Clean, White, Sheets

Sometimes when we get to know someone we meet a part of ourselves.

 

   “What do you think of that?” Jonas kissed her cheek again, “Or that?”

               “I think it’s just fine,” Pete smiled. They were new lovers spread across her white sheets, naked as can be. Pete could feel the fan blowing on her legs from far away. She could feel his arm, barely touching hers.

               “Do you have coffee?”

               “I do have coffee and I always forget. Did you hear that you are not supposed to leave coffee in your freezer?” She stood up and slipped on her midnight colored robe in a swift, graceful motion.

               “No, I did not hear that.”

               “Yea, you’re not supposed to although, I can’t remember why.” She walked away leaving him on her sheets to study her room. There was an old, bamboo chair in the corner and a vase of almost-dead, yellow flowers on her dresser. Jonas stood up and began putting his clothes back on. He was surprised by how many books she owned. Stacks of them engulfed several mahogany bookcases that flanked the room. He moved closer and began examining the books impressed by the lack of dust. Jonas had always despised reading and suddenly felt strange. He hoped she wasn’t too much smarter than him…

              “That’s my favorite,” she said about the small blue book he was examining. Pete was smiling in the doorway holding a mug of coffee in each hand. The sun came through her yellow curtains onto her blond hair giving it this unnaturally clean appearance. The book was called The Stranger.

“You look like a princess.”

“You look like a toad,” she laughed. His green shirt was half on and his arm was struggling.

“My arm got caught. Thanks.” Jonas took the yellow coffee mug out of her hand. He lit two cigarettes and passed one to Pete. They sat at the edge of her bed then Jonas noticed her bedroom didn’t have a television.

“You don’t have a television?”

“Nope.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Not really. But do you want to see the best thing I have ever owned? I got this today. My friend Laurie gave it to me. I told you about her, remember?” Pete jumped up almost spilling her coffee and dashed her long legs to her huge closet where she disappeared for a moment. She returned with a small canvas in her hands, her cigarette in her mouth.

“Turn it around, I can’t see it.” She turned it around. It was a bright colored painting of an old man in a green chair with an open present at his feet. His skin was somewhat orange and the picture was overall strangely colored and sad. The old man looked disappointed as if the present were empty. Her same wooden shelves were in the painting behind the old man but Jonas didn’t notice that.

              “Well, what do you think?” Pete asked. She positioned the painting on the bamboo chair so they could sit on her bed and examine it. He sipped his coffee and tried to think of an answer.

Reviews

[C. Rose]

"Stacks of them engulfed several mahogany bookcases that flanked the room." - Yes
The scene is a bit jumpy. "Jonas took the yellow coffee mug out of her hand" - but it is only implied that she holds it for him while he fixes his shirt.
I like how you follow through with Jonas' concern about being smart enough relative to her which hangs heavily on the last sentence.
Pete as a name for a girl distracted me.
Also - I think - Yea is the opposite of Nay, like how they used to vote in early congress. The casual "yeah" needs the H.
"dashed her long legs" makes me think she did something to her legs - which is not quite what is happening. The majority of your phrasing is strong and shows a unique style - but not this line.

Quality writing. I enjoyed reading it.