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And Then Our Lips...

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


Chapter Two: And Then Our Lips…


They stood still for a few moments, while getting their eyes acclimated to the darkness.

“I would turn on a light, but I’m afraid that it would only attract attention.”

“In that case, the darkness will just have to do. Where are we, anyway?” he asked, hearing a hollow echo.

“In a hidden stairwell. The original owner was an eccentric who liked the idea of solitude, so he made a point of being difficult to track inside his home. Where we’re going is to the conservatory. She opened a door across the small room that he had assumed led to the backyard.

“A conservatory,” he thought, “I thought those were only found in mansions.”

“It was converted from the large, two-story sunroom on the back of the house,” she continued, as though reading his mind. “Here, let me go first. I wouldn’t want you to fall into the pool.”

“There’s a pool in here?” he asked as they moved along a pathway into the warmth of the glass-enclosed space.

“Well, sort of. It’s more of a large heated water feature, but doubles as a whirlpool. Here we are,” Aaliyah announced as she rounded a corner. She touched a panel, and suddenly muted lighting appeared beneath a surface of water, giving a soft glow to the area that allowed him to see his surroundings.

The scene that awaited him was out of a fairytale, if you were into the adult variety. A divan, covered in textured pillows, was set against a backdrop of tropical flowers and plants. Nearby, A waterfall rushed down into a small rock grotto, large enough for two people to play in comfortably. He forced his thoughts away from that topic as she sat down on the divan, patting the place beside her.

He took her up on the invitation, and popped open the bottle of cider. As she took her first sip she looked at him over the rim of the glass.

“So, you’ve been away on business. What is it exactly that you do with your time?”

“I buy and sell things.”

“What kinds of things?” she asked.

“Anything. Companies, commodities, land… you name it. I also dabble in some real estate development, and I sometimes help people find financing for their ventures.”

“It sounds as though you never have a dull day.”

“That certainly isn’t true. Believe me when I say that working that hard has its drawbacks.”

“Like what?”

“Like sacrifice. You sacrifice your social life in a big way when you sign on for this kind of gig. Anyway, we are not going to talk about me all night. I want to hear more about you. I already know you can move on the dance floor. Tell me something I don‘t know.”

“Well, I’m a lawyer, with a secret passion for the performing arts, as well as writing and painting.”

“No!”

“Really. I do a lot of entertainment law. As a matter of fact, one of the guys I help my boss to represent is here tonight. He’s a producer for that new teenage action movie.”

“You mean the one the kids were watching tonight?”

“Yeah, wasn’t that sweet of him? He brought it so that they would have something to do besides hang out with us, being miserable. He brought a few others for them to look at too, just in case.”

“I would think that with a setup like the one I saw in the entertainment room, there would already be a lot of first run movies available here.”

“Don’t let first impressions fool you. Most of the time when Derrick isn’t here, that TV stays off. He’s an architect with his own firm you know, and also does both interior and exterior design work. He’s a great big brother, and also the one who bought this house as a graduation present and oversaw its renovation, so he had a lot to say about what he wanted in a house. His original argument was, “What about when you get a man? Where are we going to watch the game?” When he saw that that wasn’t getting him anywhere, he decided to play hardball. He bought a copy of Kathleen Battle performing a beautiful aria and played it at his house, where there’s a similar setup. He won that round, and the TV was installed the next day.”

They shared a laugh that broke the ice between them. He was strangely pleased to find out that Derrick and Aaliyah were brother and sister. Yet, he was enjoying his time here with Kitty so much. They continued to talk and to laugh, as they shared the fruit and the cider.

Aaliyah’s head was spinning. She thought, “This can’t be happening. He’s never been interested in me before, and I’ve lived here over a year now. It seemed surreal, like a scene right out of a romantic fantasy movie.” She reached absently for another strawberry, biting into it and using her tongue to clean away any excess chocolate from her lips.

On the other hand, the sight of her tongue running unconsciously across her lips transfixed Gabriel. She was obviously not trying to seduce him, which made it all the more effective. She’d left a little fleck of chocolate just to the right of her mouth and he leaned in slowly, giving her plenty of time to withdraw. He looked into her eyes, witnessing both uncertainty and invitation there. Then, she closed them, offering her lips with an indrawn breath.

He began at the corner of her cheek by her ear, slowly kissing his way toward her mouth. When he reached the chocolate his tongue darted out, startling a gasp from her lips and parting them. That was all the invitation he needed. Capturing her lips with his own, he began to sip from her, first holding her mouth in position by cupping her face in his hands, then putting his arms around her to draw her into closer contact.

