lilsmiley8p
04-24-2014, 06:46 PM
He walked in just as she was setting the table for lunch. She was a big girl, not ugly, but not exactly pretty. She fit in with the guys seamlessly – so much so that, sometimes, they forgot she was a woman. Still, there was a quiet grace to her movements, and her smile sometimes made him pause. She was a heck of a cook and had a wicked sense of humor – in his opinion, good traits in a woman. He leaned against the door frame and watched her work.
She had never bothered to hide the fact that she had a thing for him, even after he had politely informed her he wasn’t interested. She wasn’t intense or annoying about it. She hadn’t even really said anything about it since he’d put an end to their short courtship, which she’d accepted without a fuss. Somehow, she’d known he would have hated the fuss. There was just something in the way she looked at him and looked after him. Even a blind man could see she cared about him.
She looked up and saw him in the doorway, lost in thought.
“Hungry?” she asked.
“I could eat.”
“Good. I’m just about finished setting the table.”
“It smells good. What is it?”
“Homemade chicken and veggie soup, chicken salad sandwiches, and fried potatoes. Not the gourmet food your sister dishes out, but good on a cold day and hearty enough to satisfy the hunger of any six foot tall, two hundred pound mechanic.”
“Yeah. About my sisters and the other day. I’m sorry – their behavior was uncalled for. You should have stood up for yourself. They were in the wrong, and they knew it.”
“No apology is necessary - especially not from you. I didn’t stand up for myself because I know I’m not the one with power to sway their opinion of me. Besides, it wasn’t unexpected. I’ve suspected for some time that your sisters don’t exactly like me.”
“It’s not that they don’t like you. It’s just that …”
“They don’t think I’m good enough for you.”
“They think I deserve better.”
“And what do you think? Do you think you deserve better?”
“I’ve had better …” Oh, God. Did he just say that out loud? The filter between his brain and his mouth randomly stopped working around her.
“Wow. Better. Hmmm. In what way?”
“Um… I don’t know. Prettier, skinnier, I guess. You know, more … I don’t know.”
“Feminine?”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“I see. And how did that better woman treat you?” There was a bitter tinge to her voice that he missed, but the intent of her words hit him full force. His cheeks turned red at the memory of exactly how his ex had treated him. How did she know?
“Not well.”
“Well, then,” she said as she walked up to him and pressed her cool lips against his burning cheek. “Your sisters are right. You deserve better. But. I love you anyway. I’m going to go let the rest of the guys know lunch is ready. Enjoy your meal.”
She had never bothered to hide the fact that she had a thing for him, even after he had politely informed her he wasn’t interested. She wasn’t intense or annoying about it. She hadn’t even really said anything about it since he’d put an end to their short courtship, which she’d accepted without a fuss. Somehow, she’d known he would have hated the fuss. There was just something in the way she looked at him and looked after him. Even a blind man could see she cared about him.
She looked up and saw him in the doorway, lost in thought.
“Hungry?” she asked.
“I could eat.”
“Good. I’m just about finished setting the table.”
“It smells good. What is it?”
“Homemade chicken and veggie soup, chicken salad sandwiches, and fried potatoes. Not the gourmet food your sister dishes out, but good on a cold day and hearty enough to satisfy the hunger of any six foot tall, two hundred pound mechanic.”
“Yeah. About my sisters and the other day. I’m sorry – their behavior was uncalled for. You should have stood up for yourself. They were in the wrong, and they knew it.”
“No apology is necessary - especially not from you. I didn’t stand up for myself because I know I’m not the one with power to sway their opinion of me. Besides, it wasn’t unexpected. I’ve suspected for some time that your sisters don’t exactly like me.”
“It’s not that they don’t like you. It’s just that …”
“They don’t think I’m good enough for you.”
“They think I deserve better.”
“And what do you think? Do you think you deserve better?”
“I’ve had better …” Oh, God. Did he just say that out loud? The filter between his brain and his mouth randomly stopped working around her.
“Wow. Better. Hmmm. In what way?”
“Um… I don’t know. Prettier, skinnier, I guess. You know, more … I don’t know.”
“Feminine?”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“I see. And how did that better woman treat you?” There was a bitter tinge to her voice that he missed, but the intent of her words hit him full force. His cheeks turned red at the memory of exactly how his ex had treated him. How did she know?
“Not well.”
“Well, then,” she said as she walked up to him and pressed her cool lips against his burning cheek. “Your sisters are right. You deserve better. But. I love you anyway. I’m going to go let the rest of the guys know lunch is ready. Enjoy your meal.”