by R. J. Dillon
Faith nodded her head, watching as he walked out. ‘Phew,’ she thought.
Saturday came extremely fast. Faith had been preparing for the party all day. Gavin was going to be picking her up in about an hour. She had just finished wrapping his gift and carefully placed it in a brown paper bag so her plan would not be discovered. After tidying up a few things, she sat comfortably on her couch as she waited.
Gavin rang Faith’s doorbell, and was holding a bouquet of roses. He hid behind them as he waited for her to answer. When she did, he just smiled and handed them to her.
“Hello, beautiful.”
“Hi,” she said, taking them. They were coral.
“I’m no longer going to tell you what I’m saying with these. You’re going to have to start figuring it out,” he smirked.
“Good. I’d rather do that. I’ll be right out. Let me put these in some water.”
Faith took the flowers inside and placed them in a vase with some water. She walked back to out of the house with the gift, locked her door and got in the car with Gavin.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Are you ready to see what this is all about?”
“It’s just a company party, right?”
“So it’s been said,” Gavin winked. “We’ll see.” He drove off towards his parents’ house.
“Why would you think it’s anything else? I don’t understand.” Faith tried to look as innocent as she could.
“I’m not sure. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“You’re being paranoid. That’s not like you.”
“If you knew why, you’d understand. I’m sure it’ll be okay, though.”
It took a half an hour to get to the party. Others had already arrived. Faith’s plan was that Gavin would not know right away why they were there. Music was already playing and everyone stayed calm as if they knew nothing.
Gavin did as he usually does as soon as he arrives at his parents’.
“Mom,” he said hugging her.
“How are you, dear?” Juliet was in the kitchen.
“I’m well. Faith talked me into coming,” he said, looking over at Faith.
“Faith honey, it’s so good to see you. You really need to come see me more,” Juliet said as she walked over to give her a hug.
“I know. The trips have kept me busy,” she smiled.
“And so has my son,” Juliet winked and grinned.
Faith started to turn pink. “Umm - ”
“It’s alright, dear. I’m quite happy he’s finally found someone he can be serious about.”
“Mom, do you have to do that? Seriously?” Gavin was somewhat embarrassed, but expected his mother to say something. She couldn’t resist.
“She’s a great choice, Gavin. I’m proud of you. It’s about time,” Juliet said, smiling and walking around without flinching.
Gavin had given his mother some flowers as was customary for him. She was putting them in a vase. Gavin grabbed Faith’s hand and pulled her to his side.
“Thanks, Mom. I’m glad you approve. Can we go now? Where’s Dad?”
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear you call him that again. He’s outside by the ocean. You know how he gets at the start of a party.”
Gavin went to walk outside, but Faith pulled back. “I’m going to stay and talk with Juliet for a while,” she nodded.
“Okay, but beware,” he chuckled. “Mom, try not to get too personal, huh?” Gavin kissed Faith on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen.
“Does he suspect anything?” asked Juliet.
Faith grinned deviously, “No. Not a thing. Here’s my gift for him. Are there others?”
“Yes. We’re keeping them in the closet by the front door. Since it’s still warm, no one has to hang a coat up, so it will be safe there.”
Faith went and put her gift where the others were and returned to talk with Juliet for a little while. After some time, she mingled among the others. She spent a lot of time walking around with Lauren, catching up with her since they hadn’t seen each other in a while.
“I feel like you’ve been on some sort of sabbatical. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. How are you?” asked Lauren.
“I’m fine, Lauren. How are you doing? Have you been keeping yourself busy with other people’s business?” Faith teased.
“Not nice. You know, I resemble that remark,” she laughed. “How’s Gavin?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself? He’s around here somewhere, I’m sure.”
“You’ve spent more time with him than anyone ever has. Even Chandler hasn’t seen him as much as you. But you, you get days and weeks. What have the two of you been doing? Don’t tell me nothing. You’ve been on four trips together. There is bound to be some kind of attraction between the two of you. You’re beautiful, he’s sexy. You have to be at least flirting.”
Faith just shook her head. “Girl Scout, stop it already. I love you, but you’re too nosey. Just stop.”
“Faith, I might be nosey, but I’m not stupid. I see how he looks at you, and even more, I see how you look at him. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before. He would never quit seeing Chandler for them. She was always his backup plan when he needed it. Now all of a sudden he doesn’t need her? I love you, too, but please at least give me credit for the obvious.” Lauren hoped that Faith would at least give her a small nugget of affirmation.
“I can’t help you, Girl Scout. I wish I could. Don’t give up, though. You’ll know when it’s time for you to know,” encouraged Faith. That was the best she could do.
Chandler had hopelessly been following Gavin around like a lost puppy. When he stood alone for a minute, she walked over to talk with him.
“Hi, stranger,” she said.
Gavin rolled his eyes and turned around. “Chandler. How are you?”
“I’ve missed you.”
“Well, I can’t say that I feel the same,” he said flatly.
“You will. Soon enough.”
“Chandler, we’ve been through for some time now. Get over it.”
“I can’t. You’re not with the right woman, Gavin. You should be with me.”
