Court Cases and Cafes

Ch. 12

Sahana awoke slowly, blinking away sleep. Stretching, she was surprised to find another warm body next to her.

Callum had propped himself up on his elbow, with his other arm wrapped around her waist.

He gave her a smile, and Sahana grinned.

"Please don't look at me like that."

His gaze intensified. "Why not?"

"Because it makes me feel uncomfortable."

She could not believe it. Here she was, quoting Star Wars: Attack of the Clones with a man she had gone home with and - oh for the love of... "Um, Callum?"

"Yes, love." The words formed a question, but he said them an indulgent tone, as if to say, Anything. Callum's voice was a bit deeper than it had been the night before, and Sahana expected it was the result of just waking up. But she could not afford to get distracted, because the fear of not knowing how she got here or what she had done the night before was growing fast, and Sahana asked him just that.

His smile faded, but there was no less comfortable happiness on his face than before.

"We went out dancing in Hyde Park," he murmured.

"Yes, I remember that..."

"You are a beautiful dancer."

She chanced a look at his face, but the dark eyes were no less intense than before, and she had to look away.

"Callum, what did we do." Her voice had risen due to panic, an Sahana began to slide away from him, skin crawling.

"Nothing, love. And that is the honest-to-God truth. I drove us here, in shock, I might add, after the spectacular show I just witnessed, which was, of course, you, and I opened up a bottle of champagne. You asked me to do some Muggle magic tricks, which, actually, are very close to real magic, and I did. Then I picked you up and we danced a little more."

"And?" she asked, the note of fear still lingering in her voice.

"And you fell asleep on my shoulder. So I put you in here," Callum gestured to the tastefully decorated room, "And I went to sleep on the couch. About ten minutes ago I came in to ask you what you want for breakfast."

She exhaled slowly. "And that's all that happened?"

"Yes ma'am." Callum's eyes held no lies.

Sahana closed her eyes. "Thanks," she breathed, more to whatever angel had looked out for her than to Callum.

Callum gave her the same look of deepest betrayal he had given her the day he first walked into Nook Cafe. "Am I really so ugly that you cannot stomach the idea of a little fun with me, bandit of my heart?"

She rolled her eyes as the cheesy line, but thinking better of it, a smile slipped onto Sahana's face.

"Oh, Callum. You're hot enough to rob a woman blind and buy her a drink with the same money, right in front of her eyes," she murmured, "And I have no aversion to a little fun," she said, "But you are not quite attractive enough to destroy my morals." Sahana smacked his arm, a little harder than she intended to, and rolled off the bed.

Callum lay back on the black silken pillows, arms behind his head. He raised an eyebrow, lips forever perched on the verge of a smirk.

Ball's in your court.

She flicked her wand toward the stereo, and it began to play the same song she had danced to the night before.

"I'll take you up on breakfast," Sahana said, "If the offer still stands."

Eight o' clock, Monday night, and I'm waiting,

To finally talk to a girl a little cooler than me,

"Dance for me, and it will."

It's like a bad movie, she is looking through me,

If you were me then you'd be screaming "Someone shoot me!"

"I dance for myself, not you."

As I fail miserably,

Tryin' to get the girl all the bad guys want.

There's that smirk, Sahana thought.

"There's something about you, doll," he said quietly. "Isn't there?"

Sahana smiled, and walked out of the room. Callum shook his head and slipped out of bed.