Lex got up and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms. Even though it was warm for January, it wasn't warm enough to be walking around the house in a short little summer nightgown. As she stood up she laughed as she realized it probably wasn't appropriate to even wear it alone during the summer here at home. The light blue nightgown, wasn't a gown at all, it barely fell to mid-thigh. She tied the bottoms low on her hips then reached for a hair tie and pulled her hair back off her face in a ponytail. Then left her room.
Thursday morning, Lex thought as she skipped down the stairs. Her father went into the office today and her mom was at the hospital all day. She was only home this week because her brother was away on vacation; it was safe to be home. The house to herself she started to plan her day out in her head as she walked into the kitchen. Not two steps into the kitchen the happy thought bubble on how to spend her day popped. There sitting at the table was her father, he was in his "stay at home" clothes and he was eating a bowl of cereal.
"I thought you were in the office today?" Lex slowly walked in and started to get her own bowl of cereal.
"Changed days." Max only half paid attention to his daughter, he was focused on the sports page.
"You going to be home all day?"
"That's the plan." He lifted a spoonful of cereal to his mouth. "Are you?"
"That was my plan as well." Lex hopped up onto a stool to sit at the island counter.
"I'm doing work around the house today." Max put the paper down and looked up at his daughter. "You helping?"
"You crazy?" Lex shoved a heaping spoonful into her mouth.
"Don't put that much food into your mouth, you'll choke."
"Yes Dad." Well that's what Lex said; it's not what it sounded like. Milk and cereal fell out of her mouth. Lex slid off the stool to grab paper towels.
"What are you wearing?" Max looked at the nightgown his daughter wore; at least she wore pants with it.
Lex wiped her mouth. "What?" She looked down. "You don't like my mismatched Pjs?"
Max just shook his head, he had to choose his words wisely. "It's not that I don't like it, but you better not be wearing that without bottoms on."
"Why?" Lex was getting playful with her father. They always had a playful relationship, she was daddy's little girl, but this wasn't the same playful behavior they used to have. Lex was nearly, if not completely now, flirting with her father.
Max was torn. Stay and continue this playful banter with his daughter, or retreat to his office and finish reading the paper. It had been too long since they got along this well, yet he was uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was already headed. He should have kept his mouth shut. "Lex, it's barely covers..." He stopped unsure of what to say.
"Barely covers what?"
Shit, Max thought to himself. Now what did he say? "It barely covers your..."The phone rang and Lex went to pick it up. Max hurriedly picked up his paper and started to leave the room.
"Dad it's for you." Lex called after her father.
"I'll take it in my office." He called back over his shoulder.
************************************
Lex was lying on her side on the couch. She channel-surfed and groaned to herself about how much she hated daytime TV. Of course she wasn't paying attention to the channels as they passed by. Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the events that took place in the kitchen earlier in the day. She couldn't fully believe what had happen, what she had done. She knew it was because of the playful way she was acting that her father had hesitated in his statement and ran off the first chance he got.
Lex thought she was over this whole thing with her father. She had gotten over the little fling with her brother. That had blown over nearly as fast as it had started. And she had only had the dream once about her father. Both of those had happen months ago. And this wasn't her first time home since then, or her first time alone with her father, so why now? Why today, did they get along and not fight over the length of the nightgown? Any other day it would have been a fight, which would have lead to other topics. Lex growled as she threw the remote down and shuffled off to the kitchen for something to eat.
While Lex was fighting with her thoughts down in the kitchen, Max was in his office fighting with his own thoughts. He was attempting to do the books for the household finances but he just couldn't focus. His thoughts we're focused on his daughter and that nightgown, or lack thereof. What if she had come downstairs in just that? She had thought he would be at work; she very easily could have come down in just that small nightgown. What would he have done then?
Max pushed back from the desk and leaned back in the chair. He had to clear his mind of the events of the morning. Only problem, once he closed his eyes Max was greeted by the cruel trick of his mind, a picture of Lex in just the little nightgown. He immediately opened his eyes and sat up. That wasn't going to work. He had to get his mind on something else; he was going to focus back on the books. He could do it; he just had to pretend he was alone in the house.
That would have been easy, however just as he settled in to try the books again a loud crash sounded in the kitchen, followed by a long string of curse words. He shook his head and laughed for two reasons. One he laughed at how a girl who is a skillful dancer is so clumsy in other areas of her life and two how his sweet, delicate daughter was blessed with the mouth of a sailor.
"What happened?" Max walked into the kitchen.
