His faint, light-brown stubble was a striking contrast to his soft, pink lips. That face could look bird-like and weird one moment and incredibly lovely when one just looked at it a little longer.
Ian looked back at his sketchbook and started sketching again. Maybe he should try... Yes, like this...
"Hello to you too," Miles said, yawning, "My day was fine. Thanks for asking."
Ian didn't know why he let the boy be so cheeky with him. Any other employee of his wouldn't even dream of acting like that around him. Miles felt entirely too comfortable around him, which was... perplexing. Ian had never given Miles a reason to think that it would be acceptable to behave this way.
He glanced back at his model and found Miles watching his hands with a strange expression.
"What?" Ian said, his attention back on the sketch. While Miles's face still wasn't quite right, it was better than his previous attempts.
"I think I'm attracted to you..."
Sarah nearly screamed when she felt the hardcover novel being pulled out of her grasp. She extended her hand in an attempt to snatch it back, but the thief was much too quick for her, which was probably a given seeing as they had over twenty years on her.
"Young lady, what do you think you are doing?" Sarah hesitantly raises her gaze to see her mother, a tall, Hispanic woman with really soft features, wearing an amused smile and waiting for a response. Well, technically, she was only five feet three inches, but she looked tall and even slightly intimidating from Sarah's position on her bed.
"Um, reading," She says softly, getting up to sit quietly on the end of her bed. She tried to appear casual as if she had not just been caught red-handed, but despite her mother's height, her presence was immense.
"And who, do tell, allowed you to read this book?" Not giving her a chance to respond, her mother continued, "This, Sweetheart, is mine, and it's brand-new. Heck, I haven't even gotten to read it yet. Which is why it was hidden in my room. Care to explain how it got here?" Her gaze was challenging as she bore an almost playful glare at her daughter.
"Mamita, I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait..." Sarah's defense is cut short.
"I know the feeling, Darling," the older woman gazes at Sarah with something akin to sympathy.
"Alright, you enjoy it as much as I do. That much I can understand, but the fact remains that this is mine. I bought it, but because I am such a wonderful mother, I will so graciously let you finish reading it.." A spark of hope ignited within Sarah, "...once you start your volunteer hours at the stables." Deflating, she watched her mother turn and walk out of the room with the novel in hand. Sarah desperately chases after her.
"But, Mama, you can't just leave me hanging. I just got to the part where..." Sarah was stopped in her tracks by her mother's fiery glare.
"No spoilers." The words were uttered so murderously that Sarah could do nothing but nod in response. She knew her mother was not one to be tested. Feeling truly and utterly defeated, Sarah watched her mother disappear downstairs before making her way to the only person she could talk to right now. Marching to the study a few doors down the hall, the brunette collapsed into an armchair opposite her father's desk.
"What is it, Precious? I need to get this report submitted before noon." Her father spoke affectionately, distracted from behind his computer screen. His dark brown hair and light skin were discolored in the dim lighting of the office. He always kept the blinds tightly shut, so despite the well-risen sun outside, the only light in the room was coming from the monitor and a dim fluorescent lamp in the far back corner of the room. She admired him diligently typing for a while, watching the computer glow flicker between hues as he changed tabs.
"Mom took away my book and refuses to give it back until I start my volunteer work." Finally breaking the silence, Sarah watched for her father's reaction and noticed the slight lift in the left corner of his mouth.
"That's only a few days away."
"Five." Sarah specified, earning a very amused look from her father as he stopped typing and gave her his full attention.
"And what exactly was it that made your mother take away her book," she didn't miss the emphasis he placed on the possessive pronoun, "for a dreaded five whole days? I'm sure that if I know your mother, and I do because I am the one who married her 23 years ago, she would love to see you reading any of those novels sitting on living room bookshelves."
"Well, I may or may not have been reading her new Alessandra Hazard novel," she coughed in an attempt to cover up her simmering shame.
"Ah," a knowing expression took over her father's face, "The dirty one, right?" Sarah nodded with an affectionate chuckle. Ninety percent of her mother's novels were dirty, but simply because the newest addition was titled Just a Bit Dirty, her father took every opportunity to make a pun out of it.
"You should know better, Precious. You know what she went through to get her hands on that book." She nodded solemnly, agreeing with his gentle voice. In all honesty, Sarah did know how long her mother had been waiting for that novel. It had been sold out for three months right after its publication.
