25.5

she led me to her bedroom.

i could feel her father

watch me warily.

“leave the door open,” he said.

lining her wall by her bed

were 4 large vintage dollhouses,

with beautiful porcelain dolls.

there was on dollhouse

that was larger than the other others

with 4 floors,

frosty windows that glowed.

fake snow surrounded all of the dollhouses.

i gaped at them in awe.

“oh… these are lovely…

may i touch them?”

she nodded and crouched down

next to me.

i held one doll

with a bow in her brown hair,

wearing a white pinafore dress,

and placed her in one of the bedrooms

that contained a 5-piece mahogany set,

with a wooden bed

and dressers,

bleak floral wallpaper,

and a small red rug

in the center.

i glanced over at maja

who had moved to her bed.

“these pieces are beautiful,

where did you get them?” i asked.

“online,

but i made the clothes.”

she nodded towards her sewing machine.

“i always add to the collection, though.”

she added, sitting next to me again.

she watched me

as i examined the porcelain bathroom set.

she looked a little distant.

“are you alright?”

“i suppose not, no.”

“well, is there anything i can do

to make you feel better?”

she put a finger to my lips

and said i’ll be back

before entering her bathroom.

6 minutes later,

she came back,

wearing only a pale yellow

lace bra and underwear.

she closed her bedroom door.

“i think our relationship

was meant to be

strictly platonic.” i said.

she sat down next to me

by the dollhouses.

i was distracted by

her bareness,

and i was having terrible thoughts

on touching her.

first her thin arms,

then her chest,

down to her long torso,

between her thighs.

“what are you thinking?”

“thoughts i shouldn’t be thinking

about you,”

“are you allowing me to touch you?” i asked.

she nodded.

i hesitated at the opportunity,

but i thought about her father

downstairs, and the closed door,

and statutory rape.

i backed away instantly.

“put your clothes on.” i said.

afraid that her father would enter then,

i opened the door.

“i’d better go.”

i ran down the stairs.

“you are leaving now?” her father startled me

from the living room.

“yes, bye.”

“take care.”

i could feel him watch me

as i left.