Caught in the Unexpected

Chapter 8

Naked Pancakes Laurabelle

Mom's faint voice called me out of a dream. About a train. And a boy with floppy hair and blue eyes. "Mom?"

"Hey, Baby Girl. Help me with breakfast."

I had been sleeping on the living room floor, couch pillow beneath my head, blanket over me. "Where's Grayson?" I asked.

"Sleeping in your room." 

It was just going to be Mom and me on breakfast duty. Dad and Saige were still sleeping too, but some coffee needed to be in my past tense before I made pancakes. I didn't use the hair dryer after my much needed shower because of the noise. But also because my hair looked better when it air-dried. I also refrained from blasting my favorite tunes and singing at the top of my lungs in the shower. All of my sacrifices didn't matter though because someone with louder footsteps than my mom was walking down the hall. Toward the bathroom. 

My sudden lunge to lock the door was too late. The choreographed chaotic mess of my nudity happened like this...(1) I yelled don't come in, don't come in, don't come in. (2) Then Grayson's momentum fell into the bathroom. (3) My hands power grabbed the places my bikini covered. Fast. (4) But not quick enough to spare Grayson a glimpse of everything. His eyes took it all in and processed the situation slower than I expected. (5) My head dropped in hot embarrassment. (6) He turned around then handed me a towel over his shoulder. (7) The newly covered yet mortified me managed a quiet thank you. (8) Then, five long minutes later, I found Grayson silently waiting in the hallway. He smiled a sleepy, knowing smile, and his eyes were far from quiet. His hair was crazy and adorable. But it was his slightly chiseled chest that drew my eyes from his face. Grayson slept without a shirt on. Good to know.

Grayson held his arms out to me, "good morning, Laurabelle." My cheek rested on his bare chest in acceptance of his invitation. I looked down and noticed he wore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajama pants. Which was oddly calming. My cold, wet hair against Grayson's skin made him shiver. And after a beat, he released me and stumbled sleepily into the bathroom.

I wandered dreamily into the kitchen where Mom was already working on breakfast. Still smiling because the topography of Grayson's chest. And the scent of his morning sweat skin both still freshly stored in my short term memory. Imagining what Grayson looked like underneath his clothes became my newest hobby. One I never expected to master so soon. And even if I only got to see and feel the solidness of his chest, my imagination allowed me to view way beyond his torso.

"Trouble in the bathroom?" Mom inquired.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Feel better?" Mom asked. She had no idea. Mom explained how I ended up sleeping on the floor by myself. How she and Grayson, together, tucked me in. She talked about Grayson like she adored him. Dad would be a more difficult sale, not because Grayson was questionable but because I was his girl.

"The pancakes are delicious, Mrs. Bennett," Grayson said. The last bite of pancake stuck to his fork in syrupy codependence.

"You're very welcome, Grayson, but thank Laurabelle too because she did most of the work." Mom looked proudly in my direction, and Grayson smiled.

"Thank you for the pancakes, Laurabelle." He nudged me with his knee under the table. And I had trouble concentrating on my chewing because even though his leg barely touched me, it electrified my whole body.

Dad ate quickly and left because he had to work today. His job had strange hours due to the fact that he had to be available to counsel clients. Whenever they needed him and were free to meet. So, Dad's weekends and evenings were filled up with people. People who needed his help to deal with their lives. Saige was still in bed when Dad left. I wondered what she and Grayson would think of each other.