"Ugh, I didn't think it was wrong. I just..." Sarah trailed off and sunk significantly lower into her chair.
"I know. I know. You're just like your mom," he chuckled as he rose out of his chair and made his way to comfort his daughter, "Patience never was your virtue." He looked down at her, sat on the arm of her cushioned chair, and rested a hand on her shoulders.
"Do you think I hurt her feelings?" Sarah glanced up at her father, slowly beginning to panic. All she had wanted was to get a head start on her mother's favorite novel series. She hadn't thought it would be a big deal at all, but the mere thought of upsetting her mother had Sarah reevaluating her action. His gaze was warm as she leaned into his side, allowing him to wrap both arms around her.
"No. Your mother is not the type of person to hide her feelings. If she was hurt, she would have sat you down and talked with you. She only suspended your reading, so my guess is she'll find the time to read the entire book in the next five days and hold it over your head for a good while after." His words brought a light and familiar feeling of affection to Sarah, her apprehension and guilt fading away.
"Come on," Sarah's father stood up and tugged her arm to join him, "Let's go downstairs and have breakfast." She instinctively followed but gazed at him skeptically.
"What about your report?" She looked back, only to find that there was a dark blue light being cast onto his desk chair. The kind that was emitted from the monitor when it was sleeping. She wond e red when he had time to do that.
"It's not even eight yet, and a genius brain can't work on an empty stomach." Sarah's father gave her a big smile and pulled her to his side. Keeping an arm resting on her shoulders. Sarah leaned into his touch, and they didn't have to speak a single word on the way down to the kitchen. Sometimes, silence was more comforting than words could ever be.
"I was wondering when you would come down to eat," Sarah's mother called from the stove without turning around as they entered the kitchen. She had been flipping some bacon in a pan when she was abruptly interrupted by her husband sneaking his arms around her, no doubt pleasantly surprised he was joining them for breakfast. Sarah opted to sit at the island, which was already set for breakfast with two sets of tableware, not wanting to interfere in their married couple moment.
"What are you doing here?" Her mother interrogated, craning her neck to look at the man cuddling her back. He chuckled softly into her hair as she lowered the heat under the sizzling bacon.
"You make it sound like you don't want me here." His words earned him a soft slap on the arm from his wife.
"Of course, I want you here," she turned her body to look at him properly, "You know, I always want you around." Their eyes locked in a loving gaze, and they actually lasted an entire minute before allowing their lips to meet in a short, sweet peck. Sarah watched them descend into playful banter from the kitchen island and took the time to truly admire her parents for the first time in a while.
They loved each other deeply. There was no doubt about that, and what a surprising fact it was. They could not have been more different from their hobbies to their physical traits. Where her father was tall and pale, her mother stood an entire ten inches shorter with caramel-colored skin. Where her mother loved to stay active and be involved with the community, making friends everywhere she went, her father was a homebody who dedicated his life to computers and programming. He wouldn't leave the house if he could help it, except for when his darling wife would persuade him that every human required time in the sun and human interaction. Of course, her mother also enjoyed her days cooped up in the house, but Sarah highly suspected that it had more to do with the extensive collection of paper-bound love stories displayed in the living room than any actual aversion to social interaction on those particular days. Watching her parents finish making breakfast and add a set of tableware in the same way a spectator would, Sarah found herself quite conflicted. On one hand, she loved her parents, and their love for each other was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle that inspired her to one day find her own love. On the other hand, she felt tragically jealous for all the same reasons. What if she was never so lucky? What if her other half was on the opposite side of the world? Or worse, what if they were so close, they were unattainable?
Sarah had had her fair share of crushes over the years, but her most recent interest had been taken by her best friend who was so straight she would never suspect Sarah's feelings despite the knowledge of her bisexuality. She supposed it was for the best that her friend would be gone for the summer. It would've been harder to distract herself with the object of her affection attached to her hip. With a nearly inaudible sigh, Sarah gave her mother an appreciative smile as she took the plate loaded with a classic Western breakfast and busied herself with the food. Her parents seated themselves to her left, easily filling the silence for her. They talked about her father's latest tasks and her mother's progress in helping Elliot, a close friend of theirs, build profits for the stables he funded. Sarah's father was not shy in displaying his dislike for his wife spending so much time working with an attractive, single, and well-off man who was just a few years older than her, but as always, Sarah's mother took this declaration in stride and reassured her husband that he was the only man she had eyes for. Her affectionate sentences left a queasy feeling in Sarah's stomach, which likely had to do with her unrequited feelings. It was times like this that Sarah silently wished her brothers were here to change the subject or liven her mood, but she knew that she didn't have the right to wish for that. It was her fault they weren't here anyway. Snapping herself out of her self-deprecating thoughts, Sarah finished the last bit of her waffles.
