Part 77 (1/2)
My spine snapped straight. ”I'm not a lunatic.”
He shook his head and returned, ”This is an argument I don't think we should have when I'm hungry and need food...or maybe ever.”
I decided we shouldn't have it, maybe ever, because I was also hungry.
But further, I was pleased Noc was not going to get more than irked about what Josette and I had done, making me feel like I'd gotten away with something that day, twice. Therefore I felt it best to quietly enjoy my success and move on.
”Thoughts on dinner?” Noc prompted.
”Pizza!” Josette cried from the living room.
Noc grinned in that direction and then he transferred that to me.
”Good for you?” he asked.
He didn't have to ask.
It was pizza.
I still answered. ”Most definitely.”
He jerked his chin up to me, expression no longer irked, just sweet.
No.
Just Noc.
”Get on your phone, Frannie. You can't slice a tomato, but you can learn how to order a pizza.”
I instantly exited my stool to get my purse to find my phone, for it would be no hards.h.i.+p to learn how to order a pizza.
None at all.
Chapter Twenty.
I'm In Franka ”I'm thinking about beauty school,” Jo declared in Noc's bathroom where I was leaned forward across his basin and putting on my lip gloss while she twitched and flipped strands of my hair that hung around my face, tucking pins more securely in the large chignon that rested at the side of my neck.
I s.h.i.+fted my eyes to hers in the mirror.
”Sorry?”
”Beauty school. I wish to go to one. After Noc teaches me how to drive, that is.”
I straightened, slid the wand into the gloss and turned fully to her.
She dropped her hands.
”Sorry?” I repeated.
”You know, for something to do,” she stated confusingly. ”I've always enjoyed doing your hair, best part of what I do. You have lovely hair.” She grinned. ”But it's even more fun here with curling irons and straighteners and smoothing elixirs and-”
”Jo,” I cut her off.
”What?” she asked.
”Explain fully what you're talking about,” I ordered.
”I need employment,” she declared.
I felt my head give a slight jerk with my surprise. ”Whyever do you need that?”
It was then I saw Josette's head jerk.
”Whyever do I need that?” she parroted.
”That was my query,” I confirmed, and at her look of bemus.e.m.e.nt, I explained, ”You can imagine my confusion since you're already in my employ.”
”There are showers here,” she said.
”There are,” I agreed.
And there were. Delightful rainfalls in the bathroom that were made more delightful when Noc led me to his and we both bathed together.
”And you enjoy doing your own face paint, I mean...erm, makeup.”
”I do indeed.”
”And they have was.h.i.+ng machines for clothes. And irons that get hot by plugging them into the wall. You don't have to suspend them over fires.”
I knew nothing of this, really, in this world or my other.
Noc had shown us how this was done, of course, in his pursuit of introducing us to as many things as he could before he had to go to work (something that would happen that Monday, two days away, something that I was not looking forward to because it would take him from me).
He was rather diligent in this endeavor in the hopes we'd be able to get along by ourselves when we'd be on our own.
But obviously, considering the subject matter, I paid scant attention.
”This isn't explaining, Jo,” I informed her.
”Frannie,” she leaned a hip against Noc's basin, ”we're staying here, aren't we? In this world.”
”Yes, unless you don't wish to remain,” I replied hesitantly.
”I do wish to remain.” Another grin. ”I like it here. But eventually you'll have the things you do with Valentine. And you'll be with Noc. And I'll be-”
”With me,” I finished for her.