Crossover Crossroads (The Kell and Maille Story)

With the Monkey

024: With the Monkey

"Come on, come on." He said then and helped her up.

Without warning, he stood up and grabbed her arm to pull her along as well. He had her hand in that same firm grip he had always used when hauling her around, but Maille wasn't so sure she wanted to be hauled around. She dug in her heels. Kell looked down and then paused to survey her feet.

He retrieved the bag and got out the sneakers he'd bought her. He knelt and held out the first one and she placed a hand on his shoulder while he laced the shoe onto her foot. Feeling rather childish for having her shoes put on her, Maille nevertheless submitted as usual to his gentle eccentricities and when he led her out to his red sports car, she came willingly, noting the monkey in a cage in the back seat.

Enchanted, having never been as close to a monkey as she had been in the last two days, Maille greeted the little rascal, it's black eyes shining with curiosity and intrigue. Kell watched her play with Kiyah's fingers in contentment. He pulled onto the freeway, took her free hand and placed it over the gear shift while they drove. He covered it with his own, loving the feel of her hand, so small, so warm within his own. It was the smallest intimacy he could permit.

Her hand. His hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To a park." He said and they did go to a park. He drove to the side of the park and got out while Maille observed the beautiful shade trees and the lush grass. There was another couple not far away, and that was it. No one else was in the park today.

Kell had Kiyah on a leash and a Frisbee in his other hand. He let Kiyah go and then threw the Frisbee for him to catch. It wasn't long before they were playing a three-way game of catch, and Maille was delightedly feeling her lack of inhibition again. She loved the monkey. She rather thought she might also love Kell.

Kell had packed a picnic lunch of sandwiches and chips for them and they ate quietly, feeding Kiyah little tidbits and discussing his characteristics. Then Kell lay back in the grass and tugged at Maille's hair.

She lay back as well, her head touching his. She could feel the heat of it. His fingers raised and one hand reached for hers again, and the other blindly felt for her braids, and then traveled easily over her features, gently tickling her brow and her eyes until they closed, and her smiling lips. It bothered unbearably, but Kell was insistent.

"Kell, what are you doing?"

"Memorizing you upside down."

"Why?"

"I 'll be going on location soon and I want to remember you."

Maille smiled, feeling warmth and gladness swell within her, but there was some bemusement as well.

They laid on the grass calmly talking about nothing and everything. Kell was very open for the first time, and Maille asked about movies and performing and hopes and aspirations. Kell told her some of his main concerns and then spoke about how he was being forced to do projects that would require sex scenes and nudity in order to further his career.

"They want you to perform without clothes? In what movie? Not in this movie!" Maille was shocked.

"No, not in this movie with the fabulous Steve McQueen." Kell said. 'Thank God."

Maille smiled. "Yeah, Stevie would never do a movie that required him to perform nude."