Love... or something like it

Part 7

Nell licked the caramel off her finger as Charles scrolled through Netflix searching for something for them to watch. 

"Can we please watch something with out guts and stuff? Maybe look for 'say anything' or 'footloose' or 'breakfast club' ?" Nell suggested.

"Really? How about 'The Office' or 'Lucifer'?" He counter offered. 

"Uh, yeah sure one of those." Nell said from her spot on the floor. 

"You can sit up here now that you have desecrated the dessert boxes." Charles offered looking at the cardboard boxes folded flat and tucked back into the paper bag. 

"I still have some apple caramel strudel left." Nell held up her box and fork to show off her treat with a grin.

"Do you want me to wait?" He asked looking to see what she had left. 

"Mmm, nope." She spooned the last bite into her mouth and crushed the box. "Yummy." She moved to take the spot at the other end of the couch and made a big production of putting her feet on Charles lap while resting back. She was fairly short making her efforts seem even more dramatic. She shifted up so her head was on the pillow covering the arm of the couch but her feel fell short of reaching his lap. He shifted his position so that she could return her feet to their spot on his leg while he leaned against the opposite arm. 

By the second episode Charles had stretched out further and Nell's legs were draped over his. He held her foot and squeezed it during intense or funny scenes. Nell felt completely comfortable with him. She had a flash of Bash accusing him of being dishonest and Her calmness evaporated. She bounced up so fast she forgot to take her legs with her and ended up rolling off the couch onto the floor making her burst into laughter. Charles looked at her strangely.

"What was that?" He asked sitting up. 

"My dismount!" She grinned.

"Oh, ouch. The judges say it was a three point seven." Sorry. He gave her the bad news and shrugged. 

"I have to pee." Nell hopped up off the floor. She made her way across the house sized converted attic bedroom that was bigger than then the main floor of her house. The bathroom access was on his bedroom side of the gigantic room so she had to go into his more personal space to access it. She sneaked a look at his book shelves and his kick knacks as she made her way into his private bathroom. 

His bathroom smelled like him and it was a heady experience. It was like being in his sweater with him. She could faintly smell his soap and shampoo but she could smell his cologne much stronger. After finishing up on the toilet she peeked into his medicine cabinet, which was his shaving supplies and a row of colognes. She picked each one up smelling it. She put her favorite smells on her wrists. She sniffed them on the way back to the couch and instantly thought he would think she was a complete weirdo for putting his cologne on. 

"Smell me." She said flopping on the middle of the couch rather than back on her end. She held out her wrist for him. So much for subtlety she thought, cursing her filter. 

"Why?" He laughed thinking she had a hand full of shaving cream that she was going to slap into his face. 

"Because I smell like you now!" She grinned pushing her arm closer to his nose. He took her arm in two hands still suspicious of her intentions. 

"You do. Were you snooping in my bathroom?" He teased. 

"Nope just preforming my official duties as medicine cabinet inspector." She said offering him her other arm. He had to sit up and lean in really close to be able to smell the arm on her other side.