Chapter 12
White Yoga Pants
On the very next day, I wake up, with Misty still asleep next to me. I decide to check my phone to see what time it is, and I find out that it's 8:30 in the morning. Noticing what appears to be the sound of rain tapping on the window, I also decide to check the weather application. Indeed, it is significantly cooler today and, as expected, the program displays an image of a gray rain cloud. I play a few games for a while before Misty wakes up as well, which I notice when she turns to me and looks at me with her adorable sleepy eyes.
“Hey, sweet pea,” I say.
“Good morning, love. What time is it?” she asks in her tired voice.
“It's nine in the morning,” I answer when I look at the clock at the top of my phone's display.
“Hmmm… I think I'd like to sleep in a little today,” Misty says after thinking about it for a moment.
“Sounds like a good idea to me. I might just browse the Web or play a few games—or maybe I'll continue sleeping too, depending on how I feel.”
“Is it raining outside?” Misty asks, glancing over to the window.
“Yeah, it seems to be drizzling right now,” I reply.
“Well, alright—I'm gonna sleep some more now. Night night.”
“Okay, baby. Enjoy your rest.”
Misty moves closer to me while still allowing me the ability to use both my hands for controlling my smartphone. I make sure the volume is set to silent so that it doesn't disturb her. After some time, I get bored and decide to join Misty in sleeping. I gently run my fingers through her soft blonde hair, giving her a little kiss on the nose. The rain is also is very peaceful and relaxing, so I fall asleep relatively quickly.
⁂
The second time I wake up, Misty is already sitting up in bed and using her silver laptop, but she's still in her pajamas.
“Good morning, babe. I see you're already up. What time is it?” I ask her.
“Oh, hey there! It's now about 10 o'clock in the morning,” she answers.
“Ah, so it's still pretty early. I think I've had enough sleep though. So… What are our plans for today?”
Right as I'm asking that question, I notice that it's still raining a little bit outside, just like it was before.
“I think I'm just going to go to the grocery store—not too exciting, but you're more than welcome to come with me if you'd like. Otherwise, I thought we could just stay in today,” Misty responds.
“Sounds like a plan to me. Today just feels like a lazy day.”
“I couldn't agree more. I just wanna chill indoors,” she declares.
“Also, we should probably make sure to bring an umbrella for when we go to the store,” I say.
“Definitely. It says it's going to be raining all day,” Misty adds.
“Maybe we should stop by the grocery store now while it's not raining that hard because, you never know, it could start pouring later on,” I suggest.
“I'm pretty much ready to go whenever you are, or if you want to, we can eat breakfast first,” she offers.
“It's fine. I'm not really hungry right now. Let's eat when we get back, especially since we're going to be shopping for food anyway.”
“Alright, I'll just change out of these pajamas real quick and we can go,” Misty says.
She shuts her laptop, and we both spend the next few minutes getting ready. Misty grabs the umbrella, and we walk swiftly to the warmth and comfort of her car. Rain always seems stronger than expected when it comes time to actually move through it.
At the grocery store, the first category we decide to look into is that of fresh produce. For fruit, we get some bananas, peaches, apples, and grapes. For vegetables, we select carrots, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes.
“I have just a few more things I'd like to grab. I'm not really wanting to buy too many things today because I don't want to carry a lot of stuff in this rain,” Misty explains once we're finished looking at fruits and vegetables.
“Yeah, I definitely agree with you there. I'll help you carry the groceries inside though, so don't worry.”
“Thanks. I know I can always count on you!” Misty responds with a smile. Next, we swing by the pasta aisle. Looking around at the options, she asks for my input: “Hmmm… Which pasta do you like?”
After browsing for a minute, we decide to get the corkscrew-shaped pasta as well as some sauce to go along with it. I'm already getting hungry anticipating today's dinner; judging by the ingredients, it's going to be a really good one.
“Now that we've got dinner covered, we should also get something for breakfast,” I say.
“Yes, that's right. I didn't forget about it. We'll do that one next and then I think that'll be the last thing I get here today,” Misty replies.
At our next destination, the cereal aisle, we're met with a wide variety of choices for breakfast items.
“I feel like having oatmeal today. What about you?” I ask Misty.
“Oatmeal would be great. Let's pick a flavor,” she answers.
Most of the flavors look alright, but one catches my attention in particular: Dinosaur Eggs Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal. It may seem like a strange choice, but that doesn't matter too much to me because I try not to let others' opinions on things determine how I should feel about them. After pointing out that oatmeal to Misty, she picks up a box of it to get a closer look.
