I reach for my glasses on the nightstand and climb out of bed. I pad downstairs in my t-shirt and pajama pants and go find Phillip, who’s staring into his microscope in the living room.
“Good morning,” I say.
He looks up at me with his left eye, keeping his right one expertly trained on the lens. After years of practice, I’ve gotten used to us having quite intimate conversations this way. We discussed our first time having sex like this, and had our first make-up after our first fight, among other things.
“Hi, baby.” Phillip pats the couch next to him. “Have a seat.”
I sit down and lean my head on his shoulder. “What do you say we stay in this morning? Maybe drop off some cans of food later at the shelter? We could even spend some time talking to the people while they eat?” I kiss his neck. “And for now, we could get back into bed together.”
Phillip smiles. “That sounds nice. I know we haven’t had much time lately. The thing is, I promised Arthur I’d help him with the bins. Not many of the volunteers are available this weekend, so I don’t want to leave him hanging. You don’t mind running the table for a little while, right?”
I exhale. “Sure.”
“Great.”
I change the subject. “So dance class was fun the other night.”
“Oh, yeah?” Phillip still has his eye pressed into the lens.
“Yeah. Brayden, the guy who works at June’s store, was kind enough to fill in for you, but I missed you there.”
“I know.” Phillip pats my shoulder. “The thing is, baby…”
Here it comes.
His one eye that’s trained on me blinks at whatever expression I’m making.
“Let’s get a snack and chat for a few minutes,” he says, leaning back from the microscope and standing up. “You must be hungry.”
We walk into the kitchen, and I make myself a bowl of granola.
Phillip leans over and kisses my cheek. “Hey, did you see the new steakhouse that opened on Main Street?”
“Yes!” I say. “It looks really nice, and I heard they use pastured beef. Maybe one night we can go try it…”
“They don’t offer veggie burgers.” Phillip shakes his head as he reaches into the cabinet for a glass. “I stopped by to ask. The guy got annoyed with my questions.”
He fills his glass with water from the filtered tap and takes a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter.
I turn away from him and open the refrigerator door to grab the hummus and then take a box of gluten-free crackers out of the cabinet. I shake some crackers into a bowl and place the dish and hummus on the counter in front of him.
Phillip reaches for a cracker and dips it into the hummus. “Lei.” Phillip’s tone is unusually gentle. “If you want to take the dance lessons, that’s great, and we can still do a dance together at our wedding if it means that much to you. I just don’t think I can put in the practice this month. You can teach me the steps a few days before.”
I purse my lips. “But the lessons are about spending time with each other. That’s part of the fun of it, learning to dance together. Besides, I can’t go take the class on my own. Everyone has a partner.”
Phillip snaps his fingers excitedly. “What about that guy who filled in for me last week?”
I try to sound calm. “What about him?”
“Well, I figure he must be trustworthy if your sister’s impressed. Just ask him to be your partner for the rest of the classes.”
My pulse starts hammering in my neck. “I don’t really even know Brayden,” I say quietly.
“So get to know him enough that you feel comfortable.” Another huge bite of cracker and hummus.
I stare at him. “You want me to get to know Brayden?”
“Of course. You’re in training. It’s not like you’re going on a date or something.” He chuckles. “Besides, I know you—you’re like me. This guy could never satisfy you; you’d be bored in days.”
