my job and quit being a pain in the arse?”
“No. End of discussion.”
“Fine.” She picked up her pace to a full jog.
“Thank you.”
She was several yards ahead before I picked up my pace. “Okay. I’m going to need your help at first,” I said, running up beside her.
“I’ll be glad to help.”
“It’s just this once, and then I’m doing it all on my own.”
“Whatever you say.”
We finished our run in silence—partly because I was bothered by the fact that Kei might be picking up after me, and partly because I was too tired to run and talk at the same time. Once we arrived home, we went our separate ways so we could shower and change clothes.
By the time she made it downstairs, I’d boiled water for tea and finished making breakfast.
We ate the meal quickly and in silence. It wasn’t until we were putting our dishes in the dishwasher that she talked.
“Why is it that you’re allowed to be upset that I’ll be cleaning your place but I can’t be upset that you’re cooking?”
“It’s different.”
“How’s that?”
“I like cooking.”
“And I like cleaning.”
“How is that even possible?”
“I find it relaxing.”
“Are you smoking crack?”
“I’m not smoking anything, let alone crack.”
“Who in their right mind likes to clean?”
“Well, I suppose I’m not in my right mind, because I really do enjoy it.”
“I don’t care. You’re still not cleaning my place.”
“Can we just call a truce and drop the whole thing? There are bigger issues in the world we could be talking about. We don’t need to waste our breath over who’s going to be cleaning your dirty undergarments.”
“You definitely aren’t doing my laundry.”
“I understand! Let’s move on.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Speaking of which, go get your laundry and let’s begin.”
I escaped out the back door and eventually came back with a basket of dirty clothes. While I didn’t like the idea of getting a laundry lesson, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, seeing as how she was the one giving it. And she didn’t stop with laundry. She hovered near by while I cleaned the entire guesthouse. She barked directions and occasionally took over altogether, but within a couple of hours, we’d finished the bathroom, dusted and vacuumed the entire house, and cleaned all the windows with vinegar. To reward ourselves, we took a swim in the pool.
As she swam under the water, I caught up and grabbed the back of her shirt. As she fought her way to the surface, I held onto her shirt and made my way to the top with her. Our heads broke the surface within seconds of each other.
“Are you trying to drown me?” she squealed.
“It’s payback for almost killing me this morning with that run.”
“You asked to join, remember?”
“Don’t remind me.”
“I take it I’ll be running alone during the rest of my stay?”
“Oh no. I’ll be running with you. I don’t give up that easy.”
“So you’re a determined sort of bloke?”
“You have no idea.”
I let go of her shirt, dove back under the water, and swam underneath the surface to the wall and back.
“Show off,” she accused.
I shook my head, which made my hair to fly in my face. She reached over and swept it out of the way.
“Couldn’t resist, huh?” I teased.
“I apologize. Apparently not.”
“No need to say you’re sorry.”
She swam away from me and toward the shallow end of the pool.
“Cleaning’s hard work,” I said, swimming up behind her. “How many hours did it take?”
“About three. But I had to teach you, so it took more time. It won’t always take that long.”
“It flat-out sucks.”
“Are you ready for me to take it back over? I don’t mind.”
“No way. I’m doing it.”
“I can’t believe you never learned how to deep clean.”
“My mom always did it, and by the time I was on my own, I had maids.”
“If your mom did all the cleaning, then how did you learn how to cook so
“No. End of discussion.”
“Fine.” She picked up her pace to a full jog.
“Thank you.”
She was several yards ahead before I picked up my pace. “Okay. I’m going to need your help at first,” I said, running up beside her.
“I’ll be glad to help.”
“It’s just this once, and then I’m doing it all on my own.”
“Whatever you say.”
We finished our run in silence—partly because I was bothered by the fact that Kei might be picking up after me, and partly because I was too tired to run and talk at the same time. Once we arrived home, we went our separate ways so we could shower and change clothes.
By the time she made it downstairs, I’d boiled water for tea and finished making breakfast.
We ate the meal quickly and in silence. It wasn’t until we were putting our dishes in the dishwasher that she talked.
“Why is it that you’re allowed to be upset that I’ll be cleaning your place but I can’t be upset that you’re cooking?”
“It’s different.”
“How’s that?”
“I like cooking.”
“And I like cleaning.”
“How is that even possible?”
“I find it relaxing.”
“Are you smoking crack?”
“I’m not smoking anything, let alone crack.”
“Who in their right mind likes to clean?”
“Well, I suppose I’m not in my right mind, because I really do enjoy it.”
“I don’t care. You’re still not cleaning my place.”
“Can we just call a truce and drop the whole thing? There are bigger issues in the world we could be talking about. We don’t need to waste our breath over who’s going to be cleaning your dirty undergarments.”
“You definitely aren’t doing my laundry.”
“I understand! Let’s move on.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Speaking of which, go get your laundry and let’s begin.”
I escaped out the back door and eventually came back with a basket of dirty clothes. While I didn’t like the idea of getting a laundry lesson, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, seeing as how she was the one giving it. And she didn’t stop with laundry. She hovered near by while I cleaned the entire guesthouse. She barked directions and occasionally took over altogether, but within a couple of hours, we’d finished the bathroom, dusted and vacuumed the entire house, and cleaned all the windows with vinegar. To reward ourselves, we took a swim in the pool.
As she swam under the water, I caught up and grabbed the back of her shirt. As she fought her way to the surface, I held onto her shirt and made my way to the top with her. Our heads broke the surface within seconds of each other.
“Are you trying to drown me?” she squealed.
“It’s payback for almost killing me this morning with that run.”
“You asked to join, remember?”
“Don’t remind me.”
“I take it I’ll be running alone during the rest of my stay?”
“Oh no. I’ll be running with you. I don’t give up that easy.”
“So you’re a determined sort of bloke?”
“You have no idea.”
I let go of her shirt, dove back under the water, and swam underneath the surface to the wall and back.
“Show off,” she accused.
I shook my head, which made my hair to fly in my face. She reached over and swept it out of the way.
“Couldn’t resist, huh?” I teased.
“I apologize. Apparently not.”
“No need to say you’re sorry.”
She swam away from me and toward the shallow end of the pool.
“Cleaning’s hard work,” I said, swimming up behind her. “How many hours did it take?”
“About three. But I had to teach you, so it took more time. It won’t always take that long.”
“It flat-out sucks.”
“Are you ready for me to take it back over? I don’t mind.”
“No way. I’m doing it.”
“I can’t believe you never learned how to deep clean.”
“My mom always did it, and by the time I was on my own, I had maids.”
“If your mom did all the cleaning, then how did you learn how to cook so
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