November 10, 2010

• nanowrimo, day ten.

  I AM GETTING AHEAD TONIGHT. SERIOUS.

  

  “Mutants don’t even exist, Georgia,” Lydia laughs.

  “I am aware,” I tell her, looking up and smiling like an idiot. “I just wish there was an easy explanation for…whatever it is I am.”

  Lydia is nodding her understanding, but pulls out a piece of sage advice. “There is no easy explanation for anything in this life, you know that. Things too easily gained are regarded with the least amount of gratitude.”

  “I think I could be very grateful for the gift of simplicity,” I assure her, and she shrugs.

  We arrive back at the boarding house in comfortable silence, just as the mailman is trekking up the long staircase to the front doors.

  “Ellis!” I call out, my voice full of glee at seeing the back of his head.

  Ellis looks over his broad shoulder at me, a shy smile making its way across his familiar face. He’s young, maybe twenty-five, with big blue eyes and light brown hair and a dimple in his chin.

  “Hello there, Miss Georgia,” he drawls. “How are you this lovely Wednesday?”

  “Better, now that you’re here,” I say, blushing a little as the words come tumbling clumsily past my teeth. “What did you bring me today?”

  “I think I have two of your magazines,” he says. “Mind if I come inside to sort all of this out, Miss Lydia?”

  “No, I don’t mind. Come on in, and have some breakfast, Ellis,” Lydia offers.

  “Oh, thank you kindly, ma’am, but I need to be continuing my route after this,” Ellis tips his hat and holds the door open for both of us to walk through, like a true Southern gentleman.

  Truth is, I have had a crush on him since the first time I opened the door to let him inside. It goes like this: I swing open the door, he is standing there holding his little mailbag, and I blurt out: “Wow, you’re really cute.”

  I do not know why he is still so nice to me, or how we have become such good friends, but he doesn’t visibly flinch when I greet him at the door – he usually just smiles.

  “Your eyes look especially lovely today, Miss Georgia. I’ve never seen such a light brown before – you know, in someone’s eyes,” Ellis smiles, blushing a little bit.

  I bite the inside of my cheek. He is so cute.

  “Thank you,” I say quietly, pulling on a strand of my hair and twirling it nervously.

  “You’re surely welcome,” he says as he sets his mailbag down on the solid wooden coffee table in the huge foyer.

  “Can I help you with anything?” I ask politely, when I realize I’ve just been staring at him.

  Ellis smiles crookedly, showing half of his teeth. “It’s a Federal offense for you to be touchin’ on this here U.S. Mail, darlin’. Only those approved and certified like myself can do the…touchin’.” His eyes glitter with mischief – as he obviously realizes how dirty his words must sound to my ears.

  “It should be a Federal offense for you to be so obvious about flirting with me,” I purse my lips.

  “Well, now, where’s the fun in that law?” Ellis’ smile is still crooked and impish.

  “I said it should be against the law, but I, personally, am quite glad that it isn’t,” I look down at my feet, biting my lower lip as I smile.

  “So am I,” Ellis agrees as he collects the huge stack of mail for this highly populated living place. “’Specially since I kept this route so I could have this address. My day would be so boring without you in it.”

  I swallow, trying to fight the crazed butterflies with a flood of saliva. It’s strange how very alone we are in this usually busy place, in the very open foyer. It seems as though we’re in a tiny room with a lot less oxygen than is healthy. “I would definitely miss you if you ever decided there was more to life than the U.S. Postal Service.”

  “Oh, there may be, but this job is much more wonderful because of pretty eyes like yours,” Ellis rests a hand on the stack of sorted mail and levels his gaze so it is in direct contact with my own. “In fact, I ain’t never seen a more beautiful set of eyes in all my life – and I’ve met a lot of people in my line of work.”

  His admission makes me feel much more thankful for my unique irises.

  “Really?” I ask, without thought, swallowing again.

  “Really, truly,” his voice is lower, and he leans toward me on instinct.

  I copy his movement, drawn like a magnet, our eyes locked, everything else becoming enveloped in a slow motion haze…

  This is it, I think as my terrified heart pounds ferociously in my chest. My first kiss – finally! I’m not going to be an old, never-been-kissed lady. I don’t have to start liking stupid, creepy cats!

  Ellis reaches up and tucks a loose bit of my hair behind my ear; the touch of his fingertips to my skin makes me feel like shivering. I am about to close my eyes as he moves to close the gap, when a silky baritone voice interjects,

  “Anything for me?”

  I jump in surprise, my forehead crashes into Ellis’ forehead, and we both mumble curse words, rubbing our offended skulls.

