ELI
“Okay, you have to trust me, Eli. No peeking.” Sapphire huffs and puffs, securing the blindfold across my eyes.
I fold my arms and frown like I’m a storm cloud come to life.
“Do you promise?” she asks.
I shake my head in frustration. I do not want to do this.
“Stop moving around, I’m already on the tips of my toes and I can’t tie this if you keep wriggling… There… got it,” she says, sounding victorious yet exasperated as she ties it firmly—maybe a bit too tight for my liking—at the back of my head.
She hates it when she can’t reach the things she wants, like the donuts from the top shelf in my kitchen. I might be guilty of putting them there to save her from turning into one. If she eats one more, there is a real possibility of that happening.
Thinking about it now, if today goes to shit, I’m hiding the stool I bought for her for my house because she can’t reach the top shelf of… well, anything… The closet, kitchen cabinets, the pantry, bookshelves… I really should get a carpenter to move everything down by several inches.
However, I did confess that I hid the television remote up high because I knew she’d never find it and the last thing I wanted to watch was a dramatization of her favorite spicy romance novel,Jacob. I mean, who the hell wants to watch other couples having sex on screen when we could be having actual sex ourselves?
She hated it when I told her I’d hidden it, her tiny foot tapping like an angry rabbit. It was cute, though, and I’d do the same again just to see that look once more.
“Do you promise not to peek?” she asks again, this time firmer than before, my absence of vision making me hyper-aware of Sapphire’s presence.
“I’ll try not to.” I can’t make any promises.
Her voice shifts from behind to in front of me.
“Can you see me?” A whip of air blasts over my arms as if she’s flapping them about.
“No. I hate blindfolds.” I hate games and not being in control. I grind my teeth together making them screech in irritation.
“How many fingers am I holding up?”
“No idea, I can’t see for shit.” This is ridiculous. I already hate it.
“You could be lying,” Sapphire bites back with enough sass that it makes me want to spank her bratty ass.
“I’m not lying… or, maybe I am.” I test her patience once more.
“I’m flipping you the bird, can you see that?”
I grumble, “Why do we have to do this?” This activity seems pointless.
Sapphire exhales, again, for about the tenth time today. “All you do is complain. Your new nickname is Complainy McComplainerson. And you’re great at chess, which means you’re great at puzzles, so you’re going to smash this.” She places her soft hand in mine, her touch oddly calming. “Take three steps forward, then we’re going to walk through the door.”
“What’s through the door?” I hate not being able to see, holding my other hand out in front of me to try to get my bearings.
I’m hating everything about the way our first night is starting off.
“I know as much as you… One more step… Right, I’m opening the door now.” A turn of a handle and unclicking of the lock is what I hear next, and I jump out of my skin when she lets out a piercing scream that has me on high alert and ready to attack whatever the fuck is inside that room.
“What the fuck is it?” I shout, my heart leaping out of my chest, my pulse at borderline heart attack levels. “Sapphire, what is it?” I reach for my blindfold to take it off until she starts laughing her ass off.
“Gotcha.” Her fun-filled hearty laugh fills the space. “Ha ha, your face.”
“You’re a child.” Her playfulness is mischievous and… kinda wonderful.
She snorts, trying to get her fit of giggles under control.
I lay my hand over my chest. I wasn’t lying about the heart attack. “When you’re finished, can we get on with this?” The sooner this is over, the better.
