So yesterday I was grumpy and stressed out, and so I skipped out of my last class early (it was props, and it didn't really matter because it was a work period) and went down to the coffee shop.

I get in there and everyone in there is twitchy and ill at ease.

Turns out some guy, about half an hour before me, came in all tweaked out on something and tried to steal the coffee scales.

THE COFFEE SCALES!

Not only that, he had a plastic gun he was telling people was real, but he wouldn't show anyone, so no one was sure whether he was telling the truth.

Anyway, so the owner called the cops and two seconds later the place is smothered in about eight cops (after all, if the guy actually *did* have a gun, things could have gotten ugly).

Good thing the cop shop was only half a block away, huh? ;) Stupid guy.

Anyway, while I was still in there about an hour later, I hear someone come in and the owner go, "Please leave. Now. You're not welcome in my store."

My back was to the door and the counter, and I look up at the other people around the table and everyone is very white and very wide eyed. I could see Sean and Kurt tensing in their chairs. I swear Sean would have jumped the guy if that's what it took to get him out.

Lisa was very quiet and very wide eyed. I could tell she was contemplating a bolt to the bathroom. I can easily say I was too.

Danielle was (if such a thing is possible) even whiter than usual and shrinking close to Kurt.

Long story short, there was some, "You'll pay, you'll see!" and some "I know two Hells Angels!" (to which Kurt retorted with a straight face, "Oh yeah? My dad *is* one." which apparently is -- or was -- true).

The guy left and Sean immediately got up and locked the door.

"Wait, wait, Sean! Little Jen is out there!"

"She is? Oh fuck. So's Dax!"

Frantic unlocking of door and hurrying of Jen and Dax in, Jen looking irritated and Dax looking bewildered. Apparently the guy had said some nasty degrading comment to Jen when he'd walked by her.

Then we locked the door and started breathing again. The owner called the cops again, but they didn't come over again, they just went out looking for the guy.

"Kurt and I were very prepared to jump the guy the first time he came in to get the scale back," Sean was saying.

"Yeah," said Kurt. "Because no scale means no coffee measured, no coffee measured means no coffee made, no coffee made means no coffee for ME!"

"Exactly."

I admit I was shaking a little. The adreniline, you know. Dax comes over, and I was the only person sitting at the table (everyone else had gone outside for a smoke or were pacing restlessly around the room).

"Hey, Rosie. You okay?"

"No! I really need a hug!"

"Awwww..." And Dax sat in my lap and wrapped his arms around me, and I him.

My only thought was,

"Yes. If this guy comes back *again*, I've got me a big black guy trained in martial arts sitting in my lap. I suddenly feel far more secure."

When I left, I squeezed Dax's bum. He has the tiniest, most perfect little bum in the world. I swear. It's smaller than my *chest* for crying out loud. And it fits perfectly in two palms. It's cute. He enjoyed it, too.

I would have stayed 'til closing to make sure the owner would be okay, but I had to go back to the college for a sound project. I think Danielle, Kurt and Sean stayed 'til the bitter end, and considering I saw both Danielle and Kurt today I think everything was okay.

***

Fast forwards to that night, after I was finished my sound prject.

***

*riiiing* *riii--*

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rosie. It's Drew. Wanna come over and relieve boredom? And wear your corset and bring your riding crop?"

"...."

"And I'll try and get Jared to come over?"

"I'm there."

"I thought you'd say that."

So I go over. It was a fun little night. Drew, Sarah, some really Greek looking guy named Tom (who had the biggest head, feet and hands in proportion to his body that I've ever seen), Jared (though he came later) and I were there.

Anyway, long story short, we talked the damned night away, and played with Drew's new throwing knife set. Drove Sarah sexually crazy. That was nice.

Jared stretched out and put his head in my lap, so I stroked his hair (next best substitute to a cat) and discovered his ears were extremely sensitive. Heheheh.

It was really nice, though, sprawled sleepily on Drew's livingroom floor, dark hair dripping from my shoulders (I had it down because I'd recently washed it, and it was positively beautiful), Jared's head resting heavily on my black skirted knees, brushing wisps of hair from his forehead in the warm silence.

Almost romantic, you might say.

But, cutting out some of the stranger parts of the evening that just aren't fit for a public diary (heheheheh...), we were finally settling down to sleep at about 8am. Everyone was asleep but Jared and me.

Naturally, we were snuggling. Comepletely clothed and right up against Sarah, Drew and Tom, mind you, but it's the snuggling that counts.

Sexual tension being what it was, I really, really wanted to kiss him finally (I'd been avoiding it), and I tilted my face up a little. He had this happy/amused/soft smile on his face.

There was a little hesitation...you know that moment. A slight indecision.

Then we kissed. He didn't kiss me. I didn't kiss him. We just kissed.

(He's a fabulous kisser, by the way.)

It didn't lead to anything more, and *yes*, there *was* tongue. And it was lovely. Not too much. Just enough to excite, yet not inspect tonsils.

It couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen seconds before the breakaway.

He gave that little contented sigh. You know the one. He gave that little sigh and said,

"Semptember seems so far away."

And I, "I know what you mean."

Then he shifted, neatly folding me into his arms, against his chest. Perfectly comforting. It was absoloutely lovely.

And I don't remember anymore, so I assumed I fell asleep.

All in all, I got a total of one hour of sleep last night.

It's crazy.

It's not that late at all right now, and I'm dead tired already.

Yet, Jared said he'd phone later.

Should I try to stay awake?

Oh, the decisions.

.

Rosie.

Before&After