8. Irving

8

IRVING

I stirred in bed. The mattress was softer than usual – downy, almost. The covers felt strange as well, and when my eyes fluttered open, the room was brighter than I was used to. The curtains next to the bed billowed in the wind filtering through the open window. I'd forgotten to close it last night.

Except, I didn't have a window next to my bed. I didn't have a patchwork quilt either, and I certainly didn't live in a log cabin. I sat up straight, the blanket falling off the bed into an unceremonious heap on the floor, and looked around.

" Fuck me ," I mumbled, rubbing my tired eyes gently. "What did I do last night?"

The library, my date, Sylvan…It all came back to me in a harsh, crashing wave. Mysteriously, I didn't regret my lust-driven decisions of the previous night. Sylvan and I had fun together. I didn't plan on doing it again, but it was pleasant and I wouldn't forget it for quite a while.

I got up, put my glasses on, and looked around the room for any sign of Sylvan. His clothes were still on the floor next to mine, the bathroom was dark and the door was ajar, and the kitchen sink still contained our empty teacups from last night.

There was only one other place he could be. I slipped my pants on, taking care to smooth out the wrinkles from the floor before they took hold permanently, and stepped out onto the front porch. There Sylvan stood buck-naked, watching the sun as it climbed higher in the sky. In the distance, fog encircled the snow-capped mountains and trees swayed in the wind.

"Beautiful," I said, approaching behind him.

"Thank you," he replied.

"I meant the view."

"I know."

We stood in silence for a few more minutes before he turned around to greet me with a kiss. I shrank away before he could reach me, eyeing him up and down.

"Put some clothes on," I told him.

"Why?" Sylvan shrugged. "There's no one else out here besides you and me, and you certainly don't care after last night…do you?"

I shook my head. I had no interest in fighting a losing battle over a few pieces of clothing. "No, I don't mind."

"Would you care for some dandelion coffee? I made it myself."

"I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I have a class to teach in about…" I checked my watch. "One hour, which means I'm going to be late if I can even manage to get out of this labyrinth at all."

Sylvan put his hands on my arms, dragging me closer. "Relax, Irving. Why don't you just call in sick? I used to do that all the time when the day was too beautiful to spend inside a classroom."

"I can't do that," I replied stiffly, shaking his hands off. "I doubt I'll see you again Sylvan, but thank you for last night. I certainly won't forget it."

Sylvan looked disappointed, but he didn't protest. "I'll get the rest of your things inside the house and then I'll show you how to get back to town."

"I would appreciate that."

I waited impatiently outside, tapping my foot on the wood planks of the porch. Sylvan returned a few minutes later with my clothes, which I slipped on quickly.

"How do I look?" I asked.

"Delicious." He looked at me admiringly.

"I'm serious."

"You look like you just came from a one-night stand."

I sighed in frustration, running my hands along my jacket to no avail. "I don't have time to go home and change, otherwise I would."

"Relax. Your students do the same all the time. If anything, they'll be happy to know that their professor is as much a human as they are – well, except for the monsters, of course. But you know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. Now, I really must go, Sylvan."

He must have sensed the urgency in my voice because he grabbed my hand and, still in the nude, jogged down the flower-lined dirt path with me till we reached the edge of the woods. I held my glasses on with my free hand as we ran, vowing not to drop and break them again. They'd survived enough already, and I didn't want to tempt fate.

"Follow this path," Sylvan told me, pointing into the forest, "and after a little while, you'll reach a gravel road that turns into a paved one. Keep going south down the paved road and eventually, you'll reach the church. The library is only a few blocks away from there."

"Thank you." I clasped his hands in mine, squeezed them, and set off down the dark, winding forest trail, wishing I still had Sylvan with me as a guide.