Kitten

6. Amahle

"So do you like it?" Hazel asks excitedly as she watches me with her sketchbook sitting gingerly in my hands now that we've finished breakfast.

Like is an understatement. I love seeing her version of me on paper for many reasons besides it being the best drawing of myself that I've ever seen, as promised. She made me look like a queen on her best day. From the robe to the details of my face, I can't decide what to look at because her depiction of me is quite stunning in a way I was not expecting.

"This is so beautiful, Hazel." I am very much speechless as I wasn't expecting the portrait to look so flawlessly professional. 

"So does that mean I get my reward now?"

I laugh and nod my head. When I'm finally able to tear my eyes away from the picture and glance at Hazel, I see she's already turned a dark shade of red.

"Yes, it does. I will turn the fountain on now."

"Ohmygoshhhh!" She squeals happily with a smile so big, I don't resist when I begin grinning myself.

Hazel watches intently as I go from the chocolate fountain to the refrigerator where fresh strawberries and blueberries sit on a plate just for this moment. Even if I hadn't been pleased with her drawing, I still planned on letting her play in the fountain just because of the joy that spread across her cheeks the moment she laid eyes on it the very first time she came over.

I disappear into the pantry before coming back with a bag of pretzels, one of my favorite snacks to nibble on from time to time.

"Do you like blueberries or pretzels?" I ask as I slip into the barstool next to her.

"Both but I love strawberries the most."

My stomach flutters as her soft-spoken voice plays over in my head even when she's done speaking. I like when her voice gets high-pitched and child-like. Hearing it makes me want to pull her in my arms even though I know I have no business doing so.

As bad as I want to feed Hazel the strawberries she desperately wants as I dip the first one into the waterfall of chocolate, I refrain from acting on that urge because then I know I won't be able to stop myself from doing something crazy like taking her bottom lip between my teeth. Those thoughts cause my skin to tingle because I don't understand them.

I am a faithful woman and have been my entire marriage. But sitting next to Hazel now, being faithful isn't what's on my mind.

 
So I smile and stand to put some space between the two of us.

"I hope to keep your portrait." I tell her with my back turned until I can get ahold of my thoughts, feelings, and hormones.

"Oh, you can when I put it on a canvas. That one was just...for practice, you know."

"I'd like to keep the original after you're done with it, if that is alright with you." I say as I turn to lean against the counter to get another quick glimpse of the angel sitting happily in my kitchen.

"Okay." She grins and sucks chocolate from her finger with innocent big brown eyes. "If you want to, you can."

"Very well. I want to." I swallow the lump in my throat and then busy myself with straightening up the kitchen even though I cleaned it after I finished cooking breakfast.

With her eyes on me, my fingers tremble nervously.

It isn't until we both finish with the chocolate strawberries and pretzels and we're in the living room that my nerves begin to calm down. I know what I am doing is wrong. I'm not supposed to be at my penthouse for the third day in a row because of how much work I need to get done with this new project and yet, I don't want to be without Hazel's presence.