“What was that about?”
Austin poured milk into a pan and
then turned to put the container away. “You wanted something sexual. I gave it
to you.” He took out the sour cream and handed it to her. “What do you need?”
She stared somewhat foggy brained
at the container in her hand. What she needed had nothing to do with sour
cream. Pulling herself back to the moment, she forced herself to reply. “Um, I
guess a bowl and a slotted spoon. Do you care which pan I used?”
“Not at all. Take your pick.”
Austin turned and got her what she needed before removing the cocoa from the
shelf. It was the really good kind she usually purchased for herself. He
dropped a few spoonfuls into the milk.
She wanted to ask him a question,
but had clue how to phrase it without embarrassing herself further. “Why did
you do that?”
He leaned back on the stove front
as she spooned the meat and vegetables from the crockpot. “Do what? Kiss you?
Probably because I have been dying to do that since the moment we met. My lack
of sexual expression is not by desire, but simply a matter of not wanting to
put you off by trying anything inappropriate. I actually enjoyed taking a bath
with you. Didn’t you enjoy it?”
“Of course I enjoyed it.” She
shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “So I’m trying to be
polite, and you wanted me to make a move and I didn’t. I guess I’m sorry for
that in more ways than one.” He turned to stir the hot chocolate. “I guess I
can always make it up to you later while we are doing the laundry.”
Later? They were doing the laundry
tonight and he was staying at her house? That was a new one on her. Of course
she had suggested it. Haley turned her attention back to the meal, pouring the
contents of the pot into the pan. She filled the crockpot with water and then
went back to the stove. Measuring the sour cream, she mixed in some flour from
the canister on the counter and then stirred it into the liquid to thicken it.
She turned to Austin with a shrug. “That’s it. Now I dish it out and put the
gravy one top and we eat.”
He pulled two plates down and
handed them to her before putting the hot chocolate in two cups. She dished out
the meal and they sat down at the table. He dug in and then licked his lips to
remove a stray smear of gravy from them. “This is completely delicious.”
Haley enjoyed compliments. It had
been many years since she heard one. Austin had given her quite a few of them
since she met him. “Thank you. I used to like cooking.” She tasted her hot
chocolate and toasted him with the cup. “This is my favorite. I will eat it out
of the can with a spoon or make a quick pudding out of it with milk.”
“I’ve been known to do that. The
stuff is just so damned expensive.”
“I guess it’s a case of getting
what you pay for.”
“That’s for sure. There are many
things in life like that.”
“I guess. You really can’t buy the
most important things though. Money may help, but…”
He nodded thoughtfully. “So true.
What would you buy if you had the money or maybe what would you buy that money
can’t?”
“Happiness. I want to be happy
again.”
“Agreed. So what would your
happiness entail?”
“I would love to have my daughter
back in my life. If she prefers to stay with her father I wouldn’t mind. I’m
hoping she has built a life there with him. I’m hoping she is happy and has
friends and such.” That was all she could think of. To be in contact with her
child again would mean everything to her. “Maybe to be with someone who brings
happiness into my life. I used to enjoy things.”
“What did you enjoy then?”
She could barely remember anymore.
It hadn’t really been that long that she should have forgotten. “Movies, going
to craft and art show. I liked carnivals and circuses. We used to go hiking. I
liked to be in nature. I don’t know.”
“I used to like to go up to the big
Christmas displays with my parents. I wanted
Austin poured milk into a pan and
then turned to put the container away. “You wanted something sexual. I gave it
to you.” He took out the sour cream and handed it to her. “What do you need?”
She stared somewhat foggy brained
at the container in her hand. What she needed had nothing to do with sour
cream. Pulling herself back to the moment, she forced herself to reply. “Um, I
guess a bowl and a slotted spoon. Do you care which pan I used?”
“Not at all. Take your pick.”
Austin turned and got her what she needed before removing the cocoa from the
shelf. It was the really good kind she usually purchased for herself. He
dropped a few spoonfuls into the milk.
She wanted to ask him a question,
but had clue how to phrase it without embarrassing herself further. “Why did
you do that?”
He leaned back on the stove front
as she spooned the meat and vegetables from the crockpot. “Do what? Kiss you?
Probably because I have been dying to do that since the moment we met. My lack
of sexual expression is not by desire, but simply a matter of not wanting to
put you off by trying anything inappropriate. I actually enjoyed taking a bath
with you. Didn’t you enjoy it?”
“Of course I enjoyed it.” She
shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “So I’m trying to be
polite, and you wanted me to make a move and I didn’t. I guess I’m sorry for
that in more ways than one.” He turned to stir the hot chocolate. “I guess I
can always make it up to you later while we are doing the laundry.”
Later? They were doing the laundry
tonight and he was staying at her house? That was a new one on her. Of course
she had suggested it. Haley turned her attention back to the meal, pouring the
contents of the pot into the pan. She filled the crockpot with water and then
went back to the stove. Measuring the sour cream, she mixed in some flour from
the canister on the counter and then stirred it into the liquid to thicken it.
She turned to Austin with a shrug. “That’s it. Now I dish it out and put the
gravy one top and we eat.”
He pulled two plates down and
handed them to her before putting the hot chocolate in two cups. She dished out
the meal and they sat down at the table. He dug in and then licked his lips to
remove a stray smear of gravy from them. “This is completely delicious.”
Haley enjoyed compliments. It had
been many years since she heard one. Austin had given her quite a few of them
since she met him. “Thank you. I used to like cooking.” She tasted her hot
chocolate and toasted him with the cup. “This is my favorite. I will eat it out
of the can with a spoon or make a quick pudding out of it with milk.”
“I’ve been known to do that. The
stuff is just so damned expensive.”
“I guess it’s a case of getting
what you pay for.”
“That’s for sure. There are many
things in life like that.”
“I guess. You really can’t buy the
most important things though. Money may help, but…”
He nodded thoughtfully. “So true.
What would you buy if you had the money or maybe what would you buy that money
can’t?”
“Happiness. I want to be happy
again.”
“Agreed. So what would your
happiness entail?”
“I would love to have my daughter
back in my life. If she prefers to stay with her father I wouldn’t mind. I’m
hoping she has built a life there with him. I’m hoping she is happy and has
friends and such.” That was all she could think of. To be in contact with her
child again would mean everything to her. “Maybe to be with someone who brings
happiness into my life. I used to enjoy things.”
“What did you enjoy then?”
She could barely remember anymore.
It hadn’t really been that long that she should have forgotten. “Movies, going
to craft and art show. I liked carnivals and circuses. We used to go hiking. I
liked to be in nature. I don’t know.”
“I used to like to go up to the big
Christmas displays with my parents. I wanted
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