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"Did you give me this mug on purpose?"
"I mean, you are Poop Girl."
"I swear to god, if you say that name outside of this cabin, I'll…"
"You'll what, June? You're all bark, and no bite."
"You know more than anyone that I have some bite." She flashed a smile at him, was rewarded with him pulling on the ends of his hair then leaning across the table to kiss her. He tugged on her lower lip with his teeth as they parted.
"You're not the only one," he said slyly, as June ran her tongue over her lower lip, trying to see if he left teeth marks. She hoped he did.
"Okay, so dinner tonight," June said, swerving back to their original conversation.
"Right. There's a great pizza spot, if your stomach is feeling up to it." June glared at him and Colin responded with an exaggerated grin. "They've got a great tap list of local beers, full of the same local townies that you probably saw at the Tavern."
"Sounds lovely. I wish I had some kind of nicer outfit, something nice, so I could dress up. I think I might have a pair of jeans? I actually did bring some makeup, but I was too tired to put it on yesterday." Again, June was overwhelmed with the desire to make herself look her best for Colin, to see how she could pull reactions from his eyes with her appearance. It was silly - June knew that she was smart and witty and that Colin liked her for more than just her body - but it felt nice to feel pretty. To feel desired.
"June," Colin said, talking plainly, both hands planted on the table. "You're incredibly fucking sexy no matter what you wear - especially when you're not wearing anything. Wear what feels good to you." June tried not to preen.
"Are you still wearing socks and sandals?"
"I have a pair of dress shoes that I wear for fancy fundraising events and hiking boots if I have to go out in snake country. Other than that, it's my Chacos and me for life."
"How many pairs have you bought?"
"Just one. I get them repaired every time they wear out. These babies have been with me since college. My longest relationship is with a pair of shoes." June wanted to interject ‘But that could change!’ But that would mean that they would tread into dangerous territory, have to have the discussion about June leaving that she was ignoring, pushing down.
"They're cute," June admitted. "I mean, it's going to be mortifying when I am seen in public with you wearing socks and sandals, but I find it endearing. I know that makes no sense, but just roll with it." Muir hopped up on the table and June reached for the cat, grazing his chin and being rewarded with a loud meow in her face.
"That means he likes you," Colin said. "He's a chatty dude when he's comfortable with someone. In the winter, when camp is shut down for a month, I will have full conversations with Muir. I swear he speaks English."
"Who's a good boy?" June cooed, continuing to enjoy the way the cat bumped his head against her finger, his purrs loud enough to nearly shake the table. She finished her coffee, then walked over to the sink and washed her mug. Looking at the pile of dishes in the sink, June gave a theatrical sigh and began to wash Colin's dishes.
"You don't have to do that," Colin said, getting up and walking over to her.
"Who is going to do it? You're busy and clearly it doesn't bother you. But it bothers me and I'm sleeping here tonight, so I am cleaning your sink. If I had more time, I'd clean your entire kitchen and organize your dresser, because I've seen how you put away shirts and it's stressful." June scrubbed a dish harder than was necessary with the image of how she could slide into Colin's life here in her mind.
This is not your house, she reminded herself. He is not your boyfriend.
Colin grumbled, then went off to take a shower. June focused on organizing the kitchen, calming her thoughts by finding where dishes went, what drawer forks were in. Sips of coffee, gulps of water. Dusting. Cleaning. Comfort. Home.
No, not home.
Colin came out, his hair down and still wet, dressed in joggers and a standard Camp Peek-N-See shirt, damp spots on his shoulders where his hair rested. Sleepy Colin was wonderful, but freshly scrubbed Colin made June want to drag him into bed and get him dirty again. She couldn't, though. She had things to do, had to get her resume updated. She should also probably figure out what she was teaching next week, but this year, she usually figured out her lesson plans 30 minutes before her first class.
"Walk me to breakfast?" June asked, holding her arm out. Colin hooked his arm through hers and they made their way out of the cabin and down the path around the lake.
"You should work on the dock this morning," Colin said. "The kids are canoeing and it's fun to watch them fall in. I think the wifi from the dining hall reaches there, too, so you could get work done."
"That sounds lovely," she replied, though she knew she'd bring her computer to the dock and probably read the entire time instead. While this week wasn't exactly what she had intended - in so many ways - the fact that she'd been able to disconnect from the stresses and anxiety of the school year had been an unexpected benefit of the time here.
June and Colin slid into the dining hall at the tail end of morning announcements and received a massive stink eye from Kevin. She pointedly avoided him throughout the meal, but found herself missing her friend, so she sauntered over to him after breakfast. He was in his Adirondack chair, sipping a coffee and scrolling through Instagram.
"Hey stranger," he said without turning around as she approached behind him.
"Hey Kev," she replied, sitting down.
"No dining hall coffee again?" June knew what he was really asking.
