Chapter Twelve

 Mariah barked a few times when Jay’s car pulled up.  “Mariah, shh,” I urged, and she actually seemed to understand.

 “She was barking, wasn’t she?” was the first thing he said as he came in.

 “Just a little.  Madison’s still asleep, don’t worry.”

 “I knew I would forget to mention something about her,” he said.  “Or one of us, anyway.  But yeah, she’s a watch dog.  She sounds the alarm when she hears something.”  He dropped his bag in his room, and came back out.

 I shook my head to say ‘forget it’.  “Was work okay?”

 “It was okay,” he said, noting the ulterior tone in my question.  “Why?”

 “I was wondering if you would be up to doing me a favor?”

 “Probably...  I have to shower before anything though.  Work wasn’t that okay.  It was actually one of those days.”

 “Those days?”

 “Those days...  When you really need a shower when you get home.”

 “Of course, I’m sorry,” I said, embarrassed suddenly.  I wanted to ask him as soon as I could because I was tired, but the poor guy had just gotten home.  Home...

 He smiled and gave my arm a soft squeeze.  “I’ll make it quick.”

 He disappeared around the corner again.  I stood there lightly brushing the area he’d touched with my fingertips, combating my shame at the fact that the contact meant so much to me,.

 I settled into my armchair when I heard the shower start.  Either he liked really long showers or he wasn’t living up to his promise, because it was twenty minutes before it stopped.  I heard him go into his room.  After I gave him what I thought was awhile I started down the hall.  Seeing his door open, I went further.  “I didn’t mean to bother you the second you got home,” I started.  “I have to work tomorrow too so...”  I trailed off when I found him wearing nothing but scrub pants tied around his waist.  He was sorting through a bag for another shirt.  Normally the sight of male flesh didn’t fluster me, but in this case it was flesh I’d been finding myself curious about.  He was thin, I saw, but what muscle he had stood out in wonderful definition.  I couldn’t help thinking about running my hand over him, wondering what it would feel like.  I’ll probably never touch a body like that.

 Thankfully he didn’t seem to notice my distraction.  “Just a second.  I was rubbing up against some foul customers today.”  He found and slipped on a white t-shirt that did nothing to hide his contours.  “I’m just not putting those back on until they've battled some hot soapy water.”  He nodded to the pile of clothes he’d taken off.

 “This could wait until tomorrow, it’s just that I sort of made a mess.”

 He smiled knowingly.  “Is your computer carpeting your floor right now?”

 “How did you guess?”

 “It’s the only thing missing.”

 “Madison and I cleaned out your closet, too,” I said.

 “Heh.  I haven’t even looked in there yet, to be honest, but thank you.  So you want this desk in your room?”

 “Yes, please, if you could grab that end.  I just couldn’t get it myself.”  I took a position at one end of the desk, but Jay knelt down and started taking the drawers out.  “Oh, why didn’t I think of that...  Thanks so much for helping me with this tonight, by the way.”

 “You kind of sound like you’re worried about keeping me up,” he said.

 “I am,” I admitted.

 “Need I remind you I just now got out of work?  It takes me awhile to wind down.  If I’m asleep by three I’m doing great.”

 “Oh, good.  I mean good that I’m not keeping you up, not that...”  Jay smiled at me, and I cut myself off before I started rambling.  I smiled back.  “Anyway, once this desk is out, all that's left is swapping beds when you get yours here.”

 When I re-assumed my position to take my end of the desk Jay just said, “Excuse me,” with a shy smile.  I stepped away, and he bent his knees and pulled the desktop to his chest.  Holding it to him, he carried it into my bedroom.  “Where would you like it?”

 “By that wall, I cleared it out.”

 He set it down.  “Out a little, so you can get at your cables?”

 “Yes, please.”  I hated to accept any more help than he was already giving, but I knew how much that would help.

 He tugged it back out a bit.  “I'll set it up for you, if you like.”

 “No, I’ll get it.”  My voice didn’t hide my dread at the thought of lifting that monitor again.

 “It wouldn’t be any effort on my part, really.  Are you sure?”

 “Alright, then.  Thank you.”

 No effort on his part indeed, I thought as the monitor seemed to leap into his hands.  He even set it lightly on the desk, where I would have dropped it into place.  I watched him take the CPU over and start running wires.  “I was thinking, Jay...”

 “What about?” he asked from under the desk.

 “You said the other night we were sort of saving each other.  I feel like that’s the perfect way to put it.”

 “Alright,” he said, wondering what my point was.

