Winter Affair by Malek Doreen Owens

Author:Malek, Doreen Owens [Malek, Doreen Owens]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Gypsy Autumn Publications
Published: 2012-04-11T22:00:00+00:00

“I wake up at night

with the sheets soaking wet,

and a freight train running

through the middle of my head.

Only you can quench my desire,

Oh oh oh, I’m on fire.”

Reardon swallowed hard, walked directly to the stereo, and switched it off. A heavy silence filled the room.

“Please excuse the mess,” Reardon finally said, clearing his throat. “I wasn’t expecting company. How come you aren’t at a party or something tonight?”

“Oh, well, I was invited to one, but I thought I’d visit you instead.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why? Is this your good deed in honor of the holiday? Dispense a little charity to the local pariah?”

Leda turned on her heel. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your privacy. I’ll go.”

She hadn’t taken two steps before he was at her side, his long fingers closing over her arm. “Leda, please stay. I’m sorry. I seem to suspect everyone’s motives these days.” He shrugged helplessly, shaking his head. “Being alone so much has turned me into quite a boor. I wasn’t always this way, I assure you.”

“I believe that,” she said softly, meeting his eyes. “But I wish you would see that not everyone is out to get you.”

“I’m beginning to see that you’re not,” he replied with the trace of a smile. He released her arm and gestured to a chair. “Let me have your coat, and take a seat. I’ll make some coffee, okay?”

“Okay,” Leda agreed as he helped her out of her coat, charmed by his awkward attempt to play host. He tossed her coat on an overstuffed sofa. That, along with two chairs, a desk, and the battered kitchen set next to the stove comprised all the furniture in the room. She could see a bedroom beyond it, equally spare.

With quarters like these, no wonder he spent so much time at work.

“What’s that I smell?” she asked, sniffing the air.

“Stew,” he replied. “I was just making dinner.” He walked over to the stove and stirred something in a pot.

She watched what he was doing, and realized that “making dinner” consisted of heating up a can of prepared stew. “Maybe I can help,” she suggested. “Have you got any eggs?”

He turned back to her. “Sure.”

“Cheese, butter, tomatoes, onions?” she went on, and he smiled.

“I think so,” he said.

“Fine. How about some omelets?”

He gestured to the tiny kitchenette, which consisted of a series of ancient, mismatched appliances strung together along one wall. “Be my guest.”

Leda went to work, and while she was removing items from the refrigerator she noticed that he picked up a sweatshirt folded on a shelf and pulled it over his head. Clothing made him look slim and rangy, disguising his strong, muscular build. In the jeans and pullover, he resembled a college kid ready for an afternoon of touch football.

“These will be ready in just a minute,” she called over her shoulder, wondering what he was doing. When she turned to look she saw that he was clearing a space on the scarred maple drop leaf table, shifting piles of books and pamphlets from its surface to the sofa.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.