They both drew back as they heard footsteps coming toward them from the opposite direction than they had taken. Aaliyah used one of the napkins to wipe her lip-gloss from Gabriel’s mouth. Then they hurriedly stood.

Derrick came into view. “I thought you might be here. Mrs. Reardon’s been having a fit, trying to figure out where you went,” he said, speaking of the neighborhood’s biggest gossip. “I just came to tell you that the party is winding down, and people are starting to leave. I thought you might want to speak with some of them first.”

Aaliyah looked at her watch. She blinked. They couldn’t have been in here that long.

“Speaking of people we wanted to talk to, have you seen Aaliyah? I never did find her, tonight,” Gabriel interjected.

“But you…” began Derrick, shooting a bewildered glance at Aaliyah.

“But I’m her,” Aaliyah choked out at the same time.

“You’re her…?” asked Gabriel, clearly believing that she hadn’t finished her sentence.

Aaliyah made her decision in a flash. “I’m…hurrying to get back to the party.” she finished, leaving abruptly.

* * *

“Man, that was bad. What are you going to do?” Derrick asked quietly into the top of Aaliyah’s head.

Without lifting her head from his shoulder she shrugged, sniffling

They were seated on the couch in the family room. The caterer’s cleanup crew had just finished up and left. No one could even tell that a party had been held there earlier tonight.

“Well, I can see how the man might have gotten confused,” said Sophia from her curled up position in the overstuffed lounge chair across from them.

“How? What, is he blind?” asked an incredulous Derrick.

“Well, yes it’s obvious that he is. Then again, it’s also obvious that you are, too when it comes to your baby sister.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked indignantly.

“Guys, don’t fight. This is all my fault, and no one else’s.” said Aaliyah.

“Now that’s just not true,” said Sophia. “You’re at your party, held in your home, when a handsome, eligible bachelor from the neighborhood begins to pay attention to you,” she fumed. “Of course the first thing you’re supposed to think is that he doesn’t realize it’s you,” she finished sarcastically.

“I just left him there, making Derrick explain. He must have felt like such a fool.”

“He would have felt like one, anyway,” Sophia said decisively.

“Why?” asked Derrick skeptically.

“It all goes back to what I said about being blind,” Sophia replied.

“But how could he not know who she was? They’d been together for over an hour at that point.”

“That’s exactly my point. The day I came here for the first time, I would never have connected the Aaliyah I saw in a dumpy, faded jogging suit to the polished sophisticated Kitty sitting here now. Before you say it,” she held up a hand, “her work suits aren’t much more flattering.”

Aaliyah, who had been uncharacteristically passive up to this point, felt her hackles begin to rise. “Okay, now that we’re clear that I’m a walking fashion don’t, would you care to explain how the man could stare at my face for over an hour without knowing who I was? My clothes might change, but my face sure hasn’t.”

“I know that, but be fair. You wore your contacts for once, and you were still wearing that Velma Kelly wig the kids gave you with the rest of her ‘Chicago’ costume. You looked very different from your normal self.”

“Besides,“ she continued mercilessly, “most single men who are still out there looking for a pretty face aren’t going to bother to look past chunky glasses and a bun. He probably stopped seeing you when he noticed your tendency to dress like your grandmother.”

“That’s it. I should have just told him I’d gotten a makeover. At least that would have been the truth.” Sophia had convinced Derrick that the perfect birthday present was an outfit to wear to the party, in addition to the new laptop he‘d already purchased. She had also shown up early to do Aaliyah’s hair and makeup.

“You should only have said that if you never wanted him to look you in the eye again, let alone call. You are not in a position of weakness here. You don’t have to explain who you are, or apologize for it. He’s the one who needs to apologize.”

She let that sink in for a few moments.

“Think about it. He’s been living next door to a beautiful, talented and vivacious woman for over a year now, and he never even noticed. He even went so far as to snub her when she showed a personal interest in him. Finally, he sees her at a party being held at her house and makes it clear that he’s attracted. Then, after spending the entire evening getting to know her better, he shows that he doesn’t even know who she is. He must feel like a moron.”

“I still want to know what she’s going to do about it,” Derrick sighed. “I mean, the man lives next door, Sophia. It’s not like this is just going to go away.”

“You’re right. She does need to decide what she’s going to do. In other words,” she began, looking directly at Aaliyah, “do you want to make him pay, or make him pant?”

The two women began to smile at one another.

“Maybe both,” Aaliyah said, a little uncertain.

“That can be arranged,” said Sophia with a smile.

“What are you suggesting? That she plays games with the man? Come on, Sophia,” Derrick interjected.

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting, only I also think that she should play to win…as Aaliyah.”












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.