Read Online Circuit Of Heaven by Dennis Danvers - Free Book Online
Authors: Dennis Danvers
Tags: Science-Fiction, Fantasy
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that he was going to be alone with Justine.
“Thank you for a wonderful evening,” Justine said to Nemo’s mom and dad, who now rose to their feet, nodding and smiling and saying their goodnights in a daze. She stayed right beside Nemo as they worked their way to the door where Nemo hugged Mom and shook Dad’s hand and went out into the moonlight and cicadas. She took his arm again, and they walked the three blocks to the Metro station before either one of them said anything.
“Why’d you do that?” he asked.
“Because they were pissing me off. That pompous ass baiting you, and your mom and dad letting him.”
Their train rolled into the station, and they got on a car with a few dozen people on it. They sat down close together, side by side. As the train pulled out of the station, he said, “You didn’t have to do that.”
She laughed. “You just don’t get it, do you?” She took his hand and squeezed it. “I like you. I wanted you to take me home.”
They rode through the night, the moon high and full and bright, holding hands all the way to D.C. He thought, I must be dreaming, and in a way, he was.
3
THOUGH NEMO DIDN’T SAY TWO WORDS TO JUSTINE on the train, he held her hand, stared at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice. Just as she was doing to him now, studying his profile as he gazed out the window, apparently deep in thought. He’s attracted to me, she thought. That’s clear enough. But she hoped it was more than that. She liked him. His dark, deepset eyes had frightened her at first; his intensity had made her uneasy. But there was a fundamental kindness beneath all that thoughtfulness. She’d liked him immediately, instinctively. When she first laid eyes on him, she wanted to know him. And he wanted to know her—she was sure of it—in spite of his silence now.
She couldn’t help noting the irony. She’d met someone in the Bin, but he was only here twice a year, as rare as a solstice. He’d chosen to live outside for seven years. She didn’t know why, though she’d been searching for clues all evening. Before he arrived, his parents cautioned her that their son held “radical views,” but they hadn’t elaborated, and she’d just nodded and smiled, not knowing it would matter to her. Her own reasons for staying out were vague and insubstantial, but his feelings must be stronger than that to keep him out for seven years. Stronger than any attraction he might have for me, she thought. But we’re just spending the evening together. What can be the harm in that?
He turned from the window and caught her staring at him. They looked into each other’s eyes, and she held nothing back from his intense gaze, even though her heart was racing. He looked away, and she realized that she frightened him as well.
SHE TOOK HIS ARM AS THEY GOT OFF THE TRAIN AT DUPONT Circle, and they took a long escalator ride up to the street. He was even more somber now than he’d been on the train. The silence had become unbearable. “What’re you thinking?” she asked.
He said, “I was thinking this escalator probably doesn’t work half the time in the real world.”
The way he said it, she almost felt ashamed for being in here, and immediately resented it. Was it bad that things worked in here? Was it her fault his life was hard out there? She looked down the steep, silver incline they’d just ascended effortlessly. “I guess we’re lucky we’re in here then, huh? I’d hate to have to walk up that.”
He started to say something, but stopped himself. “How far’s the hotel?” he asked.
“A couple of blocks,” she said, and he lengthened his stride. She held onto his arm and matched him stride for stride, then she started pushing it, picking up the pace, hamming it up with long, exaggerated strides. He smiled in spite of himself and slowed to a pace more suitable for walking his sweetheart home. He still didn’t say anything, but when, at her prompting, they stopped to look in a
“Thank you for a wonderful evening,” Justine said to Nemo’s mom and dad, who now rose to their feet, nodding and smiling and saying their goodnights in a daze. She stayed right beside Nemo as they worked their way to the door where Nemo hugged Mom and shook Dad’s hand and went out into the moonlight and cicadas. She took his arm again, and they walked the three blocks to the Metro station before either one of them said anything.
“Why’d you do that?” he asked.
“Because they were pissing me off. That pompous ass baiting you, and your mom and dad letting him.”
Their train rolled into the station, and they got on a car with a few dozen people on it. They sat down close together, side by side. As the train pulled out of the station, he said, “You didn’t have to do that.”
She laughed. “You just don’t get it, do you?” She took his hand and squeezed it. “I like you. I wanted you to take me home.”
They rode through the night, the moon high and full and bright, holding hands all the way to D.C. He thought, I must be dreaming, and in a way, he was.
3
THOUGH NEMO DIDN’T SAY TWO WORDS TO JUSTINE on the train, he held her hand, stared at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice. Just as she was doing to him now, studying his profile as he gazed out the window, apparently deep in thought. He’s attracted to me, she thought. That’s clear enough. But she hoped it was more than that. She liked him. His dark, deepset eyes had frightened her at first; his intensity had made her uneasy. But there was a fundamental kindness beneath all that thoughtfulness. She’d liked him immediately, instinctively. When she first laid eyes on him, she wanted to know him. And he wanted to know her—she was sure of it—in spite of his silence now.
She couldn’t help noting the irony. She’d met someone in the Bin, but he was only here twice a year, as rare as a solstice. He’d chosen to live outside for seven years. She didn’t know why, though she’d been searching for clues all evening. Before he arrived, his parents cautioned her that their son held “radical views,” but they hadn’t elaborated, and she’d just nodded and smiled, not knowing it would matter to her. Her own reasons for staying out were vague and insubstantial, but his feelings must be stronger than that to keep him out for seven years. Stronger than any attraction he might have for me, she thought. But we’re just spending the evening together. What can be the harm in that?
He turned from the window and caught her staring at him. They looked into each other’s eyes, and she held nothing back from his intense gaze, even though her heart was racing. He looked away, and she realized that she frightened him as well.
SHE TOOK HIS ARM AS THEY GOT OFF THE TRAIN AT DUPONT Circle, and they took a long escalator ride up to the street. He was even more somber now than he’d been on the train. The silence had become unbearable. “What’re you thinking?” she asked.
He said, “I was thinking this escalator probably doesn’t work half the time in the real world.”
The way he said it, she almost felt ashamed for being in here, and immediately resented it. Was it bad that things worked in here? Was it her fault his life was hard out there? She looked down the steep, silver incline they’d just ascended effortlessly. “I guess we’re lucky we’re in here then, huh? I’d hate to have to walk up that.”
He started to say something, but stopped himself. “How far’s the hotel?” he asked.
“A couple of blocks,” she said, and he lengthened his stride. She held onto his arm and matched him stride for stride, then she started pushing it, picking up the pace, hamming it up with long, exaggerated strides. He smiled in spite of himself and slowed to a pace more suitable for walking his sweetheart home. He still didn’t say anything, but when, at her prompting, they stopped to look in a
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