Euphemisms: hard truths wearing diplomatic cologne

He came back to the present with a wave of his hand, as though wafting the memory away. “I actually own very few things. Clothes, my guns, the guitar, some small personal every-day care items. Oh, and a suitcase.” He shrugged. “I travel light.”

He listened as she described an average concert. “Well, I guess those things would be okay, in moderation,” he said referring to the components that made them up. When she elaborated on the more mellow kind of concert, he smiled. “Like with a professional orchestra? I’ve been to one, and only one, of those. I was so young though, it hardly counts. I think I was six and, to make a long story short, I was extremely bored. The night ended when I climbed up on the stage and pantsed the conductor guy, or whatever he’s called.” His smile turned mischievous. “Pretty sure I thought it would make the presentation more interesting. And pretty sure I was right.” His eyes twinkled as he fought his grin. “Pretty sure I got a lifelong ban from the place. I saw that as a bonus.”

Alistair shoveled in more food, gulped down some OJ, and shoveled in more solids. He glanced at her when she posed the question as to what was next for them. He chewed his food more slowly, thinking. What indeed?

He would gladly have spent the rest of the day, evening, and even the next morning with her. Hell, if he let himself he felt like he could stay with her indefinitely. But, inexperienced as he was with relationships, even he figured that sort of thinking was probably a little creepy for someone you just met the previous night. A part of him was a little creped out by it, a very, very small part.

He looked at Marian, and there was this attraction he had not felt for anyone in a very long time. He felt it pull at him, whispering, nudging at the edge of his consciousness to get closer, tell her everything about him, to kiss her and never stop. But, again, they had known each other for less than a day. He needed time to himself, to collect his thoughts, to be away from her intoxicating presence. To gain perspective. Was he really so attracted to her, or was it the thrill of his unexercised hormones running through his veins, demanding his attention? Or her attention.

“Weeell…” he stretched out the word after swallowing his food, tongue flicking quickly over his lips, “I’m sure you have things you need to do?” He peered at her as he reached for the juice glass again. “I’ve got a few things I need to get done, myself.” It was stretching the truth a bit. They didn’t really need to get done, at least not right away, but they were things he should do.

Still, that didn’t matter overly much to her at that moment; it was just a passing train of thought that rattled through the station for a moment before continuing onwards.

Her eyes, instead, trailed over his face once more as he continued eating and drinking.  The simple act, something she had done quite often at home amongst family, gave her a small bit of happiness just to see someone indulging in food as genuinely as he.  She held the mug between her hands and looked down at the dwindling plate of food and near empty glass of orange juice – her appetite, at least the non-sexual one, had been appeased for the time being, and though it was possible that she could fit in another several moutfuls, she had little interest in the food any longer.

The question brought her eyes back from the plate to gaze into his green orbs with her stormy ones as she watched his tongue flick across his lips and peer back at her in question as if seeking an out.  Not for needs of getting away from her, but perhaps being able to think without the distraction that she presented to him, which brought a rather abrupt smile to her lips and a soft laugh.

“Of course I have things that need to be done.  Money is something that can always be used at home, so in my spare time, I tend to find ways of accomplishing that to some extent.”  Reaching a hand across the table, she found his and squeezed once.  “And, I wouldn’t want to keep you away from whatever duties you might have.”  There was a palpable beat between them before he took a drink from the glass and added another sentence gazing directly into her eyes.

She swallowed.

There was definite conviction in his eyes, though uncertainty floated about there too, she could tell.  But, the words left little room for interpretation.  They would be meeting again – soon.  She nodded her head slowly and smiled brightly across at the man before starting to slip from her side of the booth.  Once her feet were under her, she sidestepped to his side with a smile and quickly bent down and placed a soft kiss just on the inside of his lips mostly on his cheek.