Page 20 of August Heat
“Sorry I couldn’t get us any closer,” Krys said. “I had to pick up a shift at work and only got off two hours ago.” Her rolling eyes mildly amused Siobhan. Did this mean the best spots were already taken by the time Krys got off work?
The first chill of the evening hit Siobhan as she lowered herself to the blanket. She pulled her jacket closer to her body. Yet she wasn’t about to say no to the assortment of cold beverages appearing before her. Sparkling water or soda! Which should she choose?
“I’ve got…” Krys picked up two bottles of sparkling water, “something called ‘Pineapple Passion’ and another called ‘Berry Blaster.’”
“Pineapple, please.”
The bottle was heavy in Siobhan’s hand. Or was that how forcefully Krys handed it off, as if she didn’t know her own strength?She’s the kind of woman you imagine packing you around town. Bam. Right over the shoulder, caveman style.The crazy thing? Firefighters practiced that move, right? They had to carry people out of burning buildings. They knew all about carrying people, including those that weighed more than them!
“Uh…” Krys snapped her fingers to get Siobhan’s attention. “Care to share with the class what’s got you giggling?”
“I’m not giggling.” Siobhan opened the sparkling water and covered her mouth. “You’re misreading my body language.”
“Suuure.” Krys’s curiosity remained locked on Siobhan for a little longer than was comfortable. When she finally looked away again, it was with her own smile on her face.
Damnit. She’s too good at this.Siobhan couldn’t get anything past Krys. Not when the fit and flirty firefighter was aware of every smirk, every laugh, and every flicker of amusement behind Siobhan’s eyes. The thought of her knowing what Siobhan was thinking before the woman herself could comprehend the images in her head… yeah, that didn’t feel great. Siobhan didn’t like it when people read her as easily as they read the Sunday funnies.
“You ever seen this movie before?” Krys asked.
A placeholder image of the movie’s DVD cover appeared on the screen. Siobhan shook her head. “It doesn’t really seem like my kind of thing. I’m not into absurdist humor.”
“Absurdist? Maybe that’s what it is. Classic lesbian movie, though. Surprised you’ve never seen it.”
“Do you go out of your way to watch every movie labeled ‘lesbian’?”
Krys shrugged. “I guess? Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because most of them aren’t good…”
“Taste is subjective, huh? You’re stuck watching it now. By the end of tonight, we can say you’ve seen a few things.”
Siobhan’s breath strangled her throat.What does that mean?Krys wasn’t under the disillusion that they were getting into bed that night, was she?I donotoperate that quickly, even if I’m really into you.Jury was still out on how Siobhan really felt about Krys. Was she attracted to the abs? Duh. Was she attracted to the attitude and what might lie in their joint history? Absolutely not. Siobhan still wasn’t convinced that Krys was innocent. Not in practice. Maybe in heart.She could be telling the truth while still being guilty.Siobhan didn’t completely see the world in black and white, but when it came to shades of gray, she had to decide which shades were a little too off for her tastes.
“I’ve got snacks.” A knapsack opened. Out spilled an array of crunchy snacks and a pouch of knock-off Twinkies.Wow. This is high dining right here.“Sorry it’s a weird selection. Didn’t have time to go home or hit the store, so I grabbed stuff from the station. The guys… really aren’t healthy eaters.”
“It’s fine.” Siobhan plucked a lunch-size bag of pretzels from the pouch. “I had a light dinner earlier.” Gabriella was incensed that her niecedaredto spoil her appetite for what was sure to be a night of wining and dining with Krys, but Siobhan had a hunch things would pan out like this. A sandwich and some leftover potato salad ensured she wouldn’t go hungry, while leaving a little room for a snack.
The lights around the park dimmed. People whistled and kids were recalled to their families. Heads bobbed down. Soon, the only light came from cell phones and the projector.
It was the perfect opportunity for a flirt to “accidentally” wrap her arm around someone. Siobhan braced herself for an awkward hug, as if this were a fifth date instead of a first one. Instead, Krys propped herself up against the tree and rubbed her eyes. “If you get cold, there’s an extra jacket right there. Ugh. My shoulders are so sore from work. Pray I don’t fall asleep.”
“Isn’t this one of your favorite movies?”
“I’ve seen it a hundred times before.”
What did that mean? Krys easily fell asleep if she had seen a movie too many times before? She could recite it from memory? She didn’t want to accidentally spoil something for the virgin eyes in her midst?
Applause echoed in the park as the opening credits began. Siobhan pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Within the first ten minutes of the movie, she knew for sure that it wasn’t her cup of tea, but she would be polite and stay behind until it was over. With any luck, Krys wouldn’t fall asleep and leave her there to stew in chilly boredom.
Siobhan glanced at the people around her. A few families had their backs to them, but not too far away was a couple using the cover of darkness as an excuse to make out by the bushes. Siobhan didn’t recognize them, especially when it was so dark and she made a point of staying out of town. As long as they didn’t start stripping in front of God and Paradise Valley… whatever. Let them play their tonsil hockey.
Halfway through the movie, she realized that Krys had been uncharacteristically silent. Siobhan looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, Krys had folded her hands over her stomach and snoozed against the trunk of the tree.She fell asleep on our date. Go figure.Another chill came with the summer night. Siobhan instinctively grabbed the extra jacket on the blanket, assuming it was a spare from the firehouse. It certainly was big enough to fit over her clothes. The hood flipped over her head. Only then did she realize that it smelled awfully familiar.
It smelled like Krys.
What should Siobhan do? Wriggle out of it and brave the cold? Or should she continue to wear it, although it gave her all sorts of twisted… feelings?
This movie really is something else…A bunch of kids sent off to gay rehabilitation camp, played as a dark comedy. Siobhan felt both too old for the humor, but also too young to completely understand where it came from. Her parents were liberal progressives from the city, where Siobhan was exposed to “alternative lifestyles” from an early age. She had her first girlfriend at sixteen, and never looked back. Sure, assholes like Emily tainted her perception of love and devotion, but she never had to lie about who she was or fear for her life.
