really
did!"
"No, not you," he
laughed, "I knew that Grant was at Lamia, I just wanted to come here and
see you."
Michael offered her a long, sincere
look, and her heart fluttered a bit, "Really?"
He nodded, "I thought last
night wasn't exactly your kind of thing, and I was hoping I could take you out
to make up for it."
Sophie was frightened into silence.
There was something that simultaneously pushed her out the door and pulled her
back. Should she even want to go, she wondered. Was it appropriate given
her situation? She took a deep breath, "But it's late. Nothing will be
open."
"No, no, the best places are
opening just now," he eyed her knowingly and gripped one of her hands,
"And I can get into all of them."
She watched as he flipped her hand
over and lightly traced the lines on her palm. It tickled, but only just. Then,
she thought of Naomi's displeasure with Mona’s unadvised adventures. "I'd
have to ask Naomi or Grant."
"She can go," Mona's
voice carried into the room.
Sophie turned, surprised to see her
leaning against the hallway, her arms crossed. "You already covered for me
once," she pulled her hand away from Michael, embarrassed, "I
couldn't ask you to again."
"I'm not going to," Mona
narrowed her eyes, "I just know they won't care if you're out with
Michael. They adore him."
Michael's toothy smile made them
both laugh, but Mona stopped abruptly, "So, she's going," then she
turned and disappeared back into her room.
***
"I can't help but think that
Mona is sabotaging me."
"Now why would she do a thing
like that?"
The two were headed back toward the
apartment. It was very quiet with only the sounds of their footsteps filling
the night. It had been a very pleasant evening and though it wasn’t enough to
make Sophie completely forget her problems, Michael had proven himself to be a
rather good listener. She found herself divulging almost everything, including
seeing Eric and the strange encounter with the woman on the street.
"You mean besides the fact
that she hates me?" Sophie didn't mean for the words to come out so harshly,
but the night had loosened her tongue.
"Who could hate you?"
Michael inched closer to her and slid his fingertips across hers, taking up her
hand.
Her heart fluttered for a minute as
he squeezed it gently, but she tried to keep calm, "She could. And does."
She looked up at him, but he was watching the ground, "I think she's only
nice to me sometimes because my aunt and uncle tell her to be."
"It's so strange to hear
someone say that about Mona," he cocked his head, "She's always been
very friendly with me."
"That's because she's in love
with you," Sophie mumbled then stopped short, catching herself.
"What?" He laughed loudly
and threw his head back, "Mona, in love with me? Now, that's funny."
"You don't think so?"
Sophie asked coyly looking back up to him. He stared down at her this time.
He chuckled, "I'm sorry, it
just seems so ridiculous."
She shrugged, "Well, if she is
in love with you then at least I'd know why she’s been especially mean to me
lately."
"Oh?" he pulled her close
with a simple movement, "And why is that?"
"Uh," she was at a loss
for words, wishing she could take her last utterance back. He raised an
eyebrow, spurring her on. "Because," she attempted to stall hoping
her brain would start working again. "Because you pay so much attention to
me." The words came slowly but didn’t fail to sound conceited.
"Ah, I see," he nodded
and began walking again, "You think she's jealous then?"
Sophie shrugged, "I don't
know. It's probably a mix of things, like I’m a stranger in her house. Or maybe
I'm just too boring for her."
"Too boring?" Michael
seemed intrigued.
"I’m from some quiet little
suburb miles away from here, and I’ve never done a crazy thing in my life. At
least, I don’t remember," she added quietly, her memories from the time
before the accident still hazy, "It’s embarrassing, really."
"That’s nothing to
did!"
"No, not you," he
laughed, "I knew that Grant was at Lamia, I just wanted to come here and
see you."
Michael offered her a long, sincere
look, and her heart fluttered a bit, "Really?"
He nodded, "I thought last
night wasn't exactly your kind of thing, and I was hoping I could take you out
to make up for it."
Sophie was frightened into silence.
There was something that simultaneously pushed her out the door and pulled her
back. Should she even want to go, she wondered. Was it appropriate given
her situation? She took a deep breath, "But it's late. Nothing will be
open."
"No, no, the best places are
opening just now," he eyed her knowingly and gripped one of her hands,
"And I can get into all of them."
She watched as he flipped her hand
over and lightly traced the lines on her palm. It tickled, but only just. Then,
she thought of Naomi's displeasure with Mona’s unadvised adventures. "I'd
have to ask Naomi or Grant."
"She can go," Mona's
voice carried into the room.
Sophie turned, surprised to see her
leaning against the hallway, her arms crossed. "You already covered for me
once," she pulled her hand away from Michael, embarrassed, "I
couldn't ask you to again."
"I'm not going to," Mona
narrowed her eyes, "I just know they won't care if you're out with
Michael. They adore him."
Michael's toothy smile made them
both laugh, but Mona stopped abruptly, "So, she's going," then she
turned and disappeared back into her room.
***
"I can't help but think that
Mona is sabotaging me."
"Now why would she do a thing
like that?"
The two were headed back toward the
apartment. It was very quiet with only the sounds of their footsteps filling
the night. It had been a very pleasant evening and though it wasn’t enough to
make Sophie completely forget her problems, Michael had proven himself to be a
rather good listener. She found herself divulging almost everything, including
seeing Eric and the strange encounter with the woman on the street.
"You mean besides the fact
that she hates me?" Sophie didn't mean for the words to come out so harshly,
but the night had loosened her tongue.
"Who could hate you?"
Michael inched closer to her and slid his fingertips across hers, taking up her
hand.
Her heart fluttered for a minute as
he squeezed it gently, but she tried to keep calm, "She could. And does."
She looked up at him, but he was watching the ground, "I think she's only
nice to me sometimes because my aunt and uncle tell her to be."
"It's so strange to hear
someone say that about Mona," he cocked his head, "She's always been
very friendly with me."
"That's because she's in love
with you," Sophie mumbled then stopped short, catching herself.
"What?" He laughed loudly
and threw his head back, "Mona, in love with me? Now, that's funny."
"You don't think so?"
Sophie asked coyly looking back up to him. He stared down at her this time.
He chuckled, "I'm sorry, it
just seems so ridiculous."
She shrugged, "Well, if she is
in love with you then at least I'd know why she’s been especially mean to me
lately."
"Oh?" he pulled her close
with a simple movement, "And why is that?"
"Uh," she was at a loss
for words, wishing she could take her last utterance back. He raised an
eyebrow, spurring her on. "Because," she attempted to stall hoping
her brain would start working again. "Because you pay so much attention to
me." The words came slowly but didn’t fail to sound conceited.
"Ah, I see," he nodded
and began walking again, "You think she's jealous then?"
Sophie shrugged, "I don't
know. It's probably a mix of things, like I’m a stranger in her house. Or maybe
I'm just too boring for her."
"Too boring?" Michael
seemed intrigued.
"I’m from some quiet little
suburb miles away from here, and I’ve never done a crazy thing in my life. At
least, I don’t remember," she added quietly, her memories from the time
before the accident still hazy, "It’s embarrassing, really."
"That’s nothing to
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