by C. M. Carpi
“I missed you.” — She said near his ear, but loud enough for me to hear. He stood with eyes wide opened and when she let go of him, he gave an excuse and pulled me.
“Who was this woman?”
“No one.” — He said without looking at me. He looked around as he was looking for someone. Or maybe hiding? Stop that, Elena!
“She must be very close because she missed you a lot. — “He looked at me, but before he could answer he was interrupted by a ginger girl.
“Daniel!” — He cursed as she approached.
“How are you, Sheila?” — He said in low voice. She didn’t answer, just looked at me like she hated me. I kept the same look and she turned to him.
“Where have you been?”
“Excuse me.” — He pulled me again and went to the cabin.
His family was there and some friends too. Two blond girl seemed like they drank more than they should and were laughing and pointing at us. He greeted them and kept walking.
“Why did you take so long?” — Carol looked amazing after proposed by Owen last week. — “Come, Elena. Let’s dance!”
“No, I…”
“Let’s go!” — She dragged me to the dance floor. Sophie and Lucy were there too, laughing and dancing while listening to “Wake me up”.
“This place is great, isn’t it?” — Lucy asked something in my ear. — “We used to come here every week.”
“We?” — She nodded and continued to dance with her eyes closed. That explains why everybody around here knows Daniel.
I stood on the dance floor with them for three or four songs before going back to our cabin.
The red couch with three seats accommodate the blond girls who pointed at us earlier. A Brunette with afro hair was talking to Daniel. Although I was far from them, I could see her playful smile and exaggerated gestures. She was flirting with him. I could feel my face burning in rage.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Elena.” — I embraced him and gave her my right hand, but she just looked at him in confusion. He smiled and pulled me closer.
“This is Elena, my girlfriend.”
“Ah…” — That’s what she said before holding my hand for a second. — “We’ll talk later, Daniel.” — She turned her back and left lying around.
“What was that?” — He asked raising an eyebrow and smiling.
“I’m the one to ask. ‘Talk later?’” — He laughed and held my hand. — “There will be no ‘later’ for both of you.” — He laughed louder throwing his head back. Why is he laughing? Only them I noticed I was jealous and overreacting.
“Let’s go upstairs? I’m tired of this loud music.”
I assented and we went to the terrace. There were a few people on the couches drinking some cocktails, and other couples were leaned on the walls making out. Some people appreciated the city lights.
We sat on a small leather couch. He looked relaxed far from the noise and the people, but this ended when another Brunette passed by and blinked at him. I looked at him and noticed the tension on his face while he tried to disguise by drinking his beer.
That’s when I understood everything! Since we got here women wouldn’t stop looking at him or trying to talk to him, but he was always dodging.
“Oh my God!” — I said covering my mouth and getting up.
“What?” — He looked scared.
“You went out with all these women!” — I shouted and some people looked at us.
He got up quickly.
“What? No!”
I started walking to the door, but he held me.
“Elena, wait…”
“And you’ve brought me here!”
“Maybe I went out with some of them, but…”
“Some?” — I asked. I couldn’t believe the situation he’d put me in. — “You can’t take tem steps without being stopped by one of them. And they are so… so…”
“Listen, please?” — He tried to look calm and put his beer on the white parapet while holding my face with both hands. — “This was all before I met you. I didn’t want to come here today because I knew it might happen. Elena, look at me.” — He pulled my chin up. — “I don’t care with any of them.”
“Really?” — I was defying him, ironically.
His hands went down my neck and he massaged my lips with his thumbs.
“No, I’ve got you. I only want you.” — He kissed my lips, but I wouldn’t give in. I kept my arms crossed. — “We may leave if you want.”
“No!” — He wide-opened his eyes. — “It’s Scott’s birthday. We will stay.”
“All right.” — He paused. I held his neck and said really close to his lips.
“We’ll go back inside, but if I see you talking, or smiling, or looking at any of these women I’ll end you.”
He smiled and held my waist.
“Would you get angry if I got horny with this?” — He whispered in my ear.
“’This’ what?”
“You, being so bossy.”
“You should be.” — I kissed his lips. He tried to pull me, but I moved back. — “Let’s get inside.”
“No kisses?” — He had a malevolent smile as I pulled him.
The rest of the evening was calm and fun. He held me near him all the time and women wouldn’t approach him. It didn’t take long for them to realize he wasn’t available anymore.
“Where are you going?” — I asked as he moved. He didn’t answer, just smiled and disappeared in the crowd. “All I need” started playing and my heartbeat got faster. He got back with a half-smile and kept his eyes focused at me.
“Would you give me the honor, Ms. Collins?” — I smiled at the way he asked me to dance, but I held his hand.
“I’d love to.” — He smiled while putting his hand around my waist keeping me close.
