My Kind of Woman

21. Night Of Discovery

"Aren't we going to go over and talk to them?" My dad was smiling.

"You want to?"

He nodded and patted my nape, gently pushing me forward.

Mr. Reed saw me then, and looked at my dad. Like men did when they met, he squared his shoulders and smiled broadly, one large hand outstretched for a firm shake. Jackie greeted me as usual with a hug and something odd, but Mio just stood off, looking lonely. I wanted to go and talk to her, like I would, but I couldn't.

Trying my best, I said, "hello, Mrs. Reed."

"Hi, Norah." She smiled. I watched her fingers fidget against the buttons of her coat. Hearing her voice made me think of those sounds that had come from that same mouth, those sounds that I'd breathed in and swallowed.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming tonight? We could've met earlier," Jackie said, making me reflexively tear my eyes from Mio.

"I didn't know you would've wanted to. I usually just go with my dad." I glanced back at him and Mr. Reed talking. "If I'd known they'd like each other this much, I would've."

The two men rejoined us and got to talking again, but just closer. I tried to stand nearer to Mio, and have her by me as Jackie held onto my arm. Every time I looked at her lips, I thought about the fact my tongue had touched them, that I'd kissed them and they'd come to kiss me. I thought about it as she spoke politely to my dad.

He faced me then and pulled from his wallet a few notes. "Get some hot chocolates for everyone please, Norah. Do you want a hand?"

"I'll help, don't worry," Mio chimed in.

Jackie had trailed off with her dad to find somewhere to stand, and soon my dad followed. Mio and I just stood there for a moment, looking at each other, but not too obviously. She wouldn't say anything to me first, and I didn't quite know what to say. So, we were silent.

I started slowly in the direction of the stalls, further back from the viewing area, hands in my pockets. Near to my side, she walked too. I could glance out the corner of my eye and see the shape of her side profile; the slope of her nose, the protrusion of her berry lips. I wanted us to just keep walking and walking until we were far away from the display, go up into the woods or by the lake and watch the fireworks from there.

We would be missed. We would be questioned. But for a bit, it wouldn't matter.

I looked at her, "are you alright?"

It was a bit awkward, but it was a start. I wasn't feeling awkward or embarrassed - in fact, I was dying to be around her. But her being the way she was just rubbed off on me.

"Yeah," she said, seeming a little surprised that I'd even said anything. "I'm good. Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm good."

I was trying to work out whether the pinkness that had grown against the skin of her nose and cheekbones was because of the cold night or me. She wasn't really looking at me, but when she did, I watched the corners of her mouth lift. That little smile made my heart giddy.

The line up to the hot drinks stall was long enough that Mio and I would be standing together for a generous amount of time. When I stepped a little closer to her in the queue, she didn't shift away from me and when someone pushed close behind us, I felt her slender hand against the small of my back. It made me shiver. It was only there for a second, but it was warm and firm and I felt it through my coat, right onto my skin.

"Eddie said you could come, I'm sure he'll mention it later," Mio said.

I just looked at her.