"I think I'm gonna go bike around town for a bit," she said with forced enthusiasm as she deposited her plate in the sink. She refused to spend all summer sulking around. As they said, 'Fake it 'till you make it.'
"So suddenly?" Her mother questioned. Sarah smiled genuinely at her mother's refreshing concern.
"Well, someone took my planned entertainment for the day, so I have to find something else to do," she said jokingly, wandering over to place a kiss on both of her parents' cheeks. That brought back the joy to her mother's expression.
"Alright. Make sure to turn on your location."
"I will. Don't worry." With one last hug to them both, Sarah pulled on her shoes in the foyer and grabbed her backpack off the wall.
"Bye Mamá. Bye Papá," she called as she walked out the door, faintly hearing her parents simultaneously bid her goodbye before closing the door.
***
Sarah spent a good amount of time riding around. She did rounds of the town without stopping anywhere long. Eventually, she left the busy area, wandering along the outskirts of town closest to her house. They consisted of acres upon acres of clear land for the nearby stables. Sarah followed the bushes that served as a fence along the road. She peddled down the concrete, feeling the cool wind in whip back her long hair. It had been a while since in such a rural area, having spent the school year on England's main island. Her school days had ended just the day before, but she already felt as though she had been here for days. The clean, fresh air of this small town had a way of slowing down time. Sarah's eyes scanned the plains as she rode along, noticing with interest when the fence came to a stop. The land beyond that point was littered with trees, slowly transitioning into the thick forest territory that lay almost a mile ahead, and while the previous fence continued inward, there was no sign of fencing or private property beyond it. Sarah slowed her bike to stop when her eyes caught sight of a cluster of trees several meters from the roadway but rather close to the fence. They were arranged in an almost crescent-like shape with overgrown branches and leaves that tangled together and spilled over the opening to create a dark and inviting resting place. The natural semi-circle opened toward the land she assumed belonged to the stables that she never bothered to remember the name of, making it difficult to spot anything within its arms from the road. Pushing her bike from the road onto the lush grass of the plains, Sarah made a decision she hoped she wouldn't regret. She got to the structure quickly and rested her bike behind the trees farthest from the road. Tugging off her backpack, Sarah settled into the far right corner of the surprisingly spacious area. It was darkest and made her feel secure. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and retrieved some earbuds from her pack. Placing one in her ear, Sarah arranged her music before resting against the large trees to admire her surroundings. She listened to the soft melodies in her left ear play along to the flickering sunlight along the floor branches swaying in the wind. Sarah heaves a loud sigh and discards her pack to the side with an unremorseful clatter. She stares out at the desolate area, settling into the soft grass beneath her. For a moment, she feels as though she's escaped to some faraway land. She feels like nothing can touch her in the safety of the trees' arms. As though she's completely and utterly...
A sudden rustle of leaves and branches breaks her away from thoughts. The sound is typical for a windy day, but out of sheer instinct, Sarah turns her head to the right and immediately spots a pair wide open eyes floating in the darkness.
"Holy Fuck!" Adrenaline shoots through her veins, as she launches herself out into the sunlight barely able to grab her pack in her haste. She rustles through it until she grips her safety spray, pulling it out from within her pack and holding it in the direction of the trees. She manages to stand and slowly back away from what had just moments ago seemed to be her haven, waiting for whoever was within the branches to show themselves. Everything was quiet for several tense moments before Sarah heard more rustling than the distinct sound of two feet landing on the floor. It takes far longer than she is comfortable with for the steady footsteps to lead them out into sight. Sarah didn't know who she expected to see come out, but it certainly wasn't a young, pale, brunette boy who looked to be around her age. He has his hands raised in surrender and seems passive, almost completely unaffected.
