Sweet Adventure

She jumped when someone knocked on the window beside her bed.

“Katie!” called the muffled voice. “Katie, are you awake?”

It was Gary. Should she answer him?

My light’s on, so he knows I’m awake.

“Katie!” Another set of raps vibrated the glass. “It’s an emergency!”

She sprang from the bed and peeked her head through the curtains. “What is it?” she yelled through the glass at the darkened figure outside. “Is someone hurt?”

“It’s my right hand,” he said. “I did something to my fingers, and I can barely feel them. Let me in the door. I need your help!”

“Coming!”

She shuffled down the hall and through the dark kitchen in her sock feet and flung the door open. “What did you do to your hand?” she asked, as she fumbled for the switch on the wall.

A blare of light illuminated the kitchen, and she blinked to adjust her eyes. Gary stood in front of her with a pizza box in one hand, a plastic grocery bag in the other, and a stupid grin on his face.

Katie planted her hands on her hips, hoping his Superman eyes couldn’t read her mind, because he looked really tasty, his ripped muscles attempting to break out of his t-shirt. “I thought you said you hurt your hand.”

“I did.” He held the grocery sack forward. “I’ve got two gallons of ice cream in this bag, and it’s totally cutting off the blood to my fingers. Look… they’re almost purple.”

She swallowed a giggle and made a valiant attempt at anger, but it vanished when the scent of hot pizza hit her nostrils, her empty stomach gurgling its excitement. “How did you know I hadn’t eaten?”

“I didn’t.” He set the tantalizing pizza box on the table and carried the ice cream to the freezer. “But pizza and ice cream are your comfort foods, so I figured you’d eat them anyway.”

How did he already know her so well?

As she sat down and flipped open the box of pizza, breathing in the delicious smell of pepperoni and Italian seasoning, she flattened her hands over her noisy belly. “My stomach sounds like Tony the Tiger. I guess I’d better feed him something.”

Funny how she hadn’t been the least bit hungry until Gary walked through the door. He slid into the chair beside her and pulled the box close to them, handing her a paper napkin. “Let’s eat over the box so we don’t dirty any dishes.”

They munched on pizza together while her mind churned. She felt better, having him around, but was she leading him on?

“You know we can’t be together, right?” she asked.

One eyebrow lifted as he continued to chew and swallow. “Do we need to eat in separate rooms?”

“No, silly!” She shoved ineffectually against his muscular arm. “I mean we still can’t date after we go back tomorrow.”

“But we have tonight, right?”

Locked with hers, his eyes didn’t blink as he took a bite of pizza. Tingles started in her toes and rose all the way to the roots of her hair. Still, she couldn’t look away.

“I guess so,” she rasped.

On his face, a hint of a grin gradually grew to a full, smug smile, topped by half-closed eyelids. She fanned herself with her hand against the sudden heat.

“I promise to make it worth your while,” he said.

She swallowed, her throat so dry it stuck together, and waited for him to lean in and kiss her. But it didn’t happen.

She managed to down a second piece of pizza, while he ate four. Then he dished up two bowls of ice cream—half mint chocolate chip and half double fudge brownie. When she was so full she couldn’t eat another bite, he stood and stretched.

“That was fun,” he said, taking the dishes to the sink.

Her heart plummeted when she realized he was about to leave her alone with her thoughts again, but she hid it well, standing to say goodbye in a cheery tone.