Categories > Original > Fantasy > 131 Night End
Jim’s Model T pulled to a stop in front of 131 Night End. Inside, Kaylee smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress. She had no idea what to do. Utterson had refused to accompany the two of them back to her home. “Why should I? Having you leave me alone with this animal? It’s not right! Not dignified!” he had said, and faked a swooning fit.
Clenching her hands into fists, Kaylee’s eyes bored holes into the knees of her dress. What should she do? What on earth was she to do in this situation?
“Kaylee?”
She started, and banged her elbow on the car door. Glancing over at Jim, Kaylee flexed the muscles in her arm to reduce the pain. “Yes? Did you say something?” she asked, trying to sound coy, trying to sound like the girls that guys liked, the ones who were pretty and dumber than bricks. Jim chewed on his lower lip, eyes momentarily darting around the automobile before settling somewhere a little to the left of her ear. His throat began to work again, trying to get a sentence out. It sounded like he was trying to swallow broken glass.
“Kuh-kuh-kuh-Kaylee? What’re we doing?”
“I beg your pardon?” It sounded more like an interrogative statement than a question. Jim colored rapidly, looking away. “Oh, gosh, Kaylee, I’m suh-suh-sorry. You muh-muh-muh-must think I’m some, suh-suh-suh-some kind of fresh, or special kuh-kuh-kind of stuh-stupid. It’s buh-balled up, Kaylee, I’m sorry!” he said, raking his hands across his scalp.
Kaylee turned in her seat, trying to give Jim her full attention. “Jim, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you, it’s just, I mean, we only met a few days ago, and you are bright, you’re really something special, Jim, and this seems sort of sudden!” she explained, reaching out to disentangle his clutching hands. Jim glanced up at her, and then back to her hands.
“I mean,” Kaylee went on. “It’s a good sort of sudden. I don’t want to tangle with it, is all.”
Jim looked up in surprise, then let out a shaky breath. “That’s good,” he said, almost to himself.
Kaylee couldn’t help it. “But if we’re going to be serious, shouldn’t we cement it?” she asked, biting her lip. If she was going to get a steady, she was going to have the whole cake. Jim, however, looked extremely startled, as if she had asked for his bone marrow. Oh, so he needed a little work. It wasn’t a total dealbreaker.
“You’re supposed to give me something?” she prompted.
“I don’t have anything on muh-muh-me!” Jim looked panicked, patting down his pockets frantically. “What do I do?” he asked. “I’ve only guh-guh-got one thing!”
Well, hopefully it wouldn’t be too much of a dud. “What is it?” asked Kaylee, leaning forwards.
In a moment of out-of-character boldness, Jim slithered forwards and pressed a kiss to her lips. To Kaylee, it was like pressing a nail in an electrical outlet. What was happening, and how?
Jim pulled away quickly, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth. “Guh-guh-good gravy, Kaylee! Sorry! Don’t know what happened!”
Kaylee murmured some quiet reassurances, and pressed a hand to her own lips. What on earth was that all about?
“I should go. Drop me a line sometime, okay, Jim?” she said, letting herself out of the car.
Walking through the crimson front door, Alvin’s voice rang down from the second floor.
“How’d the date go, sis?”
Was that bitterness and jealousy she detected? “A lot better than yours, buster!” Kaylee shouted back, prying off her shoes.
Alvin’s answering growl and retreating footsteps let her know that yes, yes it was.
Clenching her hands into fists, Kaylee’s eyes bored holes into the knees of her dress. What should she do? What on earth was she to do in this situation?
“Kaylee?”
She started, and banged her elbow on the car door. Glancing over at Jim, Kaylee flexed the muscles in her arm to reduce the pain. “Yes? Did you say something?” she asked, trying to sound coy, trying to sound like the girls that guys liked, the ones who were pretty and dumber than bricks. Jim chewed on his lower lip, eyes momentarily darting around the automobile before settling somewhere a little to the left of her ear. His throat began to work again, trying to get a sentence out. It sounded like he was trying to swallow broken glass.
“Kuh-kuh-kuh-Kaylee? What’re we doing?”
“I beg your pardon?” It sounded more like an interrogative statement than a question. Jim colored rapidly, looking away. “Oh, gosh, Kaylee, I’m suh-suh-sorry. You muh-muh-muh-must think I’m some, suh-suh-suh-some kind of fresh, or special kuh-kuh-kind of stuh-stupid. It’s buh-balled up, Kaylee, I’m sorry!” he said, raking his hands across his scalp.
Kaylee turned in her seat, trying to give Jim her full attention. “Jim, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you, it’s just, I mean, we only met a few days ago, and you are bright, you’re really something special, Jim, and this seems sort of sudden!” she explained, reaching out to disentangle his clutching hands. Jim glanced up at her, and then back to her hands.
“I mean,” Kaylee went on. “It’s a good sort of sudden. I don’t want to tangle with it, is all.”
Jim looked up in surprise, then let out a shaky breath. “That’s good,” he said, almost to himself.
Kaylee couldn’t help it. “But if we’re going to be serious, shouldn’t we cement it?” she asked, biting her lip. If she was going to get a steady, she was going to have the whole cake. Jim, however, looked extremely startled, as if she had asked for his bone marrow. Oh, so he needed a little work. It wasn’t a total dealbreaker.
“You’re supposed to give me something?” she prompted.
“I don’t have anything on muh-muh-me!” Jim looked panicked, patting down his pockets frantically. “What do I do?” he asked. “I’ve only guh-guh-got one thing!”
Well, hopefully it wouldn’t be too much of a dud. “What is it?” asked Kaylee, leaning forwards.
In a moment of out-of-character boldness, Jim slithered forwards and pressed a kiss to her lips. To Kaylee, it was like pressing a nail in an electrical outlet. What was happening, and how?
Jim pulled away quickly, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth. “Guh-guh-good gravy, Kaylee! Sorry! Don’t know what happened!”
Kaylee murmured some quiet reassurances, and pressed a hand to her own lips. What on earth was that all about?
“I should go. Drop me a line sometime, okay, Jim?” she said, letting herself out of the car.
Walking through the crimson front door, Alvin’s voice rang down from the second floor.
“How’d the date go, sis?”
Was that bitterness and jealousy she detected? “A lot better than yours, buster!” Kaylee shouted back, prying off her shoes.
Alvin’s answering growl and retreating footsteps let her know that yes, yes it was.
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