by J. Judkins
If Angel chose to emulate those people, it would make sense for her to sit in the sunlight. But those others weren’t around. Kim was her only example. Wouldn’t it follow that Angel would assume Kim’s behavior was the norm?
Or perhaps she was doing it to prove to Kim she was like other people, not necessarily like her?
In any event, it would be nice if Angel picked another place to sit. Her blondish white hair was already bright enough without the sunlight lighting it up even more. Even with sunglasses, Kim’s eyes hurt to look at her.
Granted, the woman was in the perpetual need of a tan, but Kim had heard somewhere that too much daylight caused melanoma and skin cancer. She’d also heard sunlight was necessary for healthy vitamin D production, but chose to believe the former and ignore the latter as it suited her lifestyle choice and personal preferences.
“Why don’t you come out of the sun?” Kim asked.
“You want me to sit with you?”
Kim snorted. Leave it to Angel to twist an innocent question into something she didn’t intend. “It’s not a big deal,” she said, lifting a hand and waving the matter away. “It just hurts my eyes to look at you.”
Angel thought about this, then rose to her feet. She sat next to Kim and then smiled at her before pulling out her book again.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Kim muttered.
“Maybe I wanted to do it. Maybe I didn’t want you hurting your pretty, green eyes staring at me.”
“I wasn’t staring. Looking at you was just blinding, is all.”
“You were blinded by my beauty?”
Kim set her book down, exasperated. She stared Angel dead in the eye. “Did I ever tell you that you’re beautiful?”
Angel looked away, almost shyly, and Kim blinked in surprise.
Was that a blush?
“On Tuesday night. At the time, I wasn’t certain if it was me or the lingerie.”
“Wait. I did? I said that?”
Angel nodded. “I think you’re beautiful, too.”
“I was talking about you.”
“You’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Kim hadn’t been flustered, but she was now. She scooted just a little bit further from Angel. “Enough, already. I’m not trying to flirt with you.”
Angel grinned and scooted just a little bit closer. “But I like it when you try not to flirt with me.”
Kim opened her mouth to deny it when a white delivery service van pulled up and parked next to them. Two men in identical uniforms stepped out. Both looked to be in their low twenties, the driver being the elder of the two, a heavyset man with an unkempt beard carrying an electronic signature pad. The second man had a bit of a faraway look in his eye, as if he’d rather be anywhere else. He stood to one side and lit a cigarette.
The driver glanced at the pad. “We have a delivery for--“
Angel put a finger to her lips. The driver fell silent, and Angel turned to Kim. “This is for me. Will you please stand over there, for a while?” She pointed to the building’s corner at the far side.
Kim folded her arms and glared. “I wasn’t flirting,” she hissed, her voice low.
“Don’t unload it until she leaves,” Angel said to the men. They exchanged amused glances with each other.
“Dammit Angel, I wasn’t flirting,” Kim said again at a whisper.
“You’re Angel? Could you sign here, please?” The driver held out the pad to Angel.
Angel took it, signed, and handed it back before turning her full attention to Kim once again. “Please? Stand over there? This delivery is meant as a surprise for later.”
Both men looked to each other and started giggling like schoolchildren. Kim sputtered in indignation.
Angel ignored them. “This is important, Kim. Please, stand away?”
“What are they laughing at?”
“Just go? Please?”
Kim didn’t want to go, but she did.
At the corner, she watched as the two men unloaded a large something wrapped in plastic. It was flat, required both men to carry, and was half again the size of a giant-sized high definition television.
They carried it inside the building under Angel’s watchful eye as she stood at the entrance. After returning, Angel talked to them for over a minute. Kim strained to listen, but could hear nothing beyond the occasional bird singing in the trees. Both men simultaneously seemed to notice Kim’s scrutiny and smiled at her. She glowered back.
Kim memorized the license plate as they drove away. Then she remembered she wasn’t a cop and didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with that information and let the memory die.
She rejoined Angel, who was busy fussing with the chains. “What did you tell them about us?”
“I didn’t share private information.” Angel threaded the chains twice through the handles before locking it again. Satisfied, she wiped nonexistent sweat from her brow and turned to retrieve her bag.
“So, what did you tell them?” Kim pressed.
“As I said, I denied it.”
Kim nodded and felt herself relax. Denials were good.
“They wanted to confirm my address. I told them I was staying at your house, and we weren’t having sex on a regular basis.”
Kim stumbled and would have fallen if Angel hadn’t reached out and caught her. “You did what?”
Angel sighed, then released Kim once certain she wouldn’t fall. “I told them I was staying at--“
“That’s your denial? What’s wrong with saying, none of your business?”
“But they needed to know my address in order to confirm the delivery.”
“What about the rest of it?”
Angel picked up her bag and paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. “I suppose denying the rest of it would have worked, too.”
“Yes, it would. Try it next time.”
“I’ll remember. Thank you for explaining.” Angel’s bag brushed Kim’s leg as she passed. Kim followed after.
“So where to, now? A restaurant?” suggested Angel.
Kim paled. She didn’t want to do that, again. “How about a movie, instead?”
