Page 25Chatting up

The walk back to the Cathedral was mostly unnoteworthy. Some minor singing was involved on Esmeralda's side which had me humming along if I knew the tune. Most of which I didn't, to be honest. But it was alright. She was enjoying herself and mostly walking fine on her own. She leaned on me some times, but nothing serious. Well, though I say most of it wasn't worth mentioning. There was one little incident which definitely did not fall in that category.

Of course what had me more confused is how Esmeralda handled it. Either playing very dumb or teasing me immensely. I could guess which one, obviously, but there was just a hint of innocence to it all. I wasn't quite sure which of the two I would have preferred.

(or if I really wanted to know)

It was one of the more bizarre words I'd ever exchanged with someone.

Anyway.

"Esmeralda?"

"Yes?"

"You've got your hand on my ass."

"And such a lovely ass it is as well."

I blushed. "Thank you, but that's not what I meant."

Her hand not moving and me not annoyed enough to really push her away. She was kind of leaning on me. "But I meant it, your ass looks great in those new pants."

As she stroked it, a shiver ran through my spine but I did my best to ignore it. "Again thank you, but it doesn't change the fact that your hand is still on it."

She looked at me with an almost angelic expression. "But don't you feel such a glorious posterior should be lovingly caressed and kneaded with care?"

I blushed, still. "Maybe, but I'm not completely comfortable here."

Which was true. We were still out in the streets and, though no one was around at this moment, people could walk by at any time. I felt exposed, a little worried and a little ridiculed by her words. But, I'm sure she meant it in the best way possible.

"Oh, my apologies, is this more comfortable?"

Her fingers moved over the shape of my behind so that her finger-tops actually ended almost between my legs. It wasn't a bad feeling, and she touched me fairly lightly, with only the palm of her hand truly pressed against me, but it was intimate. Quite intimate.

It took me some effort to say the next. "What I'm trying to ask if you would move your hand away from it."

She now pressed with her fingers between my buttocks, only for a moment. Another shiver traversed my spine.

"Here, or from your glorious glutes entirely?"

I took a breath. "Entirely please."

She moved her hand to my lower back politely and kept on leaning on me gently. Her face really was a beacon of angelic innocence. If one would fall for that. There was a glint of victory in her eyes that I was almost eager to quench.

"Tease." I whispered softly.

She didn't respond verbally, but stuck out her tongue without looking at me. We both knew what it meant.

The rest of the trip was mostly silent until we finally reached the Cathedral. I wasn't sure what to do with her but she basically hung onto me until I finally reached 'my room'. It was closed and nothing had changed except for some new candles. Esmeralda had probably arranged those and had asked Josh to keep it my room for a while. I wasn't sure how I knew all this, but it just felt right.

Esmeralda was quite tired by the time I finally lit a candle in my room. She tried to kiss me, but she still kind of had that acid breath that people get after throwing up. So I wasn't too keen on answering her kiss. She probably thought it was payback for being asinine. Perhaps a bit of both. She did stay while I was writing in my diary though. There was a lot to be written and by the time I got to this, she was deeply asleep.

Putting the diary aside for a moment, I walked out of the room and looked around the corridor if there were any places to sleep readily available. An open room had a mattress on the ground that looked unused and clean enough for her to sleep on. With some care I moved Esmeralda there and smiled a little guiltily. It wasn't that I didn't want her sleeping next to me but...

Well... It wouldn't be very practical if she woke up before I did.

Maybe it would scare her.

I returned to my room and closed it for the night, or day, finished my writing and undressed to go to sleep. I folded my clothes very neatly though. Even in the candlelight they looked very good. I really hoped they would keep their dark colors well. Not that I had any means to wash them at the moment. So no climbing dirty things for a while. I looked at my shoes and smiled. Well, only my shoes really got dirty from what I did.

Ah well.

Time to sleep.

Life, often stranger than fiction. Though it does make one wonder where some of the 'odder' fiction comes from.