Homecoming

10

"You’re looking like shit."

"Thank you, Verne. It’s also nice to see you." Kohl leaned on the counter to support himself. His tie was crooked and he was in good need of a shave and shower, and more than likely a good nights’ rest as well.

"Rough day at work?"

"You have no idea." He laid his head on his arms on the counter and looked up at me. "What about you? How was your day?"

"You have no idea." I snorted. "But tell me about your day, what happened? Why are you guys here so late?"

"There were some errors in the concrete order, but we didn’t catch them until yesterday. That's just one of the things going wrong lately. Anyways, I spent all day on the project site trying to negotiate with contractors and the like. Then I had to pick up Kori from daycare, and she had to kill time in my office while I finished some paperwork. We haven’t eaten dinner that’s why we’re here." Kohl grinned. "And to see you of course."

"That’s cute. Rosie is filling Kori with sugar as we speak." I nodded towards the kitchen.

"I’ll allow it. She deserves it for putting up with me today."

This was the perfect opportunity to asked about Matti, so I cleared my throat and busied myself with arranging the menus to make it seem like innocent question. "What about her babysitter?"

"Matti’s out of town. By the way, I never got around to thanking you for taking Kori to the dentist."

"I didn’t mind at all."

I did mind very much at the time, but Kohl could have asked me for anything with the way he was looking up at me with adoration in his eyes. It was a look I hadn’t seen since we were together, and it transported me back to those late afternoons in Handen High library where he would lay his head on the table while he watched me get a head start on homework.

Kori’s boisterous laugh from the kitchen broke our eye contact.

"I guess the sugar is working."

"I’m probably going to regret it. I hope she crashes fast because I’m so fucking tired." Kohl’s eyes fluttered close.

"Are you ok to drive?"

He grunted a response, but kept his eyes close which was enough for me to make a decision. I went around the counter and helped him to a nearby booth before making my way to the kitchen. I walked in on Kori laughing while melted vanilla ice cream trickled down her chin. Rosie stopped mid-act of whatever story she was telling, and her husband Billy popped his head out of the pantry to see what caused the sudden silence.

"Could I leave a bit earlier today? I’m going to drive them home."

"Is Kohl all right?"

"Yeah, he’s just exhausted. I don’t think it’s safe for him to drive. I don’t even know how he made it here."

Rosie followed me in the dining area to get a look at Kohl. "I'll bring Kori out with your things. You get Kohl to the car."

"What’s going on?" Kohl asked standing up.

"I’m going to drive you guys home because you can’t barely stay awake."

His eyes lit up, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. "What? I'm fine. Really."

"You be quiet. I can't believe you'd endanger your daughter like that." Rosie went back in the kitchen muttering. "Driving in that condition."

Kohl napped through the fifteen minute drive to their house even with Kori’s sugar induced story-telling from the back seat. I was beyond grateful for Rosie’s offer to drop my car off on their way home at the Danford’s house. Staying overnight was out of the question, and the only other option was to wake up my parents and had one of them pick me up.

When we entered the house, Kohl made a drunken beeline to his bedroom while I attempted to feed Kori. She wanted a full course breakfast meal, and offered to help cook, but we compromised on an egg and bacon bagel sandwich. I even managed to impress her by cooking the bacon and egg in the microwave. It didn’t take long for Kori to fall asleep when she finally settled in her bed.

I tiptoed towards Kohl’s bedroom with every intention of  taking a quick peek to make sure he was asleep on the bed and not passed out on the floor. But I ended up gawking at his sleeping form bracing myself against the door frame. Kohl had discarded his tie on his way to the bed and kept everything else on including his shoes. His right arm laid over his forehead and his left leg dangled off the bed. The subdued cast of the light from the bedside lamp contrasted against the dark backdrop of the room creating a painterly effect. It accentuated his profile: the hard angle of his jaw and his prominent nose. Even from this distance, I couldn’t deny Kohl's attractiveness.

"How long do you plan to stand there watching me? I'm starting to feel a little self-conscious." His voice, soft but laced with fatigue, cut the silence.

"You were awake?" I asked since he hadn't stirred once.

"Fighting to stay awake. So far I'm winning." Kohl smiled and turned his head towards me breaking his perfect profile. He slid over patting the spot next to him. "Come here."

I obeyed picking up his tie on my way without so much an ounce of hesitation, but had second thoughts by the time I reached the edge of the bed. I kept my gaze down grasping for any excuse I could muster when my eyes settled on his tie in my hand. "You should change and take your shoes off." Before he could respond, I threw his tie at him and went around the foot of the bed where I begun to unlace his shoes.

"This feels so … domestic. Makes me want to propose." He murmured looking down at me through sleepy hooded eyes.

"You’ve got some fucked-up notion of what domestic bliss entails. And you must really be sleep deprived to think that I would wait in an apron like some 1950s housewife for you to come home and be on the ready to take your shoes off for you." I said letting his shoes fall to the floor.

"Maybe, but I'm conscious enough to catch that you’re not against the idea where I propose to you."

Ignoring his comment, I crawled over his legs and propped myself against the headboard. Kohl attached himself to my side like a monkey—his arms encircled my waist, his right leg thrown across my legs, and his face buried between the pillow and my right hip. Unsure of what to do, I froze while my entire body warmed up.

"Are you staying over?"

"No. Rosie and Billy are dropping off my car on their way home."

"I’d be seducing you if I wasn’t so tired."

"Shut up and go to sleep." I started to run my fingers through Kohl’s hair to prevent him from looking up and seeing my blushing face.

"I’m serious though."

I ran my tongue over my chapped lips considering if it was a good idea to encourage his flirtation, but my curiosity pushed its way ahead of sense. "Oh yeah? About what?"  

"All of them. Seducing you." Kohl took a deep breath. "Proposing."

My hand stopped, and I watched the visible side of his face for a smirk or a wink to suggest he was only kidding around, but Kohl’s face didn’t show any change. I continued to run my fingers through his hair until his breathing changed to a stable rhythm.

A pair of headlights danced across the room through the window, and the phone in my pocket vibrated which was no doubt Rosie calling to let me know they were outside. I pried myself from Kohl’s clutches inch by inch to avoid waking him. I draped a throw blanket over his body before turning off the lamp.

As I walked out into the chilly night, I found myself whispering, "I’m not against the idea at all."