Temptress

Chapter 2

Ned stared at the screen…what would he say? He started to reply, typing away ferociously. His fingers were flying over the keys he was breathless. It was as if she would not receive the message, unless it was sent in the next two minutes. Let’s not be hasty. This is how you blow it. As soon as someone shows interest you’re keen as a bean, he thought, as he changed his course of action. He saved the message to drafts. It could wait until morning.

 Ned realized, he still had not revealed the nature of his occupation, which would surely put an end to this thing.  As he lay in bed listening to the Berbrowns album recently loaded onto his IPod. His mind was like an airport, ideas would check in then take off. Slowly sleep came. It was filled with crazy dreams; to his disappointment none featured Maggie.

He woke up dehydrated, and consumed a bottle of ice-cold water. Then it was back to business. He fired up his computer, and headed straight for his drafts folder.  Reading over his words once more, and correcting a few errors, and of course deleting some information he thought petty. He sent it away.

Maggie sat in her beanbag watching Japanese anime. She couldn't understand why she was held down by sadness. I thought he would have replied last night. Maggie had waited up all night eagerly waiting for a response from her Neddy. She switched off the television, and grabbed her laptop. It was currently being used, as a magazine holder. I knew it, she thought to herself, immediately feeling stupid that she’d been upset that Ned hadn’t responded last night. Of course he wouldn't be able to respond back and forth every instant, she knew that, but seeing the unread message waiting for her made her heart jump.

Maggie turned her IPod on, playing the Berbrowns as she read the letter, which informed her he too was going to listen to the Berbrowns last night. Incredible! she thought to herself.

This was all that was needed for the two to become absorbed by each other. After a couple of Skype dates, they had soon planned bus time schedules together to make sure they were always on the same bus on the way home. Ned reminded himself to smell nice; even though she missed his musky smell. He could sit comfortably not killing the smell receptors of fellow citizens around them. They talked for hours at a time now getting off at the same stop despite its inconvenience, and sat on a park bench listening to each other’s IPods. Constantly making wise cracks about passersby, and looking over her fashion ideas. Maggie didn’t even show the slightest bit of disappointment that he pushed trolleys. Ned was perfect just the way he was, but he could never understand that.

Finally it was time for a cliché movie date, as they filed in with the rest of the sheep, Maggie chose a spot in the top corner of the cinema. Ned placed their shared drink in the middle divider. Maggie’s response was to shift the drink to the holder on her right, and lift up the divider in order to snuggle into Ned. She smelled intoxicatingly pleasant, and he couldn’t get enough as her head rested upon his shoulder. Noticing his nervousness about the situation, Maggie strategically landed a cheeky kiss on the side of his face. The outcome was Ned turning as red as a tomato. She giggled to herself like a child, and then the movie started. They both stared zombie like at the enormous screen neither caring about the movie anymore, even though they had shared their excitement of its release. All that mattered was that they were there together, and the moment was just right.

 Dark eyes, slim, but defined, great music taste, and decent enough film favourites, Maggie thought. Stop over thinking about him.