As the wind blew harder, Mari wrapped her jacket more firmly around her shoulders. "You know, in Florida it never snows...." she murmured through blue-tinged lips. Rob laughed. "How could you live? The snow is the best part!" he stated as they turned onto Sherwood Lane. "Well you don't miss it after tanning and swimming in the Atlantic during December." Mari snapped, nudging Rob hard enough to knock him down. In his sudden realization of falling, Rob grabbed ahold of Mari's scarf and with a tough yank, pulled her down into the snow with him.
Mari gave a yelp and landed with a gentle thud on her bottom. "Oh yes, so now I have to have wet jeans too?" she laughed, taking a handful of snow and shoving it down Rob's shirt. Rob squirmed and stripped off his shirt in his haste to get the snow out. "DAMN it's cold!!!!" he yelled, wrapping his arms around himself. Mari laughed and handed him his jacket. "I'm sure you can change when we get nearer to your house." Rob zipped his jacket clear to his nose. "Yeah, I'm sure. But what about you, you won't be comfortable in wet jeans." Rob tucked his hands deep into the pockets of his thick windbreaker. "You know, now that I think of it, I've never seen where you live."
Mari suddenly looked upset and turned, heading off to Rob's house on the upmost hill. Rob hurried up after her, slipping every few steps in his rush. "Aw, come on. Where do you live anyway?" Mari held onto Rob's wet shirt. "I live on Castle Drive. It's not far from here but don't worry about me, I'll be okay." Taking his arm, Mari led him up the steps into the fine manor with its looming windows and high oak doors. "You want me to wait out by the woods?" she asked, handing over his shirt. Rob shook his head furiously as he unlocked the door. "Hell no! Are you insane? Get your butt inside! It's freezing!!"
Laughing, Mari stepped inside, shaking the snow off her jacket and backpack. Inside was as warm and welcoming as she first remembered and she closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth. "Just wait here, I'll go change. Help yourself to anything in the fridge." Rob said as he peeled off his jacket and Mari noticed for the first time how well built he really was. Not well defined muscles but enough to show promise. As he rushed up the steps Mari was embarressed to find herself following his backside with wide eyes. Shaking it from herself, the young woman pulled off her own jacket, hanging both on the hooks by the door. Somehow staying indoors today seemed like a good idea. To be honest, this was the first time she'd seen Rob come inside voluntarily.
Slipping into the gourmet 5-star kitchen, Mari searched around the cupboards and refridgerator, searching for something to eat. "You know, my mom hates to cook but she insisted on this kitchen when we were looking for a house." Rob said as he walked in from the laundry room just on the other side of the kitchen, pulling a clean shirt. Mari looked off to the front steps back to him, her mouth jawing wordlessly. Rob chuckled as he straightened himself. "Unbeknownst to my parents there was a secret tunnel here built between my room and the laundry room. I use it to sneak food for my camp outs at the treehouse." Mari chuckled. "Nicely done. Does it go both ways?" Rob nodded, bracing one hand on the refridgerator door, leaning in against Mari, pinned between them. "Mom hasn't gone shopping....nuts, not a pizza in sight."
Mari looked up to him, and blushed involuntarily, looking into the refridgerator again. "I could make something, you know. But it'd take a lot more time then a microwaveable pizza." Rob leaned up and stretched wide. "Anything'd be better then starving." He admitted, leaning against the countertop. Mari laughed as she peered in for ingredients. "Oh so you're not going to help, just watch, huh?" Rob chuckled. "Alright then, so what do I do Madam Chef?"
As Mari and Rob began to cook up a homemade pizza from refridgerator defrosted bread dough, motzerella and cheddar cheese as well as ripped and cooked sausage, Mari felt herself blushing again and again. Every time Rob would accidentally brush against her or he would flash her a smile as they began topping their pizza's with the sausage spelled into curse words, she felt a jolt. While the pizza's cooked, the sun was slowly helping the snow in its battle to make it impossible to find home.
As the two friends sat in the dark, smelling their pizzas cooking fabulously, Mari looked over to Rob as he leaned on the heel of his hands staring at the oven. He turned and gave a goofy grin when he noticed Mari looking to him. Her giggle made Rob smile and he leaned down to rest on his arm. "You know, I never would have thought of bread dough being pizza dough." Mari copied him. "Well Nancy watches a lot of DIY shows...they show all sorts of things. I just pay a lot of attention."
