“I don’t bite,” he said while glaring at me. My heart surged thinking instantly of my favorite novels. No, of course not, I thought. You’re just a guy. A scared, miserable, haunted guys in hiding. Tricked out in a silly, but oh-ho-sooo-hot-on-him black leather trench and dusty, graying boots. Why he was letting me tag along after him tonight of all nights, I have no idea. I took a step towards him. There was an enormous lake of dark, murky water between us. I would have to jump. Pray I could make the distance without trashing my kicks. I had an alibi for everything else except for nasty mud on my brand spanking new shoes. He held out his hand. Though a small voice in my head screamed, “don’t be stupid Liss!” I reached across the span to grab hold of his hand.
“I didn’t think people of your persua – uh – I mean, people like you, that is, could be out after the sun comes up.”
“I guess you know better now, don’t you?” Roberto once again beckoned to Monique. A narrow band of sunlight streaked its way past the filter of the stairwell bars. It illuminated Roberto’s pale face.
Monique glanced away from this specter and instead studied the graffitied walls which flanked the portal to wherever it was that Roberto wanted to take her. The colors and images, although somewhat indecipherable at times, were almost pretty in a Truffaut sense. Finally, she shrugged in typically Gallic fashion, as if to say, why not?
Crossing cobblestones and puddles, Monique joined Roberto, who was still waiting for her in the middle of the cement archway. He smiled, revealing a row of very white teeth. Together, they walked a few yards away from this strange doorway, and got onto his Harley. In another moment, they would disappear into the lost world of the City at rush hour.
I wanted to be one of those girls. The girls I worshipped from afar; silently admiring their oddly cool clothes and hard make-up, the mysterious guys they attracted like hummingbirds to nectar.
I sighed with longing as I watched those girls, heads thrown back laughing, clinging to their mysterious guys while straddling the roaring bike as if it, too, were a living thing.
I didn't believe I possessed the gene to be one of those girls. But the week after graduation my cousin Charlotte showed me otherwise.
"Charlotte!" I breathed, wide-eyed. The chaos of Heathrow was swallowing us. "You're gorgeous!"
I took in her deep black hair, dramaticaly made up face and edgy clothes. She was not the same cousin I remembered from one short year ago. She was sexy, amazing...everything I wanted to be. I was, as they say, gobsmacked.
As Charlotte whisked me off to her flat, she filled me in on her job as a stylist.
"Oh, and we're meeting up with my friends tonight at a club," she informed me as if she did this every night.
Was I dreaming? Two weeks with no parental supervision! In London!
The club was dark, loud, and fragrant with cigarette smoke. The crowd was the same. I walked in a trance of happiness as we wound our way to a table in the corner. I was thrilled at the heads turning to look at us. Both of us!
Charlotte had done a magical job of "styling" me tonight and, with her borrowed clothes and make-up, I felt transformed.
"Sara, meet Colin," Charlotte cooed.
I nearly swooned at the sheer beauty of the boy who stood and caressed my hand, pulling me into the seat next to him.
He leaned close, emerald eyes a shocking contrast to his deep chestnut hair. Then, lips grazing my neck, he whispered, "I've heard quite a lot about you, Sara." His breath was warm, musky, and delicious.
The evening melted into a swirl of voices, music, laughter and dancing. Colin never left my side. At some point, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. "Come, I want to show you some amazing artwork."
I looked at him curiously. Artwork? It was midnight! He exchanged glances with Charlotte, who nodded her approval, then pulled me along.
Seconds later we were outside, hurrying down endless flights of stone steps. Landing at the bottom, I was stunned. The walls were pulsing with colors and images. High art grafitti.
Colin twirled me around to take it all in. Then, before I could catch my breath, his exquisite mouth was on mine.
I remember thinking at that moment how Colin's heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's.
“I don’t bite,” he said while glaring at me.
