Wine and the Moon
Chapter 19: Wine and the Moon
“Take another drink.”
Ira was half seated in a slight angle on Tawan in a lawn chair, her arm circled around her shoulders. Tawan had one arm snaked around her waist and the other resting on her knees over her lap. She leaned into Ira's comfort as she held the glass to her lips so she could take a sip after having finished her glass a moment ago.
They had finished dinner about 30 minutes ago and left the twins to some cartoons in the living room while they stepped into the backyard for some alone time. Today’s rough start to the week for Tawan warranted getting a little wine drunk. So, Ira insisted they do something they used to do all the time when they started dating - drink wine under the stars.
Tawan did not hesitate to grab one of their favorite bottles and two wine glasses.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Tawan teased, her eyes a little low with a lazy smile. She turned her head and pressed a kiss to her exposed chest in her tank top.
“I don’t ever have to get you drunk for that,” Ira teased back, making them both giggle as she turned to set her glass down on the table.
Tawan let out a sigh, one of comfort and relief, then pulled Ira impossibly closer in their embrace. She rested the side of her head against her exposed shoulder and drew lazy circles on her hip where she held her. Ira looked down at the back of her head, smiling as she rested her cheek on top of her head and ran her fingers through her hair.
It was times like these where her, albeit small, insecurity of being a few centimeters taller disappeared when it made her wife feel more safe and secure. Tawan comes off as this tough, stoic person to most people, but Ira knew her vulnerabilities and would make her crumble under her care.
“I think we’re overdue for a family beach vacation,” Ira mumbled against her hair, kissing it a few times. “Me and you especially need to get away for just us.”
“Hmm, yeah,” Tawan mumbled near her heart. “Where to?”
“We can go south or do we want to go to Europe or the US or somewhere else?” She posed, resting her chin at the top of her head.
“I kind of like the idea of Greece,” Tawan said, scratching lazily at her lower back.
“Oooo, yes! I like that idea,” Ira agreed, playing with the ends of her hair. “Maybe Mykonos or some other island or all of them if we have the time.”
“Lesbos,” Tawan smirked then kissed her chest again.
“Nerd,” Ira giggled as she attacked her chest now.
“Give me a kiss,” Tawan smiled devilishly, gripping her thigh and waist now to keep her close.
Ira was holding the back of her neck with one hand and pressing the other to her chest to keep her away. “Say please,” she teased, reaching up to squeeze her cheeks.
“Please,” Tawan laughed, rolling her eyes and leaning up again.
“Please what?” Ira teased more, gripping her collar now.
Tawan, eyes on Ira’s mouth, was so close to her face now that there was mere millimeters between their lips. Ira was looking at Tawan’s hooded eyes, licking her lips at the way she was being devoured with just her stare. If there was on thing her wife was good at that made her stomach flutter, it was how much she always seemed to yearn for her and especially with just a look.
“Please give me a kiss,” Tawan said hotly near her mouth, eyes never leaving her lips.
“Pretty please?” Ira said, puling her closer by her collar and turning her head to be eye level.
Tawan growled at her still teasing her and Ira grinned as she slowly leaned over to capture her lips. Her wife was clearly being fueled by her two and a half glasses of wine because Ira was finding it difficult to keep her at bay by her collar. She slid her hand up to her jaw to give herself some control, but lust soon took over so she slid her hand around to grab the back of her head to pull her closer and tangle her fingers in her hair.
Tawan slotted her lips across Ira’s as she sat up a little, running her hand up her back to grab and trap her at the base of the back of her neck. She pulled her down closer to deepen their kiss, eliciting a moan from her that made her smirk. Just as she started to run her other hand up the back of Ira’s thigh to under the small shorts she was wearing, Ira reached her hand over and began unbuttoning the rest of the buttons of her dress shirt.
“Mommy!”
Ira yelped and grabbed Tawan’s hand, that was now gripping at her butt under her shorts, to remove it and jump up from her seat. She waved at her burning skin, a blush creeping up her neck to her face & ears, and walked around the low brick wall to see Sammy standing by the back door. He looked nervous from how dark it was outside, the only light around being from the kitchen shining through the glass door and the outside motion light they were sitting by.
Ira smiled as she walked up to him and turned him around by the shoulders to head back inside, scratching her fingers at the back of his head. He wanted to know if they could have some juice while they watched cartoons. Ira gave Star, who was already in the kitchen, a thumbs up.
“One more episode then off to bed. We will come tuck you in,” Ira instructed, raising a finger at them before sliding the back door closed again.
