Lorelei Wentworth 🍦 Alice Longbottom (harmonize) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2020-05-01 10:48:00 |
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The last weekend in April was their last (officially) "off-season" time, and it also usually conveniently fell around the time of both Foster's birthday (the twenty-fifth) and their dating anniversary (the twenty-eighth). Once May- and its warm weather- came around, they'd both be working seven days a week more often than not, so they had even more reason (or excuse) to celebrate together while they had ample opportunity to do so. Lorelei had told Foster that she was taking him out of town for the weekend, though she hadn't told him where, just that it was within three hours of Dunhaven. That wasn't a terribly helpful clue, all things considered, since that radius encompassed most of Eastern Virginia, nearly all of Maryland and Delaware, and a decent part of Southern Pennsylvania, too. They'd both taken Saturday off in anticipation of this trip, though neither were terribly quick to get out of bed on that third-to-last lazy morning allowed. Still, it was just after noon when they were finally on the bike and headed first west, and then eventually south through the Shenandoah Valley. They pulled up the hill to their Airbnb- their treehouse Airbnb- just before three o'clock in the afternoon. Foster pulled the bike in to park under the raised balcony, and Lorelei hopped off the back, unfastening her helmet and holding it in one hand, a giddy look of anticipation on her features. -- The weather had been favorably warm enough that Foster had been building business, and starting the kick off to the spring early that year. Still, he would pick up more hours over more days here in the next few months and work hard through the hot months of the year into fall. They usually sacrificed a little of their time together during the busy months, so Foster was more than pleased to spend as much time with Lorelei as possible while things were quieter. He hadn't been certain where Lorelei wanted them to go, but he didn't question it as they packed a small travel bag after a lazy morning in bed. It was already a good start to his birthday, just a week past her own. They usually took a trip - a long weekend - sometime around or between their birthdays, and that was a tradition he'd like to keep. Other people got summer vacations. They took a little time in April, even if not a full week. He hadn't known where they were going when they left, and still didn't fully, even as they started to slow their speed down a curving path, seemingly with the final destination in close reach. He had been reliant on Lorelei telling him directions through their radio. It had been a peaceful sort of ride with gorgeous scenery, and he still loved the rumble of that motorcycle and the feeling of her arms around him as they traveled. He had gotten a decent look at the magnificent tree house before them when they pulled in, but he parked beneath the raised balcony to shelter the bike. He released a low, appreciative whistle when he took off his helmet and stepped back to actually survey the house above, "Damn, that's impressive!" Foster broke out in a grin, ear to ear, as he looked over to his wife, "You seriously outdid yourself, babe. This is so freaking cool." -- With that pronouncement- and approval- Lorelei's smile brightened even further and she wrapped her arms around Foster's waist, hugging herself into his side. "I'm so glad you like it. And you haven't seen the views yet! I mean, technically I haven't either, except just in pictures, but still." They'd gone to a cabin in the middle of nowhere Northern Georgia for their honeymoon, where the only real qualifications for their choice had been total seclusion and a hot tub. This Airbnb also met those very stringent requirements. -- She stepped in close to him, and Foster wrapped an arm back around her, holding her close and pressing a kiss there to her lips in gratitude, "Even from down here, I can tell it's spectacular." He was certain that Lorelei had done her research, and she wouldn't have rented this place for them if it was anything less than what she wanted. He grinned, giving her a little squeeze, "I assume there's some kind of code they gave you to get us in? We should grab our bag and go check it out." -- Lorelei leaned up into the kiss, pressing up on her toes to meet him. She had settled back down when Foster said to grab their bag- currently tucked into the saddlebag compartment- so she stepped back to unfastened that and retrieve what they'd need. Their helmets could stay here- no one else was around for miles. "The code is 0810. They set it custom for us." Reaching a hand back for him, Lorelei led Foster to the stairs that