Jinn of the Lamp

Pt 2 - Fortune

    Dinner at the Arnold's had been interesting to say the least. Kate had thought 'George' was Avery's boyfriend and after much persuading on their parts they'd managed to convince her he was just a friend. Avery ended up helping Kate in the kitchen while 'George' and Lance had settled in to watch football. Dinner had gone well enough and they'd left with a tin of Kate's delicious chocolate chip cookies and an invitation to come back more so they could talk.

    A month had already passed since then. George had started to get used to his temporary name, even if Avery still giggled sometimes when it was used. It didn't fit him at all. But it was too late to try something else. They'd already been set in their ways of calling him George and Kate and Lance thought that was his name so it stuck.

    They soon found themselves fitting into a routine. Avery woke to George cooking breakfast each morning, which had completely shocked her the first two days. She'd get ready and leave for work after they ate. When she got home, George would be watching TV or surfing the net on her laptop. She'd had to show him how to use the later of the two. She would usually cook dinner though some days she got home late and George would have already started it. The rest of their time was George trying to get her to make her wishes and Avery changing the topic by trying to get him to tell her about his life.

    Of course she always won out. Not that it wasn't worth it. She learned so many things. Some mornings she woke up eager to hear more stories from him. His voice had become almost soothing to her, and his accent seemed to help. Though he'd never told her what it was or where he came from. It was in the third week that Avery realized something that scared her. She'd started to fall for him. This had led to her hoping it was only a crush of sorts.

    Avery wasn't the only one though. The more he got to know her, the more George realized how different she was to the people who usually called on him. Sometimes he would look at Avery and feel things he thought had been lost to him hundreds of years ago. Fear started to grow in his heart. Avery could, or would, never feel the same. Even if she did, he would be out of her life after she finally made her wishes. He wasn't a free man. His life wasn't in his own hands and hadn't been for three millennia. So, he started to push, hoping to get her to blurt out her wishes and end his torture.

    "George," Avery paused to bite her lip, taking the moment it took him to turn from the TV to compose herself. "I'm going to the store. Do you want to come?"

    George frowned, glaring a little at her as she tried to suppress her giggles. "What is it about the name that makes you giggle like a loon?"

    "Because it's a name people giggle at? And it really doesn't suit you." she said as she started to laugh a little. "You need to hurry and remember your name."

    He narrowed his eyes before shutting off the TV and standing. "Let's just go." he muttered as he moved toward the door.

    Avery snatched her purse up before hurrying after him. She was just glad he'd taken to wearing jeans and tee shirts, even if he complained about how they felt. "I'm sorry." she said as she touched his arm. She pulled away when he stepped out of reach.

    "It's fine. Maybe I'll understand this aversion to the name you picked sooner or later." he said as he flashed her a small smile.

    "Maybe." she said as she turned back to lock the door before moving toward the elevator with him. They waited and rode it in silence. The walk to the grocery store was worse and Avery wasn't even sure it was the talk of his name that had caused it. They were silent through most of the food shopping and only talked when it was about what they were going to get next.

    "What do you want for dinner?" Avery asked as they stepped from the store. George had taken four bags leaving only the one holding the bread and other light objects for Avery to carry. They'd gotten enough food for a couple different dinners and some snacks for him durning the day.