Rob smiled brightly and even in the slight darkness, Mari could tell. "That's what's neat about you. You put everything you've got into learning something new. I could never do that, even when I was little." Mari chuckled. "Maybe that's just not your strong point." Extending her index finger, Mari gave a light shove against Rob's forehead. "If you ask me, I admire the fact that you just---well you just don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. You like yourself as you are and I admire that very much."
Rob's smile turned into a shy half-smile. "Really? You admire that?" Mari chuckled. "Didn't I just say I did???" Both Rob and Mari had slowly been moving closer to keep eyes on each other as the night around them grew darker and darker. Now they were nearly nose to nose and Mari found herself biting her lip. The back of Rob's hand touched Mari's cheek. "You're still cold." Mari rested their foreheads together nodding. "Yeah, it's always been difficult to warm me up when I'm cold." Rob pressed gently against Mari's forehead, his hand going to the back of her head.
"Really?" he murmured. Mari nodded again, closing her eyes, both moving in before the timer to the pizzas went off. Mari jumped and stood from her stool, getting a few oven mitts and pulling out the fresh pizzas. Mari leaned against the counte. "We should wait for them to cool..." she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself. Rob nodded in agreement before hoisting himself onto the bartop, once again leaning in towards Mari. Mari leaned back towards him just before the lights came on in full force.
"Ack!!!!" Rob shouted, falling backwards off the bartop and rubbing his eyes furiously. "Why's it so dark in here?" Michelle asked, walking in with a few bagful of groceries. Rob was still cringing on the ground, trying to rub the shock from his eyes but Mari adjusted rather easily. "Rob and I had been making pizzas and I guess we forgot to turn on the lights while they were cooking." she said as Rob joined them on a barstool, unpacking a bag.
"Well that's a pleasant surprise. I honestly can't remember the last time Rob made a meal." Rob shook his head as he crunched up the bag. "To tell the truth, I can't remember you being inside this early, honey. I'm glad to see you're enjoying being in a real house." Leaning down, Michelle kissed the top of her son's head and he swatted her away, getting off his stool and muttering something about homework to get to his room.
Michelle smiled to Mari who blushed profusely at the stare as they began putting away groceries. "You know, since he's met you, Rob's been such a good boy. His grades are picking up, he's even started trimming that horrid hair of his. You're such a good influence on him." Mari turned to the pizza's they'd made and as she cut them into slices she murmured, "Maybe he doesn't want to be a 'good boy' for you."
Mari gave a yelp and landed with a gentle thud on her bottom. "Oh yes, so now I have to have wet jeans too?" she laughed, taking a handful of snow and shoving it down Rob's shirt. Rob squirmed and stripped off his shirt in his haste to get the snow out. "DAMN it's cold!!!!" he yelled, wrapping his arms around himself. Mari laughed and handed him his jacket. "I'm sure you can change when we get nearer to your house." Rob zipped his jacket clear to his nose. "Yeah, I'm sure. But what about you, you won't be comfortable in wet jeans." Rob tucked his hands deep into the pockets of his thick windbreaker. "You know, now that I think of it, I've never seen where you live."
Mari suddenly looked upset and turned, heading off to Rob's house on the upmost hill. Rob hurried up after her, slipping every few steps in his rush. "Aw, come on. Where do you live anyway?" Mari held onto Rob's wet shirt. "I live on Castle Drive. It's not far from here but don't worry about me, I'll be okay." Taking his arm, Mari led him up the steps into the fine manor with its looming windows and high oak doors. "You want me to wait out by the woods?" she asked, handing over his shirt. Rob shook his head furiously as he unlocked the door. "Hell no! Are you insane? Get your butt inside! It's freezing!!"
Laughing, Mari stepped inside, shaking the snow off her jacket and backpack. Inside was as warm and welcoming as she first remembered and she closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth. "Just wait here, I'll go change. Help yourself to anything in the fridge." Rob said as he peeled off his jacket and Mari noticed for the first time how well built he really was. Not well defined muscles but enough to show promise. As he rushed up the steps Mari was embarressed to find herself following his backside with wide eyes. Shaking it from herself, the young woman pulled off her own jacket, hanging both on the hooks by the door. Somehow staying indoors today seemed like a good idea. To be honest, this was the first time she'd seen Rob come inside voluntarily.
