In a moment Maille was tired and Kell, sensing she was, pulled her up on the table with him, her legs dangling over the edge, his framing hers as he disentangled her long hair.

"Your mother." He said.

"Has long hair too." She finished, he pulled her to the side and gave her a funny look.

"It's a game." She laughed.

  "Ahhhhh."

"Your father..."

"Rides horses." She finished quickly.

"Your sister..." he shot at her with a casual lilt.

"Which one?"

  "Megan."

"Married cousin Stevie."

"In the family?" He was startled.

"Friend of the family, grew up together." She clarified.

  "Melia."

"Has two children."

He hesitated a second too long and Maille pulled away and turned to look into his eyes. "Ha! I won. You have to keep the beat or it's my turn."

His eyes were round in comprehension, but he nodded slowly, holding her hair carefully and moved her chin with one finger.

"Keep the beat." He repeated as he nodded at her again and expertly flipped her head back to the front so he could continue working on her hair.

"Your dreadlocks?" She went on.

"Costume."

"Your boyfriend."

"Not here." He replied, a sudden wariness in his voice that Maille didn't miss. "Where?"

  "Away."

"On a trip?"

"Out of sight."

"Your dog..."

"Newfoundland."

"Black?"

"Brown."

"Your cat."

"No cat."

"Fish?"

"Parana!" He ran the comb alongside her neck and then without warning bit her there. Maille squealed and ducked away, but he held her, scrambling over her to jump like a monkey off the table and check the laundry, he threw it all in the dryer and added a quarter.

"My game." He said as he resumed his place behind her.

"Yes?''

"Answer my question with a question."

"Okay." She'd played that game before.

"Why you were in wardrobe?" he began.

"Why were you there?"

"What is your favorite dress?"

"What color are your eyes?"

"Blue." He answered and then at her gasp and laugh he flicked her ear and started over. "What is your favorite speed to drive?"

"How old are you?"

"What is your favorite girl's name?"

"Why are you sitting behind me?"

"To brush your hair." He answered and then sighed. "You do that every time. You've played this game before."

She chuckled. "You noticed."

''Now play another game."

"Okay." She said, "Since I beat you at both of those!"

"Answer my question."

"Just answer it?"

"Honestly."

She hesitated. "Discretion."

He tugged hard at a rather nasty snarl and she winced. His hand gentled her immediately and Maille calmed. "Of course."

There was a long silence, and Maille basked in the feel of someone playing with her hair. All her life she'd played with her sister's hair for them, relaxing them, styling them, putting them to sleep. But when it came to her turn they usually only did it for about one minute and then got bored and left. She assumed it was because her hair was all one color, dark brown. Theirs were all the shades of golden and red mixed together. Their hair was truly beautiful, and long, and full. Maille's had always been straight and brown, no character at all, and when she permed it, it frizzed unbearably.

"Why were you in the wardrobe?" his voice had turned low again, and it was as if the lights in the humming laundry mat also lowered. Maille closed her eyes and remembered the wardrobe.

"Waiting for my sisters."

"Why in the wardrobe?"

"Out of the way."

"Were you hiding?"

Maille felt the truth and nodded. "Maybe some."

"Did what you overheard make you cry?"

She felt the lump of anger and hurt congeal once again as the memory sparked. She nodded, unable to speak.

"What did you overhear?" he asked and stopped brushing to lean in to her back. Just the physical presence of a warm and caring human being made the tears slip out. Maille leaned back and let his strong arms encompass her. His hand still held the brush, but his other hand held hers, over her heart. His breath on her neck was warm and sweet, and ticklish. She felt so cared about.

"They were fighting over how not to have to take me home. I waited for them here, at their beck and call, all day, and they wanted nothing more than to ditch me. I 'm sick of it. Sick of being unwanted. I want my own car, my own place, my own life." And there it broke and she turned to cry into his neck. Those same gentle hands caressed her back and that same tender voice murmured endearments into her hair.

"It is always thus." He said then when she seemed to subside.

"What is?"

"The third party... the pesky little sister....the tag along." He smiled at her widened eyes. "But, but, but ... I am here." He kissed her forehead, "And I am safe..."

He left her to jump agilely off the table to fold their warm exercise clothes. Maille dried her tears and joined him feeling shy again in the presence of his confident buccaneer self. He swung his hips as they exited and he held the door for her again.

They drove back to the studio and retrieved her purse. In silence, they drove to her house in Park City where she stayed with her family and he declined coming in even though lights were on. Maille cajoled a bit. He was adamant until she suggested they not go in the front, but go around to the back and lay on the trampoline and look at the stars. This was more his style, and Kell parked and got out. This time he did help her out and they walked hand in hand to the back gate and hence, around the pool and to the trampoline.

When they were laying, not touching comfortably, she said, "The question game."

"Hmmm." He answered lazily.

"Do you have a place in Salt Lake?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever been to Montana?"

"Yes."

"Did you like it?"

"Very much."

"What was your favorite part?"

"Cows."

They both laughed quietly at that, turning to muffle their snorts in their armpits. "What were you doing in the wardrobe?" she asked.

"Trying on costumes." He replied, baffled that she had to ask.

"Your costumes for your movie?"

Now she was on to something. "Not always."

"What other costumes?"

He didn't answer and she knew then he wasn't going to. He wouldn't let her any further in than that. Even though he'd asked her very personal questions and expected an answer.

He pointed to a cluster of stars and asked her their name, they were both fairly familiar with the stars and began an intense discussion of planetary times, quasars and nebulas, galaxies and satellites. It was in the middle of one such lengthy dispensation that he realized she wasn't answering, and he rolled over to hear her gentle even breathing.

"My favorite sound in all the world!' He whispered and gently pulled her long hair out from under his shoulder to curl it silkily around his wrist.

"Question, Maille Mann. Why didn't you leave me when you had the chance?" and then he rolled back on his back and let himself drift off quietly.

******