by Ruby Forrest
She wanted to know that he was still there, but something about the coldness of the couch had her worrying. She reassured herself that, even if he wasn't there, he was probably just attending to business, making sure that everything was okay and getting back on track. It didn't mean that.
***
“I’m not promising anything.” Hanna- Gale was sitting on the couch, legs curled in beneath her and Casey was pacing beside her. She had pulled her clothing back on and so had he. It had taken what felt like an hour, at least, for them to uncurl from their position on the couch, where Hanna- Gale had rested on top of him. There was a peace and comfort in resting with him that Hanna- Gale could have never dreamed up.
It was magical, even though she knew that this was a man who she should not like, should not lust after, should definitely not want to share quiet moments with. He had been a gentleman, though, and that has surprised Hanna- Gale yet again. He had been gentle and helped her back into her clothing first. Only once she was fully dressed had he done up his pants and pulled on his own clothing. He looked good in his jacket and Hanna- Gale realized that she had never stopped to admire that fact.
They had sat like that for a while, in comfortable silence, only the sound of their breathing between them. Then Casey had looked at her and the intensity in his eyes had made her blush, made her feel almost uncomfortable, almost hesitant, like she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do and say.
“Coffee?” Her voice had broken the silence of the home, shattering the illusion of peace, but also, the intensity of his gaze. He had chuckled, a low, surprised sound and shaken his head, “I think I’ll pass.”
That’s when he had gotten up, starting to pace up and down, just in front of the couch. Hanna- Gale had tucked her legs in, beneath her on the couch as she watched him. The way he moved was predatory and focused and it sent flutters through Hanna- Gale. She could remember quite keenly that he had moved just like that when they were together.
It was a thought that Hanna- Gale couldn’t quite shake and it sent shivers through her. She blushed and tried to focus on what he was saying.
“What do you mean?”
He sighed, a deep huff of a sound and glanced at her, “The Snow leopards want this property.” He shook his head, “I mean, we do not need it, but it’s a damn matter of principle.”
Hanna- Gale felt dark clouds swirl over her head. She wondered if he was just going to keep bothering her, even after they had just been intimate in this very house. Casey interrupted her dark thoughts.
“I’ll drop it.”
Hanna- Gale glanced at him in hopeful surprise and Casey continued, “I won’t keep bothering you about this.” He shrugged, “But I’m not making any promises about the rest of the club, okay?”
Hanna- Gale nodded, a heavy feeling in her chest. She couldn’t tell if it was a good emotion or not. She was thrilled that he was going to drop this for her, but she was concerned about others who might come and try and kick her out of her home.
Her home. Yes, she was slowly coming to think of this place as her home and it would be painful to leave it, even after just a few days. She still had no idea how she was supposed to keep it and pay for all the bills, but she would have to find a way pretty quickly if she wanted to stay.
Hanna- Gale nodded slowly, “Thank you, Casey.” Her voice was genuine and she knew it. He looked surprised before he shrugged and sighed, “Like I said, not promising anything.”
He turned, looking like he was about to leave and Hanna- Gale couldn’t help but say something, “Hey, Casey…”
“Yeah?” He looked back at her.
“Will I see you again?” She knew it was sappy, it was far too sentimental, especially since Hanna- Gale had to assume that this had been a one night stand for him. She knew that was how this worked, even if she hadn’t done it before. It still sent an ache deep through her chest, making her feel tired and sad. She didn’t want just a one night stand with Casey.
He raised an eyebrow, “Do you want to see me again?”
“Maybe.” She smiled, ignoring the ache in her chest that said she definitely, definitely wanted to see him again.
He chuckled at that, shaking his head, “Didn’t think I was the kind of guy you’d want in this mansion of yours.”
“You’re the kind of guy I’d like to see here more often.”
He glanced at her with something that looked almost like amusement and he shrugged, “Okay.”
“So I will see you again?” She pressed a little more.
“Sure. Maybe you’ll even see me tonight…” He smirked, “But do not hold your breath, okay?”
Hanna- Gale shook her head, but she felt warmth bubble up in her chest despite herself, warm and reassuring. Maybe, just maybe, this would work, this would be okay. Maybe, she would find out pretty quickly that things were not always the way she expected.