Ira walked back over to where Tawan was to find her drinking another glass of wine and staring up at the moon. She had lowered the back of the lawn chair down some more so she did not have to strain and crossed her bare feet at the ankles. Ira thought she never looked more handsome and beautiful and powerful to her than right now.
Still in her work clothes of a white dress shirt with most of the buttons (now) unbuttoned, her slim navy blue dress pants, and her hair a little wind blown.
“Are you comfortable?” Ira asked, sliding in beside her to lay her head on her shoulder.
“I am now,” she answered, wrapping her arm around her shoulder and kissing her forehead. “Are they okay?”
“Yeah, they just wanted some juice,” Ira mumbled, nuzzling the side of her face into her shoulder and tangling their legs together.
“I lost to juice,” Tawan chuckled, setting her glass down in the floor.
“Lost what?” Ira asked, pulling back to look at her.
“My mission up your shorts,” she replied and quickly grabbed her wrist.
“Pervert,” Ira laughed and tried to free herself, earning her wife’s hearty laugh.
Tawan started kissing her cheek then her jaw before finding her lips. Ira smiled against her mouth, kissing her a few times before sitting up some to palm her jaw and lean down to deepen their kiss. They could not have dreamed of a more perfect moment that captured just who they were.
Limbs tangled together, kissing under the moon and stars, and tasting their favorite wine mixed with a familiarity of the other that could not be replicated or matched. Ira pecked at her lips, slowly as if to tell her to always remember this, then laid back down to look at her.
“I’m serious about us getting away for a while,” Ira said quietly between them, reaching over to gently run her hand over the side of her head.
Tawan stared into her eyes in thought. “January. New Years?” She posited, slowly smiling.
“New York?” Ira suggested, grinning with her tongue between her teeth.
“It’ll be cold,” Tawan reminded her.
“I always wanted to be in New York when it snowed,” she insisted, leaning over her again.
“Whatever you want, my love,” Tawan chuckled as she watched her lean back down to her again.
Ira pressed her lips to the mole on her cheek gently then the corner of her mouth a little more harder. Tawan smiled and she turned her head as she reached up to kiss her, pressing her lips as hard against hers as she could at that angle.
She meant every word she said and would talk to Mali about making sure Ira had no work scheduled around that time so she could sneak her off for two weeks somewhere far away from their responsibilities so they could recharge and reconnect. This also meant booking that family trip to a beach in the spring or summer to spend time together and make some more family memories.
“It’s been a long time since we did this,” Ira said, settling back into her spot.
Tawan held her by her shoulders again as she snuggled back into her. “That’s my fault for always being so busy with work,” she said, kissing between her eyebrows in apology.
Ira rested into her shoulder and placed her hand on her stomach. “That’s in the past. We’re making up for it now,” she assured her, buttoning up a few of her shirt buttons.
“I don’t say it enough, but you are the best wife in the world,” Tawan boasted, grabbing her hand to hold.
“Present company included,” Ira told her and kissed her jaw. She turned her hand over to thread their fingers and stare at their joined hands.
Tawan smiled when she looked down to see Ira’s thumb rub against hers just as she started to tell her about some meetings she had that afternoon.
Mali had called her last night to tell her that a makeup brand wanted her to be the model for a presentation at the mall. It was one of the major brands, so if all went well then she had a shot at booking more work with them. The other meeting was a previously scheduled one for a skincare brand that wanted her for a commercial and billboards.
Both went very successful and she felt confident in accomplishing all their needs.
“Star is going to think she is actually a princess once her mother becomes more famous,” Tawan gently teased making them both giggle.
“Well, then I will have to remind her that we are still far away from even being close to that,” Ira said amused.
“I’m so proud of you, babe,” Tawan boasted again, chest puffing out some. “Look at you having your face around the city, walking a runway in Paris, dazzling major luxury brands with your personality, and now being on national television.”
“You’re so sweet,” Ira cooed and sat up again to kiss her a few times. “Thank you, baby.”
“I might have to get you security, though,” Tawan stated, cupping her cheek as she looked up at her. “Can’t have too many people touching you and bothering you.”
“Darling,” Ira laughed and looked at her like she was crazy. “Be serious. Its not like I’m a pop star or some famous actress or something. I’m just a regular person.”
“Now you be serious, my love,” Tawan persisted, eyeing her the same as she caressed her thumb over her cheek. “It doesn’t matter the industry, popularity is popularity. If one person likes it then it has the potential to become a phenomenon. For fans, an idol is an idol.”
