"Michael, you live with your girlfriend," sighed Victoria, turning away from his compassionate words and his open, warm hand. It was dangerous if she let him pat her on the shoulder, which could lead to him rubbing her back, then maybe wrapping his arm around her waist, which Victoria had to keep reminding herself was a *bad* idea. Why was that again? "You live with your girlfriend *two blocks away*," she reiterated.
"Yeah," admitted Michael tensely. He retracted his hand from Victoria and rubbed his temple. At what point, exactly, did his life become too perfect?
They sat in silence. The orange streetlamp continued buzzing. Two people, who honestly liked each other very much, were alone together. They should have been much happier.
"The fact I live with my girlfriend," Michael began softly, "is the second thing you bring up? I mean, I know this is a tough situation-"
"Do you know how much I like you? Do you have a clue?" Victoria changed the topic unexpectedly. Her tone didn't reveal an answer.
"Um! Lots?" responded an unguarded Michael. Victoria laughed. Victoria didn't look Michael in the eye.
"Do you know for how long?" wondered Victoria, a little softer now. Could he go two for two?
"Well, assuming love at first sight," Michael joked, "A year and a half?"
"No," chocked Victoria. It had been a tough year and a half. "Not quite love at first sight, but close. Stupidly close."
Victoria unbuckled her seat belt, but the tightness against her chest wasn't alleviated. She reached under her seat and pulled up on the lever that gave her some leg room, and then adjusted her seat back so it laid flat against her... back seat. It was a poor attempt at comfort.
"I'm warning you: I am insane," Victoria prompted. Michael disagreed, but listened. Shifting himself against the window, Michael folded his arms (more of a self-hug than a defensive pose) and looked down at Victoria.
"Victoria, I don't think you're insane," Michael soothed.
"I haven't told you why, yet," she insisted, "If someone was about to tell me what I'm about to tell you I would think 'gee, they are insane'."
She breathed deep. "Do you remember when I first met you?"
"Yeah," admitted Michael tensely. He retracted his hand from Victoria and rubbed his temple. At what point, exactly, did his life become too perfect?
They sat in silence. The orange streetlamp continued buzzing. Two people, who honestly liked each other very much, were alone together. They should have been much happier.
"The fact I live with my girlfriend," Michael began softly, "is the second thing you bring up? I mean, I know this is a tough situation-"
"Do you know how much I like you? Do you have a clue?" Victoria changed the topic unexpectedly. Her tone didn't reveal an answer.
"Um! Lots?" responded an unguarded Michael. Victoria laughed. Victoria didn't look Michael in the eye.
"Do you know for how long?" wondered Victoria, a little softer now. Could he go two for two?
"Well, assuming love at first sight," Michael joked, "A year and a half?"
"No," chocked Victoria. It had been a tough year and a half. "Not quite love at first sight, but close. Stupidly close."
Victoria unbuckled her seat belt, but the tightness against her chest wasn't alleviated. She reached under her seat and pulled up on the lever that gave her some leg room, and then adjusted her seat back so it laid flat against her... back seat. It was a poor attempt at comfort.
"I'm warning you: I am insane," Victoria prompted. Michael disagreed, but listened. Shifting himself against the window, Michael folded his arms (more of a self-hug than a defensive pose) and looked down at Victoria.
"Victoria, I don't think you're insane," Michael soothed.
"I haven't told you why, yet," she insisted, "If someone was about to tell me what I'm about to tell you I would think 'gee, they are insane'."
She breathed deep. "Do you remember when I first met you?"
