It's Ours
Roe
“You know this the second time you done fed me this week, right?”
I looked across the table at Alexander.
“Fed you?”
“Mhm.”
“You ordered your own food.”
“Still ate it with you.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Those are not the same thing.”
He leaned back in his chair, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
“I’m a growing boy. Don’t know the difference.”
I fought the smile.
“I really hate that I ever laughed at that.”
“Too late now. It’s ours.”
He opened the container with that Dutch apple pie, and my mouth watered.
“Mhm. I see you.”
He looked at me. “You want some, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“Come here.”
That feeling in my gut again.
I walked over and stood in front of him, trying... and failing... not to smile.
“You so silly.” He looked at me, amusement pulling at his mouth.
“Why you smiling, gorgeous?”
I looked down at the pie.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m smiling at the pie.”
“Bullshit.”
I laughed.
“Can I have some or not?”
“I ain’t say you couldn’t.”
He picked up the fork.
I reached for it.
He moved it away.
My eyes narrowed.
“Alexander.”
“What?”
“Give me the fork.”
“I thought you wanted some of my pie.”
I stared at him.
I turned my face away from him to smile.
Damn him.
“There isn’t a chair for me to sit over here anyway, Alexander.”
“Whoa, whoa. Slow ya roll, girl.” He rolled his eyes playfully. “Just Alex. Call me Alex.”
I smacked my lips.
“Hush.”
I turned to walk away, but he caught me by the hand, stopped me.
He cleared some equipment from his desk.
“Here.”
He stood and offered me his chair before taking a seat on the edge of the desk himself.
“You’re in the king’s chair. Enjoy.”
I shook my head as I sat.
Crossed one leg over the other.
Placed my hands neatly in my lap and straightened my back.
When I looked up, he was staring at me.
Amused as hell.
“What?” I asked, confused.
His eyes moved over me.
“Nothing.”
“Clearly it’s something.”
“Nah.” He shook his head, fighting a smile. “You just sit real...”
He paused.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Real what?”
“Proper.”
My face immediately twisted.
He laughed.
“See. There she go.”
“There who go?”
“That other girl.”
My eyebrow peaked. “What other girl?”
He leaned back slightly, studying me.
“The one that show up every now and then.”
I stared at him.
He gestured toward me with the fork.
“Roe be in here fussing at me, smacking her lips, telling me to hush.” His eyes dropped to my folded hands. “Then every once in a while, this real proper little somebody come out.”
I looked down at myself.
I hadn’t even noticed.
Alex smiled.
“Who taught you to sit like that?”
“My grandmother.”
“Mhm.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You keep saying nothing while clearly having thoughts.”
“I got plenty thoughts.”
“I can tell.”
He held up the pie.
“You want some of this, or you wanna keep interrogating me?”
My eyes went straight to the container.
He laughed.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Open.”
He held the fork out to me.
I did.
His tongue dragged absentmindedly across his bottom lip when mine closed around the fork.
“Mmmm.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
“I love pie so much.”
He shook his head once.
“I see.”
I looked at him.
I knew exactly what he was thinking.
Alex scooped up another piece and held the fork toward me.
“Open.”
I leaned forward.
Took the bite.
And looked up... right into his eyes.
His hand stopped.
I blinked slowly.
Pulling the fork from my lips...
“That’s some good pie... eat some,” I offered.
Alex snorted with a headshake, then immediately excused himself, handing me the rest of the pie.
I waited until his back was turned before I smirked.
I caught his left hand adjusting himself as he walked away.
“You still got it, girl,” I quietly praised myself, digging out another forkful of pie.
