I joined Aisha and Alec in the kitchen.  “Morning.”

“Sup,” Aisha said, curt.  She’d found some frosted cereal and was pouring herself a bowl.  She gave me a sidelong glance that wasn’t so flattering.

Oh boy, does she not approve?

I suppose Taylor leaning up against Brian right when Brian’s at his most vulnerable (or rather, recovering from that) could give Aisha the wrong idea.

“How is the man?”  Alec asked.

“Stressed, anxious, not sleeping.  Can’t blame him.”

“And you’re using all that to get closer to him?”  Aisha asked.

Huh. I seriously didn’t expect her to make it explicit that quickly.

I suppose she always was a blunt one.

I blinked.  “No.”

“Looked awfully cozy,” she replied.

It’s still unlikely that Alec didn’t tease Brian, but I suppose Aisha probably didn’t given that this is how she looks at it.

I glanced back in Brian’s direction.  He was standing at the window at the other side of the building, peering outside, his back to us.

“I drifted off.  An accident.  Trust me when I say I feel bad enough about doing anything to make him feel less than a hundred percent comfortable when he needed rest.”

I kind of like how matter-of-factly Taylor is denying this. It gives me the sense that she doesn’t have anything to get embarrassed or defensive over.

“Bet you a thousand bucks he didn’t mind,” Alec said.  Aisha gave him a dirty look.

Hehe.