And as Casey turned to leave, Hanna- Gale couldn’t help but hope that he would show up tonight. He waved goodbye and let himself out, Hanna- Gale was left floating on cloud nine, even though she was still dealing with more trouble than she had before.
Eventually, though, Hanna- Gale pushed herself up from the couch, feeling giddy exhaustion wash through her. She checked that everything was locked- not minding if Casey found his way in, but concerned that someone else might do just that. She walked up the stairs and tumbled into the soft peace of her bed.
Hanna- Gale stretched out, feeling the soft blankets and pillows around her and sighing, at peace in the soft comfort of this bedroom, a bedroom that she was starting to think of as hers. Hanna- Gale’s eyes drifted shut and she contented herself to spend the late morning and early afternoon just dozing and spending time soothing herself after the days that she had been through.
She fell asleep easily, dreaming of Casey.
Chapter 7
When Hanna- Gale woke, it was to the peace of the afternoon sun, as it trickled through the window and warmed her skin up as she lazed on the bed. Hanna- Gale sighed, feeling contentment pool through her and shiver down her toes. She smiled, and sat up in bed. She glanced at the clock and found that she had plenty of time before evening came. She leaned back in bed and decided she’d do a little bit of reading, finishing up the book that she had started before.
It was too easy to give into the problems that seemed to surround her, to let them consume her and feel far, far too much. So instead, she decided to take out a little bit of time to relax, seeing as the problems would still be there once she had finished relaxing.
The next hour or so was passed peacefully, reading in the sun, stretching out to keep comfortable and leaning against the mountains of soft pillows that seemed to decorate her bed in an endless fashion.
The Turnip
There were two siblings who were the two troopers; the one was rich and the other poor. The poor man figured he would endeavor to better himself; in this way, pulling off his red coat, he turned into a nursery worker, and burrowed his ground well, and sowed turnips. At the point when the seed came up, there was one plant greater than all the rest; and it continued getting bigger and bigger, and appeared as though it could never stop developing; with the goal that it may have been known as the ruler of turnips for there never was such a one seen, and never will again. Finally it was big to the point that it filled a truck, and two bulls could barely draw it; and the nursery worker knew not what on the planet to do with it, nor whether it would be a gift or a revile to him. Multi day he said to himself, 'What might I do with it? on the off chance that I offer it, it will bring close to another; and for eating, the little turnips are superior to this; the best thing maybe is to convey it and offer it to the ruler as a characteristic of regard.' Then he burdened his bulls, and attracted the turnip to the court, and offered it to the lord. 'What a magnificent thing!' said the ruler; 'I have seen numerous unusual things, yet such a creature as this I never observed. Where did you get the seed? or on the other hand is
it just your good fortunes? Assuming this is the case, you are a genuine offspring of fortune.' 'Ah, no!' addressed the planter, 'I am no offspring of fortune; I am a poor trooper, who never could inspire enough to live upon; so I dropped my red coat, and set to work, working the ground. I have a sibling, who is rich, and your greatness knows him well, and all the world knows him; but since I am poor, everyone overlooks me.' The lord at that point had compassion for him, and stated, 'You should be poor not any more. I will give you so much that you should be significantly wealthier than your sibling.' Then he gave him gold and grounds and runs, and made him so rich that his sibling's fortune couldn't at all be contrasted and his. At the point when the sibling knew about this, and how a turnip had made the plant specialist so rich, he begrudged him distressfully, and bethought himself how he could imagine to get a similar favorable luck for himself. Notwithstanding, he resolved to oversee more astutely than his sibling, and got together a rich present of gold and fine stallions for the lord; and figured he should have a significantly bigger blessing consequently; for if his sibling had gotten such a great amount for just a turnip, what should his present be wroth? The lord took the blessing thoughtfully, and said he knew not what to give consequently more profitable and magnificent than the colossal turnip; so the officer was compelled to place it into a truck, and drag it home with him. When he achieved home, he knew not upon whom to vent his wrath and show disdain toward; and finally underhanded considerations came into his head, and he set out to slaughter his sibling. So he procured a few miscreants to kill him; and having demonstrated to them where to lie in trap, he went to his sibling, and stated, 'Dear sibling, I have discovered a shrouded