“I’m not an idol,” Ira said pointedly, trying to shrug her insistence off.
“Yet,” Tawan placated, retracting her hand to raise her finger in defense. “You could be one, one day. You never now. That’s all I’m saying.”
Ira lightly groaned and plopped her head back on her shoulder. “Tawan, I appreciate you hyping me up like this, but with my age the possibilities of me creating a fanbase like that are almost zero,” she said, frowning some and fidegting with a button on her shirt.
It was Tawan’s turn to roll her eyes, always fascinated at how blind her wife could sometimes be about her runway beauty, charming personality, and enchanting ability to hold any person who gravitated close to her orbit’s fascination. She was always the life of the party, patrons being magnetized to her energy, which made it easier for Tawan who hated most social gatherings.
It was why they fit so perfectly together, because Ira was able to give Tawan energy to mingle while Tawan was able to settle Ira as the event headed towards the end.
There was also a reason why all the younger employees at her job thought her wife was one of the coolest and hottest models at the moment.
“That’s what you think,” Tawan muttered and grabbed her hand to hold again. “Weeks ago one of our writers covered a story about a 46 year old, semi-retired model that got a renaissance of sorts when she went viral for her beach vacation pictures."
Ira, staring down at their joined hands, was concentrating on what she was saying as her interest was piqued now. Tawan was starting to sound like how she did when she was reviewing a hard hitting story from the news to her.
"One of the pictures was of her wearing a one-piece with a caption saying something along the lines of her being told by booking agents she couldn’t do beach shoots well anymore," Tawan continued, smiling as she recounted the story while staring up at the stars. "She looked fantastic and a lot of women let her know just as much because they were inspired by her. It started a lot of body positivity conversations, like, people were actually talking about how we should love our bodies more and thank them for getting us as far as they have.”
Ira knew who she was talking about but still shrugged. “What are you saying?” She asked.
Tawan sighed, amused, and squeezed her hand. “You…you just never know what can happen. That’s all I’m saying, baby,” she replied, smiling and leaving it at that.
Ira, head on her chest now, was deep in thought about everything she had said. She knew she was doing great for herself given the trajectory of her career thus far, but she never dreamed of what Tawan could foresee for her. Ira was perfectly fine with booking consistent medium sized deals as they would more than support her family.
However, it seemed that she was not aiming high enough for herself since Tawan was already in the stars. She started to smile at how Tawan thought so highly of her and her abilities.
Ira sat up to look down to her, deep in her eyes. “I love you,” she whispered.
Tawan smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. “I love you more. Shoot for the stars,” she said and cupped her cheek again.
Ira leaned down and kissed her, hoping she felt how truly appreciative she is of her. Her wife made her feel like she could run through a brick wall if she had to. After all, it was the reason why she went back to work in the first place. Though she had to make the decision, it was very easy to do when she had so much love and support from her loved ones to back her.
Tawan was such a major contributor to that source of strength and confidence.
“We need to...put the...kids to bed,” Ira informed between kisses, slowing them down to pull apart. “Sammy requested for you to read the bedtime story to them.”
“That’s really your expertise,” Tawan said, uneasy at the thought.
“They want you,” she told her, wiping her lips for her and patting her chest before standing again. “He says he likes the voices you do.”
“Really?” Tawan said, frowning both in amusement and disbelief.
“Last night when you were in the shower he said he liked the way you did the mouse’s voice while I was gone,” she supplied and extended her hand to her. “Come on."
“Really?” She smiled now in thought, looking off to the side.
“Oh, don't be so modest, Tawan,” her wife said, rolling her eyes and smacking her lips.
“I just thought you were better, I swear,” she chuckled and sat up in her seat. “I love your little baby bunny voice.”
“Whatever,” Ira mumbled, rolling her eyes and shaking her extended hand to her. “Come on. I guess I get to witness these infamous animal voices tonight. No pressure, babe.”
Tawan grabbed her hand and kissed it as she stood. “I know I can’t compete with you,” she said and winked as she threaded their fingers.
Ira rolled her eyes again earning a laugh from deep within Tawan’s belly. They headed inside, hand in hand, to get their children ready to tuck into bed.
Tawan cleared her throat as if she was preparing for a performance making Ira stifle a snort laugh into her hand. She heard her and quickly snaked her arms around her waist, fingers still interlocked, to hold her from behind to attack her neck with kisses. Ira laughed out loud, squirming for an escape as Tawan tickled her with kisses and now fingers along her ribs.
They knew then that whatever the rest of the week brought they could handle it together.