Page 21 of Nolan
He sniffs and tilts his chin up, imitating me, except his accent is absolutely perfect. “Indubitably, madam.”
The park is small, quaint, and easy to navigate. There are several paved paths, all circling around a trinity of ponds. Canadian geese haven’t begun their trek south yet, and they’re resting on the water’s surface. Pedestrians walk their dogs. Couples chat and hold hands. I thought my feet ached before, but it’s all forgotten when I’m with Nolan.
Or at least, I thought it was forgotten, until my clumsy self takes an odd step and I feel a slight pain in the arch of my foot. I suck soft breath beneath my teeth.
Nolan pauses. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, just sore feet and no grace,” I reply weakly. “But I’m fine, I promise.”
Nolan regards me for a moment and then smiles. “Let’s sit down for a moment, anyway.” He guides me to a bench. “Which foot hurts the most?”
I cock my head. “The right one. Why?”
“If you take off your shoe, I can see to it.”
I’m intrigued, looking around. “Like, a massage?”
Nolan grins. “Not quite.”
Tentatively, I remove my shoe. Nolan bends over and grasps it gently in his hands. “Not ticklish, I hope.”
“A little. I can’t be held liable for any ninja kicks if you tickle me.”
Nolan snorts, glancing up briefly at me. “Duly noted.” Then he helps me stretch out my foot, and I let out a satisfied groan. “How’s that?”
“Really good, thank you.”
“Now the other one.”
Feeling a little like Cinderella with her Prince Charming, I can’t keep my eyes off Nolan. He’s so relaxed, methodical, and focused on his task. I’ve never met a man who wanted to help me stretch after a long day at work. I feel spoiled.
And I like it.
“So, how long have you been activated?”
“Two years, almost.”
“Wow. So you’ve only been alive for two years,” I murmur, fascinated as he rotates my ankle and uses his thumb to massage the arch of my foot. “What was it like, when you first opened your eyes?”
“Overwhelming,” he replies, releasing my foot and sitting next to me. “I was surrounded by bionic engineers, by the fire department. It was a lot of ceremony, a lot of people. But once the excitement died down, I was eager to begin my work.”
I try to compare his experience to birth. I’ve never had a baby, but Jessica definitely has. I’ve only ever thought of it from the mother’s experience, how painful and scary it can be. Now, Nolan has me thinking another way. I can’t imagine how stressful it is, being pushed into a world that’s cold and bright and alien, getting poked and prodded by strangers, after being safety cradled by its mother. It doesn’t sound all that different from what he went through, except maybe with a little less squalling, blood, and bodily fluids. Still, all the confusion and the disorienting sounds seem the same.
“Ready to walk again?” he asks.
“I think I am.” I’m about to get up by myself, but he rises first and offers his hand.
Now I definitely feel like a princess. My heart skips a beat. “Where did you learn to be such a gentleman?” I ask, sliding my hand into his broad palm, which swallows mine.
“Apollo.”
Rising and letting him lead me back onto the park path, I nearly snort aloud but I catch myself. “Seriously?”
Nolan glances at me. “Is that surprising?”
“Well—yeah,” I mutter. “‘Gentleman’ isn’t the term I would’ve used for him growing up. Ever.”
“I get the feeling you didn’t get along as children.”
