Page 40 of Pick Six
“Oh is that where you keep your guests?” I can see the smirk form on her lips out of the corner of my eye, despite the drowsy look on her face.
“Like when my sister comes to town and doesn’t want to deal with my parents? Yeah.”
“Oh.” Is the only sound she makes. She’s quiet then and for most of the rest of the way back. I have to gently wake her when the car makes it to my place and I hold her hand as we walk to the elevator, her walk a tiny bit wobbly like she isn’t quite fully awake. If I didn’t think she’d protest, I’d carry her up.
When we getin the door, she goes to undo the delicate little buckle on her heels and nearly topples.
“Here, sit on the chair.” I grab one of the bar stools and she sits down. She starts to lean for the shoe again.
“I’ve got it,” I say softly.
“I can do it. I’m just more tired than I thought. Apparently, just enough to drink that I’m not drunk but very sleepy.” She gives me a small smile.
“I can do it faster and then we can get you to bed.”
I take her foot, placing it on my thigh, and work the tiny buckle loose, slipping her foot out of it. She curls her painted toes almost immediately.
“Oh wow. That feels amazing. Like being freed from a torturous cage.” She laughs.
I smile at her and take her other foot and slip the strap out of its buckle as well, pulling the shoe off, but this time I slip my hand under her instep, massaging it gently.
“I don’t know how you women do it. I hate wearing anything that isn’t sneakers or cleats. I can’t imagine having to wear those.”
“Hmmm…” She makes a little humming noise, and I look up at her and her eyes are closed. “Okay, you have to stop. That feels amazing and I’m going to fall asleep right here like this. And I’ve got to get out of this dress and get all these pins out of my hair.”
I let her foot drop from my thigh and her eyes open, like she’s aware of where she is again and she’s slightly nervous about it. She stands and straightens her dress out absently. I have to play the gentleman here because she’s already told me she’s exhausted, and it’s obvious from looking at her face just how much.
“You want a shower before bed?”
“That would be amazing. Just a quick one.” Her eyes light at the suggestion.
“All right. Let me get you set up with towels and clothes so you can get to bed.”
I go to my room, grabbing a T-shirt from my drawer. I’d give her shorts but I can’t imagine they’d fit her even with the drawstring pulled. Part of me likes the idea of being tortured with the thought of her in nothing but one of my T-shirts in the room next to mine. Spread out on the bed, just waiting for my hands on her… I blink because I’ve got to get my shit together. She isn’t here because she wants to fuck me, she’s here to get some much-needed sleep. I was keeping her out all hours at events in the middle of the week. Not exactly the life she’s used to.
When I get to the guest room, she’s pulled her hair down and wiped her lip gloss off. The back of her dress is partially unzipped, and she gives me a small smile when I walk into the room with the shirt. Her eyes lock on me and skim over my body as I stand across the room from her, the bed in between us and I can feel the tension roll off her from here.
“Thank you.” She closes the space between us and takes it from me. I follow her into the bathroom to needlessly point out the linen closet.
“Towels are here. Extra soaps and things I keep for my sister here if you want to use them.”
She smiles at the small array of female toiletries in the closet, her lips curling as she gives me a skeptical look.
“Don’t get ideas. They really are for my sister.”
“Well, then it’s sweet that you keep things set up for her.”
“I mean for a while she was here a lot. Having problems where she is now and running away. Coming back home but not wanting to deal with our parents. For obvious reasons.”
“She happier now?”
“I think so. She finally gave up on the guy that was making her miserable.”
“Ah well we have that in common I guess.”
“She’d like you.”
“Well hopefully, I meet her sometime.”
