“You can totally bask in my tub, Bernie.”
“While you come in here and talk to me?”
That pulled her up short. She hadn’t realized that acquiescing to one small thing without a thought would lead to this other massive thing that didn’t make any sense. He wasn’t serious, was he? And if he was, did that mean he was in the bath with all his clothes on?
Because otherwise...
“Why would you want me to do that?”
“I can hardly hear you, honey. Come on, come on in here.”
He had a point, about the hearing thing. But there was another point he wasn’t really addressing. In fact, it kind of sounded as if he was avoiding it—or maybe it wasn’t such a big deal to him? Yeah, maybe it was only a big deal to her, and if she didn’t just go in she’d look like the biggest idiot alive.
She’d look like someone who was imagining sex things when they really weren’t there at all. Of course they weren’t there at all. How could they be?
“Okay, I’m coming in.”
“Was that a warning?”
“Well, you know—I don’t want to startle you.”
“You think you’re going to startle me while shuffling in here with your hand over your face like a shield?”
“I’m trying to be polite!”
“You look like a fool.”
She knew she did. She could see herself in the long mirror that stood next to the sink, looking exactly as he’d described. One hand crouched over the side of her face to block his half of the bathroom out. Body moving backward into the room, in this tentative sort of manner. She had to almost feel her way to the toilet on the opposite wall so she could sit, though sitting wasn’t really any better. Sitting saidyou’re staying here now with him, in this little blue-tiled, too-warm cavern.
“I should really put the light on.”
“No don’t, it’s nice,” he said, and it was. But there was also something secretive and vaguely sensuous about the dimly lit atmosphere. Everything seemed sort of soft focus, as though the heat from the tub had melted away all corners and edges.
Or was it the heat from her addled mind and disobedient body?
Either way it was probably best to think about something else.
“Do you...feel any better now?”
“Physically or mentally?”
“Both.”
“I feel warmer. And less...salty. And more content than I’ve been in a while.”
“That sounds pretty good,” she said, but the minor victory was short-lived. She was just starting to smile when he suddenly swerved the conversation into oncoming traffic.
“You can look at me while we talk, you know.”
“I can’t look. You’re completely naked.”
“But you’d probably look if you found me attractive.”
“It has nothing to do with that. I wouldn’t look at anyone.”
“So you’ve never seen someone nude in the tub?”
God, his questions were maddening. It was like being in a maze filled with booby traps, and every time you went down one escape route something sprang out and hit you in the face. How on earth did he expect her to work around this stuff? She couldn’t tell him she found him ugly. But nor could she say he was hot.
