Tiny Tim полностью

Mia’s smile widened as she suddenly leaned down and placed a soft kiss directly on my lips. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, there was no attempt at introducing her tongue to my mouth either, but it was slow, tender, and savoring. And lasting. It was at least a minute before she broke that kiss. Even then, when I opened my eyes again, she refused to move her head away or take her hand off my face, but instead pressed her forehead to mine and resumed stroking my cheek with her thumb.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” she whispered softly, and that somehow unnerved me.

It was the officer clearing his throat that pulled my consciousness back to reality, while Mia completely ignored the people standing around us.

“Well, I got everything I need. I’ll be on my way then.” he smirked, tipped his hat to the people in the room, and left.

With the officer gone, I finally noticed how many people were still in the room, and I was basically naked under those covers. I grew rather uncomfortable, especially with Mia so close to me with only a blanket hiding my bits. Luckily, Nora seemed to notice my uneasiness, stepped behind her daughter to gently grab her by the shoulders and pull her off me.

“Come on, Honey. Let’s go see to it that your savior has everything he needs.” she grinned, and led Mia out of the room. I immediately seized the opportunity.

“Mr. Miller, Sir ... I need you to do me a favor.”

“Name it!” he immediately agreed.

“I need you to take Mia home and force her to watch the second Speed movie.” I said, matter of fact, causing him to look confused.

“The ... what?”

“You know, not the one with the bus. The one with Discount Keanu Reeves on the boat.”

“I know the movie, Timothy. Why do you want me to make her watch it?”

“Because Sandra Bullock spends the entire movie telling everyone how relationships born from extreme situations are doomed to fail.”

While Bill and Paul suddenly burst out in laughter, Mr. Miller looked thoughtful for a moment before his entire expression lit up.

“Good man!” he was already in motion before he had even finished saying that.

Paul decided to do the same as the officer, and, after he assured me once more that he was only a phone call away should I need anything else from my apartment, left the room as well. When Nora came back, alone, she gave me a lecture regarding the stunt I just pulled on her poor daughter, though it was clear she saw it more as a prank than an actual attempt to get rid of Mia.

I spent the next half hour talking with Bill and Nora, getting updated on what happened with the other attendants of the party after I was taken away. Simultaneously, Nora fuzzed around the room to make sure I was well taken care of by the hospital staff. All that came to an abrupt stop, however, when the door opened again and someone else entered the room.

“You seem to be alright.” Aaron noted, in a remarkably cold voice that drew everyone’s attention.

That tone irritated me at first. Then I remembered what Uncle John had told me about Claire and Ava moving in with him, and understood Aaron’s coldness. Not that it was particularly new to me anyway, but it was clear he blamed me for his marital troubles.

“Why are you here?” I asked, not eager to have any kind of confrontation with him in front of people I had to work with.

“The hospital called, had to sign some paperwork. Do I have to get you anything?”

“You don’t have to do anything, Aaron. Paul has me covered already.”

“Good. Take care of yourself. I need to get back to work.” he proclaimed, and left the room as unceremoniously as he had entered it.

“Who was that!?” Nora asked, notably confused, causing me to pause for a moment before I answered.

“My father.”

This caught her unprepared, and the room fell silent as awkward glances were exchanged. They had heard about my familial problems, but this was the first time they had witnessed it. Well, Bill had witnessed some of it, but nothing blatant like what just happened.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Nora said in a stern voice, before she hurried out of the room.

“Oh god, please don’t run after him and make a scene!” was all I could think of at that moment, but my prayer was not granted. Shortly after Nora had left the room, we could hear her heated voice being carried through the corridors. The pitying look I received from Bill did not make this any better.

When Nora stepped back into the room two minutes later, she seemed a little embarrassed, but quickly started buzzing around the room again as if she was trying to actively avoid addressing it.

“Nora, I need to ask you a favor too.”

“What is it?” The caring tone she used made me smile.

“I understand why you had the urge to go after him, and I appreciate that you have that urge. But can you please not try the same with the rest of my family? I really don’t need any more of what just happened.”