for June

7. Something for the Lady

It was getting dark inside when Chad finally stopped working, wondering where June had disappeared to. He'd written over a thousand words of gibberish and failed to see the entire picture, or even where he was going with it. He was, however, semi glad he had written something. He folded the laptop away and slid off the benchtop, unable to feel his butt any longer as numb as it was.

"June," he called out, staring up the stairs. Moments later, she walked down, rubbing the sleep of her eyes.

"You finished?" she asked with a smile.

"Finished?"

"With the lady."

"Oh, yes. She left ages ago. I completely forgot to tell you."

June shrugged. "It's okay."

"You hungry?" he asked, realising he was quite starving.

"Famished." She laughed, eyeing the coffee cup she'd left on the table.

"Is that all you've had?" Chad asked, a little shaken. "Why didn't you tell me? I'm sure there's something in the fridge."

"Actually, Chad, there's nothing in your house to eat," she said sheepishly, "but it's okay. I slept it off."

"Slept if off?"

"Bax and I do... did it all the time." She shrugged.

"You should have told me," he said disappointed in himself so much so he immediately strode up the stairs, calling out, "Get ready. We're going out."

"You don't have to get me anything," she called out, staring up at the top of the stairs, unable to tell him she had nothing suitable for 'going out'.

Somewhere from the upper level, he replied. "I'm hungry. Besides, as you pointed out, there is no food in the house, at least nothing we should eat, anyway." As he ran downstairs, buttoning up his fresh shirt, he smiled a careless smile she hadn't seen on him before. "I hate going shopping alone."

June gave a weak smile in return and asked, "Do I look okay like this?"

Chad eyed her for the first time from toes to head without shame. Those few seconds of scrutiny, however, made her feel as if she were standing in front of him, stark naked, which she wasn't. She was wearing his old house pants and a big t-shirt he had given her so generously the day before, while telling in no certain terms that maybe her things could do with a nice hot wash.

Chad said nothing for a moment and retraced his steps back upstairs. "Be back in a jiffy." And he was, in less than a minute, he appeared at the top of the stairs in an old drawstring linen pants and a faded polo shirt. He smiled charmingly and approached her. June watched him as he came down. Once there, he eyed her t-shirt. "May I?"

She barely nodded and suddenly gasped as Chad grabbed the bottom of her extra-long t-shirt and started trimming it around her waist so it looked more retro than drab. He even gave it a fringe. Then he took a step back and smiled. "That okay?"

She glanced down at the new look. The fringe looked rather nice. She eyed his clothes. "You didn't have to change for me."

"That shirt wasn't comfortable anyway, and the pants, well, it didn't match the polo." He walked past her, turning on the light in the lounge as they headed for the door. "Do you like Thai? There's a cute little restaurant near the shops. Afterwards, we can pop into Woolies and grab some grocery."

"Sounds nice." June wasn't entirely sure she liked Thai. She couldn't do too much spice, but she could hear her tummy rumbling. Chad had done her so much kindness already, and she didn't want to demand the food be to her liking.