Off.
When he pulls the curtain aside and grabs a towel, I’m left standing there like, wait, what?
There is a routine to things and he just broke the rules.
I do backbreaking work every day and then I, you know, get a reward.
I blink. Like a hard blink. And realize how fucked up all the thoughts I just had were. What, suddenly I’m expecting to get paid for farm work in orgasms? And since when did I start looking forward to— I mean, isn’t that just something I endure— I’m not supposed to want— GAH!
Xavier seems completely unperturbed by anything. He whips open the towel and starts drying me, calm as can be.
Oh my God, sometimes he’s so placid I could just scream! Is he not… you know, interested, because I’m on my period?
My mouth drops open to ask but then I clamp it shut. What am I really going to say? He’s the enemy, remember?
Holy crap, it’s already happening. I’m getting brainwashed. I was just about to whine to the man basically holding me captive because he’s not keeping up his campaign of sexual manipulation.
I squeeze my eyes shut as he runs the fluffy towel between my legs, spending what seems like an inordinate amount of time making sure I’m dry there.
And the unwanted thought pops in: but seriously though, is he like grossed out because of my period?
Ugh, shut up brain!
Because if he is, then he totally shouldn’t be all up in there volunteering for tampon duty.
“I’m really tired,” I announce, stepping forward and taking the towel out of Xavier’s hands to wrap around myself. “Can we go to bed now?”
He looks briefly startled at my quick motion but the next second seems amused by me.
God, I hate it when he’s like that. When he gives off this aura that he knows exactly what’s going on in my head and he’s laughing at me.
I turn on my heel and stomp toward the bedroom. I swear I hear him chuckle behind me which makes me even more infuriated.
I know he likes me to leave my wet towel on a peg near the head of the bed, but instead I drop it on the floor and slide underneath the covers. Then I cringe and pull the sheet tight around myself. God, Mel, are you trying to get him to react? What the fuck is wrong with you?
I jump out of bed and hang the towel up.
Which Xavier naturally observes from the bathroom door. I pretend I don’t see him as I get back into bed. Covers pulled high, I turn on my side. Facing the half of the room away from his side of the bed.
Oh my God, we have sides of the bed. Like an old married couple. No, not like that. Nothing like that. At all.
In fact, I’ll just scoot to the middle of the bed. There. See? No sides. Ha.
But… maybe he’ll think I’m trying to initiate something with him.
Which I am not.
I wiggle back over to my side.
I scrupulously do not look over at him to see what he might think of all these odd acrobatics.
I settle in and freeze in place. Nothing to see here. I’ve fallen asleep. Just like that. I’ve suddenly mastered the art of falling asleep in zero point two seconds. I try to regulate my breaths.
Totally convincing.
The light flips off.
Ha. Completely pulled it off.