can see for myself that it's true." I, too, could now see the effects. His skin had a reddish hue and he moved with a stiffness showing the increasing pain he felt.
John scowled at Cecil. "I'll be fine. It's not like this hasn't happened before," he countered.
"But not for a long while, and I can't think why you would-" Cecil paused and glanced between John and me. I blushed, and he smiled at me. "Could you leave us for a moment, Miss Calhoun? I want to, um, help John into his bath."
I eagerly nodded and would have shot off but for John's pleading look; he still didn't want me to run off. I sighed. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," I told them.
I tromped downstairs and went into the living room to relax. With the couch sitting there laying testament to our sexual romp, the living room was now the worst room in the house to clear my worried, befuddled thoughts. I distracted myself by listening to the murmuring voices upstairs. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but John didn't sound happy and Cecil was amused by something. The exchange was tedious until John's voice rose up and there was a splash as a great amount of water spilled over the walls and floor. I shot up and stared with wide eyes at the ceiling. The splashing noise was followed by a great deal of laughter, but only from Cecil.
A few minutes later I heard squeaking shoes down the stairs and stuck my head out into the hall to see Cecil step down soaking wet and with a big grin on his face. He noticed me and aimed his wet feet toward me, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind him. "There's something I wish to speak with you about, Miss Calhoun. Would you do me the honor of stepping outside so I may dry off a little?" he politely requested.
"Um, sure."
He guided me out to the gravel driveway, and soaked in some of the lingering sun before he turned to me with an attentive glance. "You must be very fond of John to have stayed this long with him."
I blinked in bewilderment. "I'm supposed to work for him, remember?" I countered.
He waved aside my explanation with his hand and a frown. "Yes, yes, John told me the arrangement, but nobody could be this in need of money to put up with the strangeness around John's life. There must be something else
I shrugged. "I just wanted to help him get outside. He just seemed so afraid of his shadow, literally, that I thought maybe he just needed somebody by him to encourage him out."
"So you stayed out of pity for him?" Cecil guessed.
"I guess."
"I don't buy into that," he snappily replied.
I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. "And why not?"
"Because I believe there's another reason you stayed with him."
"And that would be?"
Cecil leaned in and winked at me. "That age-old troublemaker, love," he answered.
My face warmed with my blush, but I held my tone firm. "How can I love somebody? I just met him a few days ago."
He chuckled. "Does love have a point at which it comes into existence?"
"I don't know, but I don't love him!" I insisted.
Cecil still grinned from ear to ear. "Then perhaps you might tell me why your hair is such a mess, and your clothes in such a disarray on your person?"
I self-consciously tried to de-muss my clothes and control my hair. "It's been a hectic day for us."
His face lost some of its humor. "So I heard, but you haven't directly contradicted my statement."
I stopped my fussing and blinked at him. "What was the question again?"
"Do you love him, or not?" he rephrased.
"I-I don't know," I stammered out. "I mean, he's nice and cute and a lot of other adjectives, but I don't know how I feel about him. I mean, how am I supposed to feel about my boss?"
"Is that all he is to you?" Cecil persisted.
I threw up my hands. "I don't know, okay? I can't think straight, not after-" I froze, and Cecil raised an eyebrow. "Not after today," I finished.
Cecil sighed and rung water out of his coat. "Well, I'll leave him in your uncertain hands and check up on him tomorrow.
John scowled at Cecil. "I'll be fine. It's not like this hasn't happened before," he countered.
"But not for a long while, and I can't think why you would-" Cecil paused and glanced between John and me. I blushed, and he smiled at me. "Could you leave us for a moment, Miss Calhoun? I want to, um, help John into his bath."
I eagerly nodded and would have shot off but for John's pleading look; he still didn't want me to run off. I sighed. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," I told them.
I tromped downstairs and went into the living room to relax. With the couch sitting there laying testament to our sexual romp, the living room was now the worst room in the house to clear my worried, befuddled thoughts. I distracted myself by listening to the murmuring voices upstairs. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but John didn't sound happy and Cecil was amused by something. The exchange was tedious until John's voice rose up and there was a splash as a great amount of water spilled over the walls and floor. I shot up and stared with wide eyes at the ceiling. The splashing noise was followed by a great deal of laughter, but only from Cecil.
A few minutes later I heard squeaking shoes down the stairs and stuck my head out into the hall to see Cecil step down soaking wet and with a big grin on his face. He noticed me and aimed his wet feet toward me, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind him. "There's something I wish to speak with you about, Miss Calhoun. Would you do me the honor of stepping outside so I may dry off a little?" he politely requested.
"Um, sure."
He guided me out to the gravel driveway, and soaked in some of the lingering sun before he turned to me with an attentive glance. "You must be very fond of John to have stayed this long with him."
I blinked in bewilderment. "I'm supposed to work for him, remember?" I countered.
He waved aside my explanation with his hand and a frown. "Yes, yes, John told me the arrangement, but nobody could be this in need of money to put up with the strangeness around John's life. There must be something else
I shrugged. "I just wanted to help him get outside. He just seemed so afraid of his shadow, literally, that I thought maybe he just needed somebody by him to encourage him out."
"So you stayed out of pity for him?" Cecil guessed.
"I guess."
"I don't buy into that," he snappily replied.
I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. "And why not?"
"Because I believe there's another reason you stayed with him."
"And that would be?"
Cecil leaned in and winked at me. "That age-old troublemaker, love," he answered.
My face warmed with my blush, but I held my tone firm. "How can I love somebody? I just met him a few days ago."
He chuckled. "Does love have a point at which it comes into existence?"
"I don't know, but I don't love him!" I insisted.
Cecil still grinned from ear to ear. "Then perhaps you might tell me why your hair is such a mess, and your clothes in such a disarray on your person?"
I self-consciously tried to de-muss my clothes and control my hair. "It's been a hectic day for us."
His face lost some of its humor. "So I heard, but you haven't directly contradicted my statement."
I stopped my fussing and blinked at him. "What was the question again?"
"Do you love him, or not?" he rephrased.
"I-I don't know," I stammered out. "I mean, he's nice and cute and a lot of other adjectives, but I don't know how I feel about him. I mean, how am I supposed to feel about my boss?"
"Is that all he is to you?" Cecil persisted.
I threw up my hands. "I don't know, okay? I can't think straight, not after-" I froze, and Cecil raised an eyebrow. "Not after today," I finished.
Cecil sighed and rung water out of his coat. "Well, I'll leave him in your uncertain hands and check up on him tomorrow.
Similar Books
