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Chapter 48 - Chapter 48 - Arles and Kelly's Breakfast

Arles stood in the small kitchen of Kelly's flat. He was back in his trousers from the suit he wore the day before, but without his shirt. He stood at the cooker, frying some bacon.

Kelly walked into the room just as he picked up a piece and tossed it in his mouth. He exhaled slowly. "Oh, that's the best."

Kelly laughed, "I can't believe you do that."

He glanced around to see her. "Do what?"

She stood next to him wearing a dressing gown. Her hair was wet from the shower and wrapped in a bun on top of her head, "Willingly, burn your mouth."

He kissed her lips quickly and smiled. "It's wonderful."

She laughed, "Whatever. Live dangerously then."

He chuckled and tossed more bacon from the pan into his mouth.

She held out his white t-shirt he had worn the day before under his oxford. "And your shirt is clean. I just got it out of the dryer."

He nodded as he took the pan off of the cooker. "Brilliant! Cheers."

She started to hand it to him and then pulled it back.

He smiled. "What?"

She giggled. "I rather like seeing you like this. Shirtless. In my apartment."

He turned to face her, "Which part to you like the best?"

She looked at his chest, "All of these…muscles. These…arms."

He smiled, "If I'm going shirtless, so are you."

She laughed and handed him his shirt.

He pulled it on and handed her a plate. "So, I didn't know what you liked-"

She looked surprised. "You did all of this? Was I this long in the bathroom?"

Arles didn't tell her that he had popped back to his flat on the island while she had been in the bathroom. After putting on deodorant, cologne, and brushing his teeth at lightning speed, he had rushed down to the food replicator and gotten fruit salad, eggs, beans, tomatoes, pancakes, and bacon.

He grinned and rubbed his eyebrow. "Well, yeah. I knew you would have to be hungry."

"I'm amazed! This looks so great."

He became lost looking at her.

She looked back at him. "I didn't realize I had tomatoes. You eat tomatoes for breakfast?"

He seemed to snap out of it. "Umm. Yeah, they were in the back of the fridge. Forgotten. What? You don't eat tomatoes at breakfast? That's strange."

She sat down at the bar with her full plate. "And beans?"

"Good protein."

"Men. Whatever, I'll try it."

He laughed as he took a plate from the cabinet. "And may find that you like it."

She started to eat. "Arles, this is amazing."

He sat down next to her, with his plate, and sipped his water. "So, let's get back to something."

She rose her eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You told me, that you felt miles away from your problems when we were on the boat."

She sighed and shook her head. "Arles-"

"What's going on?"

She covered her face. "Oh, Arles. I shouldn't have said anything about it."

"But you did. If you need someone to talk to about it, I'm here."

She took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. I get along great with my Dad. But, his wife….ugh."

"Step Mom."

"Yes. We just….oh, I really feel she is just….evil."

"What about your Mom?" He asked as he ate his breakfast.

"Oh, she's been gone for years. She died when I was really little."

"Do you remember her?"

"No. I have a photo of her, and I imagine I know what she may sound like if she spoke. But, that's all. My Dad and I, it was always us. Then, he started dating a few years ago, they married, and I just….couldn't stay there any longer. I told him I wanted to move out. Be on my own, and he insisted that if I was to move someplace, it would be safe. Close to home. They only live about five miles from here."

He nodded and continued to eat. "Has it gotten better since you moved out?"

"A bit. I don't have to speak to her anymore. But, I don't really speak to him much either. He does come to my softball games. I told him that I had been on a date with you."

He smiled.

She put her hand on his forearm. "I hope that alright-"

He nodded. "It's alright. Have you told your Dad how you feel about this woman?"

"No. He's so happy, I don't want to mess it up for him. There's an old saying about how two women living in the same house…."

"I know that one. Yeah. It's not something that ends well."

She looked back at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to unload my problems on you-"

He smiled. "I'm your friend. You need someone to talk to."

She nodded and smiled as she went back to her breakfast. "Yeah."

"So, Dad is forcing you to live in a nice place."

"Dad is paying for me to live in a nice place. I won't deny it."

Arles nodded. "My Dad paid for my flat in the beginning, too. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I hope."

She giggled at him. "I hope."

"What does he do?"

