Page 21 of When to Call a Blitz
“I’ll show you when you let me take you to dinner,” he segwayed smoothly.
“I don't know how to date,” Dari confessed.
“Didn't you go to school?”
“I stayed buried in schoolwork. I did graduate early,” she offered up lamely.
“Please let me take you to dinner. I’ll be a gentleman,” he crossed his heart.
Dari slowly woke up,body too heavy to move. She saw a figure in the back of the room, “Where am I? What happened?”
“You're at Gumby's. You need to rest,” the figure in the back of the room answered.
“Ok.”
Gumby cameup the stairs hearing Dari crying to be left alone in Pashto. With a glance to ensure the seat in the back of the room was still taken Gumby stood at the edge of the bed, “Dari, hey, wake up. It's just a dream. Dari,” he finished more aggressively.
Dari started but she woke up. Digging the heels of her hands into her eyes, to wipe them dry, she shook her head, “sorry.”
“It’s ok,” Gumby soothed, sitting down on the bed. “I'd rather good memories when we're together but sometimes you take what you can get,” he winked. “Ok, you are good? I’m going to leave you with Lowell.”
“You were here earlier.” she turned her attention to the back of the room.
“Yes.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I wanted to make sure you were ok. You got caught in an undertow; I pulled you out. Why are you speaking in Pashto?”
“Because I can. I'm not in a swimsuit,” Dari touched the t-shirt she had on.
“We took it off so the bed would stay relatively dry.”
“Gumby and you?”
“Yes. You're not Muslim.”
“No.”
“Were your parents?”
“My father was American. If my mother practiced that would be reason alone not to.” “Why NCIS?”
“Why SEALs?”
“Cause if you want to do this, why not be the best you could be.”
“Where's my bag? I'm sure I have clothes.” Lowell disappeared downstairs, came back with a black duffel. “If you aren't going to leave, can you turn around?”
Lowell turned, realized unintentionally he was facing a mirror pointed back at Dari. Dari slipped on underwear andshorts. She pulled off Gumby's shirt and put on the bra packed in her bag, slid Gumby's shirt back on. He knew he should not watch but she was so fucking beautiful, and his body agreed. Dari’s gaze met his in the mirror, “that’s cheating don't you think?”
“It wasn't on purpose,” Lowell turned around, “you're fucking beautiful.”
Dari flinched, “No, I'm not.”
Lowell walked around the bed, “You are to me.” With Lowell at 6’6” she had to look up as he moved into her space. She backed up against the wall, trying to maintain space, he lifted a hand, she blocked and flinched at the same time. He took half a step back. “I’ve wanted to touch you since the first time I saw you.”
Dari was shaking, “What?”
