"Wow. I like the sound of that." As she drove off, Jackson wondered again about what Connor said. What if he had met her years ago? Was he just biding his time waiting for her to come into his life, or did she come into his life when he was finally ready for her?
Jackson arrived at Elisabeth's a few minutes after 9:00. There was no strange car, so he assumed the patron had already left. The door was open, so he entered without ringing the bell. A chair sat in the middle of the living room with a 'Happy Birthday' balloon tied to it. Elisabeth yelled from the kitchen, "Sit down, shut up and keep your hands to yourself."
"What the hell?"
She bellowed, "Do it!!"
"Fine." He held his hands up and obeyed.
Her hand appeared at the kitchen doorway holding a remote control. Music began to play, and with the first chord, Jackson recognized the accompaniment to Etta James' "At Last".
When Elisabeth shimmied through the doorway, he gasped. A rhinestone barrette held her hair in a messy updo. The full-length, sequined halter gown she wore clung to every curve and sported slits on both sides clear up to the hip. Six inch high strappy heels adorned her feet. Crimson painted toes and fingernails matched the gown perfectly. Slithering across the room, she sang in her most sultry voice. She danced around him, running her hands over him, at times tickling his ear with a sexy whisper. He tried to grab her once, but the offending hand was swatted away. She straddled the chair as she belted out the last note. With a husky breath, she dropped to his lap, dove both hands into his hair and pulled his head back, planting a hard kiss on his lips.
Jackson inhaled deeply. "Now, here's a present I can't wait to unwrap." Elisabeth blushed causing him to laugh. "You just gave me a lap dance, and my comment is making you blush?" He picked her up over his shoulder, and carried her fireman style to the bedroom.
***
When Elisabeth woke, Jackson was propped on his elbow watching her. "That was the best birthday ever."
"I'm glad you liked it."
He nuzzled her neck with his nose, "You realize you set the bar pretty high for next year."
"Well, I have a whole year to figure that one out." Brushing the hair from his forehead, she asked, "Will you sit for me today?"
"Sure."
They brought a wing chair from the living room into the studio, and Elisabeth positioned him sitting back with one ankle on the other knee, his hands resting on the arms of the chair.