"Hoffman-HomeForChristmas" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hoffman Abbie)

He stared at her. "You're a girl," he said after a moment.

She grinned at him and set her mug on the coaster. "Could you loan me some soap
and towels and stuff? I sure could use a shower now."

"You're a girl?"

"Mmm. How old do you have to be not to be a girl?"

"Eighteen," he said.

"I'm beyond girl."

"You're an elf," he said.

She grinned. "Could I borrow something clean to sleep in?"

He blinked, shook his head. "Linda's got clothes here, in her old room. She's
actually a little bigger than you now." He put his mug down and stood up. "I'll
show you," he said.

She grabbed her new toothbrush and followed him down the little hall. He opened
a linen closet, loaded her arms with a big fluffy towel and a washrag, then led
her into a bedroom.

--Hello,-- she thought to the room. It smelled faintly of vanished perfume, a
flowery teen scent. All the furniture was soft varnished honey wood. The
built-in bed against the far wall had wide dresser drawers below it and a
mini-blind-covered window above. A desk held a small portable typewriter;
bookshelves cradled staggering rows of paperbacks, and a big wooden dresser with
chartreuse drawers supported about twenty stuffed animals in various stages of
being loved to pieces. On the wall hung a framed photographic poster of pink
ballerina shoes with ribbons; another framed poster showed different kinds of
owls. Ice green wall-to-wall deep pile carpet covered the floor.

--You're not the one,-- said the room.

--No, I'm not. The one isn't coming tonight. May I stay here instead? I won't
hurt anything.--

--You can't have his heart,-- said the room.

--All fight,-- said Matt. This room was not happy like the kitchen. It relaxed,
though.

--Thanks,-- Matt thought.

Jim walked to the dresser and opened a drawer. "How do you feel about flannel?"
he said, lifting out a nightgown. The drawer slammed shut, almost catching his