REM // Van McCann

72. I'd Love That

"We've not got anything else to do. Even the alcohol is gone," I said, pointing to the bar. "And no, I'll just keep this between us. Unless you want them to know?"

"No!" she blurted out. "I was just wondering how much you tell them. So what were you hoping to achieve with the frog? Were you hoping I'd kiss it and manage the same thing that happened last time? Did you want me to kiss you?"

"No! I mean—yes! I dunno," I said, ruffling the back of my head with my hand. "That wasn't my original intention. I didn't think of that until Bondy said he'd like to replicate the last dream. He's dead curious how you managed that and I am too. You must've wanted it bad then." I grinned at the memory of the original frog dream and she turned red in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess so," she surprisingly admitted. "It's just...you've always been so kind to me. I've upset you so many times yet you keep coming back. I think what started it all was you saving me from drowning. I thought you'd let me wake up but you didn't. And the more time we spent together, the more my feelings grew."

She was growing increasingly more red with each admittance and I was surprised her feelings went that far back. It felt like ages ago that I saved her from drowning. That was when we first started out. And that's when today's dream made sense. She'd try to find me in someone else at the bar because she was convinced I hated her but they were never me. All it did was make me upset, making me think she deserved someone better.

It was obvious there was something between us but I was at a loss for what to do. It's been ages since I've had a meaningful relationship with someone. It's not that I've not seen anyone after Clara. I've seen several women but none of them stood out to me, plus I was focused on work. But one thing was certain. There was still a lot we had to learn about each other.

"Things have always been professional with you. I don't feel like I know the real you. Why don't we get to know one another first?" I suggested.

"Like dating?"

"I prefer 'getting to know one another.'"

"That's dating." She can go on all day.

"Dating," I said reluctantly and she smiled.

"I'd love that."

-

When I opened my eyes, I sat up immediately removing my mask and probes. I could see Florence doing the same and we both looked at each other wondering if there were any dead giveaways of what happened in the dream. Florence was slightly flushed in the face but she wasn't wearing bright red lipstick that was smudged, thank God. Although we kissed in the dream, our bodies here were physically separated. However, that didn't stop the embarrassment from creeping in as we stood to clean up.

While I went to the computer to save the data, I was wondering what I'd say to Bondy and Larry. They will no doubt ask what happened and I have to lie to them. The question was how to make it sound convincing. Florence was unusually quiet, helping me put away the probes. I could see Bondy watching her, looking for any signs of how the dream went. Florence put away the kit and asked if I needed anything else. I said no, thanked her, and told her she could go home. As soon as the door closed, Bondy turned to face me.

"How'd it go? Were you successful?" Bondy asked and I shook my head.

"No. She had a different dream and I couldn't make it happen. We were in a pub this time and some guy sat next to her and they talked the whole time. There was no witch telling her to kiss the frog. I had to get the frog myself and I couldn't think of how I'd make her kiss the frog without her knowing what we were up to," I told him.

"So what'd you do then?"

"I—er—let them talk. But then I bought her a drink so she'd know that I was here. And then the frog escaped from my pocket so I had to go get it. And then Florence asked what I was up to because she saw me on the ground. I had to find the frog without her getting suspicious. It was a bloody mess! By the way, I think she knows we're up to something and that's why she got quiet."

I looked at their expression, keeping my face serious. Based on their expression, it seemed like they fell for it. They've got to know they put me in a difficult position!

"I tried, I really did but making someone kiss a frog isn't easy! Like what am I supposed to say? 'Kiss this frog. We're totally not trying to repeat what happened last time!'" Bondy began chuckling, realizing the unreasonable situation he put me in.

"That's a shame she dreamt of something else but thank you for trying. I was getting ahead of myself thinking it was easy when it really isn't. You did the best you could," Bondy said and I relaxed, glad that he understood.

"You're welcome. I'll go work on the report now." They knew to leave me alone so I opened up a new template and began typing.

-

I came home later than usual and found Florence cooking in the kitchen. She jumped when she saw me. She didn't hear me coming in because she was listening to music which she didn't bother shutting off this time. Instead, she lowered the volume and resumed cooking. I leant against the wall and watched her.

"The good news is that I think they fell for my lie," I told her. Florence stopped and wiped her hands on her apron.

"What'd you say?" she asked.

"I told them they put me in an impossible situation. Like how was I going to make you kiss the frog without you knowing what we were up to? And they fell for it."

"Yeah, I have no idea how you'd even manage that."

Florence returned to the stove, grabbing a spatula to lift the meat she was searing and checked to see if it was cooked yet but it wasn't. She used the salad spinner to dry the greens and placed them in a clean bowl. She made her own dressing earlier and mixed it, sticking her pinky in to have a taste. She sucked on her finger and I had to look away, not wanting to be caught staring. I went to my room to unload all my stuff and went to the bathroom to get ready. Normally, I don't think about how I look around her but now I want to make sure I'm not a complete mess. When I emerged from the bathroom, Florence caught me.

"Dinner's just about ready," she called from the kitchen.

I felt bad. We were supposed to take turns cooking but she's been cooking a lot lately and I've been coming home late because of work. I thanked her for cooking and apologized for not pulling my weight but she told me it was fine and that she actually enjoys cooking for others. Florence went to look for my red wine and pulled the cork off, taking a whiff.

"I think this will pair nicely with our food. Is it alright if we drink it?" she asked.

"Yeah, the wine glasses are in the cabinet right next to you," I told her.

She turned around to grab two glasses and poured a healthy measure into each glass. She put the cork back on the wine and brought the glasses to the table. For some reason, I was nervous about eating dinner with her.