to you I mean?” he asked again.
“No, he’s an idiot. Besides, those male dancers are hardly gay,” she said smiling. Her eyes were dancing. “In the little I’ve seen, they are fucking hot,” she said appreciatively, then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry I don’t mean to swear. I don’t know you or if that was uncalled for. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to fucking apologize to me ,” he said with a smile. She grinned and blushed. “So now, I do believe you wish to start with season one, episode one.” It was not a question.
She lowered her eyes and shook her head. “If I can borrow them from you . . . I promise I will bring them all back,” she said, forcing herself to look at him again.
He frowned. “Oh, so you want to watch them alone?”
“I couldn’t ask you to watch them with me. That’s a lot of shows,” she said, her words flowing quicker as though in her defense.
“I don’t mind. I truly don’t have much to do otherwise. What do you say, are you up for a marathon?” he asked, praying she would say, yes!
“You ’ll watch them with me?” she asked.
“T’would be my please , Mademoiselle,” he said, holding his hand to his chest and bowing his head. “Besides, the last few seasons are on the hard drive, and I’m not sending you home with my cable box.”
“You act so strange, why do you do that?”
“Because apparently my silliness amuses you, and tis a pleasure to see you smile, and a beautiful smile it is,” he said in his best French accent.
Alyssa giggled. “I think accents are so sexy.”
He raised an eyebrow and ma de a mental note to start a list of what she likes. One, ballroom dancing; two, accents; and three . . . he was working on it being him!
“Well, my dear . . . since you have made a dreadful disarray of the room . . .” He raised an eyebrow at her, not smiling.
She gasped . “But you were the one that—”
Xander overrode her complaint, finishing his statement. “I shall straighten it at once and we shall watch together.” He helped her up from the couch, a surprised smile and titter coming from her as she stood to the side while he pushed the couch and coffee table back into their places.
He took her by the hand , acting the part of a gentleman, and helped her to the couch. Then he went about thumbing through his massive collection of videos along the furthest wall.
She was so enthralled that she went to look upon it. “You have so many movies. I’m jealous,” she mumbled.
“Yes, and I am sorry to disappoint you , but I do not own many, if any, of those action murdering sprees your friend is probably fond of. Apparently I am more of a romantic and enjoy more refined movies,” he announced in his sweet, exciting accent that even a native would have believed. He watched her as she perused the titles and noticed how it made her blush and smile.
“Yeah . . . that . . . jerk would never watch any of these,” she mentioned as she ran a finger along the titles, getting more excited with each one she read.
“I offer you my life and the months it will take to view all of my collection with you!” he announced gladly.
She laughed. “Like you would sit and watch all these with me?”
“I have no need to lie, mademoiselle, t’would be an honor,” he offered, rolling his right hand and bowing.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“That. All those fancy moves and talk . . . with an accent.”
“Because it amuses you and all I wish to do is keep you happy . . . and more.” He stated the last with a more serious tone.
He held up a handful of encased disks. “Season one,” he said, smiling. “Mademoiselle, if you will be so kind as to return to your seat, the movie feature of the night shall proceed.”
Alyssa giggled and returned to the couch. It seemed that she had momentarily forgotten about her pain and tears of not so long ago.
Xander was smiling brightly as he stood with his back to her , then tried to