you'll wake up to find you've turned into a wolf," I warned him. The color drained from Will's face so quickly that I expected him to faint. He stiffened and I caught him in case he fell. I could feel his body tremble in my grasp. "Are you all right? Do you feel well?" I asked him.
He weakly smiled and shook his head. "Perhaps I ate too much meat," he joked.
"You look like you ate a whole lamb and it stuck in your throat," I countered.
"I'm fine, only I was taken by surprise with your comment. It brought back memories of Eastern Europe that I-well, that I would rather forget," he replied.
There was the depression, the sadness in his eyes. I didn't want to see that, so I took my plate that was smothered in the remains of my ketchup-mustard-relish covered hot dog and playfully shoved it into his face. I let go of the plate and it stuck there in all its gooey glory. Will garbled out a few protestations before he pulled the plate off his face to reveal something like clown makeup if it had been applied by a five-year old.
He glared at me and gripped the plate in his hand, but a mischievous glint in his eyes warned me what he planned. "No! Nonononono!" I protested. I tried to stand and sprint away, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. The next second the plate was applied to my face and the remains smeared liberally across my nose and cheeks. He released the plate, I stiffened, and the paper dish slowly slid off my face to flutter to the ground in front of me.
I turned to him with a hot glare complete with ketchup-red cheeks, and he laughed. "All's fair in love and war," he teased.
"Then this means war," I returned. I grabbed the plate, but he grabbed my wrist and snatched the dish from my hand.
He held it out in opposite me. "I think we've each had enough of your hot dog," he countered.
"Not with you having the upper hand," I protested. I dove for the plate, but he deftly twisted me around and I landed in his lap. He dropped the plate and wrapped both arms around me as I struggled to free myself from his delicious grip. "Let go! I must avenge myself!" I insisted.
"You forget we're not alone," he reminded me.
I froze. The picnic. The people. They were still there, and as I looked around I realized we, in our garbled clown makeup, were the center of attention. I sheepishly smiled at them and sank down in Will's arms. "You couldn't have reminded me sooner?" I growled.
Will chuckled. "And miss all this fun?" he teased.
"Uh-huh, so now what do we do? Perform for the children?" I asked him.
"Actually, the water looks very inviting. We could wash ourselves there," he suggested.
"I guess." I hadn't done much more than test the water with my fingers. A little splash sounded tempting. I tried to stand, but his arms held me on his lap. I turned to him with a frown. "Do you mind letting me go?" I wondered.
"I'm quite comfortable," he countered. He pressed me harder against his firm chest and my ketchup highlight was nearly out-redded by my blushing.
"But I'm filthy and so you are, so let's stop this teenager stuff and wash up," I insisted.
Will sighed. "Very well." He released me and we walked away from the gawkers down to the edge of the lake.
The empty long dock and boat launch were on our left. The fisherman had reeled in their lines and pulled out their boats for the day. In front of us was the cordoned-off swimming area where several families with their young children played and splashed around one last time before the sun set. I turned and led Will to the right away from the noise and bustle of the other residents to the very end of the cordoned-off zone. The waters there were calmer, and I knelt down and looked at my reflection in the water. It was a good thing I wasn't afraid of clowns or my face would have scared me back to my cabin. I quickly drenched my face and washed away the evidence of our fun. Will did the same with his makeup.
"Do you have any family?" Will spoke up.
I glanced at him with a
He weakly smiled and shook his head. "Perhaps I ate too much meat," he joked.
"You look like you ate a whole lamb and it stuck in your throat," I countered.
"I'm fine, only I was taken by surprise with your comment. It brought back memories of Eastern Europe that I-well, that I would rather forget," he replied.
There was the depression, the sadness in his eyes. I didn't want to see that, so I took my plate that was smothered in the remains of my ketchup-mustard-relish covered hot dog and playfully shoved it into his face. I let go of the plate and it stuck there in all its gooey glory. Will garbled out a few protestations before he pulled the plate off his face to reveal something like clown makeup if it had been applied by a five-year old.
He glared at me and gripped the plate in his hand, but a mischievous glint in his eyes warned me what he planned. "No! Nonononono!" I protested. I tried to stand and sprint away, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. The next second the plate was applied to my face and the remains smeared liberally across my nose and cheeks. He released the plate, I stiffened, and the paper dish slowly slid off my face to flutter to the ground in front of me.
I turned to him with a hot glare complete with ketchup-red cheeks, and he laughed. "All's fair in love and war," he teased.
"Then this means war," I returned. I grabbed the plate, but he grabbed my wrist and snatched the dish from my hand.
He held it out in opposite me. "I think we've each had enough of your hot dog," he countered.
"Not with you having the upper hand," I protested. I dove for the plate, but he deftly twisted me around and I landed in his lap. He dropped the plate and wrapped both arms around me as I struggled to free myself from his delicious grip. "Let go! I must avenge myself!" I insisted.
"You forget we're not alone," he reminded me.
I froze. The picnic. The people. They were still there, and as I looked around I realized we, in our garbled clown makeup, were the center of attention. I sheepishly smiled at them and sank down in Will's arms. "You couldn't have reminded me sooner?" I growled.
Will chuckled. "And miss all this fun?" he teased.
"Uh-huh, so now what do we do? Perform for the children?" I asked him.
"Actually, the water looks very inviting. We could wash ourselves there," he suggested.
"I guess." I hadn't done much more than test the water with my fingers. A little splash sounded tempting. I tried to stand, but his arms held me on his lap. I turned to him with a frown. "Do you mind letting me go?" I wondered.
"I'm quite comfortable," he countered. He pressed me harder against his firm chest and my ketchup highlight was nearly out-redded by my blushing.
"But I'm filthy and so you are, so let's stop this teenager stuff and wash up," I insisted.
Will sighed. "Very well." He released me and we walked away from the gawkers down to the edge of the lake.
The empty long dock and boat launch were on our left. The fisherman had reeled in their lines and pulled out their boats for the day. In front of us was the cordoned-off swimming area where several families with their young children played and splashed around one last time before the sun set. I turned and led Will to the right away from the noise and bustle of the other residents to the very end of the cordoned-off zone. The waters there were calmer, and I knelt down and looked at my reflection in the water. It was a good thing I wasn't afraid of clowns or my face would have scared me back to my cabin. I quickly drenched my face and washed away the evidence of our fun. Will did the same with his makeup.
"Do you have any family?" Will spoke up.
I glanced at him with a
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