Louis Arrives
Chapter 27: Louis Arrives
“Okay, I’ve got one,” Sally waved her hands at Cody and Taylor. “Queer as Folk, assuming we can fuck with sexualities. Brian, Justin, Michael: marry, shag, throw off a cliff?”
Cody rolled his eyes. “Easy. Marry Michael, fuck Brian, throw Justin off a cliff.”
“Heartless,” Sally replied, “but got to say I agree. Poor Justin.”
“Marry Justin, fuck Michael, throw Brian off a cliff,” Taylor announced.
Sucking a breath, Sally said, “Interesting choices. Explain?”
“Well,” Taylor grinned, “I’ve always wanted to be married to someone younger and mindless who will agree with everything I tell them. I think Hal Sparks has an appealing and ironic charm that you must swear not to tell Ryan about because he’ll start thinking back to my brief obsession with Seth-”
“His brother?” Cody asked, but Taylor was in full-on explain mode and ignoring him.
“-also Brian is just too much maintenance.”
“I think we should put a plush armchair in the literature corner,” Sally said thoughtfully.
Cody stared at his sister. “Wow, it’s nice out here in left field.”
Sally stuck her tongue out and pulled the quilt wrapped around her shoulders tighter. “Shut up, I’m sick,” she tossed a Kleenex at the older man for emphasis, “I don’t have to make sense.”
“Any one have any news?” Taylor asked after a pause. After the events of Cody’s birthday party, the town had been quiet.
“I’m dying of plague,” Sally said, coughing pathetically for emphasis. “I’m seeing Gentry.”
“You’re not dating him,” Cody raised an eyebrow.
“No, I’m seeing him. At the shop, at Perks, behind my eyelids when I close my eyes.” Sally shut her eyes and grinned, “Hello Gentry, you look good in green.”
“Excuse me,” a light English accent said from past Cody’s shoulder.
The two with their eyes open all turned around to see a tall, handsome guy about Sally’s age standing there. “I was looking for a book.”
The teenager opened her eyes and gasped at the gorgeous creature standing five feet from her. “Oh Jesus fuck.”
The guy laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t know the man personally, but I doubt he’d approve of your language.”
“Sorry, I-” Sally leapt to her feet, unfortunately getting tangled in her comforter on the way up, so very quickly she was back down.
“Are you okay?” Despite her brother and friend being closer, they let the young man come help her up.
“I’d be better if you were naked in my bed,” she clapped her hands over her mouth as she realized what she said. “I don’t suppose I could pass that off as momentary possession? God,” she groaned as Cody and Taylor skulked off to make popcorn and observe from a distance, “if I die of embarrassment will you please inform my next of kin?”
The young man laughed again. He had a very nice laugh, as far as laughs went. “Does that list include your boyfriend?”
Sally squinted. “I don’t have a…” she trailed off and smiled, blushing profusely, “oh that was smooth. Velvety even. I applaud you.”
“Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say this,” the young man took a deep breath and fiddled with the undone blue bow tie Sally just realised was around his neck. “I just moved here and I pass by this store every day and I see you, working here, everyday and I think you’re very pretty.” His lips quirked. “Even all snotty.”
Sally beamed back. “A lie I can live with. I’m Sally Madison.”
“I’m Louis. I’m also going to take a risk here and ask you out on a date. This weekend, when you’ll hopefully be feeling better.”
“I will shock the medical profession with how quickly I recover.”
“Good. Here’s my number,” he takes a nearby pen and writes large numbers across her arm. “I’ll talk to you later, Sally Madison. Good night, good luck, win awards.”
“Okay that guy was strange,” Taylor shrugged, “cute but strange. Sally, why are you smiling like a lunatic?”
“He’s not strange,” Cody answered in his entranced sister’s stead, “he just quoted Douglas Adams.”
Taylor threw up her hands. “And didn’t he say he was looking for a book? But he just…” Taylor pointed at the door and then Sally and threw up her hands again. “I’m going to give up now and save my sanity for later.”
