The Safety Pin Affair

t w e n t y-f o u r - are you willing to find out?

you like to think that
you're immune to the stuff,
it's closer to the truth to say
you can't get e n o u g h . . .

▪️▫️▪️

By the time Wheel of Fortune ended and the 8 o'clock news came on, I was nestled into Josh's side on the couch with his arm around me. It got so damn cozy and warm in the living room that it just felt right to be cuddling. Not that I was complaining about it since for the past hour or so, I couldn't stop thinking about kissing him.

I pulled my legs up onto the couch and folded one under the other, leaning my elbow on Josh's thigh. Neither of us spoke, as his arm that was around me shifted and I suddenly felt his fingers in my hair.

If there's one move that a guy could do to make me dissolve into liquid – other than nibbling on my ear – it's playing with my hair. Josh did just that, unknowingly making me want to lay my head on his chest and doze off. My eyelids grew heavy from the tingling in my scalp, and I guess he noticed because he suddenly tugged on my ear as if to ask for my attention.

I perked my head up with a small smirk and glanced at him from the side, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't fall asleep on me," he teased after chuckling lowly. I gritted my teeth at the sound of his laugh and how attractive it is. Damnit.

"Or else what?" I retorted, facing the TV again.

He paused for somewhat of suspense, then leaned forward and whispered into my ear, "Are you willing to find out?"

I scoffed and lightly shoved him away, shaking my head. "Shut up," I muttered. And his fingers went back into my hair.

It was like that for a couple minutes, a peaceful silence falling over us as the little TV held most of our attention. Although the news wasn't too exciting, because the only story worth telling in this little area of Vermont was about a cow escaping a farm and stopping traffic. Still, that wasn't enough to control the indecent thoughts that were flooding my brain.

"Your hair smells good," Josh said, catching me off guard a bit with his random comment.

"Oh, thanks," I blushed, either from the compliment or because I was literally just thinking about us, on this couch, with a lot less clothes.

Instead of responding, he stuck his nose in my waves and pretended to sniff me like a dog, making me laugh as his grip around me tightened. I couldn't help but notice the abrupt fluttering of my heart at the silly yet adorable move.

Once we both relaxed and sat back into the couch cushions, I giggled when he pulled on another stray strand. Could I be anymore of a giddy idiot around him?

"I like it," he murmured.

"What?" I crinkled my forehead in confusion.

"Your hair."

I sat up, turning to sit sideways again and looked at him in shock. "Why? It's a mess," I enunciated the fact that my hair has been and always will be untamable.

He shook his head as he smiled at me, his eyes carefully exploring my face. "No, it's not. I like that it's really wild and wavy – it's kind of like your personality."