 “I wanted to have a little celebration.  Just another dinner, really.  I was going to invite my sister, and you could invite a friend.  Maybe just to have a good time, get to know each other a little better?”

 He didn’t answer right away.  Of course I worried instantly that he was trying to properly sugarcoat a ‘no’, but he was just working on another cable.  “I’m down,” he said when he pulled himself back out.  “I’m on a day shift next week. That’ll give me Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings off.  Or were you thinking later out?”

 “I’ll see if something works for Sara.”

 “Your sister?”

 “Yes.  Right.”  I took a moment to look at my computer setup.  “It looks perfect, thank you.”

 “You’d like your drawers though, right?”

 “Oh, I’ll get...” I started, but Jay was already back in his room.

 He reappeared with the drawers stacked in his arms.  He knelt and began putting them back.  “I’ll see if my friend Tristan can come from up north, I suppose.  He gets bored.”

 “Well, you’ll still come if he can’t, right?”

 “Yes...”  It looked as if something had just occurred to him.

 “What is it?”

 He seemed to debate with himself before saying anything.  “I hate to ask, and I’m sure I’m being ridiculous, but...  You’re not trying to like, set me up, are you?”

 I laughed when I realized that’s what he was nervous about asking me.  “No, it’s not a setup.  She's engaged actually, but I’m pretty sure her fiancée is away on business.  Why do you ask?”

 He grinned sheepishly.  “I really didn’t think so, but...  It’s happened before, and I hated it.  I hated it so much that I have a compulsion to ask, even when I know better.”

 He was sitting on my floor, with his back resting against my desk now.  I wasn’t in a hurry to make him move.  “What’s so bad about it?”

 “You’ve never been set up, have you?”  I shook my head.  “It’s awkward.  Ever wonder what the pandas at the zoo felt like?”

 I laughed.  “Can’t say that I have.”

 Jay shook his head, laughing at his own comparison.  “There was a girl I knew up north, Cassie.  It was her sister, and a friend of her sister’s that tried setting us up.  I’d gone over to the sister’s apartment to hang out with the three of them that night.  As soon as Cassie had left the room for something, her sister jumped on me.  ‘How’s she look tonight?  Wouldn’t you like to go out with her?’  All those type of questions, and I had no idea how to answer her.”

 “Why not answer honestly?  Did you like her?”

 “Like...  That can mean so many things.  I tried explaining that to the sister, which was a little hard to do on the spot.  Especially since they were out-pacing me on the drinks, big time.  ‘I do find your sister physically attractive, but I feel what you’re asking me is if I would be interested in a long-term relationship with her.  That is not something I can base on appearances alone, I’m sure you understand.  So being that we haven’t spent much time together yet, I’m really not too sure.’  Yeah, try getting all that out when two seconds after they ask they’re laughing about something else already.”

 “So what happened after that?”

 He shrugged.  “Nothing much.  I saw her a couple of times after, but I felt like we were under such scrutiny that even if it did have a chance to work, that would have ruined it.”

 “Well...  Sara’s just coming over for dinner.  Don’t worry.”

 Jay put his hands on his knees, and stood with a grunt.  “You’re probably about ready for bed.”

 “Work in the morning...”

 “Mmm.  Well, thanks for getting the room cleared out for me.”

 “Your room.  You’re welcome.  Goodnight, and sweet dreams.”

 I was pleased at the way that drew one last glance from him.  “Sweet dreams,” he returned with a smile that warmed me all over.

Reviews

[Sarah]

The dialogue between the two felt so natural in this chapter. This was probably one of my favorites so far. I liked the beginning when Jay showered forever, even though he said he'd be quick. That made me question why he had said it would be quick in the first place.

I really liked the part where he had his shirt off and Laura walked in. Perfectly described the way she reacts to his body. Also Jay sounds super attractive, but that's beside the point.

When he didn't answer right away about dinner, I wasn't sure what he was thinking. I thought he wanted peace and quiet or that he was annoyed with Laura for being so needy right after he got home from work. But he was just fixing the cords and said he'd be okay with it.

And clearly he doesn't think Laura is interesting if he thought she was setting him up with her sister. So, that leaves the question of where are they? I was sensing attraction from both sides, but now there seems to be a pause. I feel as though neither person feels the other is attracted to them, and maybe it's just because they're living together, but I'm ready for some action. Even something as subtle as a kiss. It must be coming soon!

[Christopher Miller]

Are you enjoying that feeling of being ready for action? Or is it trying your patience?

[Sarah]

A little bit of both. I think it's fine right now. But if it doesn't come within the next few chapters I'm going to get a little impatient.