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Authors: Lindsay Payton
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through fast enough, and we stood side by side on the narrow clearing between the plants.
The sun was just above the distant horizon and visibly sinking. I watched it go until the last of it sank below the hills, leaving a bright stain of color where it had been before.
“Awesome. I love that moment, when you can actually see it disappear with a blink,” Linden said.
I laughed, looking up at him as he stared off. “Do you watch that every day?”
“Not every day,” he admitted. “That just makes it better every time you do get to watch it.”
He had a point, and I wondered if this horizon was visible from my house.
Now that the sun was gone and the wind was still blowing, I shivered suddenly. Linden suggested going inside again, and I led the way back into the hallway. He locked the window after him and kicked the stairs back into the wall, quietly cursing when he remembered he’d forgotten his movies in the car.
“Do you have anything to do tonight?” he asked as we walked down the darkened hall.
“Not really,” I replied, “I was just going to hang out at home.”
“Good, good. You’d do me the pleasure of watching movies with me then?” He looked over his shoulder as he went down the stairs, giving a dramatically pathetic look.
“Depends on which movies,” I replied. I was joking, and I stopped at the bottom of the stairs as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. He caught on and smirked, saying he’d be back in a second.
I drifted into the living room while he was gone, looking for anything I hadn’t seen before. He hadn’t changed much. There was a stack of Mexican blankets on the armchair and a large fish tank now glowed from the top of a table by the window. Walking closer, I stood in front of it, peering in at the many goldfish inside. There were three of the classic orange ones, and two that were black; Moor fish. At the bottom of the tank, a little treasure chest opened and closed to let out bubbles.
Linden stumbled in again, clutching the movies and a bag full of candy.
“I take it you like fish?” I asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I love them,” he called back, flicking the light on. “They’re my boys.”
I smiled at that, watching the fish swim between the plants before I stood up and made my way towards the kitchen.
Linden caught up with me at the table, holding up two empty glasses. “Water or tea?”
I thought about it for a second, then asked, “What kind of tea?”
“I only drink one kind. So Sun tea or water?”
I went with Sun tea and waited while he poured two glasses. I offered to carry the movies and candy since his hands were full. He thanked me as he walked by on his way to the stairs, and again I had to fight not to stare at his arms. I was dying to know what they displayed, but I wouldn’t ask. Not yet.
Linden led me into his room, apologizing for the mess, which was mostly just some clothes discarded on the floor. There were some pillows on the floor as well and boxes still full of books and other items.
“Go ahead and sit where you want,” he said as he put the tea on the nightstand beside his bed. I glanced at the bed and the pillows on the floor as he took the movies from me, choosing the one on top first. I settled for some pillows on the floor, so I sat against the bed, facing the TV on the desk across from me. Linden fiddled with the VCR machine, and I looked out the window at the approaching clouds, which made the sky darker than it usually was at this time. I hoped it wouldn’t rain; I didn’t want to be driven back home due to a stupid headache.
“I assume Meryl really likes you,” Linden commented as he turned on the TV. “I can think of most bosses I’ve had that would never let me out early.”
“She and Rene are pretty good friends,” I replied, “and I think I’ve worked there the longest. Well if you compare Lisa.”
“The brunette?”
I nodded and he made a face when he sat on the bed. “She
The sun was just above the distant horizon and visibly sinking. I watched it go until the last of it sank below the hills, leaving a bright stain of color where it had been before.
“Awesome. I love that moment, when you can actually see it disappear with a blink,” Linden said.
I laughed, looking up at him as he stared off. “Do you watch that every day?”
“Not every day,” he admitted. “That just makes it better every time you do get to watch it.”
He had a point, and I wondered if this horizon was visible from my house.
Now that the sun was gone and the wind was still blowing, I shivered suddenly. Linden suggested going inside again, and I led the way back into the hallway. He locked the window after him and kicked the stairs back into the wall, quietly cursing when he remembered he’d forgotten his movies in the car.
“Do you have anything to do tonight?” he asked as we walked down the darkened hall.
“Not really,” I replied, “I was just going to hang out at home.”
“Good, good. You’d do me the pleasure of watching movies with me then?” He looked over his shoulder as he went down the stairs, giving a dramatically pathetic look.
“Depends on which movies,” I replied. I was joking, and I stopped at the bottom of the stairs as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. He caught on and smirked, saying he’d be back in a second.
I drifted into the living room while he was gone, looking for anything I hadn’t seen before. He hadn’t changed much. There was a stack of Mexican blankets on the armchair and a large fish tank now glowed from the top of a table by the window. Walking closer, I stood in front of it, peering in at the many goldfish inside. There were three of the classic orange ones, and two that were black; Moor fish. At the bottom of the tank, a little treasure chest opened and closed to let out bubbles.
Linden stumbled in again, clutching the movies and a bag full of candy.
“I take it you like fish?” I asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I love them,” he called back, flicking the light on. “They’re my boys.”
I smiled at that, watching the fish swim between the plants before I stood up and made my way towards the kitchen.
Linden caught up with me at the table, holding up two empty glasses. “Water or tea?”
I thought about it for a second, then asked, “What kind of tea?”
“I only drink one kind. So Sun tea or water?”
I went with Sun tea and waited while he poured two glasses. I offered to carry the movies and candy since his hands were full. He thanked me as he walked by on his way to the stairs, and again I had to fight not to stare at his arms. I was dying to know what they displayed, but I wouldn’t ask. Not yet.
Linden led me into his room, apologizing for the mess, which was mostly just some clothes discarded on the floor. There were some pillows on the floor as well and boxes still full of books and other items.
“Go ahead and sit where you want,” he said as he put the tea on the nightstand beside his bed. I glanced at the bed and the pillows on the floor as he took the movies from me, choosing the one on top first. I settled for some pillows on the floor, so I sat against the bed, facing the TV on the desk across from me. Linden fiddled with the VCR machine, and I looked out the window at the approaching clouds, which made the sky darker than it usually was at this time. I hoped it wouldn’t rain; I didn’t want to be driven back home due to a stupid headache.
“I assume Meryl really likes you,” Linden commented as he turned on the TV. “I can think of most bosses I’ve had that would never let me out early.”
“She and Rene are pretty good friends,” I replied, “and I think I’ve worked there the longest. Well if you compare Lisa.”
“The brunette?”
I nodded and he made a face when he sat on the bed. “She
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