She sipped her coffee and looked back at him. "He's a doctor."

"A doctor? Like Sam."

"Sam is a doctor?"

Arles nodded. "He is. An actual, proper Doctor. Our Dad is, too."

"Karen said he was a teacher."

"Genie needed teachers for her new school. She's the head mistress. So, she asked Sammy and me. She's our sister, so we had to help."

"Drafted, huh?"

"Volun-told." He teased.

She smiled and sipped her coffee again.

"Did your Dad know the Lieutenant?"

"Not really. He didn't even go to the funeral. I was surprised about that. But, his wife, told him that it would be so crowded that no one would miss him."

Arles nodded and tossed the bacon in his mouth. "That's unfortunate."

"That's controlling. It's such a toxic relationship. She tells him everything he's going to do. What he's not. I understand why you don't want a relationship, Arles. If your ex was anything like her."

He shook his head. "She wasn't like that. In fact, she was secret."

"Secret?"

He nodded, "She was. She didn't want anyone to know about us. I never even told Sammy. Genie knew. She has a way of getting me to…confess to things."

"Sisters can do that." She giggled. "Why didn't she want anyone to know?"

"Well, where I came from, it would have been a huge deal. She agreed we could see one another, as long as we kept it quiet. I was fine with that. Her parents wouldn't have approved of me, anyway."

"How could parents not approve of you? You're a great guy!"

He smiled and rubbed his hands as he looked back at her. "Well, thank you. It had a lot to do with my family. See, you know me. Sortof. Where I came from, people knew this….made up version of me. Not the actual me."

"What does that even mean?"

He shook his head. "It's complicated. We decided to end it. It was a mutual understanding."

"So, there wasn't a nightmare relationship?"

He shook his head. "No. It was nice. She teases that she is the one who taught me to kiss properly."

She held up her coffee and grinned, "And she did a great job at that."

He chuckled, "She was great. But, we both knew that it could never work. We never even fought or had a disagreement."

"Was?"

He grinned, "I set her up with one of my good friends. They really got on together. They were about to announce their engagement when we left. I helped him pick the ring out for her. She loved it."

"Arles. That's sad."

"Genie said the same thing. She was sure I was devastated about it. But, I'm not." He shook his head. "Both of them are happy. I know that I couldn't have made her that happy. And that's okay."

"What if you could?"

"If I thought I could, I would have stayed with her. She wanted to settle down. Have a family. All of that. I don't want that."

"One day you might."

"Not anytime soon. Sammy and Karen ….well." He laughed. "Karen's great for Sam. Exactly what he needs."

"Tell me. What do you need?"

He propped his head on his fist and looked back at her.

She quickly waved her hands. "Not pushing-"

"No. I know. I just…don't know. Is that normal?"

She sipped her coffee. "I don't think it's something you actually can list, and tick off as you find."

He rubbed his lip. "Sammy says it's just something you know."

"That's what I've been told."

"I've been reading a book. It talks about knowing."

She wiped her mouth. "What book is this?"

"It's….some book about a woman who fell in love with an alien."

She sat back and looked surprised at him. "I haven't heard of this book."

"Well, you never watch telly." He reasoned.

She giggled. "That's true. What did it say?"

"Ummm…that there is a certain amount of fear associated with it."

"People are always frightened of what they don't understand."

He nodded, "Like….dating an alien."

"That's a good example. Yes." She told him as she went back to eating. "What is the name of this book? Sounds interesting."

He grinned at her. "When would you have time to read something like that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. Maybe, when you have to return to New York."

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so."

She continued to eat. "Arles, this is so good."

He smiled, "I think you're hungry."

"Famished." She agreed.

He sipped his water. "The only thing missing here is a cup of tea."

"And some orange juice. I need to go get some." Kelly insisted. "I'll pick you up some tea so you'll have it here."

"Thank you." He went back to his breakfast, "If it's something you know, do you know from the beginning, or is it something….over time?"

She wiped her mouth. "I think it can work either way. Arles, why are you asking me this? I'm not an expert."

"Hell, I know I'm not!"

She laughed. "You're better at this than you think."

He sipped his water just as his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at it. "Do you mind if I answer this?"

She went back to her breakfast. "Go ahead. It's fine."