"What were you doing in there?" She asks tersely, adjusting her grip on the hand still holding her safety spray. While he didn't seem to be a threat, she wasn't about to let her guard down just yet.
In lew of an answer, he calmly uses one hand to point up into the branches, and Sarah has to strain her eyes to notice the faint outline of a dark green hammock tied between two thick branches. It blended in perfectly with the green leaf shadows. Relief coursed through her, as she realized that he wasn't creepily crouching out in tree branches. She let her hand fall to her side and caught the tension, she hadn't noticed was there, ebb from the boy's features. He, too, let his hands fall to his sides.
"I take it you didn't know I was there," the British boy said as something similar to a smile tugged at his lips.
"Well, how would I? It looks empty from here," Sarah exasperatedly motioned towards her bike still leaning against the outer side of the trees, "and I don't exactly make it a habit to search tree branches for unsuspecting occupants." Her voice expressed more bite than she had intended, but Sarah couldn't control it. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute, and her brain struggled to catch up with this bizarre situation. However, it seemed that Sarah was the only one truly rattled by the circumstances because no sooner did she finish speaking than did the pale boy burst out laughing.
"Sorry. Sorry," he spoke after catching what no doubt must have been a flabbergasted expression on her face, "This situation is just rather amusing. Well, there is no reason to make this more awkward than it must be." With that, he returned to Tree Crescent, barely stepping into the shadows before speaking again.
"You are more than welcome to join me if you are not entirely put off." Sarah watched as the boy ascended the trees this time stopping to sit atop two interwoven low-lying branches on the left side of the crescent, rather than his hammock that easily rested ten feet off the ground. She stood a mere meter and a half from the trees for a few uncertain moments before ultimately returning to the right-most corner within its crescent. After settling in, Sarah took a moment to relax completely. The environment was peacefully quiet, with only sounds coming from the music now beating into her left ear and the low, almost imperceptible hum coming from the boy's phone. The boy was not using earbuds and kept the volume low as she assumed to not disturb her. The two continued in relative silence for many moments. Sarah felt compelled to break it after one moment too many, but she didn't know how. It seemed weird and awkward to strike up a conversation out of nowhere with someone she had been prepared to Mace just minutes before. Actually, this entire situation was weird and awkward, bringing forward all her dormant anxiety. She didn't know how to go about...
"You know, some see it as rather rude to stare at a stranger." His low British accent felt like a bucket of cold water snapping her back into reality. She immediately turned her gaze downwards, not even realizing that she had zoned off while looking in his direction.
"Sorry. It's just, well, this is all really weird." Sarah could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks at her admission.
"It doesn't have to be. Like I said, it is only as awkward as we make it out to be." She lifted her head to see the boy smiling slightly. It wasn't mocking. It wasn't amused. It was almost comforting.
"I'm pretty sure that's not exactly what you said," she teased lightly, trying to reclaim some of her usual confidence and alleviate her anxiety. It made little difference, but the amusement that bloomed across the boy's face at her words did a much better job.
"Fair point," the boy tilted his head, coincidentally landing it into a spot of sunlight that shone down through the leaves, making his eyes shine a vibrant green.
"Pin." He motioned towards himself.
"Sarah." She did the same.
With those two words, it was like a dam had burst. A weight lifted off her shoulders. The suffocating anxiety was gone, leaving her confidently comfortable in Pin's presence. She never shied away from making new friends. Well, when forced into the situation.
"Do you come here often?" Sarah asked, removing the music from her ear and shutting it off.
"Every few days," Pin looked around, admiring the unique formation of the trees, "Usually just when I need some time away." She nodded empathetically. She knew plenty about wanting to escape.
"And you?"
"Me?" She repeated, confused. The amused smile on Pin's face widened considerably.
"How often do you visit?" His voice was gentle, and patient.
"Actually, I barely found this place today. I moved here recently." He nodded understandingly, gaze turning thoughtful.
"You're from America?" Sarah gave a small nod, thoughtlessly.
"That explains why your aggressiveness and your accent," Pin relaxed his smile, as understanding crept into his gaze and unconsciously moved his head to the side, eyes glittering in the sun again, "It seems like the Americans are allowed much more leniency. Our school term ended just yesterday."
