Corn, Cows, and the Apocalypse

Dinner Take Two

The ride home was a little precarious since Garrett's motorcycle didn't offer much room for personal space. I tried to just sit without touching him, but he pulled out so sharply I was forced to wrap an arm around his chest. I thought that he had done it intentionally, but I had a feeling he would have claimed otherwise.

When we got back, I came through the kitchen door and saw that the table was set neatly again, with fresh flowers in a vase. Since the house wasn't filled with smoke, I presumed Garrett had also taken the time to do something with the food. I hadn't even realized I had frozen in the door until Garrett bumped me from behind. "Come on. The mosquitoes are getting in."

I stepped in and started to head into the living room. My intention was to go straight to bed, even though I was hungry.

"Lenore," Garrett said before I had made it to the stairs. His voice held the same tone that August's always did. It was a question, but also a reprimand. I stopped and debated my options. Risk indigestion by rushing through the most uncomfortable meal ever, or go hungry to prove my point. That point being: I could go hungry, or I can get my way, or I'm stubborn, or...

Forget it.

I came back into the kitchen just as Garrett pulled the still warm skillet of food from the oven. I couldn't bring myself to sit down when he did. I wanted to eat somewhere else. I also wanted to ignore my cowardly instincts.

After Garrett had served both our plates, he turned in his chair to look at me. "What are you thinking right now?"

I blinked away my confusion. Why did people ask that? Did they actually want to know? No one ever really wants to know what you're thinking. "I don't want to be near you right now, but I don't want you to think I'm running away from you either."

"Are you angry at me, or afraid of me?"

I rolled my eyes. No matter which answer I chose, I was going to look like a typical emotional female. "I feel like you're more a stranger to me now than you were two weeks ago."

"That doesn't answer my question." He stood up abruptly, and I took a big step back. "That does, though." He put up a finger to pause the conversation and went outside. He returned a minute later holding hand cuffs. I took a couple vacillated steps away from him, but he shook his head. "Relax, Lenore. The handcuffs are for me. I'll give you the key, and you can take them off when you feel comfortable enough to risk it. Or until I have to pee, whichever comes first."

He tossed me the tiny key and latched the cuffs around his wrists behind his back. I scoffed at him, but he proceeded to sit down and eat from his plate like a dog. The comfort of his hands being bound, did allow me to sit down with him and eat.

After his second helping of food, Garrett leaned back in his chair and looked me over. It had bothered me that he barely acknowledged my existence over the last two weeks. Now that his stunt had made him intimately familiar with my body, I wished he would forget I existed.

"Do you want to hit me?" he asked when I couldn't meet his eyes.

I snorted in an attempt to laugh, but he didn't offer it as a joke, so I let my smile drop. "No, I don't want to hit you. I don't even want to be near you."

"I can't have you afraid of me."

"I thought that was the whole point. Scare me into fighting you. Scare me into survival mode."

"Yes, but that won't work twice. You won't fight me nearly as hard if you suspect I'll let up at the last second."

"I could start wearing skirts so we could skip the fight and go straight to the rape." He looked away. He was no doubt irritated, but I also detected offense. "Why is she making me do this?"