Free Paper Kisses by Beth D. Carter

memory.   Oh
crap.   Oh holy cow .   How was she supposed to face him?   Was she just supposed to go downstairs and
act like she hadn’t just had the most awesome, soul-melting sex of her
life?  
    Perhaps she could just sneak out and
walk the five-plus miles back to her car.   Thank goodness she brought a change of clothes, and her sneakers.  
    Sky wasn’t in bed with her so she
got up and headed into the attached bathroom, taking a moment to admire the
marble counter tops, the Jacuzzi bath and, good lord, a bidet.   Sky didn’t seem like the type of man to use a
bidet, but then she would never have pegged him for a master of bondage,
either, and yet here she was...aglow. With embarrassment, that is.   She still didn’t know what to think of last
night so she decided to push that to the back of her mind for now.   She found a clean towel and started the
shower, absolutely loving the rainfall showerhead.   She could’ve stayed under the hot cascade for
hours but her stomach growled, reminding her she’d
only had hotdogs the night before.   So
she dried off and when she walked back into the bedroom she saw her overnight
bag sitting on the bed.
    Her lips pursed.   Had he brought her bag when she was in the
shower because he didn’t want to deal with her yet?   Or was it simply that he heard the shower
running so he decided to bring her bag?   Did he not like how she looked naked?   She liked how he looked naked, but then somewhere along the way he’d
gone from no muscles to He-Man and she’d gone from wearing cat suits at
Halloween to frumpy housewife.   This was
the biggest cosmic joke in the universe.
    She dressed in jeans and a t-shirt
and headed downstairs, following her nose.   Seriously, the man to had to have something
wrong with him because he was too perfect.   Good job, nice house, talented in bed and now he cooked?   How come he wasn’t married?   Oh
yeah.   Linda .     
    Sure enough, he was behind the
stove.   An array of cracked eggs and
chopped up vegetables were scattered on the island.
    “Morning,” she murmured, feeling
slightly awkward.   All that flashed in
her head was the memory of how she’d gushed.   Oh, holy crap .
    “Good morning,” he greeted with a smile.   He looked fresh and yummy in his brown police
uniform, a color so ugly it should be outlawed.   “I hope you like omelets.   It’s
the only thing I really know how to cook.   Except for spaghetti, and it’s a little early for al dente.”  
    “I love omelets,” she said.   “Thank you.”
    “I just made some coffee.”
    “Okay.”  
    “Mugs are in that cabinet.   I like mine black.”
    So as she poured them coffee, Sky
tipped the omelet onto a dish and then handed it to her.   He poured the remaining batter into the pan
and quickly cooked up his own while she poured them coffee, adding milk to her
cup.
    Moments later they were sitting
across from each other at the table and Alannah hadn’t a clue how that
happened.   Just a moment ago she’d been
planning on walking back to CeeCee’s , and now she was
next to her best friend not knowing what in the world to say to him.   The guy who’d taught her how to play
basketball.   The guy who begged her to
take him to McDonald’s for lunch every day because her birthday was three
months before his and she could drive.   The guy who’d told her when he lost his virginity.
    “You’re thinking again,” he said.
    She looked up at him and his blue
eyes were slightly narrowed as he studied her.   What was he thinking?   What did he
think about what happened between them last night?
    “I can’t help it,” she said.
    “Stop existing in here,” he told
her, pointing to his forehead.
    She bit her lip.   “Can I ask you a question?”
    “Sure.”
      “Will you tell me how you learned what you did last night?”
    He laid down his fork and took a
long drink of coffee.   A
stalling tactic? She didn’t blame him.
    “What would you say