stood at the back edge of the balcony. She took them two at a time, trusting him to keep pace, and all but skipped out to the front far edge, overlooking the valley and forest around them. And she… just stared, for several long moments. Finally, a slow exhale. "God, that's gorgeous." -- He shouldered that bag once she pulled it from the saddlebag, and grinned as she revealed the code, "That's awfully nice of them. It will be easy to remember." Their wedding anniversary would always be an easy to remember sort of day, after all. He took her hand and let her lead him up the stairs that he hadn't yet seen. Foster hustled to keep pace with her, right on up those stairs. The balcony was spacious, and it was easy to see why she'd fallen in love with those views just from a photo. He was certain that it was better in person as they were now. He glanced at her as they looked out over that balcony and grinned, "It certainly is. I've seen a lot of good views in my lifetime, but this one is certainly special." -- Lorelei was glad, at least, that Foster seemed eager enough to see the views that he was willing to keep pace with her. She sometimes was a... bit more... buoyant than he tended to be. But when he gave his assessment of that view, it took her a moment before she realized that... well, that he was just talking about her, instead. Lorelei's cheeks flushed a warm red as she took a step in closer to Foster, once again tucking herself into him, this time resting her head at his chest. "Oh, hush." It was a halfhearted argument at best. -- He smirked and pressed a kiss to her hair, though he stuck by his rather cliche remark. He gave a small hum as though he was thinking about her request for him to hush, "Maybe. I'll think about it." He gave her a small squeeze, actually looking out over the rather stunning view ahead of them, "This really is stunning, Lorelei. We're not crazy high up, but seeing this view at the rest of the trees and the mountains is really cool." Foster had always appreciated the outdoors, especially growing up in Colorado for as long as he had, even if the move to Dunhaven had taken place when he was eight. -- Foster had always been open with his attraction to her, and Lorelei liked to think, at least, that she returned such appreciations in kind. So she wasn't really upset or bothered by his words. She loved him to thoroughly ridiculous lengths, no matter what. "I'm glad you like it," she offered, finally. Looking up, she pressed a brief kiss just at the corner of his lips. "Happy first birthday as my husband." -- It was, of course, not their first birthdays shared together, but the first as a married couple. Those new-again firsts were still significant. He smiled and pressed another kiss more centered to her lips, "The first of many." He planned all the birthdays for the rest of his life to be birthdays shared with her. He could have stood out there kissing her on that balcony for a long time, but Foster grinned and squeezed her a little, "Come on. You've seen the pictures, but I still need to see the whole thing. Let's take a little tour." -- She gave a little nod, then extracted herself from him. Stepping aside, Lorelei walked to the nearest sliding glass door- there were several, with most of the house's living area oriented to take full advantage of that incredible view. She punched in the code, slid the door back, and stepped inside. The main area there was a kitchen straight ahead, with a long bar and stools on one side. To their left, a living room with a sofa and table, though notably no television. A door at the far end would lead to the bedroom. "There's a land line phone, but supposedly that's the only contact point with the outside world." -- Foster followed her lead, making their way into the house with that code set just for them. He was already feeling relaxed in this little tucked away paradise. Foster likely wouldn't have even had a phone if not for his family and his business, and he didn't have social media until he'd met Lorelei. He didn't dislike it, per se, but he often forgot about it unless there was something involving her for him to pay attention to. So, being cut off from the outside world didn't exactly bother him. It didn't matter that they didn't have the ability to watch a movie or connect or the internet. In fact, "That's kind of perfect. An unplugged weekend away. Though, should we have brought groceries?" He figured they could go back into the closest town if need be or use that land-line to order food, but he didn't know that anyone would deliver way out here. -- Lorelei didn't mind that she was more... socially-minded than Foster, since he didn't seem to begrudge indulging her in it, from time to time. Still, she very much enjoyed the disconnecting, too, especially when she got