Teaser chapter twelve

Dancing with the Starlighter

Teaser: Chapter twelve. Slow dancing

~oOo~
When someone want to say something, but don't, you can hear it. It begins with the great inhale of air, but then they stop. No exhale, no words. Then the quiet, tense exhale and a little while later another great inhale.

After three encores of these sounds coming from my date beside me in the car, I crack.

"Just say it, Bella. Something's on your mind and it wants to come out." I smile encouraging and hope that she trusts me. I studiously keep my eyes on the road. No need to make her even more hesitant. My peripheral vision, on the other hand, tells me that she is looking straight at me, trying to see - I don't know what.

After another great inhale and another silence that almost has me laughing out loud, she says, "Well, here's my dilemma.." There's a very quiet curse directed at the passenger door window. Maybe a way to gather some courage? I'm intrigued now. So I tell her.

"This is fascinating! Why are you so nervous all of a sudden, Bella?"

There's a gasp. Her nerves are making me feel three kinds of cocky.

This spurs on a reaction. No more pauses. She quickly replies in a sharp voice, "I don't do - uhm - anything on a first date. This is a first date and considering our history, there's been very little groping. Not any, actually. And besides the kiss in the doorway, there's not been any of that either." She's talking really fast, but loses some of her steam at the end of this little rant. Right after the word 'kiss', actually. After 'kiss' her words get really breathy.

So, she's thinking about what's going to happen, now that the date is winding down.