Why I Love ~Sequel To Entwined~

Setting Hearts Aflame

Chapter Four

Setting Hearts Aflame

            Sunlight splashed onto James’s bed and on his face, making his hair look like fire. After so long, Aria was content to just let him sleep and watch. A little creepy, she thought, but so fulfilling.

“Hey James, its time to wake up.” She crawled across his big bed, Paisley following suite.

“Go away Arie,” he mumbled, swatting at her with his large hand.

“Isn’t this funny,” she said “We’re usually the other way around.”

This made James smile and before she could do anything but shriek as he wrapped his big strong arms around her, holding her to his chest. “I don’t mind staying in bed all day, do you?”

“I don’t mind at all, except I have work.”

“Work?”

“Yes,” she giggled “Tiger told me I could take the day off, but she’s all alone, so I thought maybe I’d go for a few hours. You could sleep some more, have a shower-you smell, by the way- maybe just read a book.”

“Or,” James said, twirling a lock of her long blonde hair around his finger “I could come to work with you.”

“You’re not five, James.”

“No, I’m eighteen and would like to come and see my best friends work.”

She sighed “Alright, Tiger wanted to meet you anyway. Have a shower first, though.”

He laughed, and Aria’s heart skipped a beat at the sound. How she had missed that sound.

            “Tiger, I bring company!” Aria called out, putting Paisley on the ground so she could join Panther in his daily rounds.

“Well look at that,” Tiger said, putting her hand on her hips “It’s the lad you always talk about, I’m guessing.”

“Yes, this is James Potter. James, this is Tiger.”

“Hi,” James was beaming for reasons Aria wasn’t sure of, but didn’t care. She loved his smile.

“Hello, are you staying?” Tiger was looking James up and down in a way Aria now knew well; she was trying to see if James was ‘good’ or not.

“James is very noble, Tiger, so you can stop your voodoo, alright?” Aria laughed, leading James over to the counter, where she handed him a book. “Why don’t you read this while I work for a while, then we’ll go out for lunch.”

“Sounds good to me,” James said, sitting on the high stool.

As soon as he was occupied Aria rushed over to Tiger, who was hidden behind a forest of humongous ferns “What was that all about, Tiger?” she whispered.

“Whatever do you mean?” Tiger asked, watering the ferns while waving Aria away at the same time.

“You know something, don’t you?”

She smiled “Who’s to say I do?”

Aria frowned and got back to work, but she knew Tiger had picked up on something she had not, and she was going to find out what it was.

~*~*~*~

            Night was falling fast as Aria and James made dinner, though it was quiet hard since James kept on trying to get Aria to dance with him.

“C’mon Aria, just one dance!” he pleaded, tugging on her hand.

“No James!” she laughed “Your parents will be here any minuet and I haven’t even made the salad yet!”