ORPHIC

treasure chest full of your diamonds

I took one sip of your potion

Now I'm just divin' right in

^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.

LUKE

"Free breakfast is the only reason I like you right now."

Liar, liar. Pants on fire. I wondered if she could see quickly and incessantly I was spiraling downwards into her oh so appealing black hole. Maybe it was being displayed like a blazing tattoo across my forehead.

That actually might not be that bad of an idea. Yeah, you'll finally admit in clear words that you are attracted to her.

Harper started swiveling in her chair the best she could with me getting in the way. "Free breakfast is almost always the reason why people like me in the morning."

Not that the food she made couldn't be good, I couldn't believe that she was selling herself this short. 

She got right back into the good mood of two minutes ago, smiling at the side of my face. "After nights of...lively activities."

I appreciated her toning it down for me. It didn't make me any less...jealous, I guess, but I appreciated it. How many nights were there?

My brain had covered several miles of uncomfortable thoughts by the time the self defense mechanisms kicked in and I reined in my impending mental breakdown and cycle of unfairness.

Alright, time to get the act back together.

"You cook?" I shifted completely to be able to look at her, making her lean on her her hand on the counter.

If she hadn't been staring at my face I would have taken a significant amount of time to admire the way her body curved through the sheer dress.

She nodded confidently and said, "I can read off of Google excellently well."

"That's practically gourmet," I laughed. "And providing meals isn't enough to get people to stay a day longer. I'm shocked," I said, putting my hand to my heart in the ultimate show of betrayal. 

Also my borderline subtle way of asking whether she was seeing somebody. Whatever my feelings were, I didn't want to make a bad decision that she might regret. But she had agreed to my date so I might actually have a shot at this.

And now you're sweating. Great.

"I know!" she nodded enthusiastically with a deep frown on her face. "It's very upsetting." 

As an after thought she added, "And please. I could get a boyfriend, or girlfriend, if I wanted to."

Oh. Well shit. The competition just doubled up. 

A little bit of me died at her admission of not wanting a boyfriend right now. Easy Casanova. It's not like it would have happened anyway. She was here on a vacation to relax. Getting attached to a neurotic eighteen year old was definitely not on her itinerary. 

I didn't get a word in because now she was on a roll.

"I'm in the casual, I will totally wear your underwear to my place of work if you asked, relationship phase right now," she wiggled her eyebrows, oblivious to my increasing plight.

Shriveling. Shriveling! Insides shriveling up! I was having trouble looking at her in the dress and now my mind took the idea of her in something lesser and ran wild with it. Dear God in heaven, take me away now. I am done living.