Slipping into the gourmet 5-star kitchen, Mari searched around the cupboards and refridgerator, searching for something to eat. "You know, my mom hates to cook but she insisted on this kitchen when we were looking for a house." Rob said as he walked in from the laundry room just on the other side of the kitchen, pulling a clean shirt. Mari looked off to the front steps back to him, her mouth jawing wordlessly. Rob chuckled as he straightened himself. "Unbeknownst to my parents there was a secret tunnel here built between my room and the laundry room. I use it to sneak food for my camp outs at the treehouse." Mari chuckled. "Nicely done. Does it go both ways?" Rob nodded, bracing one hand on the refridgerator door, leaning in against Mari, pinned between them. "Mom hasn't gone shopping....nuts, not a pizza in sight."
Mari looked up to him, and blushed involuntarily, looking into the refridgerator again. "I could make something, you know. But it'd take a lot more time then a microwaveable pizza." Rob leaned up and stretched wide. "Anything'd be better then starving." He admitted, leaning against the countertop. Mari laughed as she peered in for ingredients. "Oh so you're not going to help, just watch, huh?" Rob chuckled. "Alright then, so what do I do Madam Chef?"
As Mari and Rob began to cook up a homemade pizza from refridgerator defrosted bread dough, motzerella and cheddar cheese as well as ripped and cooked sausage, Mari felt herself blushing again and again. Every time Rob would accidentally brush against her or he would flash her a smile as they began topping their pizza's with the sausage spelled into curse words, she felt a jolt. While the pizza's cooked, the sun was slowly helping the snow in its battle to make it impossible to find home.
As the two friends sat in the dark, smelling their pizzas cooking fabulously, Mari looked over to Rob as he leaned on the heel of his hands staring at the oven. He turned and gave a goofy grin when he noticed Mari looking to him. Her giggle made Rob smile and he leaned down to rest on his arm. "You know, I never would have thought of bread dough being pizza dough." Mari copied him. "Well Nancy watches a lot of DIY shows...they show all sorts of things. I just pay a lot of attention."
Rob smiled brightly and even in the slight darkness, Mari could tell. "That's what's neat about you. You put everything you've got into learning something new. I could never do that, even when I was little." Mari chuckled. "Maybe that's just not your strong point." Extending her index finger, Mari gave a light shove against Rob's forehead. "If you ask me, I admire the fact that you just---well you just don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. You like yourself as you are and I admire that very much."
Rob's smile turned into a shy half-smile. "Really? You admire that?" Mari chuckled. "Didn't I just say I did???" Both Rob and Mari had slowly been moving closer to keep eyes on each other as the night around them grew darker and darker. Now they were nearly nose to nose and Mari found herself biting her lip. The back of Rob's hand touched Mari's cheek. "You're still cold." Mari rested their foreheads together nodding. "Yeah, it's always been difficult to warm me up when I'm cold." Rob pressed gently against Mari's forehead, his hand going to the back of her head.
"Really?" he murmured. Mari nodded again, closing her eyes, both moving in before the timer to the pizzas went off. Mari jumped and stood from her stool, getting a few oven mitts and pulling out the fresh pizzas. Mari leaned against the counte. "We should wait for them to cool..." she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself. Rob nodded in agreement before hoisting himself onto the bartop, once again leaning in towards Mari. Mari leaned back towards him just before the lights came on in full force.
"Ack!!!!" Rob shouted, falling backwards off the bartop and rubbing his eyes furiously. "Why's it so dark in here?" Michelle asked, walking in with a few bagful of groceries. Rob was still cringing on the ground, trying to rub the shock from his eyes but Mari adjusted rather easily. "Rob and I had been making pizzas and I guess we forgot to turn on the lights while they were cooking." she said as Rob joined them on a barstool, unpacking a bag.
"Well that's a pleasant surprise. I honestly can't remember the last time Rob made a meal." Rob shook his head as he crunched up the bag. "To tell the truth, I can't remember you being inside this early, honey. I'm glad to see you're enjoying being in a real house." Leaning down, Michelle kissed the top of her son's head and he swatted her away, getting off his stool and muttering something about homework to get to his room.
Michelle smiled to Mari who blushed profusely at the stare as they began putting away groceries. "You know, since he's met you, Rob's been such a good boy. His grades are picking up, he's even started trimming that horrid hair of his. You're such a good influence on him." Mari turned to the pizza's they'd made and as she cut them into slices she murmured, "Maybe he doesn't want to be a 'good boy' for you."