Glimpse

As in:

After the second drilling pinch to his behind from Chellis, Gardner decided he had to focus less on being a cut up and more on being part of the solution. Chellis and Flavian both had to change out of pajamas to go to the film festival and it was during this interval that Gardner motioned for Astrid to come back into the kitchen.

He had decided to take upon himself the task of letting Astrid know about Flavian’s condition. He knew all too well what Flavian’s problem was and because Gardner was so glib that he could explain Planck’s Constant to a culinary student, even he knew there was danger in just letting it all come out.

So he purposely reigned himself in a bit, threw in moments of mock frustration and losses for words and told Astrid that Flavian suffered from unusual shyness with “girls, um, women and especially women, um, who are, um, how do I say this, lovely. Yes. Lovely, like you.”

Astrid leaned back suddenly, as she blushed and hatched a small smile. She was silent for a few seconds and then expressed her confusion.

“But he was so wonderful at that Christmas party, and funny, so how did that happen like this?”

Now, Gardner did have to think. It was one thing to alert Astrid to Gardner’s shyness, but it was something else entirely to tell her that the reason Flavian had been so relaxed with her at the Christmas party is that he never considered, for a moment, that she would be interested in him. If anything, Flavian was playing the anti-hero, a frog with the princess.

“You know,” Gardner responded, biting down on his lower lip, “that’s the darndest thing. What he had there he lost somehow.”

With that they both heard Chellis land at the bottom of the stairs and start pacing toward them.

“How can you say that?” Astrid asked.

“Say what?” Chellis asked as she turned to come into the kitchen.

“I was just trying to explain to Astrid about Flavian,” Gardner said.

Chellis froze him with a look but had to drop it before Astrid caught a glimpse of it.

“Yes,” Chellis said, “Flavian is just so, so…

And then Flavian’s feet hit the floor at the stairs and it was clear, from the sound, that he was drawing near to the kitchen.

Gardner suddenly shook his finger in the air and placed it over his lips. Astrid brought a finger to her lips, and then so did Chellis.

Flavian turned the corner with a troubled look on his face.

“Do you think I have time to floss before we leave?”