woodsy smell, not
strong enough to be cologne. More like body wash, perhaps.
"Well,
I wouldn't have thought blue was your color, but the red suits your temper very
well. Overall I'd say it looks good on you."
Beth
jumped as William's amusement cut into her thoughts, and she stood
hurriedly. She knew how stupid she looked, sniffing his blanket with her
muddled mess of hair, in his t-shirt. Her first impulse was to take the
blanket off and throw it at his head, but this exploit would send the situation
downhill very quickly.
As she
watched his face, a rush of exasperation washed over her at the cocky smirk he
wore. "Would you like it back now, then?"
"Thought
you'd never ask," he grinned.
Rolling
her eyes and turning away from him, she took a seat back on the log. She
bent forward, cupping her face in her hands and resting her elbows on her
knees. The only thing to do was ignore William Darcy. He was one of
those guys that thrived on getting a reaction out of people.
The
log's balance shifted slightly as he sat next to her. Couldn't he find
his own log? They were in the woods, for crying out loud. Take your
pick!
Slowly,
she turned her head toward him, her face still resting in her hands, her
eyebrows peaked in disbelief. The amusement had been chased off of his
face, and his expressionless features betrayed nothing as to the reason he felt
the absurd need to be near her. He took her hand from under her face, and
at his touch she drew back and sat bolt upright.
William
stood with a resigned sigh and tossed a small grey-and-white bundle onto her
lap.
Beth
unfolded the bundle, shock seizing her. A familiar classic car parked at In-n-Out drive-in looked up at her from her t-shirt, and underneath it were her grey
sweats. Knitting her brows together in confusion she stood, almost losing
the blanket in the process. She clapped her arms back down on the blanket
and looked up expecting to see William standing there with his intolerable
self-pleased expression. Instead, he stood several yards away with his
back to her, at the open tailgate of Les's truck, slightly bent over, doing
something with his hands. Marching over, she stopped just inches away and
brandished her gym clothes at him.
"What
are these?"
"I
believe that would be your dirty laundry, sweetheart ." He
didn't look at her. He seemed to be totally engrossed with choosing a
hook out of his tackle box.
Beth
swallowed, ignoring his comment. "Yes," she paused, and then
slowly articulated, "but how did you get them?"
His
eyes did not deviate from the pink play-dough he pinched onto the hook, and he
didn't respond.
"William?"
He
began rummaging for something else in his tackle box, then pulled out some
pliers and paused with them in front of Beth's lips, as if wanting to pinch her
mouth shut. "I walked." He blinked and went back to his
fish hook.
"You
walked. You walked all the way back to the ravine, and then
somehow managed to get in and back out without breaking your ankle. I see. And how did you get into my truck? It was
locked!" She had finished with more force than intended, as if his
breaking into her truck had canceled out his altruistic measures.
"The
keys were in your backpack."
As she
opened her mouth to retort, the realization of what he had done wiped it from
her lips. She thought she must look like a fish standing there with its
mouth open, waiting for him to snag her cheek with his hook.
"You
can thank me later, Beth," he said, glancing casually at her face and then
giving his full attention back to his hook. "Now, why don't you go
put some pants on? It's a little distracting."
Beth
watched him in silence with a disturbed expression. She should walk away
now, but her hiking boots had become super glue, cementing her to the muddy
ground. When she didn't move, he put down his hook and pliers and turned
to face her, like a parent calmly de-escalating his child's
strong enough to be cologne. More like body wash, perhaps.
"Well,
I wouldn't have thought blue was your color, but the red suits your temper very
well. Overall I'd say it looks good on you."
Beth
jumped as William's amusement cut into her thoughts, and she stood
hurriedly. She knew how stupid she looked, sniffing his blanket with her
muddled mess of hair, in his t-shirt. Her first impulse was to take the
blanket off and throw it at his head, but this exploit would send the situation
downhill very quickly.
As she
watched his face, a rush of exasperation washed over her at the cocky smirk he
wore. "Would you like it back now, then?"
"Thought
you'd never ask," he grinned.
Rolling
her eyes and turning away from him, she took a seat back on the log. She
bent forward, cupping her face in her hands and resting her elbows on her
knees. The only thing to do was ignore William Darcy. He was one of
those guys that thrived on getting a reaction out of people.
The
log's balance shifted slightly as he sat next to her. Couldn't he find
his own log? They were in the woods, for crying out loud. Take your
pick!
Slowly,
she turned her head toward him, her face still resting in her hands, her
eyebrows peaked in disbelief. The amusement had been chased off of his
face, and his expressionless features betrayed nothing as to the reason he felt
the absurd need to be near her. He took her hand from under her face, and
at his touch she drew back and sat bolt upright.
William
stood with a resigned sigh and tossed a small grey-and-white bundle onto her
lap.
Beth
unfolded the bundle, shock seizing her. A familiar classic car parked at In-n-Out drive-in looked up at her from her t-shirt, and underneath it were her grey
sweats. Knitting her brows together in confusion she stood, almost losing
the blanket in the process. She clapped her arms back down on the blanket
and looked up expecting to see William standing there with his intolerable
self-pleased expression. Instead, he stood several yards away with his
back to her, at the open tailgate of Les's truck, slightly bent over, doing
something with his hands. Marching over, she stopped just inches away and
brandished her gym clothes at him.
"What
are these?"
"I
believe that would be your dirty laundry, sweetheart ." He
didn't look at her. He seemed to be totally engrossed with choosing a
hook out of his tackle box.
Beth
swallowed, ignoring his comment. "Yes," she paused, and then
slowly articulated, "but how did you get them?"
His
eyes did not deviate from the pink play-dough he pinched onto the hook, and he
didn't respond.
"William?"
He
began rummaging for something else in his tackle box, then pulled out some
pliers and paused with them in front of Beth's lips, as if wanting to pinch her
mouth shut. "I walked." He blinked and went back to his
fish hook.
"You
walked. You walked all the way back to the ravine, and then
somehow managed to get in and back out without breaking your ankle. I see. And how did you get into my truck? It was
locked!" She had finished with more force than intended, as if his
breaking into her truck had canceled out his altruistic measures.
"The
keys were in your backpack."
As she
opened her mouth to retort, the realization of what he had done wiped it from
her lips. She thought she must look like a fish standing there with its
mouth open, waiting for him to snag her cheek with his hook.
"You
can thank me later, Beth," he said, glancing casually at her face and then
giving his full attention back to his hook. "Now, why don't you go
put some pants on? It's a little distracting."
Beth
watched him in silence with a disturbed expression. She should walk away
now, but her hiking boots had become super glue, cementing her to the muddy
ground. When she didn't move, he put down his hook and pliers and turned
to face her, like a parent calmly de-escalating his child's
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