A Bedtime Story by L.C. Moon Page A

She even found a
     sealed pack of cigarettes left on the table in the living room where she had sat the
     day before with Kayne. She wondered if he left it on purpose for her. She had a
     cigarette or two during the day, making sure she smoked them in the living room,
     unsure if she was allowed to smoke anywhere else in the house.
    As the clock hands moved toward the dreaded hour, Laura’s nerves
     ebbed and flowed. She was unnerved, constantly looking at the clock. She felt
     fearful one moment, and the next… It was hard to describe, she didn’t know what she
     felt. But that night, when Olga came to fetch her for supper, she was dressed and
     ready, her hair down, wearing jeans and a cute sleeveless pink top. Kayne was
     already seated at the table as usual, in jeans and a grey sweater. He restrained a
     smirk upon noticing her different look, though an amused look remained plastered on
     his face. She blushed, inwardly cursing herself for straying from her drab attire.
     “Good evening, Laura.”
    “Good evening.” She kept her head up, as if unaware of the
     smoldering stare he threw her way.
    “How was your day?” he added in a jovial tone.
    “It was good, thank you.”
    “Olga tells me you borrowed a book from the library
     yesterday… Yes, I ask about you ,” he teased in a mock romantic
     confession.
    “She said it was okay. I asked…”
    “Relax, Laura, I told you, as long as you obey my rules… Make
     yourself at home.”
    She wondered if he saw the paradox in his statement.
    “I was just going to ask you which one.”
    “Oh… It’s just this book… by Hesse… Steppenwolf … I read it a
     long time ago.” He kept surprising her with his unpredictable conversation twists,
     she could never guess what would come out of his mouth.
    “You like Hesse? Well… aren’t you full of surprises, Miss Spencer…”
     he teased, and she was . Although he could better understand her fondness for
     such an author with everything he now knew about her.
    Steppenwolf told the story of man torn from within,
     believing he was part man and part wolf. The man in him wanted to integrate into the
     world, the mundane society he lived in, even craved it. The wolf within despised his
     every attempt to do so. Realizing he couldn’t reconcile his dual nature, he decided
     to end his life. He embarked on a mysterious journey and discovered the iconic Magic Theater , where the lines between fantasy and reality blur. It was
     an unusual and surreal story, filled with despair, poetry, and mystery, but in the
     end, with hope.
    “You’ve read it?” she almost screamed in surprise and excitement.
     He nodded, smiling benevolently. “My mother loved that book. It was hers.” As with
     the few times before, his eyes darkened at her mention, his smile, however, remained
     intact.
    “I see.” She smiled back feebly. “Are your parents… still around?”
     she asked, treading uneasily on dangerous ground.
    “No,” he answered coolly, the smile wiped from his face.
    “I’m sorry.” She meant it.
    “Don’t be.”
    She wanted to ask more but knew instinctively she
     had reached the limit. They both remained quiet for a few moments, her waiting for
     his lead, him waiting to see if she would take her questioning further. When he saw
     she wouldn’t, his face brightened again. He pulled out a box, gift wrapped
     beautifully with ribbon, and handed it to her.
    “What is this?” she asked, turning the box in her hand
     suspiciously. “A gift. Open it.”
    “Oh… thanks?” she replied, her tone suggesting uncertainty. She
     unwrapped the gift carefully, making sure not to tear the wrapping. It was a book, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
    “Wow… thank you,” she said, the feeling sincere.
    He smiled at her. “Have you read it?”
    “No actually. I’ve been meaning to, just never got around to it.
     Have you?”
    “Yes.”
    “Thank you, really.” She held the book lovingly, looking him
     straight