He held the phone to his ear. "Hey. Oh, hey Sam. What's up?"

Karen sipped her coffee as Arles sat back.

"No, I'm not there. I'm with Kelly."

"No, really man."

"Don't start. We're just friends."

"Oh, bugger off."

Kelly grinned behind her coffee.

Arles propped his head on his fist as he listened to something Samuel was wound up to tell him. "Blimey. Crazy night. Umm."

"Med Bay? Why are you in the med bay? The pain blockers in other cabinet. To the left."

"I don't know, Dad moved them from some reason."

"No, I don't want to speak to Gran-Hi, Grand! How are you?"

Kelly giggled at Arles' sudden change of tone.

"No, Grand. I'm not at school. I'm in Florida."

"No ma'am. Having a spot of breakfast. How are you?"

Kelly sipped her coffee.

"Yes, ma'am. Is Grandfather there with you?"

"Oh, that's good."

"And….who? Tony and Papa? "

"Blimey, you have a roomful."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be there as soon as I finish breakfast. May I bring you anything?"

He grinned, "Sure, put Sammy back on then."

"What do you need a pain blocker for, Sammy?"

Kelly sat down her coffee and was surprised when Arles reached over and took her hand in his. He continued to listen to Sam as he brought her hand to his mouth to kiss. She smiled.

Arles looked at her, beaming at him. She put her hands on either side of his face, leaned in and silently snogged him as Samuel continued to speak on the phone.

After a bit, Kelly heard Sam's silence.

Arles stopped snogging her and cleared his throat. "Right, Sammy!"

Kelly giggled and whispered. "Ask him how Karen is doing."

He grinned, "Kelly wants to know how Karen is doing."

"No, she's sitting right here."

"No, I was listening to you."

"Worry about what you're wearing, mate." He complained. "Anyway, Karen?"

Kelly laughed under her breath at their exchange.

He looked back at her. "He says she's asleep. They were up all night with Genie and Legate. Some…madness."

She sipped her coffee. "She needs some madness right about now."

Arles laughed and returned to his phone call. "So, Papa is still there? Well, he told me he was leaving."

"Oh, that makes sense. Right."

Samuel continued to speak. Arles turned to look at Kelly and smiled. She found that she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Right then. Give me….umm…ten minutes?" He looked back at Kelly.

She grinned. "Where the hell are you going to go in ten minutes?"

He smiled, "Make that fifteen. I'll be straight there. Yeah, I have one on me."

He ended the call, and put the phone back in his pocket. "I have fifteen minutes."

"Until what?"

"I need to leave. But, I can return. What are your plans this afternoon?"

"I have class. Need to do some homework."

He thought, "And shopping."

She smiled, "Yes. But, I'll be home by 6:00."

He nodded. "Six. Want to go to dinner? Actually go out this go?"

She giggled. "There's this great place over in town. Rooftop dining and has a live band tonight."

He smiled. "Let's do that."

She turned to him, "When do you have to go back to work?"

He shook his head. "Not for a few days. Genie is giving us some time off."

She ran her fingertips across the neck of his t-shirt. "Arles."

He swallowed hard and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Why do you smell so good?"

His face slowly spread into a smile. "I just got out of the shower. You remember. You were there."

She stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Must you leave?"

He untied her dressing gown and opened it to see her nude body. He ran his hand across her chest and looked back up at her. "I have fifteen minutes."

Her lips met his. She pressed herself so close that all of her curves filled into him as they held one another and kissed. Just like the night before, she kissed him, perfectly. He stood up, and they clumsily walked together to the bedroom as they continued to snog. Still pressed closely to one another.

Arles sat down on the bed and Kelly straddled him, breaking the kiss as she mumbled to him, "Arles, do you need me to take you back to your boat?"

He stopped and stared at her lips.

"Arles?"

He continued to stare at her lips and then looked up in her eyes.

She smiled, "Arles?"

He looked at her lips and caressed her cheek. "How do you do this?"

She leaned towards his lips. He moved his head back to look at her mouth. She moved her head back and laughed. "What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes and whispered. "Friends. That's all I want."

She cupped his face with both of her hands and licked his lips. He gripped the dressing gown she wore in his fists and completely lost himself in kissing her.

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