Curt was smoking outside in the pre-dawn light, and Mandy stopped, surprised, then approached him. She was glad he was there, as she'd run out of cigarettes the night before. Curt held an almost-full pack of fags in one hand, and offered them to her as she drew near. She took one of the slender sticks out and he set the rest down on the railing and pulled out his lighter.
He crushed out the last of his in one hand, as she put the cigarette in her mouth, then Curt leaned closer, his hand cupped around the flame. A thin curl of smoke rose between their faces, and Curt flicked the lighter shut, plucking the fag from her lips. She watched, breathless, as he took a drag, his blue-green eyes so near to her own, and felt a pang when he turned his head to blow the smoke away from her. He handed the cig back and their fingers brushed, and Mandy froze for an instant, then lifted the cigarette in a shaky hand to her mouth.
Curt reached forward and swept a bit of her hair away from her face, then cupped her cheek and brushed his lips across her forehead. "You've got pretty eyes, Mandy. But they're too sad." He moved back and Mandy stared up at him, the fag forgotten in her mouth. "You shouldn't let him hurt you so much. You deserve better than that. And I'm sorry that I've hurt you too."
There was a noise, and they both looked up to see Brian, standing in the French doors that led to his room. Mandy thought suddenly how it must look, her holding onto a cigarette she was forgetting to smoke, and Curt cupping her face and speaking to her in soft words. The look on Brian's face was anger and confusion and hurt, and Mandy shivered as he glared at her. Curt's attention came back on her as she shook, and he hugged her tightly before going back inside. Brian didn't move to let him by, so Curt slipped past him, their shoulders banging together, and Mandy sucked in a lungful of smoke and let it out, turning away from her angry husband to watch the sun rise. It was only after she'd finished her fag that she noticed Curt had forgotten his cigarettes on the low wall.
He crushed out the last of his in one hand, as she put the cigarette in her mouth, then Curt leaned closer, his hand cupped around the flame. A thin curl of smoke rose between their faces, and Curt flicked the lighter shut, plucking the fag from her lips. She watched, breathless, as he took a drag, his blue-green eyes so near to her own, and felt a pang when he turned his head to blow the smoke away from her. He handed the cig back and their fingers brushed, and Mandy froze for an instant, then lifted the cigarette in a shaky hand to her mouth.
Curt reached forward and swept a bit of her hair away from her face, then cupped her cheek and brushed his lips across her forehead. "You've got pretty eyes, Mandy. But they're too sad." He moved back and Mandy stared up at him, the fag forgotten in her mouth. "You shouldn't let him hurt you so much. You deserve better than that. And I'm sorry that I've hurt you too."
There was a noise, and they both looked up to see Brian, standing in the French doors that led to his room. Mandy thought suddenly how it must look, her holding onto a cigarette she was forgetting to smoke, and Curt cupping her face and speaking to her in soft words. The look on Brian's face was anger and confusion and hurt, and Mandy shivered as he glared at her. Curt's attention came back on her as she shook, and he hugged her tightly before going back inside. Brian didn't move to let him by, so Curt slipped past him, their shoulders banging together, and Mandy sucked in a lungful of smoke and let it out, turning away from her angry husband to watch the sun rise. It was only after she'd finished her fag that she noticed Curt had forgotten his cigarettes on the low wall.