ReplyDeleteMy heart surged thinking instantly of my favorite novels. No, of course not, I thought. You’re just a guy. A scared, miserable, haunted guys in hiding. Tricked out in a silly, but oh-ho-sooo-hot-on-him black leather trench and dusty, graying boots. Why he was letting me tag along after him tonight of all nights, I have no idea.
I took a step towards him. There was an enormous lake of dark, murky water between us. I would have to jump. Pray I could make the distance without trashing my kicks. I had an alibi for everything else except for nasty mud on my brand spanking new shoes.
He held out his hand. Though a small voice in my head screamed, “don’t be stupid Liss!” I reached across the span to grab hold of his hand.
LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteNice - very nice!
ReplyDelete“Come on,” Roberto said.
ReplyDelete“But it’s daylight!” Monique protested.
“So it is. And your point?”
“I didn’t think people of your persua – uh – I mean, people like you, that is, could be out after the sun comes up.”
“I guess you know better now, don’t you?” Roberto once again beckoned to Monique. A narrow band of sunlight streaked its way past the filter of the stairwell bars. It illuminated Roberto’s pale face.
Monique glanced away from this specter and instead studied the graffitied walls which flanked the portal to wherever it was that Roberto wanted to take her. The colors and images, although somewhat indecipherable at times, were almost pretty in a Truffaut sense. Finally, she shrugged in typically Gallic fashion, as if to say, why not?
Crossing cobblestones and puddles, Monique joined Roberto, who was still waiting for her in the middle of the cement archway. He smiled, revealing a row of very white teeth. Together, they walked a few yards away from this strange doorway, and got onto his Harley. In another moment, they would disappear into the lost world of the City at rush hour.
I wanted to be one of those girls. The girls I worshipped from afar; silently admiring their oddly cool clothes and hard make-up, the mysterious guys they attracted like hummingbirds to nectar.
ReplyDeleteI sighed with longing as I watched those girls, heads thrown back laughing, clinging to their mysterious guys while straddling the roaring bike as if it, too, were a living thing.
I didn't believe I possessed the gene to be one of those girls. But the week after graduation my
cousin Charlotte showed me otherwise.
"Charlotte!" I breathed, wide-eyed. The chaos of Heathrow was swallowing us. "You're gorgeous!"
I took in her deep black hair, dramaticaly made up face and edgy clothes. She was not the same cousin I remembered from one short year ago. She was sexy, amazing...everything I wanted to be. I was, as they say, gobsmacked.
As Charlotte whisked me off to her flat, she filled me in on her job as a stylist.
"Oh, and we're meeting up with my friends tonight at a club," she informed me as if she did this every night.
Was I dreaming? Two weeks with no parental supervision! In London!
The club was dark, loud, and fragrant with cigarette smoke. The crowd was the same. I walked in a trance of happiness as we wound our way to a table in the corner. I was thrilled at the heads turning to look at us. Both of us!
Charlotte had done a magical job of "styling" me tonight and, with her borrowed clothes and make-up, I felt transformed.
"Sara, meet Colin," Charlotte cooed.
I nearly swooned at the sheer beauty of the boy who stood and caressed my hand, pulling me into the seat next to him.
He leaned close, emerald eyes a shocking contrast to his deep chestnut hair. Then, lips grazing my neck, he whispered, "I've heard quite a lot about you, Sara." His breath was warm, musky, and delicious.
The evening melted into a swirl of voices, music, laughter and dancing. Colin never left my side. At some point, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. "Come, I want to show you some amazing artwork."
I looked at him curiously. Artwork? It was midnight! He exchanged glances with Charlotte, who nodded her approval, then pulled me along.
Seconds later we were outside, hurrying down endless flights of stone steps. Landing at the bottom, I was stunned. The walls were pulsing with colors and images. High art grafitti.
Colin twirled me around to take it all in. Then, before I could catch my breath, his exquisite mouth was on mine.
I remember thinking at that moment how Colin's heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's.
Deb - this is brilliant! I could feel the 'pulse' too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lightverse! I really like the atmosphere this brought out in the posts. Goes without saying, yours was great too!
ReplyDelete