Destiny Has a Sense of Humor
There was a chill in the room when I woke up the next morning and saw the time on the radio clock on the nightstand. It was nine and I had to get to the store. So, I headed straight to the kitchen, as always and made a fresh pot of coffee. Then, I headed to the bathroom so I could spend some time in the tub. I took off my clothes, set them aside and ran hot water. I yawned and sleepily walked over to the sink to brush my teeth. As I lazily squeezed paste on my brush, I noticed the figure behind me.
I screamed.
He screamed.
He turned around and I grabbed a towel from the nearby rack and covered myself with it. “What the hell, Callum!”
Oh, God, I had forgotten about him, I had forgotten about him, what the hell!
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Shit! I was half-asleep!”
“So was I!”
“Clearly,” he scoffed.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Can I turn around? Is it safe?”
I tightened the towel around my chest. “Yes.”
He slowly made the turn but he continued to hide from my gaze. I did the same, so maybe I’d just have to avoid him for a little bit longer. “I’m sorry!”
“Are you done now? Can I take a fucking bath in my own house in peace now?”
Callum zipped up his jeans, and no, it hadn’t gone unnoticed by the woman hiding inside me. Not just because he was bulging down there, but also because, well, with Callum my brain tends to notice everything. Would I have preferred not to see him that way first thing in the morning? Yes. Would I have preferred for him to not see me that way? A firm absolutely. Callum seemed to be walking up to me. He was literally inches away when I felt his gaze falling further down my neck. Way, way, down. Did it make me blush? Yes. Did it make him blush? No. He managed to look a little smug. “For what it’s worth, you’re still smoking hot.”
He said this and bumped into me a little before heading out the door.
“Fuck you, Callum!”
I could feel him grinning his ass off.
***
I came out in a bathrobe and entered the kitchen to get some much-needed caffeine, but Callum was already there and he was making us both breakfast. There was a beaker of batter of some kind, and something on the skillet.
“French Toast,” Callum announced, as though I wouldn’t be able to put it all together. “You like that, don’t you?”
Yes, Callum I like French Toast! I just don’t like you making it for me in my kitchen. But I had no choice. He was there and I was going to have to be patient. It wasn’t as though he was here for eternity. After breakfast, he must leave. If he doesn’t, I’ll kick him out myself. The toast is made and Callum placed mine in front of me. I get more coffee and we sit at the bar and eat. “Wow, this is actually good.”
It’s surprising because I knew he was never good at this sort of thing. “Well, I learned from the best.”
“You mean me, don’t you?”
“When you left, I had no one to take care of me. I started missing your food, so I did what I could with what you taught me. I worked on it, until I was better.”
“And how many girls have you impressed so far with this tactic?”
The tension in the room was a live wire, that neither one of us was willing to touch. I couldn’t believe I just said that. What happened to be patient until he leaves, Jess? What happened to that sweet, simple plan? Callum managed to smile. “I don’t need to cook for women to be impressed,” he said. “You know better than anyone else.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh please,” he said and stood, picked up his plate and leaned in to speak, “I know women can’t resist the Matheson charm.”
I shoved my plate aside. “And by Matheson charm, you mean how you eat like a savage and how you chew so crudely, and how you always leave the door open when you pee?”
“All part of the charm, Jess, admit it!” he said, leaving the dishes in the sink. He crossed his arms and stood perched on the edge of the counter. Let’s face it. There was a reason he was that cocky. “Admit you can’t get enough of me.”
I stood and faced him. “Leave. Now.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“It’s still not safe outside, moron.”
“I’m sure it’s fine!”
“Would you watch the news for once in your life, Jess?”
I rushed to the TV and turned it on.
Great. Just what I wanted to hear. The storm looked like it was going to be around for a couple more days, and people were being told to stay indoors. Emergency hospitals weren’t doing so well, so many people had been hurt. No casualties though, thankfully, no serious injuries. They said everyone should be fine so long as they heed the warnings.
“The storm hasn’t subsided,” Callum said, coming to stand behind me. He placed his hands on my arms, and squeezed gently as his breath whispered softly against my neck. “I guess there’s a storm brewing right here too, Jess. I’d be careful if I were you. You don’t want to get swept off, do you?”
Destiny has a cruel sense of humor.