"Well, I didn't exactly move here directly from America," Sarah stretched out her legs from their folded position and rested her back against the tree trunks, "My family has lived in England for the past year. At first, we stayed in London. It was during the beginning of this last term that my mother's bleeding heart and love for tight-knit communities brought us here." Sarah watched Pin's expression closely. To his credit, he seemed genuinely interested in what she was saying.
"My parents made the move official near the end of March, but because it was in the middle of the term, they decided it would be easier for me to just stay with my Grandparents to finish off the term. I only came down during the weekends. Even then, I spent most of them with the two friends I happened to make, but they're not staying for the summer. In a way, it does feel like I just moved here. I know absolutely no one else and am probably not even gonna fit in here." Sarah continued, albeit unnecessarily. She had never been much of a talker, even with her friends. It was a rarity for her to supply information unprompted, yet she had within minutes of meeting someone. Maybe the fact it was a stranger made it easier for her to talk about her life or that nigh childlike face of his. She wasn't sure.
"That can't possibly be true. You said it yourself you haven't even given them a chance. I know nearly everyone here, and for being a small community, most of them are very welcoming. At least, you're already used to life in the UK. It will likely be much easier for you now than it would have been a year ago." Pin suggested. His posture had relaxed significantly, eyes and mouth softening until they only had a small lift in the corners. His head had tilted away from the ray of sun and now his features basked in the dim shade as they had in the glittering sunlight, the green undertones complementing this dull color of his eyes and the stark shadows pronouncing his jawline and cheekbones simultaneously.
"Ugh, I hope so," Sarah buried her head in her hands as the memory resurfaced, suddenly wishing she could run her fingers through her hair but unable to do so without ruining her carefully put-together Dutch braid.
"Bad, was it?" She didn't grace that cheekily rhetorical question with a proper response, only lifting her gaze slightly to catch a barely there teasing smirk that she could already predict would soon grow annoying.
"You have no idea," Sarah huffed in amusement at what his reaction could possibly be, "Maybe I'll tell you about it if I can ever get over it."
"Well, I may be waiting forever then," Peter spoke with faux exasperation, feigning a near-convincing expression of annoyance.
"Wow, rude much?" Sarah exclaimed with playful indignance, grabbing a thin twig from her side and tossing it in his direction. She hadn't meant for it to hit him, but the laugh that spilled from Pin's lips when it landed just right of where he was sitting made her wish that she had.
"Aim much?" Pin's unexpected comeback was followed by a small pebble no bigger than a pea being tossed directly into Sarah's hands. Closing her hands on instinct, she admired the strangely polished piece of rock.
"That's some talent," she murmured, tossing the rock from one hand to the other.
"You should join Brightfields." Pin suddenly sat up. His face was bright with excitement.
"What?" Sarah nearly got whiplash from the sudden change in topic.
"The local stables on the island. It would help you integrate into the community if you joined," Pin made his way over to Sarah seemingly in a trance. He was very enthusiastic about his idea and didn't even seem to notice that he had repositioned himself to stand a couple feet in front of her, "There are horse riding events and equestrian competitions. It's quite a big deal around these parts. I work there, so it won't be completely unfamiliar territory." The look of expectance on his face had Sarah reeling. He seemed like an overeager child waiting for his mom to give him permission. Sarah had always had a soft spot for children, wanting to please them and bring them joy, and it seemed that while Pin may very well be the same age as her, she still found it just as hard to tell him no.
"You're just like my mom," Sarah chuckled softly, trying to find the best way to say no, "She had the same exact idea and signed me up to volunteer at the stables she's working for right now. I don't know the name. For all I know, it could be Brightfields, but it's where I'm going to be for the better part of the summer." Watching Pin take in what she was saying, Sarah felt a dreadfully familiar pit in the bottom of her stomach. She didn't like disappointing people. Maybe because it didn't always end well, but to her surprise, Pin only settled in the grass with a thoughtful expression. However, she still felt the need to compromise. It wasn't like she never wanted to hang out with him again.
"Here," Sarah held out her phone, gaining a surprised expression from Pin, "Give me your number."
"Why?" Pin gave her one of the most confusing looks she's ever received. It could be amused, teasing, smug, skeptical, or all of the above. All she knows is that from what she knows of him, this expression is so very Pin.
"Do I need a reason?" The only response she received was a raised eyebrow. Skeptical it is.
