At last, and only after mock protest, she took mercy on the poor man in the kitchen with her and closed that amazing bit of literature. She stared at the ceiling until she stopped laughing, but the smile was still there when she looked back at him.
"That," she sighed happily, "Was brilliant." Naturally, she'd never breathe a word of it again -- but for now, she felt lighter for all of that. It was about the best thing that'd happened all day.
But no, she thought, looking back at the man who was watching her with a peculiar expression, no, there was something better. He'd taken up her cause, today; he'd run to her to make sure she was all right. Beauty bit her bottom lip and quietly dropped to her feet. She wanted to tell him many things, just then. Nothing quite fit in this moment, which felt like it was changing by the second.
"I'll just go..." she said, a little shyly now, "...shelf this." If she knew anything, it was how to shelf a book. Moments later, the stereo hummed to life, bringing with it an ease that hadn't been there before. She pillowed her arms on the back of the couch again and watched dinner take shape.