Confirmation

Now, that was a stupid question.  The last dang time I'd seen a toothbrush was when he handed it to me through the shower curtain.  I lost track of it during the hullaballoo and hospital trip that followed........I guess he thought that I'd managed to hobble-hop into the bathroom and brushed my teeth during his 6.5 hour hiatus -- but I hadn't.  It had been sheer torture when I'd skipped into there and tried to maintain a one legged balance to achieve proper stream aim. (( I wasn't totally successful, btw)).  I didn't even know where my toothbrush was.....

I knew that this silver-tongued devil was trying to slip me the tongue, but I just wasn't going to have it.  He was going to stick to his word, and he could wait...if he would wait...and heck, I knew he would.  I could see it in his eyes...so...I answered his question.

 

"No," and I pulled away from him, and sunk deeper into my pillows.  "You're hurting my ankle every time you jostle the bed."

He kept that same smile on his lips as he carefully raised himself up and off  the bed and the candle light flickered off of his Pepsodents as he slipped through the bedroom door.  I knew what he was up to, and I'd play along.  What else did I have to do? But, I wasn't going to kiss him.  I knew where kisses led -- especially when two guys were the participants, and I had a freshly sprained ankle. I just wasn't in the mood.  ( Would you have been?)

Surprise! ( But, it wasn't a surprise to me ).  He returned ( semi-stumbling with a wine wobbly gait ) carrying two Eskimo Joe's plastic tumblers in each hand  (( I had a few of those tumblers since I'd lived in Stillwater, and I also had a degree from that Jumpin' Little Juke Joint. ))  He'd filled them both half full of water.  He also held a tube of Colgate and my navy toothbrush.

"One is to sip and one is to spit" he said as he handed me the cups.  I complied and brushed my teeth, spit and rinsed.  He exited the bedroom -- stilly wobbly......  I blew out the candles, and slumped down into the bed.  I  could hear his return and the rustle of the sheets and blankets.

"Thanks," I said.  "I always brush before I go to sleep."

He sighed, and I was off to dreamland.  He got the hint and did the same.....but we woke up snuggling the next morning....(( How could that have happened?))

The next few days were similar to this one sans his presence in the evenings.  He had to work at the restaurant, but stayed with me through the days unless he had class, and stayed with me at night after he got off  of work through the night.  He worked on his projects and papers -- which I proofread, and prepared my meals for me.  He was a good nurse....and he gave up on the "toothbrushing manipulation"....for awhile.  I, actually, liked having him there, and we got to know each other pretty well......and yeah, I liked him....a lot.....And, each morning, I'd wake to find him spooning me.....It all sounds rather boring, but isn't life usually boring?

 By Tuesday morning, my ankle still hurt, but it had greatly improved.  I called work and told them that I'd return the following day, but requested a single shift only because I wanted to break my ankle in slowly.  I'd been a saving fool, and was okay financially for the present time, but I still needed to make extra Christmas money so I didn't want to do anything stupid and return to a full work schedule immediately only to return to bed rest. I'd work like a maniac after all pain had left my ankle.

In the afternoon of that Tuesday, Mother Superior called to confirm our dinner plans.  I didn't bother to tell her about my ankle accident  (( How could I explain that mess?))  and happily agreed to share dinner that evening with her at Acapulco's.  I instructed Bart to treat me as he had the prior week at Acapulco's.  He shrugged and agreed to comply, but I got the impression that he didn't like the request too much.................I didn't want Mother to know that he'd been staying with me because I still had suspicions about Bart's rendevous with her.  The one sure way to get the truth was to get them both together....................(( Oh yeah, I'd done this before.))  While Bart's story was all sweet and nice, I knew men were notorious liars -- hell, sometimes, so was I....I just needed confirmation