  The voice continues, and sounds like fake contrition lacquered over genuine pleasure. “I’m sorry, I really hope I didn’t interrupt an important conversation, I’m just expecting an urgent letter from home and I was hoping it had shown up today.”

  I look up into Lucas Browning’s hazel eyes – the ones filled with total amusement – and I want to sink my short, glitter-covered fingernails into the light skin of his neck as I strangle him. The upward curve of his lips cannot be seen by Ellis, who is currently fixing his USPS hat.

  “Name, sir?” Ellis’ voice is low and rough, and the tiny hint of malice in it surprises me.

  “Lucas Browning,” he says smoothly in response.

  Even when I’m angry with him, Lucas’ voice is like warm honey for the ears. The thought pisses me off, so I push it away quickly. The corner of his lips lifts again quickly, as if he heard me audibly, so quickly I swear I must’ve imagined it.

  “I don’t have anything here for that name,” Ellis’ voice is calm and gentle again, but not sweet like it is whenever he talks to me.

  “Well, damn. Maybe tomorrow then, huh? Thanks for looking, man, I really do appreciate it.” Even with his underlying sarcasm, Lucas is still very charming – and difficult to ignore. I chew on the insides of my cheeks in frustration.

  Lucas winks at me, behind Ellis’ back.

  My anger melts to attraction in a matter of milliseconds, which drives me absolutely nuts. I don’t understand how this kid has a hold on me like this, so quickly and so unwelcome.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Ellis shrugs the mailbag back onto his shoulder. He still hasn’t looked away from my face. “See you tomorrow, Georgia.”

  “I’ll be here,” I promise and wave as he walks out the door. As soon as he is halfway down the huge brick-paved steps, I whirl around, glaring at Lucas Browning with all my frustrated might.

  “What the heck is your problem?” I demand, crossing my arms.

  “You don’t wanna be kissing that guy,” Lucas warns condescendingly.

  I blink, confused by his candor. “I beg your pardon?”

  “I said, you really don’t want to be kissing that guy,” he repeats slowly, as if I’m mentally incapable of comprehending his words at normal speed.

  “Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. That’s what I thought you said. You’ve got some serious balls, you know that?”

  “Yeah, I do, actually,” he smirks, and I realize the innuendo and instantly wish I could take my words and shove them back down my throat.

  I grind my teeth, trying to get the words to come out right. “What I mean is, douchebag, is that you don’t have a right to tell me who I should or should not be kissing because it is absolutely none of your business. You don’t even know me.”

  Lucas’ maddening calm makes my skin itch. “You’re not that hard to read, sweetheart. And that little puke had you eating out of the palm of his hand. Do you know how many other girls he says that to? The reason he has this route is because nobody else wants to walk up all those damn old stairs to deliver packages to the freak parade. Wake up, kid. I thought you were a counselor?”

  I bristle at his casual use of labels. “I don’t know what I am yet – that’s why I’m here. My gifts are weird and don’t fit together. And I’m not a kid, I’ll be twenty-two in a few months, and I really don’t need your sass!”

  “Oh, God forbid I sass you, in the process of doing you a huge favor!” Lucas raises his voice. “And no, I don’t know you that well yet, but I’d like to – too bad you’re much more interested in kissing pack mules in blue button-up shirts than getting to know someone who might actually understand where you’re coming from!”

  “Doing me a huge favor? Ha! You don’t even know Ellis. I’ve talked to him every morning for the past eight and a half months, and he is one of the kindest men I have ever met in my life.” I growl, my hands trembling with my growing anger. “And again, allow me to make it very clear that it’s none of your damn business who I want to kiss, you arrogant son-of-a-bitch!”

  Lucas’ jaw is set, his chin jutting forward, until he barks out, “Fine! You want to go ahead and spill your secrets to some devoid mail lackey, that’s your problem. It’s your life, so go ahead and screw it up. I’ll be sure and stay the hell out of it, you condescending little know-it-all!”

  Before either of us can blink, I slap him right across his gorgeous, cocky face. The sound my open palm makes against his cheek echoes down the hall, and at first I feel intensely satisfied, but then, my stomach drops. His nostrils flare and his jaw sets tightly right as mine drops loosely in shock at my own actions.

  I expect to be thrown down on my ass, or at least screamed at some more, so I brace myself for either (or both). Instead, Lucas Browning bunches his hands into fists, closes his big hazel eyes, exhales slowly through his nose, and loosens his hands before turning around and walking completely away from me.

  I take my trembling limbs and run headlong for the stairs to my bedroom.

  • 9:00 pm
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