change phone carriers after I left?”
He shook his head again. Suddenly it all made sense.
His eyes shot to mine and I could see understanding wash over his face as his eyes hardened. We spoke at the same time.
“Marla.”
Mr. Martin was at the table with Pops when we got back to the house. He graced us with a rather annoyed expression. “Was I not very clear about the conditions of our agreement? You are to stay within the designated area.”
Julien’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I have. I never left the property.”
Martin paused a moment before answering, as if trying to gather patience for a slow pupil. “Our associates ask that you remain in the immediate area. You should confine yourself to the house and yard. I don’t relish a hike through the woods to collect you. Do you think you can handle that? It shouldn’t be more than two more days or so.”
I had forgotten that Julien’s time here was limited. I didn’t like Martin putting an expiration date on it. Two days. What would happen at the end of those two days? Would Julien want to stay involved with Alex? I couldn’t silence the small voice in the back of my mind that dared to ask... would he want to stay involved with me ?
“Of course. My apologies for the misunderstanding.” Julien seemed rather accommodating and I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Martin was more dangerous than I originally assumed. He left after a few terse exchanges in their special pidgin language. Julien shrugged off my questioning expression and turned to Pops. “Where has Alex gotten off to?”
Pops hadn’t failed to notice the tension between Martin and Julien either. “Nan has taken him to run a few errands. I didn’t know how long you two would be gone.”
Nan had cleaned the kitchen in our absence. I felt a little guilty about that, remembering the spectacular mess we had left behind. We stood in the kitchen awkwardly shifting our weight from one foot to the other. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I crossed my arms, then I felt self conscious about looking too ‘closed off’, so I uncrossed them and tucked my thumbs in to the front pockets of my jeans. Julien rested his hip against the counter, equally unsure of what to say. Would this awkward tension between us ever end?
Pops shook his head in regrettable resignation. “I have to run over to the Johnson’s and help Bill clear some brush from the firebreak. If the wind shifts, that fire will be heading our way.” He looked from me to Julien and back again. “Can I trust the two of you to stay out of trouble while I’m gone?”
I thought I felt myself blushing at his obvious meaning, which only made me all the more mortified, causing me to blush even deeper. My affinity for blushing in this never-ending cycle would surely end with me bursting a blood vessel in my face at some point. Was that even possible? Probably.
Pops pursed his lips at my scarlet hue. “Your grandmother should be back any minute.”
I nodded my understanding and walked him to the door, watching as his truck rumbled down the drive and out of sight. We were alone, if only for a minute. I tried not to acknowledge the increase in my heart rate.
Julien cleared his throat in an attempt at sounding casual. “What does Alex like to do for fun?”
Fun. There was that word again. Suddenly I was annoyed.
“He’s two. Everything he does, he does for fun,” I said.
Julien was taken aback by my sharp tone and sudden change of mood. “I only meant... What do you like to do together?” He looked so confused and wary. I couldn’t help softening towards him. My hormones were on a roller coaster and I felt a pang of guilt at forcing Julien along for the ride. I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” I said as I crossed back into the kitchen. “I guess I’m a little sensitive. He likes the usual stuff; cars, trains... Anything that moves, really.”
The phone gave a shrill ring, startling me.
“Hello?”
“Hi
He shook his head again. Suddenly it all made sense.
His eyes shot to mine and I could see understanding wash over his face as his eyes hardened. We spoke at the same time.
“Marla.”
Mr. Martin was at the table with Pops when we got back to the house. He graced us with a rather annoyed expression. “Was I not very clear about the conditions of our agreement? You are to stay within the designated area.”
Julien’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I have. I never left the property.”
Martin paused a moment before answering, as if trying to gather patience for a slow pupil. “Our associates ask that you remain in the immediate area. You should confine yourself to the house and yard. I don’t relish a hike through the woods to collect you. Do you think you can handle that? It shouldn’t be more than two more days or so.”
I had forgotten that Julien’s time here was limited. I didn’t like Martin putting an expiration date on it. Two days. What would happen at the end of those two days? Would Julien want to stay involved with Alex? I couldn’t silence the small voice in the back of my mind that dared to ask... would he want to stay involved with me ?
“Of course. My apologies for the misunderstanding.” Julien seemed rather accommodating and I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Martin was more dangerous than I originally assumed. He left after a few terse exchanges in their special pidgin language. Julien shrugged off my questioning expression and turned to Pops. “Where has Alex gotten off to?”
Pops hadn’t failed to notice the tension between Martin and Julien either. “Nan has taken him to run a few errands. I didn’t know how long you two would be gone.”
Nan had cleaned the kitchen in our absence. I felt a little guilty about that, remembering the spectacular mess we had left behind. We stood in the kitchen awkwardly shifting our weight from one foot to the other. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I crossed my arms, then I felt self conscious about looking too ‘closed off’, so I uncrossed them and tucked my thumbs in to the front pockets of my jeans. Julien rested his hip against the counter, equally unsure of what to say. Would this awkward tension between us ever end?
Pops shook his head in regrettable resignation. “I have to run over to the Johnson’s and help Bill clear some brush from the firebreak. If the wind shifts, that fire will be heading our way.” He looked from me to Julien and back again. “Can I trust the two of you to stay out of trouble while I’m gone?”
I thought I felt myself blushing at his obvious meaning, which only made me all the more mortified, causing me to blush even deeper. My affinity for blushing in this never-ending cycle would surely end with me bursting a blood vessel in my face at some point. Was that even possible? Probably.
Pops pursed his lips at my scarlet hue. “Your grandmother should be back any minute.”
I nodded my understanding and walked him to the door, watching as his truck rumbled down the drive and out of sight. We were alone, if only for a minute. I tried not to acknowledge the increase in my heart rate.
Julien cleared his throat in an attempt at sounding casual. “What does Alex like to do for fun?”
Fun. There was that word again. Suddenly I was annoyed.
“He’s two. Everything he does, he does for fun,” I said.
Julien was taken aback by my sharp tone and sudden change of mood. “I only meant... What do you like to do together?” He looked so confused and wary. I couldn’t help softening towards him. My hormones were on a roller coaster and I felt a pang of guilt at forcing Julien along for the ride. I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” I said as I crossed back into the kitchen. “I guess I’m a little sensitive. He likes the usual stuff; cars, trains... Anything that moves, really.”
The phone gave a shrill ring, startling me.
“Hello?”
“Hi
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