Chain Reaction 1.52: Too Good

     "What do you mean?" Laura asks.
     "I mean exactly how it sounds: Who are you?" I ask again, suspecting she's a plant... I don't know who would want to spy on me, except Graham of course. That's it! Graham met her, found out she's a gold-digger, and he sent her my way in order to stop me mooning over his wife. My stomach twists.
     "I'm Laura Stinson," she replies, a trace amount of hurt showing through her voice.
     I take a step back, eyeing her suspiciously. "Who do you work for?"
     "You," she answers, now definitely looking hurt. She watches me. "You don't believe me. Do you think I'm some sort of spy?"
     "I have to admit that's easier for me to believe. After everything that's happened to me, forgive me but I don't trust you."
     "Why?" she asks angrily.
     "When something is too good to be true, it usually is," I answer in a curt way.

      Her expression softens. "Too good to be true?"
      "Face it, Laura. Look at me! Even this idiot knows what I mean." I gesture to the annoying bartender, who smirks again, laughs under his breath, and pretends to go back to his job. I'll shred his credit rating later, if it's not already that way. I'll figure out something to do. "There's a very small list of reasons someone like you would be with someone like me. Would you like to hear it?"
     She bravely looks back at me, adjusts her head in a cocky manner, and replies, "Is one of the reasons that I really get off on super-smart, nerdy types? And that's not an insult; the word rebel would work too, but rebel can sometimes imply idiocy. Or does this list contain the fact that you're hot in a really intense way? How often do you really look in the mirror, Alex?"
     I keep my mouth shut, watching the outrage in her eyes. She's so plumbing beautiful. I want to believe her, but I will not be led into a trap for the simple reason that she's gorgeous and I'm lonely. I'd rather live alone the rest of my days.
     "How about the fact that my family's wealthy, and I'm soon going to be rich myself? And you're working very hard to ensure that, aren't you?" My heart rate increases, and I try to get my breathing to catch up. Well, why wouldn't she? It's her job too, may as well be her company too. Why wouldn't she want it to succeed? What if... What if I really am just overreacting?
     "So now I'm a gold digger? What's next? Are you going to imply I'm a whore like Mrs Landgraab did? Well, I'm not going to stick around to hear it," she snaps and walks past me, heading for the door.
     Crap! No! I think in a panic. My arms reach out, and I'm lucky enough to grab one of hers. She spins around, her eyes brewing a dangerous storm. "Wait. Please. Let me apologize."

     "This had better be good, Mr Goth," she snarls.
     "Well, I don't know about 'good,' but I hope sincere will do. Forgive me. After a lifetime of always being the biggest, nerdiest dork anywhere I went, it's very hard for me to believe that someone as beautiful as you are could even be interested in me, much less feel more than that." My thumbs caress her hands while I watch her to see what she'll do. "I'm sorry."
     Her lower lip trembles for a moment. "This isn't the first time this has happened to me. Do you have any idea how hard it is to break through a negative self-image?"
     I think about how Brielle sees herself. It's not as bad as how I see myself, but she frequently does or says little things to bring herself down. "Actually, yes." It would make me mad to have to all but argue with her to make her stop.

      "Look, I know what I said earlier probably felt like it came out of nowhere, but I was so happy that you defended me like that. You were my hero. I don't care what you say; that was freaking hot." Her eyes meet mine, and I see absolute sincerity. If she's lying, she's damn good at it.
     Could it be she's actually telling the truth? It's too good, but...

      I can't believe it, but it's a different 'I can't believe it' now. I'd thought girls like this were a myth. The things that kids in school would use to make fun of me actually attracts her to me? She more than once said she thinks I'm hot.

     Still struggling with my negative self-image, I ask, "You really think I'm hot?"
     She laughs happily. I smile and wait, as terrified as I would be standing in a room full of scorpions. Her hand reaches up, runs over my ears to my cheekbone then down my nose, and she answers, "Yes." Then, her hand moves to my chest then my stomach. After Mom and Dad put the gym in the basement, I never stopped working out. I was always a scrawny kid, and I didn't want to be that way as an adult.
     Her stormy eyes look back up at me, shining with intense lust, and her lower lip wants me to bite it. It will certainly get what it wants, but I also have another idea...

      She lets out a happily surprised sound when I suddenly pull her into the closet next to us.

     In the 'privacy' of the closet, I get to explore my fabulous girlfriend while we make out. It's dark in here, so I have to use my hands, feeling my way around. I don't mind. Don't mind at all.

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So, yeah. Laura Stinson, Shauna Stinson. I'm making like they're cousins. Why not?

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