to do so with him- and this weekend had been the perfect excuse to have a mini honeymoon reprise. "Way ahead of you," Lorelei replied, grinning as she stepped into the kitchen and opened both doors of the fridge. As promised by their unseen hosts, food enough for two for the weekend- mostly grilling meats and the like, though also a little cheesecake with chocolate drizzle- was already placed inside. -- Foster grinned as she opened the fridge to reveal food for the two of them, mostly ingredients that he could see that they could use to cook and make an easy meal together, "Well, you've just thought of everything." It had to have either been provided by the host or a grocery delivery service, but either way, it would be well worth it. "We're having just cheesecake for dinner, right?" It was a teasing question. Foster would be happy to grill up some steaks or chicken for them along with the cheesecake, but he couldn't resist the joke, especially on his birthday. -- "I mostly just didn't want you to have to worry about anything," Lorelei admitted, shutting the fridge and giving a little shrug. "Not on your birthday, especially." Though she was… 98% certain that he'd asked that in jest, Lorelei still nodded. "I mean, you're the boss today," she gave a playful little salute. "I will happily fall in line." -- He appreciated her forethought, and Foster smiled even as she closed the fridge, "By the looks of things, this weekend will be filled with optimal relaxation. We'll be eating well, and the weather should be good enough for us to have meals out on the balcony." He chuckled when she said they'd have cheesecake if that's what he wanted, but he leaned in and pressed a playful kiss to her lips, "We'll do some grilling. And then cheesecake." With a small smirk and a gentle squeeze of her ass, he nodded ahead of them, "I think I see the bedroom, for the next leg of our tour." -- She grinned there against his lips, leaning up into his kiss, the feeling as natural and familiar as breathing. A little nod, and she stepped away to head over toward the bedroom. This room, too, faced out toward the balcony and the view- but it was the bed that drew Lorelei's attention straight away. With a giddy little laugh, she skipped across the room and more or less threw herself onto it, landing on her back with a self-satisfied grin. -- The bed was raised and spacious, and he laughed as Lorelei spotted it and then all but launched herself off the floor into it. She landed on her back, bouncing just a tad. Not for the first time, Foster thought to himself that she was dangerously cute and sexy all at the same time. It was a potent combination. "You look very comfortable," Foster told her with a grin before joining her up on the bed. He flopped with a little less bounding, but his height meant he didn't even have to jump to do so. He gave a soft hum, "It's as cozy as it looks." -- "I am," Lorelei agreed, hands up in her fanned-out hair, wiggling a bit as if to settle in to the mattress some more. But then Foster had joined her there, which bounced her up just slightly, but she just used that would-be momentum to slide a bit closer to him. "I'm glad you approve. It would have been a very sad weekend to keep this bed all to myself." -- "We can't have that. There are no sad away weekends together. Especially not in April," Foster insisted, though he wasn't fool enough to say they would never have a sad April day. They could certainly do their best to ensure otherwise, though. Foster put his arm around her, holding her close, "We're definitely sleeping in tomorrow. I'm calling it." -- "The month of Foster and Lorelei." Her hand rested between them at his chest, fingers splaying. And when Foster said they were sleeping in, she couldn't help but brighten a bit. He was an earlier riser than she was, most days, so the chance to stay there in bed well past the sunrise with him still beside her… Bliss, really, and nothing short of that. "Yes, please and thank you." -- It had been their month, perhaps individually for their birthdays before they met, and the anniversaries they shared since then had just made the whole month mean something even more. He knew that he often got up before maybe she really would want him to, even on their days off, but he did see the merit in staying wrapped up together as long as they dared some mornings. "We'll get up and have a late brunch, maybe. That sounds like an appropriately relaxing start to the day," Foster suggested, wondering if maybe they had the fixings for mimosas too. -- He had his reasons for getting up early, and it wasn't as if Lorelei held any sort of ill feeling against Foster for it. Even when she got up early, they still were rarely doing so to be together. But their differences made them work just as much as