After leaving Nick's, Suz stopped at the beach and they're walking along the water line, sun beating down on them. She left her high heels in the car and sometimes steps into the water just to kick up a spray, laughing. She scoops up water and tries to splash him which he can't even fucking feel, but he laughs anyhow. It's good to see her play. Luckily he doesn't get hot or cold or he'd be burning up in his wool jacket. Right, fucking lucky to be dead. He hesitates then says, "Suz, I think we should take Takeo up on his offer. We could actually eat dinner together, go listen to some live music and dance, eh, go home to bed and not worry about waking."
Suz gets serious then. She picks up a shell, studies it, and throws it back into the surf. She doesn't say yay or nay for a moment, just stares into the waves. "Much as I want to say yes, I don't think we ought to use him like that. Maybe me living with Aaron for awhile was some sort of atonement for having tried to use his body."
"There's a difference, luv. Takeo fucking offered."
"You heard Cally: he's crazy! Who would offer something like that? Just wreck my body with drugs and sleep with who you want! It's insane and it's wrong!"
He doesn't point out Takeo never gave permission for sex. He sighs, watching a seagull. In the old days he would've tried to charm her into it, but in the old days he never thought about the future. He's here for the long haul, for her life, however long, and please let it be long even if things would be easier if it weren't. There's the kids to consider. Verity knows him now. This role model shit has indeed bitten him in the ass. 'Don't mind me, dear, I've merely shanghaied this bloke's body to have a go at your mum.' Of course Verity won't be home until tomorrow, so maybe he should try. "We go to a restaurant, a little locally owned one, walk in hand and hand. You're dressed to kill, gorgeous as usual but more so, but for a change I can lean over and actually kiss you. We talk and laugh just like we always do but if you reach out, your hand doesn't sweep through me as if I weren't there. We can dance in public and knock the eyes loose of those who see us with the way our bodies mesh. Then we go home and can take all the time we want without that hurry-up-before-this-ends sense of doom that hovers over our bed."
Suz's lip trembles. Oh fuck, please don't cry. He doesn't think he can handle tears right now, too deep in the picture he painted. "I don't have his number and I don't know where he lives."
"Call Cally or Nick!"
"Henry, they both heard his offer. I don't think they'd tell us."
"Just try!" Yeah, he's wildly impatient for the chance to be in a body again. It isn't just for his benefit alone, though. They go back to the car for Suz's phone but she proves correct in her assessment of the bleeders. They'd no more give out Takeo's information than the fucking queen would have actually parachuted into the Olympics stadium. "Shit. I'd been rather keen on a night out with you, luv. Maybe tonight in dreams we could come back to this beach with some music, a bottle, and blanket."
"I don't want to make love on the beach, Henry! Sand gets everywhere and it's so gritty."
He tries hard not to laugh while meeting her eye. She's so fucking practical. He chokes back a chuckle and adds, "Imagine a door to our bedroom then." It's only after he says it that he realizes one of them may wake up before they even get to the bedroom.
"If you were alive would you ask me to marry you?"
What the fuck? Jesus, she must be deeper in fairy tales than he had realized. Even Charlotte had never said something so inane, never confused love with marriage. That wanker Steve should have cured her of that shit. Probably all the recent weddings had addled her brain, Jennifer and Steve, Jonquil and Zach. Ah, the perfect answer directly from fairy tales: "Sure luv, right after your kiss brings me back to life I'll marry you."