The Smell of Lilies

Chapter 10

Morning came and went. The sun broke into the navy blue sky ruled by the white lights of night. "My turn," it cackled to the moon. Pink, red and orange strips of clouds tore the dark purple canvas. It was beautiful. The warm hues glittered off the powdery ice that blanketed the entire city. Truly, a sight to see. And a lot of people did witness it, but not Brandon or Kel. 

The night's mayhem had sucked the energy clean out of them. They slept throughout the morning, she on his bed and he on his couch. Comfortable. Warm.

Kel woke up with a start, her eyes flew open. What happened? 

"Ow..." Her head was throbbing, right behind her eyes. This usually happened after she cried. And she had cried a lot last night...a little more than she would have liked. Her throat was a little hoarse as well. Maybe some water would help. 

She rubbed her eyes and looked around. She was alone in Brandon's big bed in his room. The clock read two forty-two p.m. 

She stumbled to the bathroom and grimaced when she saw her face. Puffy red eyes, awful taste in her mouth...yep, bad night last night. But not all bad. 

She had to support herself by gripping the counter as she remembered her little episode last night, and how Brandon had kissed her. There was no denying, it was a good kiss and she liked it. But she worried about it. For the first part of the kiss she did nothing, but towards the end she had participated. Why? Was it because she liked it? Or was there something else? Just minutes before she had poured her heart out to him about Craig, how much she loathed him now. She didn't want the kiss to be about him, some little way of revenge for her. A silent, "Fuck you," to Criag. She wanted it to be about Brandon because, well, because she liked him.

Then it dawned on her, didn't Brandon say he worked on Saturday afternoons?

She hurried into his living space and found him sprawled on the couch, sleeping like a baby. His body was much too big to fit it and his legs hung off the end. She had to remember to let him use the bed tonight.

Tonight. If I stay that long, which I shouldn't.

She stepped over quietly and nudged his shoulder. "Brandon?"

He didn't move. Kel tried again, nudging his shoulder a little harder this time. "Brandon, wake up."

She couldn't see his face because he had buried it in his arms, but she could hear a slight groan coming from his mouth. His shoulders started to adjust...his broad, muscular shoulders.

One more time, "Brandon?"

"Let me sleep, woman," he muttered. 

"Don't you have work on Saturday afternoons?" she asked him.

He finally lifted his face but kept his eyes closed and tried to roll onto his side. "...running around all night..." he murmured to himself. "...just want to sleep...wait, what?" His eyes started to flutter.

"Don't you have to be at the bookstore?"

It was like her question didn't process. He opened his dark eyes and stared at the ceiling, and then he took into account the time on the clock. "Oh shit."

He rolled off the couch and stood up, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe I can call off."

"No, don't do that because of me. You need this job, remember?" Kel protested. "What time do you have to be there?"

"Three-thirty," he said. 

"Well you better get going."

"You sound like my mom," he said under his breath. "I'll be out in ten minutes."