Elizabeth had fallen asleep on the couch, the journal in her lap. She woke up, yawned and stretched her limbs. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Robert was there.
"Oh," she said uncomfortably, putting her hand to her hair. "Robert. Hi."
"Hi," he said softly. He playfully reached out to the open book in her lap, glanced at it quickly, and then turned it back to Elizabeth. He smiled slightly. "You're a slow reader."
"Well, you have written a book," she said lightly. "Oh, and I do mean, a book. War and Peace style."
"Yeah, there's a lot there," he said, with a half-smile.
Elizabeth ran her hands over her hair again. "Robert, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For...not being there for you. For making you feel that I wasn't there for you."
"You didn't do anything," he said, shrugging. "You didn't owe me anything."
"I know, but -- I'm sorry. When I read this, you just seem so alone."
"Yeah," he said sadly. "I was. I still am."
She looked at him thoughtfully. She took his hand, held it for a few minutes. They sat in silence.
Suddenly Elizabeth yawned. "I'm so tired," she mused.
Robert looked amused. 'You just woke up."
"I know, but - that was just a short rest, and I have to get up early tomorrow for work, so I should really get to sleep. After my bath," she decided. A long, hot bubble bath appealed to her. Just soaking in the tub with the bubbles and the bath salts until she felt completely relaxed.
"Your baahth," Robert teased her, mimicking the British accent.
"Robert, when are you going to stop making fun of my voice?"
"C'mon, Lizzie, I'm dead. I have to have some fun."
"Okay," she said good-naturedly. "Well, I am going for - my bath - so I suppose I'll see you later?"
"Can I stay?" he said shyly.
"Of course,"
"No, I don't mean stay here for the night," he explained. "I mean, stay while you take your bath." He gazed at her, eyes intense. "Could I watch?"
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I just want to watch you getting ready for your bath." he said. "Please."
She laughed, disbelieving. "You must be kidding."
"No," he said lightly. "C'mon, please?"
"Robert, absolutely not." she said. Then, looking at the disappointed expression on his face, she said "I"m sorry."
He nodded. "Okay."
She went upstairs to the bedroom. She undressed. She went into her bathroom and put on her white terrycloth robe as she turned on the faucets. She ran the water, letting the tub fill with hot water, pouring her bath oils and salts into the water.
The tub was almost full. She hesitated, then went downstairs, clutching the robe around her.
He was still sitting there on the couch, his head down, his eyes lowered to the floor. As she approached, he looked up.
"I'm leaving," he said. He got to his feet. "Sorry."
"Okay, you can come up," she said.
He looked at her, shocked.
"Only for a minute," she said.
"Okay," he said. She nodded and he followed her up the stairs. She opened the bathroom door, which had been closed, and turned off the water. She looked back at him cautiously.
"I don't know about this." she said.
"Just for a minute," he said.
She hesitated, put her arms on the sleeves of the robe, hugging it to her.
"Your bath's getting cold," he said.
"I know," she said.
"I just want to see you for a minute," he said. "You're so lovely."
She thought of the things he had written about her and felt warm, embarrassed.
"Please," he said.
Elizabeth pulled off the robe. She stood there for what seemed to her like a very long moment. Finally she blushed and reached for a hairclip, putting her hair up. She stepped gently into the tub.
"You look like a painting I saw once in a book," he said. "Venus rising from the foam."
Elizabeth blushed under the bubbles, moved some of them around to cover her body. "Thank you."
He smiled. "No, thank you," he said. He turned to leave.
"Wait, you can stay." she said.
He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"
She smiled shyly. "For a few minutes."
He sat down on the floor. "Nice bathroom," he said.
"I've always thought so."
**Okay, that was a little weird, I know ;) More coming soon!**
Robert was there.
"Oh," she said uncomfortably, putting her hand to her hair. "Robert. Hi."
"Hi," he said softly. He playfully reached out to the open book in her lap, glanced at it quickly, and then turned it back to Elizabeth. He smiled slightly. "You're a slow reader."
"Well, you have written a book," she said lightly. "Oh, and I do mean, a book. War and Peace style."
"Yeah, there's a lot there," he said, with a half-smile.
Elizabeth ran her hands over her hair again. "Robert, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For...not being there for you. For making you feel that I wasn't there for you."
"You didn't do anything," he said, shrugging. "You didn't owe me anything."
"I know, but -- I'm sorry. When I read this, you just seem so alone."
"Yeah," he said sadly. "I was. I still am."
She looked at him thoughtfully. She took his hand, held it for a few minutes. They sat in silence.
Suddenly Elizabeth yawned. "I'm so tired," she mused.
Robert looked amused. 'You just woke up."
"I know, but - that was just a short rest, and I have to get up early tomorrow for work, so I should really get to sleep. After my bath," she decided. A long, hot bubble bath appealed to her. Just soaking in the tub with the bubbles and the bath salts until she felt completely relaxed.
"Your baahth," Robert teased her, mimicking the British accent.
"Robert, when are you going to stop making fun of my voice?"
"C'mon, Lizzie, I'm dead. I have to have some fun."
"Okay," she said good-naturedly. "Well, I am going for - my bath - so I suppose I'll see you later?"
"Can I stay?" he said shyly.
"Of course,"
"No, I don't mean stay here for the night," he explained. "I mean, stay while you take your bath." He gazed at her, eyes intense. "Could I watch?"
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I just want to watch you getting ready for your bath." he said. "Please."
She laughed, disbelieving. "You must be kidding."
"No," he said lightly. "C'mon, please?"
"Robert, absolutely not." she said. Then, looking at the disappointed expression on his face, she said "I"m sorry."
He nodded. "Okay."
She went upstairs to the bedroom. She undressed. She went into her bathroom and put on her white terrycloth robe as she turned on the faucets. She ran the water, letting the tub fill with hot water, pouring her bath oils and salts into the water.
The tub was almost full. She hesitated, then went downstairs, clutching the robe around her.
He was still sitting there on the couch, his head down, his eyes lowered to the floor. As she approached, he looked up.
"I'm leaving," he said. He got to his feet. "Sorry."
"Okay, you can come up," she said.
He looked at her, shocked.
"Only for a minute," she said.
"Okay," he said. She nodded and he followed her up the stairs. She opened the bathroom door, which had been closed, and turned off the water. She looked back at him cautiously.
"I don't know about this." she said.
"Just for a minute," he said.
She hesitated, put her arms on the sleeves of the robe, hugging it to her.
"Your bath's getting cold," he said.
"I know," she said.
"I just want to see you for a minute," he said. "You're so lovely."
She thought of the things he had written about her and felt warm, embarrassed.
"Please," he said.
Elizabeth pulled off the robe. She stood there for what seemed to her like a very long moment. Finally she blushed and reached for a hairclip, putting her hair up. She stepped gently into the tub.
"You look like a painting I saw once in a book," he said. "Venus rising from the foam."
Elizabeth blushed under the bubbles, moved some of them around to cover her body. "Thank you."
He smiled. "No, thank you," he said. He turned to leave.
"Wait, you can stay." she said.
He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"
She smiled shyly. "For a few minutes."
He sat down on the floor. "Nice bathroom," he said.
"I've always thought so."
**Okay, that was a little weird, I know ;) More coming soon!**