treasure; let us go and uncover it, and offer it between us.' The other had no doubts of his roguery: so they went out together, and as they were going along, the killers hurried out upon him, bound him, and would hang him on a tree. In any case, while they were preparing all, they heard the trampling of a stallion at a separation, which so startled them that they pushed their detainee neck and shoulders together into a sack, and swung him up by a string to the tree, where they exited him dangling, and fled. Interim he worked and worked away, till he made an opening sufficiently extensive to put out his head. At the point when the horseman came up, he turned out to be an understudy, a joyful individual, who was traveling along on his bother, and singing as he went. When the man in the sack saw him going under the tree, he shouted out, 'Hello! great morning to thee, old buddy!' The understudy looked about all over; and seeing nobody, and not knowing where the voice originated from, shouted out, 'Who calls me?' Then the man in the tree replied, 'Lift up thine eyes, for observe here I sit in the sack of knowledge; here have I, in a brief span, learned extraordinary and wondrous things. Contrasted with this seat, all the learning of the schools is as void air. Somewhat more, and I might know all that man can know, and should approach savvier than the most shrewd of humanity. Here I recognize the signs and movements of the sky and the stars; the laws that control the breezes; the quantity of the sands on the seashore; the mending of the wiped out; the excellencies everything being equal, of flying creatures, and of valuable stones. Wert thou however once here, old buddy, however wouldst feel and claim the energy of learning.
The understudy tuned in to this and pondered much; finally he stated, 'Favored be the day and hour when I discovered you; would you be able to create to give me access to the sack for a brief period?' Then the other replied, as though unwillingly, 'A little space I may permit thee to stay here, if thou wither compensate me well and implore me generous; yet thou must hesitate yet a hour underneath, till I have learnt some little issues that are yet obscure to me.' So the understudy sat himself down and held up a while; yet the time hung overwhelming upon him, and he asked truly that he may climb forthwith, for his hunger for information was extraordinary. At that point the other put on a show to give way, and stated, 'Thou must give the sack of shrewdness a chance to slip, by unfastening there rope, and afterward thou shalt enter.' So the understudy let him down, opened the sack, and set him free. 'Presently at that point,' cried he, 'let me climb rapidly.' As he started to place himself into the sack heels to begin with, 'Hold up a while,' said the nursery worker, 'that isn't the way.' Then he pushed him in head to begin with, tied up the sack, and soon swung up the searcher after knowledge dangling noticeable all around. 'How is it with thee, companion?' said he, 'dost thou not feel that astuteness comes unto thee? Rest there in peace, till thou craftsmanship a more shrewd man than thou wert.' So saying, he jogged off on the understudy's bother, and left the poor individual to assemble intelligence till some person should come and let him down.
The Three Languages
A matured include once lived Switzerland, who had a lone child, however he was inept, and could get the hang of nothing. At that point said the father: 'Behold you, my child, attempt as I will I can get nothing into your head. You should go from consequently, I will give you into the care of a praised ace, who might perceive what he can do with you.' The young was sent into a bizarre town, and remained an entire year with the ace. Toward the finish of this time, he got back home once more, and his dad asked: 'Now, my child, what have you learnt?' 'Father, I have learnt what the canines say when they bark.' 'Master show kindness toward us!' cried the father; 'is that all you have learnt? I will send you into another town, to another ace.' The young was taken thither, and remained multi year with this ace in like manner. When he returned the father again asked: 'My child, what have you learnt?' He replied: 'Father, I have learnt what the flying creatures say.' Then the father fell into an anger and stated: 'Goodness, you lost man, you have invested the valuable energy and learnt nothing; would you say you are not afraid to show up before my eyes? I will send you to a third ace, yet in the event that you don't get the hang of anything this time likewise, I will never again be your dad.' The young remained an entire year with the third ace additionally, and when he returned home again, and his dad asked: 'My child, what have you learnt?' he replied: 'Dear father, I have this year learnt what the frogs croak.' Then the father fell into the most irate outrage, jumped up, called his kin thither, and stated: 'This man is not any more my child, I drive him forward, and order you to take him out into the backwoods, and kill him.' They took him forward, however when they ought to have killed him, they couldn't do it for pity, and let him go, and they cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they may convey them to the old man as a token. The young meandered on, and after some time went to a post where he asked for a night's hotel. 