Read Online Get-Together Summer by Lotus Oakes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lotus Oakes
Ads: Link
she looked at
him in return, made it all seem far more special, somehow.
"Well, that's enough of that," Dirk said, and pulled
out his chair, though he remained standing for the moment, taking
up a pair carving forks. "Let's eat."
Haley immediately grabbed a roll,
grinning sheepishly at the look Dirk gave her. He moved a flattened
chicken onto each of their plates, at first with grace and pomp,
and then laughing, after Haley kicked him under the table. Simon
remained as quiet as possible, watching them bicker amiably over
potatoes and servings of salad -- there were an odd number of
biscuits, but that debate was handled by Dirk cutting one in half
with his butter knife. It was domestic , so incredibly mundane after
the things he'd seen them do, and that in and of itself felt
strange. Was there some trick to it, being able to look someone in
the eye after you'd done all sorts of things with them, and still
act normal? He wasn't even involved, and yet he couldn't look at
either of them for too long.
The rest of the meal passed in a blur, going through
the automatic motions of eating and murmuring in response to the
conversation -- they were talking about the movie from earlier, and
all he could really think about was trying to touch Dirk in the
dark theater, wondering if Haley would notice and what she might
do.
And then suddenly Haley was pushing away from the
table to stand, stretching her arms over her head, and the plate
before him was empty except for bird bones and a few stray crumbs
of cheese and a smear of potato patina. He looked up as Dirk stood
as well, the two of them gathering up the rest of the plates, still
gently bickering between themselves. When it came to his plate,
though, Haley paused, looking him carefully over. Simon blinked
back at her, unsure of what she was looking for -- but whatever she
found, she clucked her tongue and took his plate herself.
"Go lie down," she said. She reached down to brush
the hair back from his face, and her fingers felt good and cool
against his skin. "Get some extra sleep tonight if you can."
He huffed, though he couldn't find it in himself to
summon his normal levels of irritation. "But--"
"Unless you want to help with the dishes?" She raised
an eyebrow, then grinned when he closed his mouth again. "I thought
so. I'll let you get away with it tonight, okay? Feel better."
Before he could answer, or even just pull away, she
leaned down and kissed his forehead. Her mouth was soft against his
skin and cool to the touch, just like the rest of her. She lingered
for a moment, and he thought about wrapping his arms around her --
he shifted his weight forward in preparation, then stopped short.
He started to pull back when she hugged him instead, pressing her
hands flat to his back and tugged him closer until his head was
pressed to her throat, her body soft and comfortable against
his.
Then she pulled back and offered him another small
smile before following Dirk into the kitchen. Simon could hear the
two of them talking again, in low voices, again about entirely
mundane things -- where did these dishes go, where was the
detergent for the dishwasher, whether or not it was too late to
head back to the grocery store for some kind of pie for dessert. It
took him a long time to force himself to stand, gripping the arms
of his chair and pushing himself up, swaying a little on his feet.
Rather than cut through the kitchen for the stairs, he went the
long way, through the dark living room and the main dining room,
feeling his way half-blindly in the dark. Up the stairs he went,
taking two at a time and keeping a solid hold of the bannister to
pull himself along. And in spite of his protests before, he went
straight to his bed and dropped onto it, facedown, above the
blankets.
There he lay, as still as possible, breathing warm
stale air, until he finally drifted to sleep.
His dreams were tangled and confused; while they
weren't nearly as clear or deceptive as the one from the
him in return, made it all seem far more special, somehow.
"Well, that's enough of that," Dirk said, and pulled
out his chair, though he remained standing for the moment, taking
up a pair carving forks. "Let's eat."
Haley immediately grabbed a roll,
grinning sheepishly at the look Dirk gave her. He moved a flattened
chicken onto each of their plates, at first with grace and pomp,
and then laughing, after Haley kicked him under the table. Simon
remained as quiet as possible, watching them bicker amiably over
potatoes and servings of salad -- there were an odd number of
biscuits, but that debate was handled by Dirk cutting one in half
with his butter knife. It was domestic , so incredibly mundane after
the things he'd seen them do, and that in and of itself felt
strange. Was there some trick to it, being able to look someone in
the eye after you'd done all sorts of things with them, and still
act normal? He wasn't even involved, and yet he couldn't look at
either of them for too long.
The rest of the meal passed in a blur, going through
the automatic motions of eating and murmuring in response to the
conversation -- they were talking about the movie from earlier, and
all he could really think about was trying to touch Dirk in the
dark theater, wondering if Haley would notice and what she might
do.
And then suddenly Haley was pushing away from the
table to stand, stretching her arms over her head, and the plate
before him was empty except for bird bones and a few stray crumbs
of cheese and a smear of potato patina. He looked up as Dirk stood
as well, the two of them gathering up the rest of the plates, still
gently bickering between themselves. When it came to his plate,
though, Haley paused, looking him carefully over. Simon blinked
back at her, unsure of what she was looking for -- but whatever she
found, she clucked her tongue and took his plate herself.
"Go lie down," she said. She reached down to brush
the hair back from his face, and her fingers felt good and cool
against his skin. "Get some extra sleep tonight if you can."
He huffed, though he couldn't find it in himself to
summon his normal levels of irritation. "But--"
"Unless you want to help with the dishes?" She raised
an eyebrow, then grinned when he closed his mouth again. "I thought
so. I'll let you get away with it tonight, okay? Feel better."
Before he could answer, or even just pull away, she
leaned down and kissed his forehead. Her mouth was soft against his
skin and cool to the touch, just like the rest of her. She lingered
for a moment, and he thought about wrapping his arms around her --
he shifted his weight forward in preparation, then stopped short.
He started to pull back when she hugged him instead, pressing her
hands flat to his back and tugged him closer until his head was
pressed to her throat, her body soft and comfortable against
his.
Then she pulled back and offered him another small
smile before following Dirk into the kitchen. Simon could hear the
two of them talking again, in low voices, again about entirely
mundane things -- where did these dishes go, where was the
detergent for the dishwasher, whether or not it was too late to
head back to the grocery store for some kind of pie for dessert. It
took him a long time to force himself to stand, gripping the arms
of his chair and pushing himself up, swaying a little on his feet.
Rather than cut through the kitchen for the stairs, he went the
long way, through the dark living room and the main dining room,
feeling his way half-blindly in the dark. Up the stairs he went,
taking two at a time and keeping a solid hold of the bannister to
pull himself along. And in spite of his protests before, he went
straight to his bed and dropped onto it, facedown, above the
blankets.
There he lay, as still as possible, breathing warm
stale air, until he finally drifted to sleep.
His dreams were tangled and confused; while they
weren't nearly as clear or deceptive as the one from the
Similar Books