"If we don't end up working at the same stables, then I can work out a time to go visit when I get my work schedule. I start in five days. This way you can let me know when you'll be here so I don't accidentally Mace you," she said, relenting. He didn't say another word, silently putting in numbers on her phone, but Sarah could see the way his lips lifted at the corners. She figures she did well.
"I'm home," Sarah bellows from the foyer as she closes the door behind her.
"Livingroom." Sarah hears her mother shout from her left. Smiling to herself, she walks barefoot towards the living room. Which, quite, honestly was only a mere meter from the foyer. Her mother had no business screaming at what was surprisingly not the top of her lungs. Entering the living room, Sarah spots her parents cuddled together in a loveseat next to the fireplace. It wasn't on, and her father was looking over her mother's shoulder to read the book settled in her lap. It was no doubt one of the very few that did not depict male romances explicitly.
"Hey Darling, how was lunch with your friend?" Sarah's mother asked as Sarah plopped down on the sofa directly in front of the dormant fireplace, taking up all three seats with her legs.
"It was good. We got a some food from town and then he showed me all around the island," Sarah answered, remembering her great afternoon with her new friend.
After they exchanged numbers, the two had sat on the floor of their crescent hideout for hours, sharing stories, talking about their schools, and simply getting to know each other. When Sarah checked the time, it had read a half hour before noon. She had been ready to come home, but Pin had asked if she wanted to get lunch together and get to know the island, impulsively she had said yes. She had figured that if she was going to start making this island home, she might as well start today, so while it may or may not be illegal, she rode them both to a small café not far from their hideout with Pin sitting on the back.
It was only when they entered the café that she remembered she had two very overprotective parents who had her location. Texting her mother for permission, she received a calm response that had only asked for a picture of this friend and a description of what they were going to do. Sarah hadn't been confident enough to ask him and end up having to explain herself, so she discreetly took a picture of him sitting in the café with a small thumbs up in the corner.
After that, it didn't take much convincing, and Sarah was free for the afternoon. Their lunch had been absolutely delicious, and She had been pleasantly surprised when 'getting to know the island' had meant exploring its various landscapes rather than getting to know the people. She wasn't quite ready to work her people skills just yet.
"Did you meet any more locals?" Sarah's mother asked as she silently fought with her husband who seemingly wanted to turn the page of their book. She had to continuously smack his hands away.
"No. We just went around the island looking at the landscapes. We went to the beach, the forest, the plains, and that's all we got to before he had to go home. This island is surprisingly huge." Sarah stretched her tired muscles, settling further down on the sofa. She had gotten such a workout today that she probably didn't need to do her regimen.
"That's nice, Darling," Her mother abruptly slammed their book shut and placed it on the coffee table. She turned to look at her husband who, without the book, now had no choice but to look at his wife. Their eyes locked as she told him, "Luca, your daughter just made a new friend. Now are you going to help me interrogate her or not?"
Sarah chuckled at that. It was the same talk every time she made a friend. Who are they? What are they like? Do you know where they live? What are their parents' names? This interrogation was somewhat of a little tradition they had, mainly because of her mother. Sarah knew that this came from her mother's love for her and especially knew how important it was to her mother after learning what had happened to her during her childhood. Sarah saw no harm in humoring her mother, if only to soothe her nerves.
"Yes, Tesoro," her father spoke softly, sounding more amused than anything.
"Alright, now tell me more about him, Darling. Start with his name." Her mother prompted, giving Sarah her full attention.
"His name is Pin," Sarah began, only to be interrupted by her father who suddenly remembered his protective streak.
"That's an awfully weird thing to name a child," he scoffed lightly.
"Amor, some of your cousins were named far worse," her mother chastised her husband without turning her gaze away from her daughter and motioned for Sarah to continue. She did, but not without taking notice of the smirk playing on her father's face and the fondness in his eyes as he stared down at his treasure. Sarah recounted everything of importance to her mother. She explained how Pin lived with his father, worked at a stables, was a bit of a recluse, and had lived here all his life. She indulges her mother's questions about the less important things as well and slowly watches the tension leave her body. She even seems to start liking the boy from all the things Sarah tells her, but she doesn't admit it.
Sarah spends the rest of the evening talking with her parents in the living room. They talk about everything and nothing. She doesn't remember where they ended the conversation. All she knows is that the sofa is really comfortable.