Interlude

She appeared in the doorway. "You asleep?"

"Nope." Still standing there. "What do you need? A drink of water? A blanket? Cuddles?"

"Yes."

Laughing. "Yes, what?"

"Cuddles."

I peeled back the covers on the "passenger side" of the bed.

She came over and got in.

"Okay," I said, my arm cocked back. "Spoons, or cheek on chest?" She put her cheek on my chest, and I put my arm around her shoulders. In the ensuing silence, I felt her gears turning. "What's on your mind?"

"How do you know there's something on my mind?"

"There's always something on your mind."

She giggled. "You're right. . .I was thinking about something you said earlier. . .you said you think I'm beautiful. . .what did you mean?"

"Um. . .well. . .aesthetically pleasing, easy on the eyes, evolved on the inside. . .engaging, intelligent. . .a sexy heart-shaped mouth. . .all that is beautiful. . ."

"You think i have a heart-shaped mouth?"

I leaned back to look at it. "Yep. There it is. Heart-shaped." Settling back down on my chest, she turned contemplative again. I felt her thinking. I always feel her thinking. "What else?" I prodded, brushing my fingers through the tendrils of hair at her forehead.

"I like you."

"I like you, too."

"How much?"

I held up my fingers to about an inch, and she smacked me on the arm, as we both laughed.

"Seriously. Yes. I do like you. More than I should, probably."

"Why do you say that? "

"I just know you are very dangerous to me."

"I've never been accused of being dangerous."

"Well you are."

"How?"

Now it was my turn to squirm. I cleared my throat and tried to find the right words. "I had a very precise and thorough list of what I wanted to manifest in my life. . .romantically."

"And?"

"And you're it."

"Really?"

"Unless you have me fooled."

"Kiss me."

"What?"

"I want you to kiss me like I'm the one you manifested. . ."

"Why?"

"So I can see if it's what I manifested."

"Oh, you've been manifesting, too, have you?"

"Yes I have."

I sighed. "Now I have performance anxiety."

Interlude