AROUND THE HEART IN 80 DAYS

Thirty

The layer of snow was already ankle deep and Edrei's major issue was that it would pose the regular annual inconvenience for his open garage. Though he was feeling very lazy that Sunday morning, he couldn't trust himself to idly lay in his bed while snow threatened to blanket the car ramp. So snuggled and warm as he could dress, he fetched his shovel to do the menial task once and for all.

Another reason he needed to move around, was to straighten his thoughts pertaining to their revealing actions of the previous night.

Now, he told himself he would not think too deep into it, but it hadn't been a peck. They almost ate each other, good God have mercy! Both of them had to explain to each other what happened.

As he sunk into the quick layer that covered his once green lawn, he guffawed out loud in realisation that the female counterpart in this mess was not even home. Even though it was Sunday and she usually went out anyway, he knew deep in his gut that she would have disappeared if it had been any other day of the week.

His hand stayed on the metallic surface of the garage post as he planned the area he would have to shovel off.

Edrei, she was craving for you too! He laughed out once more. People would call him crazy if they saw him laughing to himself. But she could respond goddammit! All that innocence and calmness and goodness but with passions of wild beasts!
How did Rebecca find this one?!

However she did it, it was done. And he was glad he got that off his chest. He had wondered over and over how it would be between them when they realise at last that they would... warm each other. And he didn't regret finally going for it the previous night. But she initiated it, he'd give her her flowers.

Just as he had shoveled off the first chunk , he felt her presence. Which was crazy because he felt her presence. He spun around at once to see her approaching. Fun it was, watching her return from her morning Masses all dressed up. Like now, brown parka with dark leggings, dark boots, dark scarf round her neck. She met his gaze straight on.

"Is the snow already that deep that driving the car out will be difficult?"

"Guess so." She sounded cool. So he would as well. "I wonder how the weather would be from here on though."

"Can I help?" Her gloved fingers pulled out from her pocket.

"No, I got it."

"Oh, okay."

Silence.

Edrei turned to the shovel leaning against the steel post.

"Our Volleyball game is Saturday. Wanna attend?"

"Oh." Once more, he faced her. "Well, thing is... I'm not really feeling up to it. Last time, I was a bit uncomfortable. You remember I lost so much, my coordination is horrible."

Her face broke into a relaxed grin. "You felt uncomfortable being there?"

"Very."

"I helped, didn't I? To ease the tension."

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

"We're even then, Edrei. Because I had no idea you planned on payback when you invited me to your French-only speaking home."

Without planning, he rolled his eyes. How on earth did the conversation steer in that direction? Was that what bothered her? "Are you being real?"

"I deserve to know what was said about me, don't I? I was a guest. I had never been so confused in a long time."

"Let it go, Jacqueline. I seriously don't think you want to hear it."

"Wow!" she exclaimed in pure sarcasm, "that makes me want to hear it even less."