“This looks sort of interesting. I've never had this one before!” she says, intrigued. She then places it in the plastic basket, which is starting to get pretty heavy and full. “Well, now that we've got everything, let's go to the checkout.” While we're walking there, Misty adds, “Let's do self-checkout so we can save some time.”
“Good call. I was just about to suggest that also,” I say.
We scan our food, placing it in grocery bags, and when we're done, Misty opens the umbrella once again so that we can carry the bags to her car and put them in the trunk. After that's done, we rush back inside the car and drive back home.
⁂
In total, there are four grocery bags, so each of us carries two. Even though we aren't directly in the rain for that long, Misty and I both still end up getting soaked from it.
“I think I'll take my shoes off at this point because they're a little bit dirty from the muddy ground,” I declare shortly after we enter.
After leaving my shoes near the front door, Misty then also decides to do the same because hers are in a similar condition.
“Whew, I'm glad we're done with that!” Misty breathes a sigh of relief once we take a seat at the kitchen table.
“Me too. I'm just glad that we're back inside again.”
“So… Shall we start breakfast?” she suggests a minute later.
“Oh, that's right. We haven't eaten anything yet today,” I respond.
This is later than usual for us to have breakfast, since we slept in and went to the grocery store first, which delayed the meal time. We decide to each have two packets of oatmeal. Misty empties their contents into microwavable bowls and mixes some water in with them before heating them up. As we're sitting and waiting for the oatmeal to cool down, I notice that I have an ache in my shoulder.
“That's weird… My shoulder seems to be hurting. Maybe I slept wrong last night or something,” I tell Misty, rubbing the affected muscle.
“Hmmm… Probably. Later on, I can show you some yoga stretching exercises that might help,” she offers me.
“That's probably a good idea. I'd much rather do that than take pain pills, like I used to.”
“Same. I used to take those a lot also. The more you take them—“ Misty begins.
“The less they act effectively,” I finish her sentence.
“Exactly. That's why I don't really use them anymore.”
“Yeah, I know all about that. I take pain killers rarely now, and I get far fewer headaches and things as a result,” I add.
At about this point, our breakfast has cooled down enough for us
to start eating, so we begin doing so.
“This is actually pretty good oatmeal,” Misty comments after having a few spoonfuls.
“It definitely is. I've known about it for years now.”
The sugary candy dinosaur eggs consist of a white “egg” with a colored “dinosaur” inside. The intent is for the heat of the oatmeal, when stirred, to melt the outer layer away, revealing the dinosaur within. After a few minutes, we're finished eating and clean the bowls, putting them back neatly.
For our next activity, while waiting for the food to settle, Misty and I decide to relax and play some classic Doom—more specifically, The Plutonia Experiment—multiplayer together using a source port called ZDoom.
“I remember playing this game so many years ago. I don't know a whole lot about it now though,” Misty remarks.
I help Misty install and configure ZDoom and then we're ready to begin a network game. Hosting a server for us, I tell Misty the command to connect to it. The game begins, and the first thing Misty does is change her in-game username to BlondeKisses.
“Do you like my username?” she asks, giggling.
“It's so adorable! That name suits you perfectly,” I reply with laughter.
I have my Bluetooth mouse with me, but just for fun and as a challenge, I try to play using my laptop's trackpad instead of the mouse. Although we think it's funny at first, I'm able to play surprisingly well, as it turns out. The background noise of rain outside intensifies, with thunder also joining the mix at about the time we're on the fourth level, which is an hour since we got back from the grocery store.
“Wow, it's really raining now!” I comment.
“It's a good thing we managed to get back in time,” Misty adds.
⁂
We reach the eighth level of Plutonia, stopping there because we become bored of playing the game.
“My shoulder is still kinda sore, so I think I'm ready to try those yoga poses you were talking about earlier,” I say.
“Right, I didn't forget about that. Let me just change into some lighter pants first,” she responds. Misty comes back wearing white yoga pants which highlight the sexy curves of her long legs. “Ready? Let's go to the living room because there's more carpet space there.”
We relocate ourselves to there from Misty's bedroom, where we were playing Doom a minute ago.
“While standing, try to reach down and touch your toes with your hands as best you can,” Misty begins with the first stretch.
She demonstrates the action, and I attempt to repeat it. Misty, being as flexible as she is, is able to do it fully, and although I'm not, my hands reach to within only a few inches of the ground, hovering in that position.
