slightly. When I felt the strawberry touch my lips, I tipped my chin to eat it, but he pulled it away. “Not so fast. See why you have to be taught. Food is about more than taste. Trust me, I used to be celibate, I know how to enjoy a meal.”
I laughed at that and parted my lips again. Priest dragged the bitten strawberry across my lips. It was cool, sweet, and despite Priests intentions it felt in no way plutonic to me. “Lick your lips.” I did so enjoying the distinct taste that only strawberries could provide. “Open.” I opened and he rested the strawberry in my mouth. “Chew slowly, imagine it’s the last food you will ever eat.”
I chewed slowly, only swallowing when my saliva threatened to choke me. Priest repeated the procedure again, offering me a smell of the berry first. When we were on our fifth berry I not only felt full, I felt like I no longer cared if Priest’s intentions were honorable. Somewhere between taste and touch, I had lost track of what I was supposed to be getting out of this experience.
“What’s going on here?” August’s voice called from above us.
I sat up even before opening my eyes. I hit Priest in the forehead on my ascent, which ushered him back hissing in pain. “August?” I said blinking away the sun. “What are you doing here?” She was standing over me, eyeballing the blanket and the strawberries.
“You’ve been gone two hours. How long does it take to get holy water?” She looked mad, as if she had just caught me making out with my boyfriend on the couch.
“I didn’t realize I was expected back at a certain time. I could have taken the four-wheeler or the bike.”
“Never mind that, what’s going on here?”
Before I could answer, Priest stood up. “What does it matter, August? We’re eating strawberries. I asked her to stay. She is my friend.”
“I don’t want you influencing her, Matthew. I need her sober.”
“Strawberries, August.” Priest pointed to the bowl. “Not cocaine.”
“Lenore, get your holy water and get the truck back home. I don’t want you hanging out here all day.”
“I’m not going to just start using drugs, because of him.” I defended.
“No, I’m not really worried about that. What I am worried about is your hopes getting caught up in…this.” August twirled her finger over the scene. “He won’t stay sober for long, Lenore.”
I looked up at Priest. He didn’t offer any objection to this. “I know.” I said somewhat forlorn. “Let me enjoy it while I can.”
She looked a little put off by the comment, but she nodded and left us without another word. Priest shuffled about angrily, before sitting back down on the blanket. “I’m sorry.” He said.
“For what, she’s my friend. I should be apologizing to you.”
“No, I’m sorry that she’s right. Addict or not, I just don’t want to be sober in this world anymore.”
“I never expected you to sober up for me. I didn’t even know we were friends until today.” He looked hurt by that; I grimaced apologetically. “I know now.” He smiled and reached over to touch my cheek. He closed his eyes and whispered something that sounded Latin. When he opened his eyes, he looked sad. “What did you just do?”
“I blessed you, and asked God to protect you.”
“You guys are on speaking terms
I laughed at that and parted my lips again. Priest dragged the bitten strawberry across my lips. It was cool, sweet, and despite Priests intentions it felt in no way plutonic to me. “Lick your lips.” I did so enjoying the distinct taste that only strawberries could provide. “Open.” I opened and he rested the strawberry in my mouth. “Chew slowly, imagine it’s the last food you will ever eat.”
I chewed slowly, only swallowing when my saliva threatened to choke me. Priest repeated the procedure again, offering me a smell of the berry first. When we were on our fifth berry I not only felt full, I felt like I no longer cared if Priest’s intentions were honorable. Somewhere between taste and touch, I had lost track of what I was supposed to be getting out of this experience.
“What’s going on here?” August’s voice called from above us.
I sat up even before opening my eyes. I hit Priest in the forehead on my ascent, which ushered him back hissing in pain. “August?” I said blinking away the sun. “What are you doing here?” She was standing over me, eyeballing the blanket and the strawberries.
“You’ve been gone two hours. How long does it take to get holy water?” She looked mad, as if she had just caught me making out with my boyfriend on the couch.
“I didn’t realize I was expected back at a certain time. I could have taken the four-wheeler or the bike.”
“Never mind that, what’s going on here?”
Before I could answer, Priest stood up. “What does it matter, August? We’re eating strawberries. I asked her to stay. She is my friend.”
“I don’t want you influencing her, Matthew. I need her sober.”
“Strawberries, August.” Priest pointed to the bowl. “Not cocaine.”
“Lenore, get your holy water and get the truck back home. I don’t want you hanging out here all day.”
“I’m not going to just start using drugs, because of him.” I defended.
“No, I’m not really worried about that. What I am worried about is your hopes getting caught up in…this.” August twirled her finger over the scene. “He won’t stay sober for long, Lenore.”
I looked up at Priest. He didn’t offer any objection to this. “I know.” I said somewhat forlorn. “Let me enjoy it while I can.”
She looked a little put off by the comment, but she nodded and left us without another word. Priest shuffled about angrily, before sitting back down on the blanket. “I’m sorry.” He said.
“For what, she’s my friend. I should be apologizing to you.”
“No, I’m sorry that she’s right. Addict or not, I just don’t want to be sober in this world anymore.”
“I never expected you to sober up for me. I didn’t even know we were friends until today.” He looked hurt by that; I grimaced apologetically. “I know now.” He smiled and reached over to touch my cheek. He closed his eyes and whispered something that sounded Latin. When he opened his eyes, he looked sad. “What did you just do?”
“I blessed you, and asked God to protect you.”
“You guys are on speaking terms
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