“Nice try, Malachi!”
He holds a mid-sit-up position
with such confidence and ease.
I shake my head and roll my eyes.
“Stop showing off!”
“You love it!” Matt flexes his biceps,
still holding himself in a mid-sit-up.
I rest my hands on his chest
and gently push him backward.
Matt wraps his arms around me
in a full and strong embrace.
I let myself fall forward
as he falls back onto my bed.
I rest on top of Matt
like I’m the Sphinx,
and he is my limestone bedrock.
He lies there in surrender to me,
a cat that’s caught his prey.
Matt smiles as he looks up.
“What are you thinking, my little devil?”
“Wanna have sex?”
I ask him, half joking, half hoping.
I’m rocked by the vibration of
his howling laughter,
an earthquake of joy.
“No more procrastination...” He toys with me.
Without breaking eye contact,
Matt retrieves the long red strip of fabric
from behind his back and hands it to me.
He knows how to handle me.