'Indeed,' said the master of the manor, 'in the event that you will pass the night down there in the old pinnacle, go thither; yet I caution you, it is at the risk of your life, for it is brimming with wild canines, which bark and cry without halting, and at specific hours a man must be given to them, whom they immediately eat up.' The entire locale was in distress and unnerve as a result of them, but nobody could successfully stop this. The young, be that as it may, was without fear, and stated: 'Simply let me go down to the yelping puppies, and give me something that I can toss to them; they will do nothing to hurt me.' As he himself would have it along these lines, they gave him some nourishment for the wild creatures, and drove him down to the pinnacle. When he went inside, the mutts did not bark at him, but rather swayed their tails genially around him, ate what he set before them, and did not hurt one hair of his head. Next morning, to the bewilderment of everybody, he turned out again sheltered and safe, and said to the master of the palace: 'The pooches have uncovered to me, in their own particular dialect, why they stay there, and expedite detestable the land. They are charmed, and are obliged to watch over an awesome fortune which is underneath in the pinnacle, and they can have no rest until the point when it is taken away, and I have in like manner learnt, from their talk, how that will be done.' Then all who heard this cheered, and the ruler of the manor said he would receive him as a child in the event that he achieved it effectively. He went down once more, and as he recognized what he needed to do, he did it completel
y, and brought a chest brimming with gold out with him. The crying of the wild mutts was consequently heard no more; they had vanished, and the nation was liberated from the inconvenience. After some time he took it in his mind that he would go to Rome. In transit he go by a swamp, in which various frogs were sitting croaking. He tuned in to them, and when he wound up mindful of what they were stating, he became extremely insightful and tragic. Finally he touched base in Rome, where the Pope had simply kicked the bucket, and there was incredible uncertainty among the cardinals as to whom they ought to designate as his successor. They finally concurred that the individual ought to be picked as pope who ought to be recognized by some awesome and phenomenal token. What's more, similarly as that was chosen, the youthful check went into the congregation, and all of a sudden two snow-white pigeons flew on his shoulders and stayed staying there. The ministers perceived in that the token from above, and asked him on the spot in the event that he would be pope. He was undecided, and knew not in the event that he were deserving of this, but rather the pigeons advised him to do it, and finally he said yes. At that point was he blessed and sanctified, and in this way was satisfied what he had gotten notification from the frogs on his way, which had so influenced him, that he was to be his Holiness the Pope. At that point he needed to sing a mass, and did not know single word of it, but rather the two pigeons sat consistently on his shoulders, and said everything in his ear.
The Fox and the Cat
It happened that the feline met the fox in a woods, and as she pondered internally: 'He is sharp and loaded with understanding, and much regarded on the planet,' she addressed him friendlily. 'Great day, dear Mr Fox, how are you? How is all with you? How are you getting on in these harsh circumstances?' The fox, brimming with a wide range of egotism, took a gander at the feline from go to foot, and for quite a while did not know whether he would give any answer or not. Finally he stated: 'Goodness, you vomited facial hair cleaner, you piebald trick, you hungry mouse-seeker, what would you be able to consider? Have you the cheek to ask how I am getting on? What have you learnt? What number of expressions do you comprehend?' 'I see however one,' answered the feline, humbly. 'What workmanship is that?' asked the fox. 'At the point when the dogs are tailing me, I can spring into a tree and spare myself.' 'Is that all?' said the fox. 'I am ace of a hundred expressions, and have into the deal a sackful of tricky. You make me sorry for you; accompany me, I will encourage you how individuals make tracks in an opposite direction from the dogs.' Just at that point came a seeker with four puppies. The feline sprang deftly up a tree, and sat down at its highest point, where the branches and foliage very covered her. 'Open your sack, Mr Fox, open your sack,' cried the feline to him, however the pooches had just seized him, and were holding him quick. 'Ok, Mr Fox,' cried the feline. 'You with your hundred expressions are left hanging! Had you possessed the capacity to climb like me, you would not have lost your life.'