“There. That's about as far as I can go.”
“Great!” Misty cheers. “Now we'll do something very similar, only this time, sit down and extend your legs in front of you. Like last time, try to reach out as far as possible.”
Already, even after just these two simple stretches, the pain in my shoulder decreases slightly. After holding this position for several seconds, we move on to the next one.
“Alright, what's next?” I ask eagerly.
“Lie down flat on your stomach, with your hands in front of you, palms facing down, and lift your chest up,” Misty instructs.
Once again, like before, she shows me how to do it, and I try my best to replicate the action. After several more exercises like this, I begin to feel my shoulder muscle loosen up considerably.
“Hey, can you do the splits?” I ask Misty, curious after seeing her show off how flexible she is.
After a quick “mm-hmm,” she gets right down there with ease and her legs form a perfectly straight line lying flat against the carpet.
“Wow, you're a really flexible babe, aren't you?”
“Oh, it's nothing really. I've just been doing this for a long time,” Misty explains, giggling a little at my compliment.
We continue with our yoga session, and I eventually notice something else when Misty does one pose in particular that draws attention to her bottom.
“Hey, I didn't know you have such an awesome butt!”
“Ooo, do you wanna touch me?” Misty asks in a sensual voice.
On the floor, she gets into a sexy pose, with her bottom in the air, and then, utilizing the couch to support her upper body, she wiggles it from side to side for me. I watch her from up close without blinking even once. Misty reaches with one of her hands to squeeze her own butt and then playfully slaps it, inviting me to come a little closer and fondle her.
“Mmm… Do you like it, baby?”
“Wow… It's so big, round, and squishy. It's perfect. I love it,” I reply with fascination.
“I take it your shoulder isn't hurting anymore now?” Misty asks.
“Oh, yeah—it's definitely much better actually,” I answer. “Thanks, honey.”
“I can also give you a massage if you'd like,” she offers.
“That'd be really nice too.”
I sit down on the couch angled to the side, giving Misty access to my back while she sits next to me. She begins the massage by gently rubbing my shoulders before making her way down to my back. Misty clearly knows exactly what she's doing when it comes to giving massages and isn't just making up random motions on-the-fly. I've had her rub my back prior to this but never anything on this scale. Her careful touch sends shivers along my spine and all over my back.
“That feels so good!” are the only words I can muster.
After our yoga exercises and the relaxing massage, we decide that it's time for a mid-day nap. Misty lets out one of her characteristically adorable, tiny yawns.
“I'm feeling kind of tired now for some reason,” she says.
“Today is just a very sleepy kind of day, for sure. Besides, that wonderful back and shoulder massage has put me in the mood for a snooze myself,” I reply.
We return to Misty's bedroom and lie down, making sure to set an alarm to wake us up in an hour. She falls asleep with her head lovingly resting on my chest, and soon after, I drift off as well. At the scheduled time, the blare of the alarm wakes us up almost instantly.
“That one-hour nap was just what I needed,” Misty remarks when the grogginess of waking up begins wearing off.
“Yeah, I don't feel as worn out anymore.”
Next, we decide to engage in one of our favorite activities—watching television together. By this point, it's still raining outside as well as thundering, though the thunder is less frequent and intense compared with earlier.
“Hey, do you happen to have snacks of any kind?” I ask Misty while we're both facing the television screen.
“I think I may have a few bags of microwave popcorn lying around somewhere. Let me go check,” Misty says, getting up and walking to the kitchen. I hear several drawers and cabinet doors open and close from the kitchen. Eventually, she calls out, “Found it!” I then hear the short beeps of her pushing buttons on the microwave oven before she comes back and plops herself down onto the couch once again. “It'll be ready in just a few minutes,” she tells me.
The popping sound of the popcorn cooking is audible even from this distance. Two minutes later, as expected, the microwave signals that it's finished with the sound of three long beeps.
“I'll go get it so that you don't have to stand up a bunch of times,” I offer.
“Thanks, sweetie. I appreciate it.”
I bring back the now-inflated bag with popcorn rustling around inside. I sit down and open it from the end that has Caution: Contents will be hot. Handle from this side only written on it. As soon as I begin eating, I can tell immediately that this is an extra-buttery type of popcorn, reminding me somewhat of Misty's mashed potatoes from the other day.
We continue watching the TV, adding to the air the sound of our munching and crunching. The best part of eating popcorn with Misty is when we both reach into the bag at the same time and our hands touch.
