Old Money Madness

12. Define Kiss

"River, are you awake?" Called a voice that seemed far away.

"No. Please, stop," I mumbled while inching closer to the warmth and seemed to be wrapped tightly around my body.

No more words were said and I felt the couch shuffle with the weight around me. I allowed my heavy eye lights to push the rest of the light away and fell into a deep daze.

***

My eyelids were glowing red with spots of orange and yellow swirling to make a tie-dye. While my rapid mind had come to conscience I kept my eyes shut to feel the warmth from the sun over my face and arms. In this moment of limbo between awake and slumber, I feel at peace.

Until a grumble disrupts my zen.

"Riv?"

"Sorry. I don't remember bringing you here." I opened my eyes and rub my hands over my dry face. When my eyes focus back on my bed guest, I immediately start regretting my words.

"What do you mean Riv?" Dox ask stretching his arms out.

"Don't worry about it."

"You little vixen. Are you telling me, after your hookups you don't even remember who you brought home?"

"Frankly they're just a warm body. Also when I do remember that I have someone, I usually rush out of bed to make myself look way hotter and offer them breakfast."

"Such a wonderful host." He smiled while messing up my hair more than it was. His fingers got caught in the tangles and he laughed while untwining us. "I'm glad you usually put more effort out than this."

"I'm a prize nonetheless. Anyway, Daisy should be up by now." I started getting out of bed. My sweatpants were crinkled and my sweatshirt was removed to leave me in my t-shirt.

"She's not up. She spent most of the night cleaning. Martha and I helped her for as long as we could, but my eyes wouldn't stay open."

"So what led to you in my bed?"

"I was going to just leave you on the couch after you passed out but Daisy said you would have complained all day that your neck and back hurt. So I brought you up here. Then I was tired and your bed just looked comfortable."

"So you shoved me to the side and dropped next to me?"

"Yep, it was a little hard though. You weigh more than you think." He laughed heading to my bathroom.

"It's all muscle, stable boy, all muscle."

I heard the shower turn on and with that, I headed for the kitchen.

Mars was nowhere to be found, just Harry reading the newspaper and sipping on some black coffee.

"Sorry Miss. Daisy wasn't here to tell me your plans for the day or when we would eat, so I made myself a coffee."

"Harry, you're always welcome to anything in this house. You live here after all. You want coffee in the morning or a midnight snack, help yourself."

"Thank you, Miss."

"Does there happen to be another cup for me?" I perked up taking out the pancake mix.

"Yes, Miss, a whole pot on the stove waiting for you." He smiled swiping an apple from the basket. "Are you cooking today?"

"Yes. I got my master's in English and am working towards a Ph.D. I think I can manage reading some directions on the back of the box."

I downed one whole cup of coffee to get the brain flowing while I added the mix with eggs and milk into a silver mixing bowl. I turned the little red radio on the counter to hear Cigarette Daydreams playing softly behind me while I mixed.