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16
MATT
It’s very early in the morning when I wake up, probably about when I usually wind up going to bed. My brain’s confused by not finding my usual rumpled sheets around me, but I quickly realize I’m still on Lenore’s couch with a blanket draped across me. Norman’s curled up in a small, warm ball on my lap, and Lenore is snuggled into the corner of the couch next to us, her feet tucked under the edge of the cushions, her head near my hip. Sometime during the night, I must have run my fingers through her hair because it’s fanned out on the cushion between us in a sweep of inky strands. She has one hand under her head, and the fingertips of the other are just brushing against the rough fabric of my jeans.
I soak in the sight of her, fully relaxed for the first time since we met. I briefly contemplate sneaking out and heading home, but I can’t make myself do it. I love spending time with her and now Norman too. Plus, I’d just have to be back in a few hours anyway to pick her up for work.
Pictures of what I assume is some Italian countryside scroll across the TV. We must have fallen asleep without turning it off. The remote is too far away to grab without moving, and I don’t want Norm to wake up, so I watch the pictures flip through and drift back to sleep.
A few hours later, I wake again when I feel Lenore stir. Norman took off to do cat things at some point, so it’s just the two of us on the couch. Our fingers are linked, and I feel her nails moving against the calluses of my palm.
It’s past dawn now because the skies outside are rapidly becoming lighter. If I’m guessing correctly, we’ve probably got two hours before we have to go to work.
Lenore stretches her legs out over the arm of the couch, and I see her toes flex. They’re painted a bright blue that I didn’t notice last night. I can tell when she realizes she’s not alone because her fingers tighten, and her eyes shoot open.
“Oh my God, I must have fallen asleep.” I laugh at the obvious statement and move to sit up.
Her fingers slip from mine when she straightens up and rubs at her eyes. Her light makeup from yesterday is slightly smudged, and her clothes are rumpled.
“What time is it?”
I check my watch. “Coming up on six. We’ve got a couple hours before we need to get going.”
She stretches, and her shirt rises slightly, giving me a tantalizing glimpse of her midriff.
“Good morning, by the way.” My voice is rough. I tell myself it’s just from sleep and not at all because of the attraction growing between us.
“Sorry to pass out on you like that.” She blushes prettily, the color fanning across her fair skin. “And good morning to you too.”
“To be fair, I woke up earlier but really didn’t want to move, so I went back to sleep.” I smile lazily.
“I’m pretty sure I did it first.” I want to reach for her again, pull her close, and hold her. Her wariness is back, and I’ve noticed that it’s not exclusive to me; she’s nervous around all men, as far as I can tell. At least all men near her age. She seems fine with Al and the older man who helped her when her car broke down again.
I’d seen the inherent caution in how she interacted with some customers at the shop, but she does a good job masking it. I never would have noticed if I wasn’t already watching her so closely. I’m almost certain something happened in her past that taught her to be cautious, and I’d do anything to take that burden away from her.
I have to keep those thoughts to myself, though, too scared to break whatever fragile bond we’ve formed this week. Whenever I get too close, she pushes me away, throwing those safety barriers up around herself.
“We should get ready for work.” Her face twists like it did last night before she blurted out that she likes me. “Not to be weird but do you want to take a shower? I don’t have any extra clothes that would fit you, but I could throw yours in the wash?”
“That sounds good.” I’m slightly skeptical about how all this is going to work. If it was any other girl, I’d be fine with it, but I don’t want to make Nore anymore cautious around me than she already is.
“The showers and the laundry run off separate water systems, so I can start it right away. There’s a robe in the upstairs bathroom you can use when you’re done.”
She won’t make eye contact, and her cheeks are flushed.
“Are you sure you’re ok with this?” We talked about going on a date last night, and the progression to sharing the bathroom in the morning isn’t until much later after that.
“Yup.” She nods succinctly, and if I’m not mistaken, she does a quick sweep over my body with her eyes.
“Lenore Michaels, are you trying to get me out of my clothes?”
She turns beet red, and I laugh wholeheartedly. “I just know how fastidious you can be.” She waves her hand at me. “And I get the impression you don’t like wearing dirty clothes.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m not a vain guy, but knowing that she finds me attractive swells my ego.
“Seriously, I can change real fast, and we can go to your house. At least then you’d have a razor.”
She does that furtive look again and, unbelievably, turns slightly more red.
