while Marti feeds Johnny his, and in between bites we make small talk.
About ten minutes in, Johnny's head turns toward the door and his eyes grow twice their size. I turn around, since my back is toward it, and at the door, next to her therapist, who's holding a lunch tray, Rose walks in, with only a cane to assist her.
"Oh my God , she's beautiful," Johnny says, echoing my thoughts.
"Shit, yeah," I say, utterly blown away. It's amazing, really, but on two feet, standing at probably five foot five, with her hair pulled back in a loose braid, Rose looks completely different. As if her soul decided to come alive. There's still no smile on her lightly freckled face, but there's a soft peach glow to her cheeks and energy in her eyes. Before I realize what I'm doing, I wave two fingers backwards in silent invitation to join us. Her lip quirks, revealing a cute dimple on her right cheek. She ducks her head as she walks, and when her therapist walks over and places the tray to my right, Rose doesn't follow. Instead, she reaches for the chair to my left. It doesn't slip by me that her scar is on her left side. Though it doesn't take away from her beauty at all , I realize she's self-conscious about it. And she sits to my right, as opposed to Johnny's. This ignites a vain thought. Could this sweet redhead be interested in me?
Shit.
That'd be so damn cool.
When her therapist walks around to place the tray in front of Rose, I notice the tag on her scrubs says Nina. Nina the therapist. At least I know what her name is now. Nina tells Rose to feel free to walk around the room after lunch and she'll be back for her in an hour.
"Damn, girl, you look good on two legs," Johnny tells her in a non-flirtatious way.
I, on the other hand, attempt to flirt by leaning into her ear and whispering, "I think you're beautiful no matter what."
Her eyes get as big as Johnny's did a minute ago, and then her face turns a brighter peach and she looks down at her lap. I mentally kick myself, because maybe that was being too forward. With Rose, I need to take it slow. I know this. She's been through a traumatic event. I need to rein it in a bit, but damn, I couldn't help myself. She's beyond beautiful.
Rose's eyes dart around the table, but she hardly raises her head, and she never touches her food.
"Girl, I'm gonna sic Marti on you if you don't start eating."
Marti just laughs but doesn't respond to Johnny's comment.
Rose tries to ignore him, but her hands are fumbling over each other on her lap, and I'm pretty sure she's embarrassed right now.
"Hey, Rose," I say to distract her, "Johnny and I are watching a movie in here tonight." She turns her head to look at me. "You're welcome to join us...It gets boring sitting in our room night after night," I say as an afterthought.
She looks me in the eyes, and I may be wrong, but I think she wants to say yes.
To get her to seal the deal, I say, "There'll be chocolate pudding."
Her lips tuck in, but a small smile escapes. I made her smile, and if I'm not mistaken, the little rise of her chest tells me she's stifling a chuckle too.
"How 'bout seven?" I ask Johnny. "I have a thirty-minute session with Katrina at six thirty. Is that good for you?"
"Sure. They usually put me in my bed about six, because I work out like Schwarzenegger and I'm beat by then, but tonight, for you guys, I'll stay up."
"Good for you too, Rose?"
She nods. Just twice, but she nods. Yes .
Obviously Rose remains quiet while Johnny and I talk, but we do include her in the conversation. Once in a while I'll get a nod or a barely-there smile, but she does respond, and this puts a smile on my face so huge that it's pretty hard to keep it hidden.
"What's so funny?" Johnny asks.
"Nothing. Just...a joke I remember."
"Care to share?"
"Not really."
He shrugs and drops it.
Throughout lunch, I try really hard not to let on that I'm watching Rose, but because she's become somewhat of an interest to me, I can't help myself. I notice,
About ten minutes in, Johnny's head turns toward the door and his eyes grow twice their size. I turn around, since my back is toward it, and at the door, next to her therapist, who's holding a lunch tray, Rose walks in, with only a cane to assist her.
"Oh my God , she's beautiful," Johnny says, echoing my thoughts.
"Shit, yeah," I say, utterly blown away. It's amazing, really, but on two feet, standing at probably five foot five, with her hair pulled back in a loose braid, Rose looks completely different. As if her soul decided to come alive. There's still no smile on her lightly freckled face, but there's a soft peach glow to her cheeks and energy in her eyes. Before I realize what I'm doing, I wave two fingers backwards in silent invitation to join us. Her lip quirks, revealing a cute dimple on her right cheek. She ducks her head as she walks, and when her therapist walks over and places the tray to my right, Rose doesn't follow. Instead, she reaches for the chair to my left. It doesn't slip by me that her scar is on her left side. Though it doesn't take away from her beauty at all , I realize she's self-conscious about it. And she sits to my right, as opposed to Johnny's. This ignites a vain thought. Could this sweet redhead be interested in me?
Shit.
That'd be so damn cool.
When her therapist walks around to place the tray in front of Rose, I notice the tag on her scrubs says Nina. Nina the therapist. At least I know what her name is now. Nina tells Rose to feel free to walk around the room after lunch and she'll be back for her in an hour.
"Damn, girl, you look good on two legs," Johnny tells her in a non-flirtatious way.
I, on the other hand, attempt to flirt by leaning into her ear and whispering, "I think you're beautiful no matter what."
Her eyes get as big as Johnny's did a minute ago, and then her face turns a brighter peach and she looks down at her lap. I mentally kick myself, because maybe that was being too forward. With Rose, I need to take it slow. I know this. She's been through a traumatic event. I need to rein it in a bit, but damn, I couldn't help myself. She's beyond beautiful.
Rose's eyes dart around the table, but she hardly raises her head, and she never touches her food.
"Girl, I'm gonna sic Marti on you if you don't start eating."
Marti just laughs but doesn't respond to Johnny's comment.
Rose tries to ignore him, but her hands are fumbling over each other on her lap, and I'm pretty sure she's embarrassed right now.
"Hey, Rose," I say to distract her, "Johnny and I are watching a movie in here tonight." She turns her head to look at me. "You're welcome to join us...It gets boring sitting in our room night after night," I say as an afterthought.
She looks me in the eyes, and I may be wrong, but I think she wants to say yes.
To get her to seal the deal, I say, "There'll be chocolate pudding."
Her lips tuck in, but a small smile escapes. I made her smile, and if I'm not mistaken, the little rise of her chest tells me she's stifling a chuckle too.
"How 'bout seven?" I ask Johnny. "I have a thirty-minute session with Katrina at six thirty. Is that good for you?"
"Sure. They usually put me in my bed about six, because I work out like Schwarzenegger and I'm beat by then, but tonight, for you guys, I'll stay up."
"Good for you too, Rose?"
She nods. Just twice, but she nods. Yes .
Obviously Rose remains quiet while Johnny and I talk, but we do include her in the conversation. Once in a while I'll get a nod or a barely-there smile, but she does respond, and this puts a smile on my face so huge that it's pretty hard to keep it hidden.
"What's so funny?" Johnny asks.
"Nothing. Just...a joke I remember."
"Care to share?"
"Not really."
He shrugs and drops it.
Throughout lunch, I try really hard not to let on that I'm watching Rose, but because she's become somewhat of an interest to me, I can't help myself. I notice,
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