⁂
“What shoul
d we have for lunch, babe?” I ask towards the middle of the afternoon.
“We could make ourselves some grilled-cheese sandwiches,” Misty suggests. “Would you like that?”
“That's a great idea actually. Since the weather doesn't permit, we can't really easily go out and buy something—and we don't have to because we can make grilled cheese using things we have right here.”
“Yep, that's pretty much what I was just thinking.”
With that said, we enter the kitchen to begin preparing the sandwiches. First, Misty brings out the whole-grain bread and a packet of sliced Colby-Jack cheese. As it so happens, we both reach into the bag containing the bread at the same time—much like what happened with the popcorn bag earlier. We each add however many slices of cheese we wish and then repeat this procedure one more time to produce two sandwiches. Next, Misty recommends we spread some butter onto both sides before placing them on the skillet, explaining that the sandwiches will taste better that way. She stores the bread and cheese away and brings out the cylindrical container of butter. We layer on as much butter as desired and then Misty returns it to storage as well. The last step is to use the skillet to actually put the grilled into our grilled-cheese sandwiches, and soon afterward, they're ready.
“Hey, I have an idea for something we could do while it's still summer,” Misty announces once we're sitting down at the table and eating.
“Oh, yeah? What is it?” I ask, curious.
“We should go on a cruise!”
“That would be very nice, but aren't those usually really expensive?”
“Well, if we look around online, maybe we can find a good deal,” she replies.
After lunch, Misty retrieves her laptop from her room, and we sit very close to each other so that we're both able to see the screen comfortably.
“The first thing is figuring out what our destination should be,” Misty says as we begin checking out cruises on the Web.
“Good question. I'm not really sure I have any specific preference,” I respond.
We look at a list of some of the possibilities, and Misty reads them out loud.
“Is there such a thing as a cruise to nowhere? Would that be an option?” I ask.
“They have that too, yes. Do you think that's a good one to try?”
“Truthfully, all I really want out of a getaway like this is to have fun, relax, and so forth; I don't need to go anywhere in particular. So yeah, that one's fine by me if it's okay with you.”
“I'm totally down with that. I mostly just want to enjoy all the activities they offer on the ship,” Misty replies.
“Same. I also think that just being out in the middle of the ocean would be something special.” A few seconds after, I append to my previous statement, “But of course, the most important thing is that I'm together with you, honey.”
“Awww, you are just the sweetest, aren't you?” she responds as I lean in and plant a kiss right on her soft lips.
Now that we've agreed on the general type of cruise we're looking for, Misty and I research various websites to find the best deal possible. After some time and effort, finally, we end up booking a three-day cruise to nowhere at a relatively reasonable price.
⁂
Later on, once it's time for dinner, I join Misty in the kitchen to watch her prepare this pasta recipe that she's been mentioning. First, she adds a little salt to a pot of water, placing it on the stove so it can be used to prepare the pasta. While that's happening, nearby, she cooks some ground meat and onions in a skillet for some time before adding the sauce in there. As the oven is preheating, Misty spreads a bit of grease onto a baking dish, explaining to me that this is necessary to prevent the food from sticking to the tray. Everything starts coming together as Misty begins to combine the other things onto the baking dish in layers: pasta, thinly sliced cheese, sour cream, some of the sauce mixture, more pasta, a different type of cheese that's shredded, and more of the sauce mixture. The finishing touch is to sprinkle on yet another kind of cheese, grated this time.
“Now we wait for it to bake for about thirty minutes in the oven, and that's it,” Misty informs me.
“That was interesting to watch. It reminds me a lot of what lasagna looks like. Where did you get the recipe?”
“Oh, I just found it online,” she answers.
While we wait for dinner to finish cooking, Misty and I find a mobile game called Crash Drive 2, which has an online multiplayer mode that we can use to play together. After the required amount of time elapses, our meal is finally ready, so we sit down at the table to enjoy it. As expected from the ingredients put into it, the dish is very cheesy—definitely not a bad thing in this case. During our initial bites, we both laugh as we watch each other separate the mess of thin cheesy strings that keep forming themselves between our mouths and the plate. Dinner is so delicious that we manage to gobble up our portions in a span of just ten minutes or so.
“Even though we mostly stayed inside today, it still feels like it was such an eventful day. If regular activities are this exciting whenever I share them with you, I can't wait to find out what a cruise will be like!” I declare in anticipation while we're cleaning up after dinner.