Raina shoved things into the tiny medicine cabinet in the bathroom of
her new apartment. She scarcely looked at what she was doing, figuring she
could organize everything once the boxes were gone.
She tripped her way over said boxes and into the living room. Her couch and desk were completely covered with more of the same.
She had the door and windows open to catch the breeze. It worked in spurts, but mostly it was just hot. The landlord had promised to fix the air conditioner within the week. Raina was just about convinced that she was doomed to live sans a/c.
She found a box marked 'clothing' and carried it to the bedroom, then spotted one marked 'desk' and brought it back to the living room. Tearing it open, she found assorted knick knacks, dozens of pens, a stapler, and the mouse for her computer – just on the top layer.
"I hate moving, I hate moving," she muttered in a sing-song. At least she finally had all the parts for her computer.
Hooking it up, getting it running, and starting some music was a considerable balm to her irritation.
With music to sooth her nerves, she decided to tackle the formidable task of unloading the books. She had three shelves set up along one wall, and she decided to just unload, and then put her special organization system into effect later. Like another day.
She managed to drop several of the heavier books on her bare foot and muffled a curse. She took a deep breath and said aloud, although in a growl, "At the least bear patiently, if thou canst not joyfully."
"Thomas à Kempis."
Raina whirled and found Lex standing in her doorway.
"Right?"
"Uhh," she said intelligently. "Kempis. Yeah, that's right."
He took a step inside and handed her a gift bag. "Housewarming."
She peeked inside. "Bread, salt, and wine." She grinned and waved him to follow her into the kitchen. "We're both very full of allusions today."
She unloaded the gifts, putting the wine into the fridge.
"You shouldn't chill that until you want to serve it," he said.
"Oh." She brought it back out. "I don't drink much that's alcoholic."
"I'm sorry. I would have gotten something else if I'd known."
Raina suspected it was a very good wine. "Nonsense. Now I can pretend to be a good hostess."
He laughed. "You pretend to be a good hostess, you pretend to work – is there anything that you actually do?"
She tossed her head in the air and sniffed. "Of course." He waited. "When I figure out what that is, I'll let you know." She grinned again, hoping for another of his smiles.
Hoping for a lot more, but it seemed too premature for that. She sighed in frustration.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked. The kitchen was so small that he couldn't be standing more than a couple feet away, but Raina felt every inch like a yawning chasm.
"I just hate this part," she explained. "Not knowing how things will work out, if anything will come of any plans, how things will develop, that whole stage of seeing the potential but not knowing if it'll ever reach what you hope for...." She trailed off. Somewhere along the way she'd lost track of what she was talking about.
Lex just nodded – if he caught her double meaning, he didn't say anything about it. "I understand. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Like unpacking boxes?"
He chuckled. "I guess I walked into that one."
"Come on. Books are easy – that's my big project of the hour. You can do all the heavy lifting." He didn't respond and she looked back over her shoulder. "I'm just kidding, I already carried everything."
"You've very strong."
"That's me – a regular super woman." She managed to coax another smile out of him. "Is everything all right? You aren't as chatty as the last time I saw you."
He shrugged. "Family issues. I'll put it out of my mind for the present, so as to fully reciprocate all chat." This time his smile was more natural.
They started out working very diligently, but were soon distracted, flipping through pages and comparing favorites.
Lex sat cross legged on the floor, flipping through a Michelle Rigby he'd never read. "I still don't understand why you have three copies."
Raina barely brushed against him as she looked over his shoulder. "Because I haven't given them away yet. You can have that one."
"Thank you," he said, turning to the first page. He froze. "I can't take this. It's signed."
She shrugged. "They all are. Consider it something of marginal value to add to your collection."
"How did you manage to get three signed copies?" Lex asked.
Raina was thrilled to have impressed him. "Because I am brilliantly wonderful," she said to hedge.
He turned to look at her, bringing their faces within inches of each other. She didn't move, hardly dared to breath. Without breaking eye contact, she touched his hand, watching him move a fraction closer to her.
She closed her eyes and when his lips touched hers she felt something inside her click. It was a slow, tentative kiss, the kind made for shy exploration. Raina felt herself melting.
Lex pulled away from her after a moment. Her heart was racing and she couldn't look at him.
"I'm sorry," he said, misinterpreting the look on her face.
"I'm not," she said quickly and smiled at what she saw in his expression. "It's nice to be past that first stage of development."
He grinned and squeezed her hand.
There was a chiming from the vicinity of Lex's hip.
"You're ringing," Raina told him redundantly.
He pulled the smallest cell phone Raina had ever seen out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID screen. "I've got to go," he said. He stood and offered her a hand up. "Let me assure you that this has been the highlight of my day."
"We should do it again sometime," she said, hating cell phones and all technology. "I'll buy some more books to unpack."
He touched her chin, then leaned down and kissed her one more time, quickly, like he was afraid that more would lead to much more.
Lex left without another word.
Raina hurried into the bathroom and searched through the medicine cabinet until she found what she wanted. She swallowed the pill without any water, then stood staring at her reflection and grinning like a lunatic for a long moment before getting back to work.