Angel nodded. They continued their walk in silence.
Kim memorized the street name as soon as its sign became visible. Shamrock road. It should be easy to find. By this time tomorrow she’d have all the answers.
Unless I can get some answers out of Angel now.
“So...a surprise, huh?
“Correct.”
“When were you going to let me in on it?”
“Telling you now would defeat the purpose of the surprise. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Kim gave Angel a sidelong glance. “You forgot the maniacal laugh, there.”
“Maniacal laugh?” Angel turned to face Kim. “That wasn’t a threat, Kim. It’s more of a promise, a hint of something you aren’t meant to avoid which will take you by surprise,” she said, then paused, thinking about it. “Okay, I see your point. It did sound like a threat, didn’t it?”
“You might as well tell me. I’m going to find out, sooner or later.”
“That’s true.”
They continued walking.
“So...”
“You do know where we’re going to see a movie, don’t you?” Angel asked.
“Mostly. Anyway, you were saying...”
“About what?”
“If I’m going to find out sooner or later...” Kim prompted.
“Yes. I said that was true. You will find out sooner or later.”
“And...”
“You’ll find out later.”
“Why not now?”
“Sorry, Kim,” Angel said sweetly. “None of your business.”
Angel didn’t even notice Kim scowling at her. Or if she did, she paid no attention.
“That isn’t fair,” Kim complained. “You can’t just leave it at that.”
“I always share information unless it’s inconvenient.”
&n
bsp; Kim opened her mouth, closed it, and decided to let it go. It didn’t matter. She didn’t need Angel’s cooperation. As Angel said, she’d find out soon enough.
The movie theater wasn’t too far away, and had the added side effect of bringing them closer to home.
At least it isn’t a restaurant again, Kim thought. That would have been bad. She didn’t need Angel getting the wrong idea.
Or rather, she didn’t want another restaurant date reinforcing the wrong idea.
Nothing wrong with a movie. A movie is...
A movie can’t be misinterpreted as...
Crap.
This is a date, isn’t it?
Of course it is, her inner voice informed her. It only took you, what, four or five hours to notice? You’re slipping, Kimmie.
No, this isn’t a date, she insisted, silently admonishing herself for jumping to conclusions. Today was an almost completely successful spy mission. She now knew for a fact Angel was up to something. Maybe she didn’t know specifics as of yet, but what she had was just as good. At least now she knew where to find those answers.
Kim glanced at the attractive woman by her side. She couldn’t explain any of that to Angel. So yes, they were on a date.
Kim had been to movies plenty of times with female friends, but the fact that she and Angel were in a relationship changed everything. Because of that, anything they did together would automatically be considered a date. Kim knew it, and Angel had to know it. The fact made Kim self-conscious.
The movie theater an older multiplex, recently remodeled with stadium style seats that reclined with the push of a button. Kim liked the improvements, but still didn’t approve of the assigned seating system that forced her to choose a seat via computer screen. She liked to be able to get up and move if she wanted without breaking some rule, and silently hoped the practice would die out.
Since everyone was still at work, they practically had the place all to themselves. Both agreed on a detective movie with hopefully plenty of suspense and the likelihood of violence to advance the plot. Kim paid for their tickets without prompting, hoping no one saw her blush and realized she and Angel were something more than friends.
As they crossed the lobby, Angel kept a comfortable distance between them, avoiding any hint of public displays of affection. There wasn’t an audience to see, but Kim still appreciated the gesture. She kept stealing glances at Angel, wondering what she thought of the situation.
After a generous amount of previews, the movie started. Kim found herself enjoying it when Angel reminded her they were most definitely on a date by taking her hand in her own and showing no signs of letting go.
Kim stiffened, the movie forgotten, then berated herself for feeling so alarmed at such a simple gesture. Handholding? Seriously? What were they, teenagers? They might be on a date, but that didn’t mean she had to do meaningless things like that, especially when Angel herself was likely doing it only for appearance’s sake.
Kim pulled her captive hand free. “We’re a little beyond the handholding stage, don’t you think?”
Angel nodded, barely discernible in the darkness. “I was hoping you’d say that,” she whispered, then leaned across the seat, used a finger to turn Kim to face her, and kissed her. Then she kissed her again. And again. And again! Soon it became clear Angel had no intention of stopping, and Kim felt herself start to panic.
Now what?
Kim blamed herself. They’d already reached and surpassed the “kiss for long periods of time for no apparent reason” stage of their relationship that morning, and that meant they couldn’t go back to where they were before.
But what could she do? She was at a loss.
The kissing continued. Things were becoming a bit more heated.
She had to find a way out. There had to be an excuse, a good enough reason Angel would accept to make her stop, and Kim needed to find it fairly quickly before her willpower wandered off and abandoned her again.
In a flash, inspiration came to her.
“Could we do this later?” she asked in a rush.
Angel paused long enough to say, “Whenever you want,” and picked up exactly where she left off.
Willpower... fading, Kim thought in an internal voice that sounded a lot like Homer Simpson.
