Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
It took me about five days to figure out that perhaps Sinath won’t be able to read the relationship signals from a human woman. That my expectations might be completely different than his. He might be waiting for me to make the first move. After all, I’m the one that made the first move on him that night. He’s been nothing but respectful.
So. Damned. Respectful. What if he’s being respectful even now and here I am, stewing, because I haven’t heard a peep from him since that morning?
I drum my fingers on my kitchen counter, glaring at the nearby comm unit in the wall. I don’t know a lot about them, but I do know what it looks like when there’s a message, and there are zero messages.
Sinath hasn’t come by, either. Other than visiting Liesje, I’ve made sure to be at home.
So…fuck. I don’t know what to do.
There’s a part of me that wants to go into town, to show up at the Port Custodial office and find Sinath. To ask him if I’m reading signals wrong and he really did want to have a thing with me. To find out if he’s still thinking about kissing me and only me, or if those were just pretty words to get into my pants.
But what if I’m reading signals right and he doesn’t? Me showing up to get rejected would just be…crushing.
Ugh. I hate this. I don’t know what to do and I feel trapped by my first decision of letting him come to me. It’s going to smack of desperation and loneliness if I go to him first, and I still won’t know if he genuinely wants to be with me or if he’s just looking for someone to fool around with. If I do all the chasing, I’ll never know.
So I stare out the icy window at my bots, herding my cattle through a muddy, snow-covered field over to a less wet one.
I’m so lost in thought that a knock on the door makes me jump in surprise. Jerry immediately chirps and races across the floor, his little nails clacking as he runs to hide. I wasn’t expecting guests, and I’m a little unnerved that someone’s here. Moving to the door, I check the security feed…and sigh with relief.
It’s a Port Custodial sled outside, which means…
My relief changes to a hint of excitement. Leaning against the door, I call, “Who’s there?”
“Sin!”
His immediate, cheery answer makes me laugh. “I’m not calling you that,” I yell back through the door. “Not a chance!”
“You sound as merry as usual,” he calls back. “Can I come in or are we talking through the door now?”
Chuckling, I open the door and stare in surprise. It’s Sinath all right, but he’s got another tree in his arms, this one bigger and even prettier than Liesje’s tree. It’s got a handmade garland twined in the neon green leaves, and one of the baked dough ornaments hangs from its limbs. Sinath himself is wearing the horn tassels I made him and his new scarf, and he beams at me, all cocky assuredness. “Can I come in?”
“Wh-what is all this?” I gesture feebly at the tree even as he steps inside, stomping some snow off of his boots. “Did Liesje’s tree die?”
“No, this tree is for you.” He gives me a brilliant smile, his eyes alight with fun. “I realized we didn’t have a merry holiday for the merriest of females I know.”
Now I’m sure he’s teasing me. I don’t know if that’s him being friendly or me not being able to read if he’s flirting or not. I eye him, arching a brow. “Seriously, what’s the deal here?”
His smile fades ever so slightly and he gestures at the tree in his arms. “It didn’t seem fair for Liesje to have a holiday tree and you not. So I brought you one.” He hesitates and then adds, “And I brought mistletoe. That’s what it’s called, right? The herbs you hang when you want someone to kiss you?” Again, he pauses and he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I would love to kiss you again and I’m desperate for any excuse to do so.”
Oh.
He’s nervous. He’s putting himself out there for me and he’s nervous. This is the sweetest thing any man has ever done for me. I bite my lip, smiling shyly up at him. “You didn’t have to bring mistletoe if you wanted to be kissed. You just needed to come and tell me how you feel.”
“I’m not good with words.” He clutches the tree’s pot to his chest as if it’s armor protecting him. “At least, not serious words. I’m great with bad jokes.” Sinath gives me a rueful smile, his tail swaying behind him. “But telling a beautiful human that I like her and desperately hope she likes me back? That’s harder. So if I need to use a few props to have an excuse to show up on your doorstep, have mercy on me.”