Tom said, Did I misunderstand?
Samina thinks, Yes. And so did I.
But she can't say it. The moment she does, she'll start to cry. Her eyes are already stinging. Don't cry, the Polite Indian both warns and begs. If you do, Tom will feel that he has done something wrong. She tries, hard, to contain her tears, but a little choke still escapes, like a small rodent being strangled.
Tom shuffles back from her, perhaps thinking it best that he put some distance between himself and the situation. The rest of him is fading into darkness, ... all except for It. Although Samina finds It beyond awkward to look at, she can't help herself. It is poking out of the darkness, pale and gleaming. She stares, transfixed, a deer in the headlights — a single headlight in this case. It probably doesn't get much sun, she thinks. Oh, why doesn't Tom put It back?
It sways slightly. Her eyes widen. She gropes behind her for the tree to steady herself. She looks down. Her panties are pooled around her ankles. Her dress hangs open. She still has her bra on — thank goodness! — but otherwise, she's naked. Oh, God! She swoops down and yanks up her panties. They stick between her thighs — it's moist there. She swallows more tears and jerks her panties up to her waist, wishing that she could pull them up to her neck!
Her purse is propped against the tree trunk. She grabs it, slings it over her shoulder, and makes a dash for The Bear Paw, clutching her dress together. It keeps flying apart and billowing behind her as she fumbles to do up the buttons on the way.
YOU ARE READING
Love, Lust 'n Geology (2ND DRAFT)
Romance"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I'm studying your rocks," she replied, taking a sip of beer to moisten her dry mouth, another symptom of the state of her nerves. His smile disappeared, and his eyes widened. He glanced about and the...
