence, I lean closer to him.

After a few more seconds, I say, "We need to go back there."

Holding on to him will only make things more difficult for me. Clyde holds my hips as we stand in the small bathroom as if he's afraid I'll leave him behind.

"Are you sure you will be alright?" Clyde asked me again.

"I'm certain."

"Good. I don't like it when you're like that."

"Thank you, Clyde," I said, with my hands clasped behind my back.

"We need to go. I try to make light that your family might think we're having sex in this room."

Clyde grabs my arm, spins me around, and pushes me against the door as I try to get past him. I'm taken aback the moment his lips touch mine and his hands tangle in my hair. When the opportunity presents itself, he seizes it, slipping his tongue into my mouth and kissing me as if he's been waiting for me all his life.

"Some of us need to go to the bathroom, aren't there?" Sheila yells from the other side of the door.

As I scramble to straighten my clothes, I tear apart my braid and quickly re-create it. Looking at Clyde, I'm flushed, and my mouth is still swollen. Despite his confusion, Clyde opens the door, his hand on my waist as he leads me out of the bathroom and past his sister. There were just the two of us in that bathroom, and I understood that we had to act like a married couple in front of his family. So, what was the point of Clyde's passionate kiss on private?