Coming Out of the Closet

I can almost see the thoughts, swirling behind her eyes. Reaching out, she places the mugs down on the counter. As I set the milk beside them, her eyes leave mine. They go to my socked feet, and then slowly come back up. As she reaches my neck, she has to turn her head back ever so slightly. I can see her doing the comparison, from memory. Breathing deeply, the hint of realization makes her face go slightly slack.

"Just something new I thought I'd try," I pick up the french press and fill two mugs with coffee, adding a splash of milk to one and handing it to Hailey, "You like it?"

She nods, slowly. Wrapping her hand around the mug, she presses her lips together for a moment before speaking, "And are you... going to see her again?"

"Oh definitely," I return her earlier nod, "I promised I'd see her next week, but I'm gonna have to move those plans up. Maybe tonight." I smiled around a sip of coffee, "I think I really like this girl."

"Holy fuck," Hailey's voice has gone whispery, as she drops the hinting line of her questioning, "It was you. Then who...?"

Instead of answering, I chuckle. The sound sends a small shiver down Hailey's back. I rest my hips against the lip of the counter, and then wince slightly as it pushes into the bruises left by her heels. Hailey notices, her eyes dropping to my waist for a fraction of a second and then coming back to mine.

"You could have gotten fucking stabbed," Hailey's words give me pause. I frown at her, and she continues, "You know I keep a knife under my pillow, right?"

"You keep a--" I did not know that, obviously, "Why?!" Her expression is enough to make me snort with laughter, "--Right. Fair enough. So why didn't you stab me?"

"I..." she trails off, then shrugs. Her eyes study me carefully. I try to look casual, leaning back against the edge of the counter and raising my coffee. When she parts her lips and traces the bottom one with the lip of her tongue, it's an effort not to follow it with my eyes. There's a long pause before she speaks again. When she does, the tone of her voice is different; a bit lower, "Tonight, huh?"

"Maybe. Depends whether she wants to see me again."

Hailey's eyes flash; brown chips of fire-hardened stone. "I have a feeling she does. She very much does. I also have a feeling that she wants her underwear back."

"First is likely. Second is less likely."

"You..." Hailey stared at me for a long moment, shaking her head slightly but without finishing her statement, "You. Really, you?"

"Me," I shrug, "People are full of surprises. Like pretty girls sleeping with knives."

"Yeah," her lips quirk up in a badly-concealed grin, "Just like that. Speaking of, you'd better be very nice to me, today."

"And tonight?" I return her tone.

This time, she makes no attempt to hide her grin. It made her eyes go narrow, pressing a long line between the corner of her lip and the side of her nose. I've never seen anybody look quite so beautiful, as she did in that moment. Morning sunlight caught the dark blonde of her hair, making it look as if she was wearing the silhouette of a halo.

"Less nice."

Coming Out of the Closet ---- THE END.