Captivation

Captivation part 33

"You aren't that dense." Caitlin replied and began to smooth her pot. "Ok." She slowed down the wheel, waited for it to come to a stop and then looked up at him, "Your turn." Carefully using the wire she removed the base of the pot from the wheel. "There you go. All yours." She slid the pot onto the wooden board and then got to her feet. "Where did he say to put these?"

"He didn't." Jared told her. "I doubt he expected anyone to come up with anything worth firing." Yet again she had surprised him. The pot she had made was worth firing.

Caitlin put the pot on the small ledge beside them and took the seat Jared had vacated. Gingerly Jared took the seat Caitlin had vacated and looked around for some clay to use.

"Ah, no clay." He smiled, shrugged and looked as if that meant he was let off the hook.

"I'll get you some." Caitlin got to her feet and sauntered off, only to return a few minutes later with a slab of clay. "Here you go. He said to cut off a corner to use." Using the wire Jared and Caitlin cut off a segment of clay. While she returned the rest of the slab, Jared began to knead the clay. He pounded it until it was malleable. Then he started the wheel.

By that stage Caitlin had returned. Jared slapped the clay on the slowly rotating wheel when she took up the seat next to him. "You'll have to up the speed or it will collapse on you." She told him as she took her seat.

He did and the clay went skidding off the wheel. Without any hint of embarrassment he grinned at her. He switched the wheel off and bent to recover the clay. Again he pummeled the small mound of clay and then placed it on the centre of the wheel. He started the machine and began to clumsily mould the spinning clay.

"What do I do?" He asked her as the clay slid across the top of the wheel.

Caitlin suggested, "Just keep bringing your hands up, keep them firm, give the clay some pressure to work against." He did what she said and the clay flattened. "Too much." She told him gently. "Ok, look best stop and start again."

"Can you show me?" Jared kept his tone neutral.

Caitlin banked her smile. "I did my turn." She told him not falling for that trick. Was he flirting with her? That had her nerves returning. They were entering a new phase in what might vaguely be called a relationship. Was she ready for this? The ball was back in her court. It was going to be up to her whether she responded to his flirting.

"Well if you could show me how, move my hands to show me how much pressure..." He tailed off as he slapped the ball of clay onto the centre of the wheel.

With a mixture of nerves and excitement Caitlin got to her feet and went to stand behind him. She bent forward and reached toward the clay but the position was uncomfortable and she was unable to reach over his shoulders to the clay.

"You could try sitting behind me." He suggested.

With a small sigh Caitlin shook her head at his suggestion. "I'd never be able to reach round you." She told him, as if that was the real reason. She had no intention of getting that close, no when she was still struggling to cope with the feelings that were building. She was so, so tempted to throw caution to the wind. But at the same time she still remembered what had happened between them thus far. Hardly an auspicious start. She did not want to rush into things. Not until she was sure about how she felt.

"Ok, how about if you sit facing me." Jared suggested. He could see her battling with herself, as she tried to decide whether that still posed a risk or whether the slab of clay and the wheel between them would keep things from escalating.

Caitlin decided it was a harmless move. So she moved her stool and sat across from him, facing him. Jared smiled in acknowledgment of her trust. Once she was settled he set the wheel in motion the pounded the clay into a soft mound before placing it back on the wheel. Caitlin waited for him to put his hands around the girth of the clay.