Dylan was puffing--out of breath-- by the time they climbed into her dusty Toyota pick-up. She'd restrained herself from goofiness as they both walked away from the access staircase--nervously glancing over to him---her eyes skittering away as he coolly looked back at her.
But this time it was different--different than those times before-like in Knox's living room. No, this time the Thin Man's eyes crinkled a little--and she interpreted this as the self-satisfied gloat of a man who expected other good things to happen. She squinted as she turned on the windshield wipers and fluid--trying to clean it off. So, even the Thin Man needed lovin'--and what makes him better than any other bad guy?
He's certainly not going to hesitate if it means between choosing you or this necklace, she thought crossly. Why should I give him the satisfaction of fooling around too? She looked over and frowned at him. Well, he's got another thing coming if he thinks I make the same mistake twice! Or three times. Or four times. Shit! Thinking over her many past indiscretions, she floored it and the truck kicked up some dirt as the Thin Man calmly buckled his seatbelt.
He kept his eyes on the dirty floor in front of him. He'd seen her frown and wondered if she realized how transparent she was to him. But how he could read her didn't matter as much any more. Especially when she'll be able to read you quite clearly soon enough, he thought.
The Thin Man turned his cigarette case over and over in his hands. He honestly felt that he didn't need a cigarette right now--it was amazing. Just being with her was the cure---it seemed enough. But will it be tomorrow? When she wakes up and sees how you really are--what you truly look like--will it be enough?
For the first time in a long time, the Thin Man felt anxious. Not the nervous excitement he felt before going out on assignment--but the kind of anxiety he felt when he was a child at the orphanage.
He wanted to please her--yes, that was it. He actually wanted to please her--wanted to do something for her--to show her that everything was all right and that it was o.k. to be with him. He reached down and picked up her slightly crunched and very dusty straw cowboy hat off the seat.
Dylan looked over and quirked her eyebrow at him. What was he doing? She smirked at the way he held the hat--away from his suit, the brim delicately pinched between thumb and forefinger.
He gestured toward the hat and tried to smile.
She smiled slowly--was this the Thin Man's way of idle 'conversation' to cover some uncomfortable silence? Jeez--was it that bad? And since when did silence become uncomfortable for him?
"That's Alex's. I 'borrowed' it last year and haven't returned it yet." His eyebrows went up and he nodded understandingly. He gestured towards her shirt---"Yep, this is hers too. She's goin' to kill me." He started grin.
Dylan smiled back widely--what was it she was thinking before? She couldn't remember--not with the Thin Man sitting in her front seat grinning so widely. "O boy, I can't even imagine what your thinking." She laughed as he cocked an eyebrow at her.
He rolled down the window and stuck his hand out. The sun was setting, filling the sky with bright fiery red streaks. The wind buffeted against his outstretched arm. He felt happy--and happy that he could make her happy, even for this short moment.
The Thin Man looked back at Dylan, a halo of burnished hair softly whipping about her face. They caught each others eyes again and laughing aloud, the Thin Man picked up the hat and firmly put it on his head; imitating the way he'd seen cowboys do it in the movies.
Dylan laughed and laughed and for his part, he continued to grin stupidly. Her laughter slowly faded---but she kept looking at him. So intently. Like suddenly she could see him the way he truly was.
His grin faded too. One more night wearing the necklace. He was certain that was all it would take--one more night and then she would have the gift. He became afraid and reached over to grab her hand.
She jumped a little. When he put on that hat and smiled and laughed--it took her breath away. She was suddenly transported to a thousand other places far from here--where they were together and just going for a drive. He was a beautiful sight to behold. She'd never seen anyone like him let his guard down like that--she squeezed his hand. Dylan was grateful to him for that--for trying in his way to put her at ease.
Hands clasped, they drove towards the sunset in silence.
But this time it was different--different than those times before-like in Knox's living room. No, this time the Thin Man's eyes crinkled a little--and she interpreted this as the self-satisfied gloat of a man who expected other good things to happen. She squinted as she turned on the windshield wipers and fluid--trying to clean it off. So, even the Thin Man needed lovin'--and what makes him better than any other bad guy?
He's certainly not going to hesitate if it means between choosing you or this necklace, she thought crossly. Why should I give him the satisfaction of fooling around too? She looked over and frowned at him. Well, he's got another thing coming if he thinks I make the same mistake twice! Or three times. Or four times. Shit! Thinking over her many past indiscretions, she floored it and the truck kicked up some dirt as the Thin Man calmly buckled his seatbelt.
He kept his eyes on the dirty floor in front of him. He'd seen her frown and wondered if she realized how transparent she was to him. But how he could read her didn't matter as much any more. Especially when she'll be able to read you quite clearly soon enough, he thought.
The Thin Man turned his cigarette case over and over in his hands. He honestly felt that he didn't need a cigarette right now--it was amazing. Just being with her was the cure---it seemed enough. But will it be tomorrow? When she wakes up and sees how you really are--what you truly look like--will it be enough?
For the first time in a long time, the Thin Man felt anxious. Not the nervous excitement he felt before going out on assignment--but the kind of anxiety he felt when he was a child at the orphanage.
He wanted to please her--yes, that was it. He actually wanted to please her--wanted to do something for her--to show her that everything was all right and that it was o.k. to be with him. He reached down and picked up her slightly crunched and very dusty straw cowboy hat off the seat.
Dylan looked over and quirked her eyebrow at him. What was he doing? She smirked at the way he held the hat--away from his suit, the brim delicately pinched between thumb and forefinger.
He gestured toward the hat and tried to smile.
She smiled slowly--was this the Thin Man's way of idle 'conversation' to cover some uncomfortable silence? Jeez--was it that bad? And since when did silence become uncomfortable for him?
"That's Alex's. I 'borrowed' it last year and haven't returned it yet." His eyebrows went up and he nodded understandingly. He gestured towards her shirt---"Yep, this is hers too. She's goin' to kill me." He started grin.
Dylan smiled back widely--what was it she was thinking before? She couldn't remember--not with the Thin Man sitting in her front seat grinning so widely. "O boy, I can't even imagine what your thinking." She laughed as he cocked an eyebrow at her.
He rolled down the window and stuck his hand out. The sun was setting, filling the sky with bright fiery red streaks. The wind buffeted against his outstretched arm. He felt happy--and happy that he could make her happy, even for this short moment.
The Thin Man looked back at Dylan, a halo of burnished hair softly whipping about her face. They caught each others eyes again and laughing aloud, the Thin Man picked up the hat and firmly put it on his head; imitating the way he'd seen cowboys do it in the movies.
Dylan laughed and laughed and for his part, he continued to grin stupidly. Her laughter slowly faded---but she kept looking at him. So intently. Like suddenly she could see him the way he truly was.
His grin faded too. One more night wearing the necklace. He was certain that was all it would take--one more night and then she would have the gift. He became afraid and reached over to grab her hand.
She jumped a little. When he put on that hat and smiled and laughed--it took her breath away. She was suddenly transported to a thousand other places far from here--where they were together and just going for a drive. He was a beautiful sight to behold. She'd never seen anyone like him let his guard down like that--she squeezed his hand. Dylan was grateful to him for that--for trying in his way to put her at ease.
Hands clasped, they drove towards the sunset in silence.