“Have you been drinking? It’s not going to happen. Even if Faith wasn’t around, it wouldn’t happen. I told you long ago that you weren’t my type. Some years later, you’re still not my type. Nothing is going to change that.” Gavin started to walk away and then said one more thing, “Enjoy the rest of the party.” He joined some others that weren’t too far from them.
Lauren and Faith continued to talk for a while longer before Faith went to find Adrian. They had to gather for the surprise. The idea was to get Gavin comfortable enough to forget about his suspicions. The DJ was in charge of gathering everyone in one place on the lawn. When they all got there, they let him have it.
Gavin was standing near the front of the group.
“Surprise!” they all shouted. “Happy birthday!” they continued, laughing and clapping. A birthday cake was brought out on a cart with thirty eight candles lit. All of the presents that people brought were stored on the bottom shelf of the cart.
“Wow, I’m not sure I can blow all of these out,” he grinned. Gavin took a deep breath in and blew as hard as he could to put out all the fire in front of him. Everyone cheered when he was done. Faith smiled and watched from the back of the crowd.
The servers picked up the cake and took it to the kitchen to cut it. While they did that, Gavin began to open his presents. Juliet sat next to him to make a list of what he had gotten and it was from for thank you notes. Faith had a note on hers that said “Open Last”. He carefully unwrapped and enjoyed every gift that he got, though he hated being in the spotlight like this. After opening about forty boxes, bags, and cards, he reached Faith’s box. When he opened it, he was shocked, and shook his head and smiled. The card on the outside said, ‘For my favorite cook – Love, Faith’.
“What is it?” someone asked.
“It’
s a piece of cookware if you can believe that. It’s called a Moroccan Tagine. They’re designed to retain moisture, flavor, and even temperature for meats and vegetables.”
“There’s another note,” someone pointed out.
Gavin looked on the other side of the box. It said, ‘Open Me’.
“I guess I have to open the box,” he smiled. Gavin carefully opened the box and saw another note. This one said, ‘Lift Lid’. He lifted the lid of the cookware to find another wrapped gift hidden inside.
He looked around, trying to find Faith, but she wasn’t there. “There’s another gift in here,” he smiled. At this point, no one knew who this gift was from but they were impressed with how well it was put together.
The last and final note read, ‘Now your set is complete’. Gavin was curious as he unwrapped the smaller package. Once open, again he smiled and shook his head. It was a set of CD’s, Charlie Parker’s Savoy Sessions.
Shocked by how generous everyone had been, he looked over at Adrian. “You know I don’t like celebrating my birthday. Why did you do this?”
Adrian shook his head, “This wasn’t me. I merely assisted.”
“Mom?”
“Not me this time,” smiled Juliet.
“Where is she?” asked Gavin, looking around again for Faith.
“I don’t know where she’s run off to,” said Adrian.
“Thank you everyone. I really do appreciate this. Please continue to enjoy yourselves and don’t forget to have some cake. I’m sure it will be delicious. I must excuse myself as I have someone to choke,” he chuckled as he walked away. The DJ went back to playing music as the group dispersed.
Gavin searched everywhere for Faith and finally found her in the garden.
“There you are,” he said.
She cringed as she waited for her scolding.
“You are so stubborn. I know Dad told you I wouldn’t like this. Why’d you do it anyway?” Gavin grabbed her by the waist and turned her around.
“Like you said, I’m stubborn. I wanted to do it. Happy birthday.”
Gavin wanted to kiss her so badly, but he held back. “Thank you, and thanks for the gifts. They were wonderful. I loved your notes.” He hugged and squeezed her tight and then pulled away slightly. “You shouldn’t have done all of this. How did you find out when my birthday was?”
“I spied it on your driver’s license,” she smiled. “Why don’t you like to celebrate?”
“I just don’t. No real reason. You will pay for this, you know that, right?”
“If I must. What’s my punishment?” she asked.
“Come with me,” he said, taking her hand and leading her back to the area where the DJ was playing.
Gavin left Faith for a moment, telling her to wait. He went to talk to the DJ. When he returned to her side, he took her hand and said, “Dance with me.”
Faith shook her head, “No.”
“Yes. It’s my birthday, and I want you to dance with me.”
“What dance?”
He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “The Rumba.”
Faith shot a glance at him, “To what?”
“Follow me.”
People began to gather around. Most of them had no idea that Gavin could dance. The song that he requested was Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.” It was the most played song on Faith’s iPod.
As they began to move, the atmosphere changed. Faith and Gavin were suddenly in their own world, as if no one else was around. Their hips swayed as one, with Gavin leading Faith with each glide and step. His hands caressed her body with intense affection, and his lips managed to graze her neck when close enough. Every embrace strengthened the electricity that flowed over the dance area, with chances of them kissing increasing as they held each other close. Their desire for each other was beginning to fill the air, igniting an erotic mood in everyone who stayed to watch. People began to couple up, shifting their attention to the one they either came with or found.
Adrian looked at his wife in a way she hadn’t seen in a while.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered in Juliet’s ear.
