Yet, today, he’d carried me in his arms and now his touch felt so hot and intimate I couldn’t help but imagine it moving a few inches up or down.
I opened my mouth to speak to him, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. I became aware of his thumb moving in a caressing motion on my stomach as his eyes held mine.
Afraid of breaking the spell, I kept myself as still as possible but found I had to suck in some air eventually. When I did, he jerked his hand away as if he’d been burned and averted his eyes.
“Drew—” I began, but he moved out from under me, allowing the pillow, with my head on it, to drop onto the couch.
“I guess you’re okay, now, so I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll get to work on a plan,” he said. “Oh, yeah. I’ll carry your stuff upstairs for you.”
He walked over to a coat closet, pulled out my suitcase and hanging bag, and disappeared up the stairs before I could make sense out of what had happened.
Realizing I’d broken out in a sweat, I kicked off the blanket.
Little by little, the heat melted away, leaving only one hot spot, roughly the size of a man’s hand, sizzling on my abdomen. I touched it, then, rolled back toward the television.
Way too well rested and wide-awake, I lay staring at the muted TV set, wondering what in the world I’d gotten myself into.
Chapter Six
I was lower to the ground than I remembered being in a very long time.
This must be a dream. I’ve never seen this many trees in one place before.
I skipped along a dirt road, enjoying the sunshine on my face, until I spotted a boy sitting slumped against a tree trunk. I walked over and sat down right next to him.
“Hi,” I said.
He lifted his head and peered at me with serious grown up eyes. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I think it’s a dream.”
“It can’t be. No one has dreams about me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a nightmare.” He smiled. It was a nice smile. It made me smile.
“I’m going to be a rich lawyer when I grow up.” For some reason I was dying to impress this boy. “What are you going to be?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t be silly. You can be anything you want to be.”
“ You can,” he argued. “This is just temporary for you.” He glanced behind me, and I looked over my shoulder at the tall, dingy buildings that loomed over us. They were the housing projects I’d always refused to claim as my home, even though I’d lived there much of my life.
They certainly didn’t belong in my dream. I willed them away and they disappeared. That was the good thing about dreams.
I turned my attention back to the boy. “I like you,” I said. “You can be something with me. Let’s shake on it.” I put my right hand out toward him.
He stared at it with longing in his eyes, but kept his own hands clasped together around his knees. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“It hurts too much.”
~
I awoke the next morning in Drew Larson’s guest bedroom. I’d finally gone to bed the night before, after hours of questioning myself about my own behavior, and his, without any answers revealing themselves.
Regardless, waking up in his guest room made me feel like a queen.
I’d been too sickly to examine my surroundings the previous day. Not only had I never experienced such luxury before, but I wouldn’t have known the first thi ng about how to create it.
The room couldn’t have been more perfect. The fabrics were more feminine than in the other rooms of the apartment and had rich, royal colors like wine and gold, yet the decor didn’t seem overstated.
I caressed the soft comforter and thought about Drew’s older sister. Meridith seemed to have everything. From the chat we’d had at the diner, I knew she lived in the mansion that had belonged to her late father, the great-grandson of the city’s “founding father.” Meridith had spoken enthusiastically about her two children, and it sounded as though she had servants at
I opened my mouth to speak to him, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. I became aware of his thumb moving in a caressing motion on my stomach as his eyes held mine.
Afraid of breaking the spell, I kept myself as still as possible but found I had to suck in some air eventually. When I did, he jerked his hand away as if he’d been burned and averted his eyes.
“Drew—” I began, but he moved out from under me, allowing the pillow, with my head on it, to drop onto the couch.
“I guess you’re okay, now, so I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll get to work on a plan,” he said. “Oh, yeah. I’ll carry your stuff upstairs for you.”
He walked over to a coat closet, pulled out my suitcase and hanging bag, and disappeared up the stairs before I could make sense out of what had happened.
Realizing I’d broken out in a sweat, I kicked off the blanket.
Little by little, the heat melted away, leaving only one hot spot, roughly the size of a man’s hand, sizzling on my abdomen. I touched it, then, rolled back toward the television.
Way too well rested and wide-awake, I lay staring at the muted TV set, wondering what in the world I’d gotten myself into.
Chapter Six
I was lower to the ground than I remembered being in a very long time.
This must be a dream. I’ve never seen this many trees in one place before.
I skipped along a dirt road, enjoying the sunshine on my face, until I spotted a boy sitting slumped against a tree trunk. I walked over and sat down right next to him.
“Hi,” I said.
He lifted his head and peered at me with serious grown up eyes. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I think it’s a dream.”
“It can’t be. No one has dreams about me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a nightmare.” He smiled. It was a nice smile. It made me smile.
“I’m going to be a rich lawyer when I grow up.” For some reason I was dying to impress this boy. “What are you going to be?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t be silly. You can be anything you want to be.”
“ You can,” he argued. “This is just temporary for you.” He glanced behind me, and I looked over my shoulder at the tall, dingy buildings that loomed over us. They were the housing projects I’d always refused to claim as my home, even though I’d lived there much of my life.
They certainly didn’t belong in my dream. I willed them away and they disappeared. That was the good thing about dreams.
I turned my attention back to the boy. “I like you,” I said. “You can be something with me. Let’s shake on it.” I put my right hand out toward him.
He stared at it with longing in his eyes, but kept his own hands clasped together around his knees. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“It hurts too much.”
~
I awoke the next morning in Drew Larson’s guest bedroom. I’d finally gone to bed the night before, after hours of questioning myself about my own behavior, and his, without any answers revealing themselves.
Regardless, waking up in his guest room made me feel like a queen.
I’d been too sickly to examine my surroundings the previous day. Not only had I never experienced such luxury before, but I wouldn’t have known the first thi ng about how to create it.
The room couldn’t have been more perfect. The fabrics were more feminine than in the other rooms of the apartment and had rich, royal colors like wine and gold, yet the decor didn’t seem overstated.
I caressed the soft comforter and thought about Drew’s older sister. Meridith seemed to have everything. From the chat we’d had at the diner, I knew she lived in the mansion that had belonged to her late father, the great-grandson of the city’s “founding father.” Meridith had spoken enthusiastically about her two children, and it sounded as though she had servants at
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