Intimations
They were made of time; a handful, small pockets of it.
About Time
Jack gets caught. For real this time.
"Is there a reason why you're smiling, Jack?"
She's up in a tree, legs clamped on a branch, and her back leaning on the tree's trunk for support. And he's down there, a foot away and about nine feet below her, his feet safely on the ground with a smile plastered on his face. Maybe she would've found something amusing about this too if she wasn't the one who has ants and whatnot skimming over and biting her skin. Or if she wasn't the one with a good nine feet to fall off from. Or if she wasn't the one sweating like hell, her clothes clinging to her like second skin. Or if she wasn't the one with her top uncomforably riding up her back, her bare skin brushing and no doubt, bruising, against the rough tree trunk.
"Oh, no particular reason," he says, trying unsuccessfully to hide the smile.
And then it hits her. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?" Now it's her turn to be amused. The mangoes can wait as far as she's concerned.
"That depends." He takes on a casual tone, the smile never leaving his face. "What do you think I'm doing?"
Oh no, she won't make this easier for him; he's got to admit it himself. "If you're doing what I think you're doing, you should just say so." It came out with a bit more smugness than what she'd intended. But there's a feeling in her stomach she can't quite tame, maybe it's pride, excitement?
"No reason to be shy about it."
"I'm hardly what you'd call shy, Kate," he says. She doesn't know if he's aware that he's blushing.
Then he asks, "Does it bother you?" Aha! That's not exactly what she was looking for but, she thinks, an admission's an admission. Still, she can't believe he is shy about this.
It takes everything in her not to gloat; she doesn't want to do more damage to his ego that would make him uncomfortable around her, that would make him stop whatever it is he's doing.
"Not really, no," she says, reaching for the nearest branch with a cluster of mangoes. She feels his gaze settle on her once more.
"If anything, I figure it's about time," she says, tossing the mango to him. Kate just couldn't resist another shot at it.