Mind Over Easy by Bryan Cohen

She's still here, right?"
    The sheriff stepped into his car, propping the door open with his foot. "If she had her way, she'd be here till noon. Maybe you'll have better luck."
    Dhiraj wondered what it would take for the sheriff and his daughter not to see eye-to-eye. From what he'd observed, the two of them had a great parent-child relationship.
    "I'll do my best, sir."
    The sheriff tipped his cap and backed his truck into the street. Dhiraj waved in his direction, but the sheriff looked straight ahead with vacant, emotionless eyes.
    Dhiraj had been over at the Norris house for dinner twice, so his first glance past the front door was familiar. The dinner invitations had both come from the sheriff himself, but Jennifer always seemed happy to see him. He wondered if she'd be as enthusiastic at this early hour. Dhiraj glanced at the family pictures on the way up the stairs. Jennifer had gone from cute to full-on beautiful as a teen, and Dhiraj remained as spellbound by her as he was the day they met. 
    Dhiraj took a guess with the only closed door upstairs and knocked. He heard a groan on the other end and the sound of Jennifer shifting in the bed.
    "Hey Jen, it's Dhiraj. You know, that cute Indian you're always thinking about."
    There was a moment of silence from the sleeping beauty. Dhiraj felt his fight-or-flight instinct kick in and he considered dashing down the stairs.
    "Hey, Dhiraj." Jennifer's unsuppressed yawn could be heard through the entire house. "You can come in."
    Dhiraj wondered how Jennifer's bedroom would look. It wasn't because he wanted to get between the sheets – it was mostly so he could experience seeing the world as she saw it.
    Dhiraj opened the door. A quick scan of the room revealed the pink paint, white, frilly curtains and dozens of photographs framed and unframed that were placed like punctuation on the walls. It was a tribute to childhood and innocence.
    Jen emerged from the comforter, her hair tousled and uneven, a few uncovered blemishes on the side of her cheek. Dhiraj couldn't help but see the flaw-free woman of his dreams before him.
    "Isn't it time for school?" Dhiraj internally kicked himself for sounding like a mom.
    "As I was telling my dad–" Jennifer threw the sheets off, revealing a tiny shirt and even shorter boxers underneath. "–today didn't feel like a school kind of day. You know what I mean?"
    Dhiraj was no peeping Tom, but he felt like one seeing Jennifer in such skimpy clothes. He did his best to avert his eyes while still paying attention to her.
    "You might as well go." Dhiraj watched Jennifer's face contort into a dreamy smile. "There's nothing good on TV during the day anyway."
    Jennifer's smile grew and she stood up.
    "I could never say no to you, Dhiraj." She brushed his shoulder with her hand as she passed by him. "I'll get ready."
    Jennifer took the first items she could reach from her hangers and walked into the bathroom. She left the door open and began to change. For a split second, Dhiraj saw her bare back and turned red. He turned away from her and felt his face grow hot.
    What in the hell?
    The Jennifer he'd grown to love was sweet above anything else. She was the kind of person who would not only remember your birthday but make you a birthday card by hand. She took photographs and knitted socks. The girl he knew was sentimental and caring, and someone who looked just like her was naked 10 feet to his right.
    He nearly jumped when she tapped him on the shoulder. She was now fully clothed.
    "Are you sure you don't want to skip with me?" she asked. "The two of us could spend the entire day together doing whatever you want."
    He'd chatted with Jennifer in the hallways of school and after field hockey games on many occasions, but Dhiraj had never been this close to Jennifer's face and body before. His attention went to her lips.
    "It sounds like a dream, Jen, but I think I should just drive us to school." Dhiraj did everything he could to suppress the bodily