Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66267 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66267 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
She gleefully giggles.
“Perhaps we even try weird to us food for them?” Pulling the bowl back over occurs next. “Like spicy red miso ramen?”
June dramatically pouts and to my surprise picks up the spoon. “One. Sip.”
A victorious grin is attached to a quick nod.
She dips the utensil in, lifts it back up, shuts her eyes and shoves the whole thing into her mouth, teeth audibly hitting the silverware.
I wince yet wait.
Wait to study her honest reaction versus allowing her to escape to another.
I’ll admit it.
I love being the first one to see her reactions to her world changing. It always reminds me of the rush I get watching two colors or techniques or mediums blend to bring life to a new creation.
It’s exhilarating.
And intoxicating.
And worth sticking around for.
June lifts her lids to meet my gaze and offers me an unimpressed shrug. “Eh.”
“Eh?”
“Eh.”
Bewilderment bounces around my wide-eyed stare. “Eh?!”
She pulls over the bowl to indulge in a second spoonful. “Could use a little salt.”
Her teasing tone tied to her troublemaking delivery gets me laughing warmly and loudly like it always does. “Should I take visiting Little Tokyo off the list of possible places we visit?”
“You know it’s sexy when you say the word list,” June continues to good-naturedly taunt around another bite.
“Have you thought about any other places you wanna add to it?”
June’s lips purse to one side rather than retort.
“You’re allowed to have and explore life that doesn’t involve running errands for other people or binging reruns while eating takeout, baby.”
“You say that like it’s a bad life.”
“It’s not a bad life. It’s just not the only way to live life.”
Her One-Punch Man t-shirt covered chest crumples forward under the weight of culpability.
“Plus, you have a shit ton of vacation hours. More than you probably know especially when you factor in a couple company clauses most don’t even know exist.”
“Uh…why do you know they exist?”
“Aside from the fact Frost is my name?” Impishly wiggling my eyebrows is wedged between comments. “Once upon a time…long long looooonnnggggg ago…I wanted to takeover Aunt Brandi’s job.”
The spoon in her possession falls towards the floor in tandem with her jaw.
Thankfully, my reflexes are still faster than most, resulting in catching the utensil on a small chortle.
“That would’ve been. So. Fucking. Weird.”
“For everyone.” After the spoon has been shifted back to my girlfriend’s possession so she can resume eating her first meal all day, I add, “And while I don’t directly approve of what Fate put me through all those years ago with Dad and Rachel…I have…come to be grateful for it in several aspects. Their deaths changed my path to one I wakeup every day thankful to be on, especially since meeting you.”
Redness tints her cheeks ever so slightly.
“Now that we’re on the subject of paths, we should really wrap this up and take the one that leads us to the line for Kozzmos. I mean we do have VIP passes, but still. There’s probably a line for us too.”
Like I hoped, June instantly argues, “We don’t have VIP Passes.”
“We don’t?” I slyly remove the two lamented pieces from my back pocket. “Isn’t that what these are?”
June yet again lets the spoon and her jaw fall in tandem forcing me to catch the former once more.
“You know, June Bug, there are easier ways to tell me you’re finished eating.”
Her open hand playfully slaps my Genos t-shirt bearing chest. “How in the ONE did you get those?!”
Chuckles helplessly escape over the One-Punch Man reference as I toss the spoon back into the bowl. “Remember when we stopped for coffee on Monday at Loca Mocha Casabloca on our way to meet up with Dakota?”
“You hate that place.”
“I simply prefer more local blends and businesses that bolster the economy they are occupying.”
“I know, Professor Frost.”
“Keep callin’ me that and we will be role playing it.”
June squeaks in surprise so hard she bumps into the edge of the table ceasing her face’s ability to change shades.
Seriously.
I have never met a person who has had more self-inflected bumps and bruises. For Krios sake, she sneezed last week while we were in the kitchen and ended up with a knot on her head almost the same size as the egg, I was getting ready to cook.
My woman needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap for much more than painting with it we did the other day.
“Anyway, you stayed behind in the car to calm down a spiraling Ivy-”
“She was a little sleep deprived from overworking and overstudying.”
“Right. So, while you were in the car playing world’s best big sister-”
“I don’t know about best.”
“-I went in alone. And you know me. My head is not in my phone. It’s on the world all around us. There’s always so much to see and appreciate and be immersed in.”
The corners of her lips kick upward.