“Okay, I’ve got one,” Sally waved her hands at Cody and Taylor. “Queer as Folk, assuming we can fuck with sexualities. Brian, Justin, Michael: marry, shag, throw off a cliff?”
Cody rolled his eyes. “Easy. Marry Michael, fuck Brian, throw Justin off a cliff.”
“Heartless,” Sally replied, “but got to say I agree. Poor Justin.”
“Marry Justin, fuck Michael, throw Brian off a cliff,” Taylor announced.
Sucking a breath, Sally said, “Interesting choices. Explain?”
“Well,” Taylor grinned, “I’ve always wanted to be married to someone younger and mindless who will agree with everything I tell them. I think Hal Sparks has an appealing and ironic charm that you must swear not to tell Ryan about because he’ll start thinking back to my brief obsession with Seth-”
“His brother?” Cody asked, but Taylor was in full-on explain mode and ignoring him.
“-also Brian is just too much maintenance.”
“I think we should put a plush armchair in the literature corner,” Sally said thoughtfully.
Cody stared at his sister. “Wow, it’s nice out here in left field.”
Sally stuck her tongue out and pulled the quilt wrapped around her shoulders tighter. “Shut up, I’m sick,” she tossed a Kleenex at the older man for emphasis, “I don’t have to make sense.”
“Any one have any news?” Taylor asked after a pause. After the events of Cody’s birthday party, the town had been quiet.
“I’m dying of plague,” Sally said, coughing pathetically for emphasis. “I’m seeing Gentry.”
“You’re not dating him,” Cody raised an eyebrow.
“No, I’m seeing him. At the shop, at Perks, behind my eyelids when I close my eyes.” Sally shut her eyes and grinned, “Hello Gentry, you look good in green.”
“Excuse me,” a light English accent said from past Cody’s shoulder.
The two with their eyes open all turned around to see a tall, handsome guy about Sally’s age standing there. “I was looking for a book.”
The teenager opened her eyes and gasped at the gorgeous creature standing five feet from her. “Oh Jesus fuck.”
The guy laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t know the man personally, but I doubt he’d approve of your language.”
“Sorry, I-” Sally leapt to her feet, unfortunately getting tangled in her comforter on the way up, so very quickly she was back down.
“Are you okay?” Despite her brother and friend being closer, they let the young man come help her up.
“I’d be better if you were naked in my bed,” she clapped her hands over her mouth as she realized what she said. “I don’t suppose I could pass that off as momentary possession? God,” she groaned as Cody and Taylor skulked off to make popcorn and observe from a distance, “if I die of embarrassment will you please inform my next of kin?”
The young man laughed again. He had a very nice laugh, as far as laughs went. “Does that list include your boyfriend?”
Sally squinted. “I don’t have a…” she trailed off and smiled, blushing profusely, “oh that was smooth. Velvety even. I applaud you.”
“Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say this,” the young man took a deep breath and fiddled with the undone blue bow tie Sally just realised was around his neck. “I just moved here and I pass by this store every day and I see you, working here, everyday and I think you’re very pretty.” His lips quirked. “Even all snotty.”
Sally beamed back. “A lie I can live with. I’m Sally Madison.”
“I’m Louis. I’m also going to take a risk here and ask you out on a date. This weekend, when you’ll hopefully be feeling better.”
“I will shock the medical profession with how quickly I recover.”
“Good. Here’s my number,” he takes a nearby pen and writes large numbers across her arm. “I’ll talk to you later, Sally Madison. Good night, good luck, win awards.”
“Okay that guy was strange,” Taylor shrugged, “cute but strange. Sally, why are you smiling like a lunatic?”
“He’s not strange,” Cody answered in his entranced sister’s stead, “he just quoted Douglas Adams.”
Taylor threw up her hands. “And didn’t he say he was looking for a book? But he just…” Taylor pointed at the door and then Sally and threw up her hands again. “I’m going to give up now and save my sanity for later.”