She tripped her way over said boxes and into the living room. Her couch and desk were completely covered with more of the same.
She had the door and windows open to catch the breeze. It worked in spurts, but mostly it was just hot. The landlord had promised to fix the air conditioner within the week. Raina was just about convinced that she was doomed to live sans a/c.
She found a box marked 'clothing' and carried it to the bedroom, then spotted one marked 'desk' and brought it back to the living room. Tearing it open, she found assorted knick knacks, dozens of pens, a stapler, and the mouse for her computer – just on the top layer.
"I hate moving, I hate moving," she muttered in a sing-song. At least she finally had all the parts for her computer.
Hooking it up, getting it running, and starting some music was a considerable balm to her irritation.
With music to sooth her nerves, she decided to tackle the formidable task of unloading the books. She had three shelves set up along one wall, and she decided to just unload, and then put her special organization system into effect later. Like another day.
She managed to drop several of the heavier books on her bare foot and muffled a curse. She took a deep breath and said aloud, although in a growl, "At the least bear patiently, if thou canst not joyfully."
"Thomas à Kempis."
Raina whirled and found Lex standing in her doorway.
"Right?"
"Uhh," she said intelligently. "Kempis. Yeah, that's right."
He took a step inside and handed her a gift bag. "Housewarming."
She peeked inside. "Bread, salt, and wine." She grinned and waved him to follow her into the kitchen. "We're both very full of allusions today."
She unloaded the gifts, putting the wine into the fridge.
"You shouldn't chill that until you want to serve it," he said.
"Oh." She brought it back out. "I don't drink much that's alcoholic."
"I'm sorry. I would have gotten something else if I'd known."
Raina suspected it was a very good wine. "Nonsense. Now I can pretend to be a good hostess."
He laughed. "You pretend to be a good hostess, you pretend to work – is there anything that you actually do?"
She tossed her head in the air and sniffed. "Of course." He waited. "When I figure out what that is, I'll let you know." She grinned again, hoping for another of his smiles.
Hoping for a lot more, but it seemed too premature for that. She sighed in frustration.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked. The kitchen was so small that he couldn't be standing more than a couple feet away, but Raina felt every inch like a yawning chasm.
"I just hate this part," she explained. "Not knowing how things will work out, if anything will come of any plans, how things will develop, that whole stage of seeing the potential but not knowing if it'll ever reach what you hope for...." She trailed off. Somewhere along the way she'd lost track of what she was talking about.
Lex just nodded – if he caught her double meaning, he didn't say anything about it. "I understand. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Like unpacking boxes?"
He chuckled. "I guess I walked into that one."
"Come on. Books are easy – that's my big project of the hour. You can do all the heavy lifting." He didn't respond and she looked back over her shoulder. "I'm just kidding, I already carried everything."
"You've very strong."
"That's me – a regular super woman." She managed to coax another smile out of him. "Is everything all right? You aren't as chatty as the last time I saw you."
He shrugged. "Family issues. I'll put it out of my mind for the present, so as to fully reciprocate all chat." This time his smile was more natural.
They started out working very diligently, but were soon distracted, flipping through pages and comparing favorites.
Lex sat cross legged on the floor, flipping through a Michelle Rigby he'd never read. "I still don't understand why you have three copies."
Raina barely brushed against him as she looked over his shoulder. "Because I haven't given them away yet. You can have that one."
"Thank you," he said, turning to the first page. He froze. "I can't take this. It's signed."
She shrugged. "They all are. Consider it something of marginal value to add to your collection."
"How did you manage to get three signed copies?" Lex asked.
Raina was thrilled to have impressed him. "Because I am brilliantly wonderful," she said to hedge.
He turned to look at her, bringing their faces within inches of each other. She didn't move, hardly dared to breath. Without breaking eye contact, she touched his hand, watching him move a fraction closer to her.
She closed her eyes and when his lips touched hers she felt something inside her click. It was a slow, tentative kiss, the kind made for shy exploration. Raina felt herself melting.
Lex pulled away from her after a moment. Her heart was racing and she couldn't look at him.
"I'm sorry," he said, misinterpreting the look on her face.
"I'm not," she said quickly and smiled at what she saw in his expression. "It's nice to be past that first stage of development."
He grinned and squeezed her hand.
There was a chiming from the vicinity of Lex's hip.
"You're ringing," Raina told him redundantly.
He pulled the smallest cell phone Raina had ever seen out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID screen. "I've got to go," he said. He stood and offered her a hand up. "Let me assure you that this has been the highlight of my day."
"We should do it again sometime," she said, hating cell phones and all technology. "I'll buy some more books to unpack."
He touched her chin, then leaned down and kissed her one more time, quickly, like he was afraid that more would lead to much more.
Lex left without another word.
Raina hurried into the bathroom and searched through the medicine cabinet until she found what she wanted. She swallowed the pill without any water, then stood staring at her reflection and grinning like a lunatic for a long moment before getting back to work.