Kim tried again, more desperate this time. “I mean, we can do this later, but right now, could we watch the movie?”
Surprisingly, the plan worked.
Angel leaned away and sat back into her own seat. Kim was left reeling in wonder and a growing suspicion at the apparent ease of her victory.
Very tentatively, Angel’s hand brushed against hers and took it once more.
Kim looked at their intertwined hands for a long time. On the surface it wasn’t so terrible, but she instinctively knew Angel was manipulating her again.
In typical Angel fashion, she offered Kim a choice but only left one path to take. It seemed obvious Angel knew Kim would seize upon the relatively harmless choice of holding Angel’s hand, especially when offered as a welcome alternative to the raw intensity of an extensive make out session.
A ridiculously transparent ploy, not up to typical Angel standards.
A simply ploy, in fact. So simply, Kim wondered at the meaning behind it.
Was that her plan? Did Angel only want to call attention to the fact that holding hands... was kind of nice?
Kim gave Angel’s hand a squeeze, deciding to allow it. It was a simple gesture. Nothing more than a petty victory. Let Angel have it, if she wanted.
In the end, it meant nothing, after all.
Chapter Thirty
As Kim walked with Angel to the exit, she couldn’t help but notice how the employees seemed to be fully aware of what they’d been doing in the deceptive privacy of the darkened theater. Each one she passed either smiled a knowing smile or else concealed their amusement behind a mask of feigned indifference. Even the guy behind the register selling popcorn and drinks, who by all rights shouldn't know anything about them at all, gave Kim a knowing grin the instant she made eye contact.
And all of this with Angel keeping a respectful distance the entire way!
Kim did her best not to look back, fuming in silence as she walked past. Why did everyone automatically assume they were a romantically involved couple out on a date? She knew for a fact women sometimes saw movies together as friends and thought nothing of it. Did it even cross their minds that this could apply to them? Wasn’t it at least possible Angel was only a friend? They’d only kissed for maybe five minutes total.
She resolved to not let it bother her.
Kim steeled herself against the cold breeze that swept over her as she and Angel left the theater. Together they weaved their way through the people gathered about, fewer this late in the day, but still more than Kim was used to. Angel fell in beside her as they began the long walk home.
Not being one to notice awkward silences, Kim’s thoughts turned introspective. With a glance at Angel, Kim’s thoughts drifted back to the “handholding” incident and Angel’s reasons behind it. Surely Angel had to have some ulterior motive. Perhaps she was hoping to get Kim used to doing things out in public?
The phrase stuck in Kim’s head. Become used to it, she mused, over and over. And then it clicked. It struck her like a revelation, a moment of blinding clarity that stopped Kim dead in her tracks.
She followed the implication to its logical conclusion, and the results staggered her.
Angel didn’t set her up with a simple choice designed to make Kim voluntarily choose to hold her hand. Well, she did, but that wasn’t the extent of it. There was a hidden trap beyond it Kim hadn’t seen before, until now. Even as she marveled at the underlying complexity of the trap’s design, she couldn’t help but admire how easily and completely it had snared her, and stand in awe at the mind of its creator.
Angel was a manipulative genius.
“Beautiful,” Kim murmured. “Simply beautiful.”
The ‘choice�
�� Angel offered at the theater had only been a small part of a greater whole. Angel’s true plan was far reaching and simple in its complexity. What Angel really intended to do was to slowly acclimate Kim to the concept of casual touching. Everything she’d done so far from hugging to kissing to simply holding her hand, all of it had been designed to wear away her resistance. By making those innocent, romantic gestures commonplace, Kim had become more and more willing to accept them.
In fact, she had fallen into the trap earlier that day, the moment she fully accepted the fact she liked kissing Angel. The realization that she’d fallen so far should have shocked and horrified her, but instead it left her amazed at its far-reaching implications.
But that wasn’t the worst of it. In a way, Angel’s seduction of her had already started. Once she’d fully accepted these minor displays of affection, wouldn’t it be a small push for her to accept more? Earlier today she’d admitted to herself she was more than halfway there, after realizing she liked kissing Angel.
But Kim had uncovered Angel’s evil plan. Angel hadn’t won. Not quite yet. While it could be said with some accuracy that Kim had become used to kissing at this point, Angel still needed to persuade her to do it, each and every time.
That gave her hope. Things weren’t as dire as they initially seemed.
“What’s beautiful?” Angel asked.
Kim realized with a start she had been standing in place on a semi-busy sidewalk, staring at Angel with a wistful smile on her face. She also realized this was the second or third time Angel had asked the very same question.
She scowled to cover her lapse of attention and looked away. “I was thinking out loud to myself.”
“You were thinking something was beautiful? Or someone?” Angel pressed.
“The sunset. I was talking about the sunset.”
Angel didn't even turn to look. "The sun isn’t setting.”
“Okay, fine.” Kim threw up her hands. “You got me!” Conscious of the people around them milling on the sidewalk and not wanting to be overheard, Kim drew closer and spoke in a whisper, “I was talking about you, if you must know. But don’t get any ideas, because it doesn’t mean anything.”