didn’t hear him come in. Wound up for days, I’d decided to grab a wine glass and a bottle of wine from the bar. So there I was; perusing wines with my breasts practically grazing my chin. The tiniest swatch of lace with some small ribbon like strands, were serving as underwear.
He clea red his throat, and that was when I finally realized he was there. I wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there and my mind raced back over the last few moments and the poses I had probably presented him. I’ve never been one to blush, and I didn’t then, either, but I was as close to it as I had ever been in my life.
I went to rush out of the room and that’s when I looked in his eyes and saw the heat there. I’d seen it before, but I hadn’t realized how much he had held back. My knees went weak, and I got a lump in my throat. There was no denying it anymore. Of all the men I’d met, I’d never been this sexually attracted to any of them. And it had to be this man? It didn’t matter how I felt. I’d never let this happen. Ever. He stood still in his spot in the doorway, as I squeezed around him trying to avoid all contact and ran from the room.
I didn’t leave my room again. I tossed and turned all night, and when I finally fell asleep, I dreamt of him. I dreamt of all the things I would never do.
When I finally poked my head out in the morning, he was there sitting on the couch with a room service table in front of him, eating breakfast.
“I ordered you pancakes,” he said, not bothering to look up.
“Any coffee?”
“Full pot of hazelnut.”
And just like that, we silently agreed to ignore last night. But something had changed. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to describe this difference if I had to, but it hovered, like an electrical charge in the air before a lightning strike. There had been flirtation before, but it had seemed slightly playful, now it felt dangerous.
“You ready to finish our conversation from the other day?”
“Sure.” I was more agreeable than normal, as I clung to anything that was nonsexual in nature.
“I had started to tell you, I need your help.”
“But you didn’t tell me why you needed me in particular.”
“Keepers are born with different levels of power.”
I nodded my head for him to continue, as I sat across from him and settled a plate of pancakes on my lap.
“We can’t all alter physics. Some of us can’t do it at all, some to a small degree. Each individual’s capabilities are hindered or enhanced by the abilities they are born with.”
He placed a steaming cup of coffee on the table next to me. I loved the smell of coffee in the morning.
“I don’t get it. If you can alter physics, why can’t you just alter their physics so they can do it?” I asked while I watched him over the rim of my porcelain cup.
“It’s a part of our brain that controls it. The brain can be very trick y. Several generations ago, several Keepers dabbled in trying to amp up people’s abilities.”
“And?”
“It didn’t go so hot. I’ve met a couple of the people who volunteered for the experiment. They aren’t quite all there anymore.”
My mouth formed a silent O, and he just nodded in agreement.
“You still haven’t explained how I’m going to help you.”
I put my plate of pancakes down on the side table and tucked my legs up underneath me. He sat forward on the couch, already dressed in his standard black slacks and crisp white shirt, his sleeves always rolled up, baring his corded forearms , and the button at his neck was always undone. It was as if he tried to don the outfit he felt he should wear, or perhaps the one society expected to see, but found it too constrictive for what he really was.
“You are uncommonly strong. What happened the other night, when the portal went wrong, it wasn’t the first time. It has happened to me as well. Something, or someone, is blocking our absorption of the radiation.”
“And you can’t
He clea red his throat, and that was when I finally realized he was there. I wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there and my mind raced back over the last few moments and the poses I had probably presented him. I’ve never been one to blush, and I didn’t then, either, but I was as close to it as I had ever been in my life.
I went to rush out of the room and that’s when I looked in his eyes and saw the heat there. I’d seen it before, but I hadn’t realized how much he had held back. My knees went weak, and I got a lump in my throat. There was no denying it anymore. Of all the men I’d met, I’d never been this sexually attracted to any of them. And it had to be this man? It didn’t matter how I felt. I’d never let this happen. Ever. He stood still in his spot in the doorway, as I squeezed around him trying to avoid all contact and ran from the room.
I didn’t leave my room again. I tossed and turned all night, and when I finally fell asleep, I dreamt of him. I dreamt of all the things I would never do.
When I finally poked my head out in the morning, he was there sitting on the couch with a room service table in front of him, eating breakfast.
“I ordered you pancakes,” he said, not bothering to look up.
“Any coffee?”
“Full pot of hazelnut.”
And just like that, we silently agreed to ignore last night. But something had changed. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to describe this difference if I had to, but it hovered, like an electrical charge in the air before a lightning strike. There had been flirtation before, but it had seemed slightly playful, now it felt dangerous.
“You ready to finish our conversation from the other day?”
“Sure.” I was more agreeable than normal, as I clung to anything that was nonsexual in nature.
“I had started to tell you, I need your help.”
“But you didn’t tell me why you needed me in particular.”
“Keepers are born with different levels of power.”
I nodded my head for him to continue, as I sat across from him and settled a plate of pancakes on my lap.
“We can’t all alter physics. Some of us can’t do it at all, some to a small degree. Each individual’s capabilities are hindered or enhanced by the abilities they are born with.”
He placed a steaming cup of coffee on the table next to me. I loved the smell of coffee in the morning.
“I don’t get it. If you can alter physics, why can’t you just alter their physics so they can do it?” I asked while I watched him over the rim of my porcelain cup.
“It’s a part of our brain that controls it. The brain can be very trick y. Several generations ago, several Keepers dabbled in trying to amp up people’s abilities.”
“And?”
“It didn’t go so hot. I’ve met a couple of the people who volunteered for the experiment. They aren’t quite all there anymore.”
My mouth formed a silent O, and he just nodded in agreement.
“You still haven’t explained how I’m going to help you.”
I put my plate of pancakes down on the side table and tucked my legs up underneath me. He sat forward on the couch, already dressed in his standard black slacks and crisp white shirt, his sleeves always rolled up, baring his corded forearms , and the button at his neck was always undone. It was as if he tried to don the outfit he felt he should wear, or perhaps the one society expected to see, but found it too constrictive for what he really was.
“You are uncommonly strong. What happened the other night, when the portal went wrong, it wasn’t the first time. It has happened to me as well. Something, or someone, is blocking our absorption of the radiation.”
“And you can’t
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