i don't want to be worshiped.

     she bites the inside of her lip, pink-cheeked and veritably, privately charmed. ‘ quite the argument you’ve made, darling. ’ 

     warm as ever, her gaze flicks back upward. ‘ perry and woods are dear friends of mine. ’ there’s a hand offered, delicate. ‘ tracy. i don’t believe i’ve had the pleasure. ’ 

     she calls into the house, ‘ i am sorry to drop in on you like this, only the weather is absolutely dreadful, and -- ’ she realizes the ineffectiveness of beginning half of one’s conversation out of earshot, quieting herself to an indoor voice. ‘ gosh, i should really let you enter the room before i go prattling on. ’ 

     haltingly, tracy bites her tongue, all too inclined toward hypocorisms and all too aware of his visceral distaste in the very mention of them. crossed at the ankle, she swings her legs just so. ‘ mutt. if i may, i’m not certain when bennie and jeremy will have concluded their business. is there anything that might tempt you to join me for a brief diversion? something to stretch our legs. there’s a lovely little cafe just downstairs. perhaps lunch? ’ 

     ‘ he and i -- we’ve only made each other’s acquaintance quite recently, i don’t expect him to have mentioned me. ’ 

     he finds her within the depths of a mountainous stack of spoiled groceries, quite forlorn, addressing him just south of a jug of warmed milk. ‘ perry, my dearest love, i do not wish to be perceived in this moment. ’ 

     she mightn’t normally allow herself to be accused of tittering, but, well. her furtive gaze falls somewhat left of diane’s own; instead, flickering somewhere between her corn silk hair and the blended rouge on her cheek. (set a girl down in front of a singular, feminine force and watch her lose every ounce of society grace.) the air tracy affects feels clumsy to her own critical eye, but poised enough, she hopes, to fool any hard glance. ‘ you’ve stolen the words from my very mouth. ’ to the barest degree, she leans in further. ‘ you must tell me who fashioned your blouse, how it fits so keenly. you simply must. ’ 

     ‘ perry, darling, ’ she stands over him, a cast shadow towering in gleaming, angelic white. ‘ get in the damn pool. ’