Page 36 of Absinthe Dreams
“One of my favorites. I likeDeath on the NileandA Haunting in Venice, too. I’m really hoping there’s more to come.”
“Yeah? I saw you dug mysteries and thrillers,” he said.
“Did you now?” I asked and turned my attention back to him.
“Couldn’t sleep last night, glimpsed the books in your little library that way.” He jerked his head in the direction. “I confess, I perused.”
“That’s fair,” I said. “And yeah, I like mysteries and thrillers.”
“Classics, too. Your copy ofParadise Lostby Milton with the Doré woodcut prints caught my eye.”
“You dig Milton?” I asked, surprised.
“And Dante, and Shelly.” He thought about it some more. “Poe, and Verne too.”
“I’m impressed,” I said thoughtfully. “Most men aren’t into reading.”
“Wasn’t a lot to do in juvie when I was in it. I picked up the habit there when I was a pre-teen.”
“Juvie, huh?” I asked.
“Petty theft, truancy, and eventually burglary. My mom had a meth habit. Sometimes food was scarce. I stole to feed myself, and my relationship with food got kind of fucked. After I got shot, I reevaluated a lot of shit and decided some changes were in order.”
I let my gaze wander. “You’ve done good,” I said quietly. “Really good.”
He grinned and said, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I didn’t know what else to say. I was sort of frozen in my little corner of the couch.
His clothes had done a good job of hiding just how far he’d come.
I snuck a glance again and startled when I realized he was staring at me.
“What?” I asked, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.
“You’re beautiful,” he stated simply, and I blinked, taken aback.
“I’m not sure what to do with that,” I said quietly. “Thank you?”
“You’re welcome,” he said and looked back at the television. “You mind if we rewind it some or even start it over?”
“Not at all,” I said. “It’s not terribly far into it.”
I started it over again.
By the time the movie was almost to the credits, he captured my attention again with a quiet, “Hey.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Why don’t you go change? Get comfortable.”
I thought about it.
“Okay, if the oven goes off, can you get the food out?” I asked.
“Absolutely, you want to watch the next one?” he asked.
“Yeah, that’d be nice.”