She nodded and gave him a sultry smile. Adrian asked one of his staff to lock up.
“We’re not going to be back down this evening. Please make sure the house is secure when everyone is gone. Don’t worry about cleaning up tonight. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long evening.” He turned to his bride and led her to their room.
Gavin and Faith were still causing a stir on the dance floor. Chandler continued to look on, her blood beginning to boil. She would have been coupled up, but the one she wanted to be coupled with was responsible for starting all of this. The love he had for Faith was now visible and she didn’t like it at all.
The song finally ended. Faith and Gavin were breathing heavily, holding each other tightly. Gavin didn’t care who was around. He was ready to take Faith right there, and for once, she wouldn’t have minded. She gently pulled away from him, her face completely flush. The crowd began to clap and whistle over the incredibly emotional dance. Faith started to walk away, and left Gavin on the dance floor, his eyes following her every move. She walked alone until Lauren caught up with her.
“Hey, you want to tell me how long the two of you have been seeing each other? It’s pretty obvious now more is going on than you’re letting on,” she said.
Faith was fanning herself, still breathing pretty heavily, “Lauren, really? All we did was dance.”
“That wasn’t a dance. That was foreplay. Look around you. Everyone is kissing and hugging on each other. Hell, I need to find my husband and get him home as soon as possible. This happened because of you and Gavin.”
Faith grabbed Lauren’s hands and said, “Lauren, I’d really love to talk to you about this, but,” she paused to take a deep breath, “I’m really hot right now. I need to cool off, okay?”
She continued to walk away, leaving Lauren to stand in her wonderment.
Gavin had been caught up as well. He was keeping a close eye on Faith while someone was trying to talk to him about their dance. Their words were mere sounds as he watched her go on alone. The night had fallen quickly and he didn’t want to lose sight of her.
“Can you,” he interrupted, “hold that thought? I need to go take care of something.” Gavin walked away swiftly, catching up to Faith. Chandler was not too far behind. She hid and watched.
Gavin grabbed Faith from behind, kissing her neck and caressing her body. Faith turned her head, and slowly turned her entire body towards him. Their lips met with extreme passion. It had been five weeks since they kissed each other.
“How did you know?” Faith asked breathily in between kisses.
“About what?” said Gavin, just as breathily as Faith.
“The song.”
Gavin stopped, but continued to caress her neck with his hand. “It was the one you listen to the most on your iPod. I did some spying of my own. I just wanted to see what kind of music you liked.” He leaned down and kissed her again.
“I’ve missed your kiss, your touch,” she said, offering up her neck for more. She felt a familiar stirring as their desire grew.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he said tugging at her clothes. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. Without saying a word, he took her hand and led her away. Chandler didn’t pursue this time. She was shocked to have seen them kissing. According to her, Faith was not all she led everyone to believe, and she was more determined than ever to find out why. She sat her drink on a table, stood up and left.
Gavin took Faith to a secluded spot on the cliffs by the ocean. It was a warm August evening, and the breeze from the ocean made the temperature perfect for the two of them. There was a fire pit, two chairs and a couple of blankets positioned in the area.
“My dad set this up for the family when I was younger. No one knows it’s here,” he grabbed the blankets and laid them on the grass. He lit the fire pit, took his shoes off, then knelt down on the blanket
s, helping Faith sit down as well. She had already slipped out her shoes. Gavin gently laid her back and kissed her lips softly. Faith unbuttoned Gavin’s shirt and slid her hands on his chest, then around to his back, stroking him gently. He moaned from her touch.
“I love your touch as much as you love mine,” he whispered.
Gavin unbuttoned Faith’s shirt, revealing her breasts and skin underneath. He gently kissed her chest and stomach, while she played with his hair. The sound of the waves crashed loudly below, adding to the ambience of their mood. Gavin slowly began to unbutton and unzip Faith’s pants. He kept an eye on her to see if he needed to stop. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying every move that he made. He loved watching her. His preference was to make love to her there, in the perfect spot, but he knew it was still too soon. He opted for something else instead.
Gavin gently slipped Faith’s pants down and off. He lifted one of her legs and kissed her from her ankles to her thighs. He moved all the way back up to her lips, kissing her deeply. She was beautiful, lying there in the moonlight. She held his face in her hands as they kissed, holding him close.
“Are you okay with this?” he asked, making sure she wasn’t uncomfortable.
She gazed into his eyes and nodded, smiling as she pulled him back down to kiss him. She was happy they were lying down because every time they kissed she felt weak and got butterflies. He was gently rubbing her mound, and their breathing was intensifying. Gavin’s lips made their way back down her body. He removed her underwear, exposing her womanhood. He positioned himself between her legs and began to pleasure her orally. Faith clutched at the blankets, moaning and groaning with excitement. Gavin took his time, wanting her to enjoy every moment. His arousal grew with each sound that she made, so aroused in fact, that he found himself approaching a peak. Reading her body, he continued until she climaxed. Feeling his own climax, he quickly moved to her lips, where she kissed and held him tightly as he did so, without physical stimulation. This was a first for him.