No Rest for the Wicked

Chapter 3

No Rest for the Wicked – BM, Chapter 3

BM awakened feeling a bit more rested than usual. It seemed that having Luna on the line while he slept had been somewhat effective. The image of her lying next to him crossed his mind, but then ended up getting stuck there. Suddenly, the image turned sexual as he pictured himself hovering over her, kissing her lovely tan neck. BM sighed heavily and tried to shake the image. She was about to arrive for dinner. The last thing he needed was to have his mind languishing in the gutter the whole time. He was always a little afraid that women could read his mind. In his opinion, they were magical creatures that were capable of supernatural wonders.

As if telepathically summoned, Luna rang the doorbell. BM hurried to answer the door and found her in a bright saffron-colored top with earrings of the same color that had several thin rods hanging down that brushed her bare shoulders. Her mass of unruly curls had been corralled slightly by a headband, but little springy coils poked out from behind it all around her head.

"Come on in," he said warmly, offering her a quick hug. When she came close, he could smell the coconut oil that she spread over her coiled locks. His errant mind wandered to a picture of his hands winding through the labyrinth that was her black hair. He pulled away from the hug and motioned her into the living room where J. Seph was lounging on the couch in his underwear.

"Dude!" BM exclaimed. "Put some pants on!"

"I didn't know she was coming this early!" J. Seph protested as he put a throw pillow over his underwear and stood up, running back the hallway to his room.

"Remind me to BURN that pillow," BM yelled after him. "Sorry about that," he said to Luna as he looked away sheepishly.

Luna laughed softly. "Men in their underwear have no effect on me," she informed him. "I don't find the male form to be all that intriguing. The female form is infinitely more beautiful, don't you think?" she asked breezily.

"I feel like that's a trick question," BM teased. "So, are you trying to tell me that you like girls?" he asked, hoping desperately that it wasn't the case.

"No, not exactly," Luna replied enigmatically. "I think I just like who I like, if that makes sense."

"Oh," BM replied, not sure how to take in this new information.

"What's with the long face?" Luna asked, studying his serious features.

"I just kinda hoped I had a chance, but it's not sounding good," he ventured with a nervous chuckle.

"You have as much chance as anyone," she replied as she picked up a figurine of a dolphin made of fine crystal and studied it before putting it back on the mantle. "I just don't feel sexually attracted to anyone unless I like them first," she added.

"Oh," repeated BM, slightly more cheerfully than the first time. Just then, the crashing of metal pans was heard from the kitchen.

"I'm okay!" J. Seph called out, which made BM and Luna giggle.

"It sounds like he needs some help," Luna suggested. "I feel like dinner isn't going to happen without our assistance," she laughed. They walked into the kitchen to find J. Seph attempting to cut a potato that was rolling about precariously on the cutting board.

"Let me help you with that," Luna said, taking the potato and the knife from J. Seph's hands. "See, if you cut a tiny slice off one side, you can lay the potato down flat and it won't roll," she said as she modeled the hack. "What are you using them for? I mean, how do you want them cut?" she asked.

"I didn't really have a plan. I was just going to wing it," J. Seph admitted.

"Well, I'm an expert at making papas fritas," Luna said as she began to cut the potato into even rectangles.

"Papas fritas are my favorite!" BM exclaimed.

"I know," Luna replied reflexively, but then gasped as she realized she shouldn't have said that.

"How do you know? We just met," BM reasoned.

"Internet," Luna said, trying to sound casual. She watched BM's curiosity relax a bit.

"But when I met you the other day, you didn't even know I was famous," he pointed out.

"Well, maybe I Googled your ass to make sure you weren't a serial killer," Luna suggested with a flirtatious wink.

"I wouldn't blame you for that," J. Seph teased. "It's probably a good idea to keep your eye on this one," he added, poking BM in the ribs.

"Hey, don't turn her off me before I even get a chance to be a Rizz Master," BM objected.

"Rizz Master, my ass," J. Seph scoffed as he left the kitchen, effectively leaving the food prep to BM and Luna.

Luna looked around at the ingredients spread out over the kitchen island. "Steak frites it is, then," she said confidently as she reached for a kitchen apron that was hanging from a hook on the wall. BM came up behind her and grabbed the strings to tie them. When he was finished, his hand lingered for a moment on the small of her back, causing her to jump slightly at the surprise of his touch. The two worked in companionable silence, searing the steak and putting the French fries through their first fry. When the potatoes were almost cooked, she pulled them out and turned up the fire under the oil to prepare it for the second fry.

Later, as they ate around the low coffee table in the living room, BM tasted a French fry as his eyes rolled back in his head with pleasure. "These are the best fries I've ever had!" he raved.

"Watch out!" J. Seph teased. "He might just be falling for you. If you're not careful, you'll have him hanging around all the time," he added.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Luna replied, causing BM's heart to skip a beat, but he kept his facial expression neutral so as to not egg J. Seph on in this relentless teasing.

After dinner, J. Seph made up a lame excuse about needing to make a Zoom call and disappeared back the hallway. As BM sat alone with Luna, he found that he was feeling a bit nervous. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He took a furtive look at Luna from the corner of his eye. He really wanted to kiss her, but he still wasn't sure of her feelings. Would an attempted kiss buy him a sweet memory or a slap in the face?

"Luna, I should be honest with you," he began. Luna stiffened slightly at hearing the word "honest". Her conscience was pricked, but she maintained her ruse for the sake of BM's mother.

"Yeah?" she prompted him to go on.

"I really like you," he admitted as he locked his brown eyes with her emerald-green ones.

"Mm," Luna hummed. "I think I might like you too," she revealed, leaning toward him and tilting her head upward to see him more clearly.

He leaned down and hovered his lips over hers for a moment. "I'm gonna kiss you now," he said, in what sounded like a warning.

"Well, do it already," Luna challenged as she brushed her full lips across his gently. BM grabbed her by the waist and kissed her passionately, pushing her back against the sofa. Luna's body responded by pressing itself tighter against his.

"God, Luna," he cursed against her tight curls.

"Woojin," Luna whispered.

BM pulled away, staring in bewilderment at Luna. "What did you call me?" he demanded as Luna's heart sank. Perhaps she had just revealed that she knew him more than she had let on.