Playing Sleep

five » the chinese takeouts

“Many things – such as loving, going to sleep or behaving unaffectedly – are done worst when we are trying to do them.” – C.S Lewis

After I’d shared a coffee and a chicken sandwich with Julie, I made my way home to find Georgia curled up on the couch. She had changed into one of my sweaters with her bare legs curled up against the couch and a cup of hot tea resting on her thigh. She was watching one of those trashy model shows, where tiny girls walked down a runway with even tinier clothes on and her hair was up in a messy bun, little bits curling around her face.

“Hey, baby. Where’ve you been?” Georgia looked up at me, a lazy smile slipping onto her face. I chucked my keys and wallet onto the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, she nuzzled into me, head immediately resting on my chest.

“I was at the café for a while.” I replied, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.

She nodded, her arms wrapped around my chest. “What happened to that friend of yours?” I felt her head move as she looked up at me, a warm smile once again present on her face.

“Oh, he had to go home.” I hardly realised I’d said ‘he’, the little lie slipping out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think about what I was saying. There was definitely a part of me that didn’t want Georgia to know that I’d been spending my spare time with a girl rather than her, however I also felt as though telling her this wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Guys do have friends that are girls, and I’m sure Georgia would’ve been okay with it if she had known. However there was a part of me that just wasn’t allowing the truth to come out, and after I’d lied it all of a sudden became far too hard to actually tell her the truth.

Georgia stood up, my sweater only just covering the lace underwear she was wearing underneath, “well, that’s too bad. Now, how about the Chinese takeout’s?” She prompted, her hand extended out for mine.

I grabbed it and pulled myself up, pushing all thoughts of the lie I’d told her to the back of my mind. It was only a little white lie, no harm. If she was ever to meet Emily, which she probably wouldn’t, I could simply say that it was a different friend I’d hung out with on the day of the carnival. It’s not as if Georgia would know the difference.

Shooting her a warm smile, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close, nuzzling my head into her shoulder as I mumbled, “Sure, can you call? I want a shower.”

Georgia laughed against me, and pulled back to kiss me on the cheek, “Absolutely, baby. Do you want the honey chicken?” She asked, batting her eyelids excessively, a smirk plastered to her face.

Knowing what that facial expression meant, I nodded my head and bent down over her, my lips only inches from hers. Grinning, I nocked my nose against hers softly, leaning closer to her, I quickly captured her lips in mine for a quick kiss.

We both pulled back, a shared smile dancing on our lips. “I’m going to shower now.” I winked, walking backwards towards my bathroom. Georgia giggled, biting her lip as she sat back on the couch. I watched her pick up her phone in order to dial the takeout’s number before she kicked her feet up on the coffee table.

It took a few moments for the water to heat up, and once it had I immediately climbed under its warmth. Winter was slowly making its icy appearance, the chilled nights slowly turning icy and wet. Letting the warm water run over my back, I tried to force myself to forget about what had happened at the fair. It was ridiculous that I was so wound up over it, only I just couldn’t get the image of her body curled up in a tight ball out of my mind. Something must’ve been going on in order for her to react such a way, perhaps she was claustrophobic? Even as the possibility ran through my mind a small part of me blamed Georgia.