boogeyman.”
“Bye,” Anna said, grinning back at her.
For a moment she and Alex stood watching Erica and Josh strolling slowly away, arm in arm. Then he gave a little sigh and asked, “You ready?”
Anna nodded. She just wanted to get home. Hanging out as friends with other couples was proving to be awkward. She wasn’t uncomfortable around Josh and Erica at school, but for some reason being out with them at night was different. It made her feel out of place , like she should be embarrassed for being in their presence without a date of her own. She got the impression Alex felt the same way.
“You don’t mind walking, do you? I should have asked you first. Sorry. ”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“I don’t think Karen’s going to get much sleep tonight.”
For a split second Anna thought he was being lewd, then grinned when she realized what he meant. “Oh, please. What are the chances that a homicidal scarecrow will turn up in her closet? She’ll be fine.”
Alex chuckled. “She’d never be able to handle staying home alone all night . Too much of a wuss .”
“Good thing she’s not coming home with me. Uncle Phil’s at his girlfriend’s house and I wouldn’t be able to resist trying to scare her.”
“You’re not afraid to be in the house alone after watching that movie?”
“Why would I be? Imaginary stuff can’t hurt you. It’s real life you gotta watch out for.” Anna put her arms around her chest, shivering slightly. The temperature had dropped since the sun went down and her cotton shirt, though long-sleeved, was thin.
Noticing, Alex pulled off his jacket and handed it to her. “Here. Put this on.”
She took it gratefully. Slipping into it, she could feel the warmth from his body heat right away. It smelled of him, sort of a clean, woodsy scent that she found delicious. Without the jacket on, his arms were now bare and she couldn’t resist stealing a look. Slender like the rest of him, they were nicely toned, the muscles small but well-defined. At school he almost always wore long sleeves, but tonight he hadn’t. Under the bright glare of a streetlight, she noticed a long horizontal scar just above the crook of his left arm.
“What happened there?” she asked curiously, indicating his arm.
Alex didn’t look at her. He didn’t respond right away. She was beginning to think he hadn’t heard her, when finally he replied indifferently , “I fell through a window when I was a kid. Cut my arm on the glass. Guess I was as clumsy as you are.”
“Shee. You trip over your feet once and you’re branded a klutz for life.” As if on cue, Anna promptly stepped on one of her own untied laces and stumbled. For the second time that night Alex reached for her arm , fearful she’d wind up sprawled on the concrete. Looking at each other, they both burst out laughing.
“Okay, so graceful, I’m not.” She bent to tie her shoelaces.
“Do we need to get you a guide dog?” Alex teased.
“I don’t know. I’d probably trip over him.”
“A guide buffalo , then. I think even you could manage not to run over a buffalo. ”
“Novel idea ! You, sir, are a genius.”
“By the way, I don’t recommend attempting to chew gum while walking. You might wind up down a well.”
“Very funny.”
“Why were you staring at my lap earlier?”
Anna’s breath caught in her chest. Honestly , Alex had the most unnerving way of springing thorny topics out of thin air !
“Wh-what?”
“You heard me.”
“Um. I don’t know.”
“You don’t know.”
“I was looking at your hands. Sue me.”
“Why were you watching my hands, Anna? Did you think they might be someplace they shouldn’t?”
Anna felt her own fingers begin to tremble. The thought of his hands being somewhere they shouldn’t was an immensely appealing idea. Her mouth went dry. She realized suddenly that they were standing in front of her house, but neither of them moved.
“Ha ve you forgotten how to speak as well as
“Bye,” Anna said, grinning back at her.
For a moment she and Alex stood watching Erica and Josh strolling slowly away, arm in arm. Then he gave a little sigh and asked, “You ready?”
Anna nodded. She just wanted to get home. Hanging out as friends with other couples was proving to be awkward. She wasn’t uncomfortable around Josh and Erica at school, but for some reason being out with them at night was different. It made her feel out of place , like she should be embarrassed for being in their presence without a date of her own. She got the impression Alex felt the same way.
“You don’t mind walking, do you? I should have asked you first. Sorry. ”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“I don’t think Karen’s going to get much sleep tonight.”
For a split second Anna thought he was being lewd, then grinned when she realized what he meant. “Oh, please. What are the chances that a homicidal scarecrow will turn up in her closet? She’ll be fine.”
Alex chuckled. “She’d never be able to handle staying home alone all night . Too much of a wuss .”
“Good thing she’s not coming home with me. Uncle Phil’s at his girlfriend’s house and I wouldn’t be able to resist trying to scare her.”
“You’re not afraid to be in the house alone after watching that movie?”
“Why would I be? Imaginary stuff can’t hurt you. It’s real life you gotta watch out for.” Anna put her arms around her chest, shivering slightly. The temperature had dropped since the sun went down and her cotton shirt, though long-sleeved, was thin.
Noticing, Alex pulled off his jacket and handed it to her. “Here. Put this on.”
She took it gratefully. Slipping into it, she could feel the warmth from his body heat right away. It smelled of him, sort of a clean, woodsy scent that she found delicious. Without the jacket on, his arms were now bare and she couldn’t resist stealing a look. Slender like the rest of him, they were nicely toned, the muscles small but well-defined. At school he almost always wore long sleeves, but tonight he hadn’t. Under the bright glare of a streetlight, she noticed a long horizontal scar just above the crook of his left arm.
“What happened there?” she asked curiously, indicating his arm.
Alex didn’t look at her. He didn’t respond right away. She was beginning to think he hadn’t heard her, when finally he replied indifferently , “I fell through a window when I was a kid. Cut my arm on the glass. Guess I was as clumsy as you are.”
“Shee. You trip over your feet once and you’re branded a klutz for life.” As if on cue, Anna promptly stepped on one of her own untied laces and stumbled. For the second time that night Alex reached for her arm , fearful she’d wind up sprawled on the concrete. Looking at each other, they both burst out laughing.
“Okay, so graceful, I’m not.” She bent to tie her shoelaces.
“Do we need to get you a guide dog?” Alex teased.
“I don’t know. I’d probably trip over him.”
“A guide buffalo , then. I think even you could manage not to run over a buffalo. ”
“Novel idea ! You, sir, are a genius.”
“By the way, I don’t recommend attempting to chew gum while walking. You might wind up down a well.”
“Very funny.”
“Why were you staring at my lap earlier?”
Anna’s breath caught in her chest. Honestly , Alex had the most unnerving way of springing thorny topics out of thin air !
“Wh-what?”
“You heard me.”
“Um. I don’t know.”
“You don’t know.”
“I was looking at your hands. Sue me.”
“Why were you watching my hands, Anna? Did you think they might be someplace they shouldn’t?”
Anna felt her own fingers begin to tremble. The thought of his hands being somewhere they shouldn’t was an immensely appealing idea. Her mouth went dry. She realized suddenly that they were standing in front of her house, but neither of them moved.
“Ha ve you forgotten how to speak as well as
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