their similarities did. They complimented one another. "Topless brunch out on the balcony?" Lorelei asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. "I will if you will." -- When she suggested they make that brunch topless, he was more than eager to agree. He had pulled back just a little to look at her more properly, a devilish grin on his lips, "You have yourself a damn deal, Wentworth." Grinning, but not getting up from the bed, Foster asked, "What other sort of amenities does this tucked away paradise have to offer?" -- Lorelei admittedly still got a little bit of a giddy rush every time Foster called her by that shared name. She used it every day and was more than accustomed to it by now, but... still. It was theirs. "I mean, there's all kinds of trails to go exploring, and there's no other ambient light around for stargazing at night. There's an extra-wide hammock hanging from underneath the balcony outside, too," she offered, then paused, pretending to think for a longer moment, "oh! And a hot tub." -- The trail walking and stargazing sounded perfect, as did the hammock but Foster brightened even more at the promise of a hot tub and gave a happy sort of sigh, "This is more or less Honeymoon 2.0, and I love it." After a moment of consideration, he added to the agenda, "Maybe hot tub tonight after dinner. Hopefully there will be a good breeze." -- "I didn't think you would mind," Lorelei offered, "and it's a bit closer to home." Not so close that it didn't still feel like a getaway, but not so far that even a short weekend wasn't worth it. "But if you don't want to come back here for Honeymoon 3.0, I'm sure we can find similarly accommodated places to explore." Leaning in to kiss him again, slowly and lingering, Lorelei finally gave a little nod against his lips. "That sounds perfect. I brought the blue bikini." -- He nodded a little and then added, "We'll get through this weekend before we decide whether or not we want to come back, but so far I really love it." The privacy was fantastic, and he had to admit that it was really nice that the groceries had been provided. They would see how the comfort of the bed panned out tonight, and if there were any other things they absolutely loved or wished were different. He leaned into that kiss, happily receiving it, and smiled a little there against her mouth, "I love that bikini on you." He kissed her again for good measure, though he couldn't help but cheekily add, "And off of you, for that matter." -- She loved that cheeky side of him, perhaps most especially because Lorelei knew it was something that Foster reserved solely for her. "I'm sure you'll get to enjoy it both ways," she offered, grinning a little bit. "After all, it doesn't say 'Foster leave this one on.'" -- He gave a hum of approval and added, "That's my favorite kind." It had been a long running gag between the two of them, but she'd never actually had anything that said for him to leave it on. He'd know because he'd given her a tiny personalized pin a long time ago that she could add to anything that didn't warrant his removal. She'd never used it. He didn't even know where it was now. -- Lorelei was fairly certain that pin had been left behind among her things at her parents' home when she'd moved in with Foster. She'd never had, nor expected to have, occasion to use it. "I think the tour is just about finished," she offered, after a moment. "But... we don't have to get out of bed if you don't want to." It was still his birthday, after all. -- He was quite comfortable, and he enjoyed being this close to her. They had a little time before they would need to begin preparing whatever they might fix for dinner, and Foster just leaned in closer to press another lingering kiss to her lips, "I'm very comfortable right here for now. We can explore the rest of the house later." -- She had, however selfishly, hoped that Foster might give that precise answer. Lorelei leaned in, returning that kiss, letting the touch linger even when she finally did need to breathe again. Her hands had both moved between them to rest on his chest, but one then slid up, fingers gently brushing over his jawline and then just to carefully cup his cheek, that familiar stubble rough yet oddly comfortable against her skin. "If there's anything else I can do to make your birthday better..." -- That quiet offer was all that Foster needed to solidify the idea of staying in bed for at least the next hour or so. He smiled, turning his cheek just a little to press a kiss into her palm, "I can think of a thing or two." Regardless of what they did or where they went, every birthday was a good birthday as long as he got to spend it with Lorelei. He could only imagine that would remain true in the years to come, for as long as forever lasted. |