Falling in love during a strange quarantine

13. The bigger, the better

Chapter 13: The bigger, the better

Scarlett mulled over the recording they found, it had kicked her mood down. She couldn't help but imagine the scandal she and Chris would have gone through if whoever put it there had gotten it back. There had been rumors of them being quarantined together and the recording being put exactly on their doorstep surely was no coincidence. Some sort of magical being must be watching over them.

Chris had hung up the phone and had turned around to look at Scarlett. She seemed upset and he could understand why. She was with Colin, after all. He walked over to her and spoke as she lifted up her head to watch him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. No, I don't know." She shook her head and sighed. "That nurse had creepy vibes, honestly. And - and the damn recording. That's a lot of information in the spent of an hour."

"Really? I thought you'd rejoice with her 'good girl!' and 'good boy!' thingy." He teased her with mischievous eyes.

Scarlett was so stunned by what he said that for a moment her lips moved but no words came out. She closed her eyes as she shook her head repeatedly. "Why would I rejoice with that?" She crossed her arms.

"Well..." He trailed off, wondering if he would dare to explain he meant. "You do have a praising kink..." He did dare go there. He almost laughed at her speechless reaction. One again, she felt too shocked to speak. "You didn't know?" He pursued again, hoping to make her cares lift from her body.

"What do you think? Of course I know I have a praising kink. I don't need you to tell me." She immensely rolled her eyes as she sighed deeply.

Chris chuckled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Why don't you go on the couch? I know what will cheer you up."

"I'm not in the mood." She gave him a pointed look.

"Not that," He amusingly shook his head and pushed her gently towards the couch. "Come on."

As Scarlett walked to the couch and threw herself on it, Chris walked up the bookshelf. He looked back at her over his shoulder and saw that she was on the couch. "Good girl!" He praised with a smirk. He couldn't help the laughter from coming out of his mouth as Scarlett threw a cushion his way.

He carefully looked at each of the books and picked one from the lot. Then, he walked to the couch and sat next to Scarlett. "Scoot over." He said and she leaned in closer to him. Before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he opened the book. "Travellers crossing the wheat-yellow plains to Dungatar would first notice a dark blot shimmering at the edge of the flatness." Chris began reading out loud. "Further down the asphalt, the shape would emerge as a hill. On top of The Hill sat a shabby brown weatherboard, leaning provocatively on the grassy curve. It looked as if it was about to careen down, but was roped to a solid chimney by thick-limbed wisteria."

Scarlett laid her head on Chris' shoulder as she listened to him read. He had been right, listening to him read has soothed her. "When passengers approaching Dungatar by train felt the carriage warp around the slow southward curve, they glanced up through the window and saw the tumbling brown house. At night, light from the house could be see, from the surrounding plains - a shaky beacon in a vast, black sea, winking from the home of Mad Molly. As the sun set, The Hill cast a shadow over the town that stretched as far as the silos."

In the spend of over an hour, the two lovers stayed in their embrace as he read out loud the written story. He had read up to four chapters when they both felt it was time to stop. "With Molly safely parked at the fireside, Tilly sat on her veranda and rolled herself a cigarette. Down below, the people bobbed together like chooks pecking at vegetable scraps, turning occasionally to glance up at the house on The Hill, before turning hurriedly away." Chris finished chapter four and closed the book.