Author's Note:
This is an actual story, and a long one at that. I didn't start out with that intention, but that's the way it is. So, if you're looking for something that contains sex in the first paragraph, might I suggest you read something else? Thank you, thank you, thank you Transvers for all your support, your encouragement, and especially your patients.
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SHE REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO BE THERE.
She shivered a little and flipped up the collar on her heavy waist length winter coat to get some protection from the crisp February breeze that blew across the empty deck. She placed her hands on the railing and took a deep breath as she gazed at the stars that glittered brightly against the dark blue velvet night sky. The moon cast a haunting glow in streaks through the leafless branches of the woods and, for brief moment, she closed her eyes to bask in its cold light.
Just a little bit of peace and quiet, that's all she really wanted. Her dark eyebrows drew together in irritation as the bass, thumping from the music, filtered through the glass windows from the party going on inside the brightly lit house. She could hear laughter and syncopated screams from people getting down on the makeshift dance floor in the living room. The techno beat rooted itself in the back of her head and began to pound along with the music. God, she hated techno.
She sighed softly to herself, rolled her head around and tried to ease the tension that had crept into her shoulders. So much for peace. No chance of that happening at a party. She shivered again and slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat in search of her lighter and pack of cigarettes. It had been a long morning at work and a long evening that spilled over into an even longer night.
It was closing night of the show. A three month stint from start to finish. Two months of grueling rehearsals five nights a week and then a month long run of six performances a week. Then, because the show was such a hit, the director got the bright idea of having a double performance on closing night. Now the cast of forty-two plus the crew, significant others, friends and lovers were inside blowing off steam and letting it all hang out.
Normally she'd be in the middle of it all, shaking her groove thing, but she was tired and all she really wanted was to be at home in her comfy clothes and snuggled up in her bed watching a movie. Some how she had let Gerald talk her into coming to the party. She slipped a cigarette in between her thick lips, flicked the lighter and took a long pull. The smoke billowed out from between her slightly parted lips when she exhaled. She reached up and released the clip that held her long dark brown twists to let them fall down about her shoulders. She got a little relief from the pressure, but not much.
The music and sounds from the party suddenly grew loud when a door opened behind her and then was quickly muted as the door closed. Letting her know that her time of solitude was over. She willed herself not to tense up as she felt a hand slip around her waist to pull her close to a solid warm body and a pair of warm lips nuzzle her cheek. She flinched a little at the contact.
"It's a beautiful night," he said as he moved to take her lips in a kiss. "But what are you doing out here by yourself?" She turned her head slightly to avoid his mouth as she took a puff from her cigarette. She didn't mean to do it, not on purpose, anyway. But he mistook her move for something else. He let out a small exasperated breath. "You're mad about tomorrow aren't you?"
"Tomorrow?" The ash from her cigarette fell over the side of the deck as she tapped it and slid him a questioning look. It was going on somewhere around one in the morning and the only thing she was thinking about at the moment was her warm bed.
What was tomorrow?
She racked her brain trying to think of what was so important about the next day, but for the life of her she was drawing a blank. He slid his hand from her waist and began to rub the middle of her back.
"I'm leaving for New York," he looked at his watch. "In about five hours, and you're mad because I won't be able to spend tomorrow with you." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'll only be gone a few days. If everything pans out I should be back by the weekend. I promise, I'll make it up to you when I get back."
"Gerald, this isn't the first time you've had to go out of town on business and it won't be the last." She shifted in his arms and took the last puff, then crushed the cigarette out under her high heeled boot. She looked around for a place to deposit the butt and found none, so she wrapped it in the cellophane from her cigarette pack and stuck it in her coat pocket. "It's no big major deal. I think I'll be able to live with out you for a few days." She said with an amused tone.
He pulled her closer to him. She was starting to feel a little uneasy with him being so close and she felt the muscles in her shoulders begin to tighten. She took a deep breath in through her nose, then slowly let it out, and she had to force herself to remain relaxed. That was until she felt his hand slide down to cup the firm curve of her bottom. Then she did stiffen up. She just couldn't get use to his touch. "Gerald, hand." He moved his hand quickly back to her waist.
"Sorry babe, it's just that I really wanted to make tomorrow special for you." She still wasn't understanding what the big deal was about tomorrow, but she wasn't going to ask. Obviously it was important to him. She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Don't worry about it. You said that you'd make it up to me. I know you will, and don't call me babe," she said lightly as she cupped the side of his face with her hand and used her thumb to rub away the stain of her lipstick from his cheek. She had no clue the signals she was throwing out. To her, she was just simply wiping away the lipstick on his face. But to Gerald, it was a sensual caress that said she wanted something else. His face lit up when she kissed him and he took it as a sign to go for more. He bent his head to take her lips with his but was interrupted when he heard the music pour out from the back door being opened.
"Blu Montgomery! What are you doing out there in the cold? The music's bumping and it's time to raise the roof to a respectable level. Get a move on girl!" To her relief, she looked over Gerald's shoulder to see her friend James sticking his shaggy blond head out into the cold. He was dressed in all black from his silk buttoned down long sleeve shirt that was un-tucked over a pair of sinfully tight leather pants down to a pair of thick soled work boots. He eyed the couple carefully as Blu gently extracted herself from Gerald's arms.
"The duties of a party Queen are never done," she said with a dramatic sigh and a rueful smile. She turned and started walking toward James and the party, then looked over her shoulder and flashed Gerald a smile. "Have a safe trip, and I'll see you when you get back." She let James take her hand and pull her into the house. James gave Gerald a jaunty wave along with a cocky smile as he closed the glass porch door, leaving Gerald to stand alone out on the deck in the cold.