“I want to do it right this time.” — He whispered in my ear while we danced over the cabin. — “Like I should have done that night.” — His breath on my skin gave me chills.
It was the first time we danced since Milan and I didn’t like to remember that night. The way he treated me after that and how I cried when I realized I was in love with him and it sounded completely wrong. Like he had read my thoughts, his hands went up my back until they got around my neck. His blue eyes found mine like it was that night and I felt my body responding to him. He put his hands on my face and I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the chills all over my body.
He went closer to me really slowly, but this time he wasn’t hesitating. When he kissed me, I felt like I was floating. Once more, it seems like there was no one else there but us, and Sharon den Adel’s soft voice feeling the room. I felt like that was our song, just perfect.
When I thought he had done everything to proof he was my Charming prince, he would surprise me again and I felt great.
“Thank you, Elena.”
“For what?” — I raised my head to look at him.
“For being here.” — He embraced me.
“Where else would I be?” — His face went closer to mine as he closed his eyes and kissed my nose. Then he kissed my lips again.
I felt the tears in my eyes. Definitely, Daniel was my prince. I moved back and noticed his eyes fixed on mine, and the perfect smile on his lips.
I was where I should be. On his arms. That was my favorite place in the world.
I couldn’t wait a better ending for this night.
Elena
“I don’t know why Scott insisted in celebrating his birthday in this place.
“Don’t you like it?”
“I do, but I think it is… I don’t know. It’s not my style. ”
“And what’s your style? ” — I asked curious. He shrugged and didn’t answe
r, but he seemed anxious. Was he worried? — Are you okay, Daniel?
“Yes, why?”
“Because you seem upset since we got in the car to get here.”
“I’m not.” — He kissed my hand. — “I’m ok.” — But his looks didn’t say the same.
We stood before a twenty store mirrored building. Many cars were stopping by all the time while valets opened the doors and offered a warm reception to the passengers.
There was a big line in front of it. When we stepped by the entrance a big security guard opened the door without checking our names in the guest list.
“Mr. Marshall.”
“Dylan.” — He made a gesture and went in holding my hand.
We got in the elevator with three other people laughing and talking. As soon as the doors opened, I could see two security guards crossing arms beside the big black door. Beside them, there was a tall blonde woman with big blue eyes wearing a tight black dress and high heels. She held a clipboard, but she didn’t check our names too.
She smiled at Daniel and just looked at him, as she knew him really well. I looked at him and he smiled back, but I had the impression he was uncomfortable. Maybe she knew him. He must have been here before.
Of course he did, Elena! He called the security by his name.
“Your family is waiting in their usual cabin.”
Usual cabin?
The narrow hallway leading to the nightclub dimly lit and near empty, but as soon as we arrived at the beautiful place illuminated by white lights, a woman with black hair pulled up smiled at Daniel and greeted him with a kiss on his cheek and a hug. Too close for my taste. He didn’t hug her back and didn’t let go of my hand.
“I missed you.” — She said near his ear, but loud enough for me to hear. He stood with eyes wide opened and when she let go of him, he gave an excuse and pulled me.
“Who was this woman?”
“No one.” — He said without looking at me. He looked around as he was looking for someone. Or maybe hiding? Stop that, Elena!
“She must be very close because she missed you a lot. — “He looked at me, but before he could answer he was interrupted by a ginger girl.
“Daniel!” — He cursed as she approached.
“How are you, Sheila?” — He said in low voice. She didn’t answer, just looked at me as though she hated me. I kept the same look and she turned to him.
“Where have you been?”
“Excuse me.” — He pulled me again and went to the cabin.
His family was there and some friends too. Two blond girls seemed like they drank more than they should and were laughing and pointing at us. He greeted them and kept walking.
“Why did you take so long?” — Carol looked amazing after proposed by Owen last week. — “Come, Elena. Let’s dance!”
“No, I…”
“Let’s go!” — She dragged me to the dance floor. Sophie and Lucy were there too, laughing and dancing while listening to “Wake me up”.
“This place is great, isn’t it?” — Lucy asked something in my ear. — “We used to come here every week.”
“We?” — She nodded and continued to dance with her eyes closed. That explains why everybody around here knows Daniel.
I stood on the dance floor with them for three or four songs before going back to our cabin.
The red couch with three seats accommodated the blond girls who pointed at us earlier. A Brunette with afro hair was talking to Daniel. Although I was far from them, I could see her playful smile and exaggerated gestures. She was flirting with him. I could feel my face burning in rage.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Elena.” — I embraced him and gave her my right hand, but she just looked at him in confusion. He smiled and pulled me closer.
“This is Elena, my girlfriend.”
“Ah…” — That’s what she said before holding my hand for a second. — “We’ll talk later, Daniel.” — She turned her back and left.
“What was that?” — He asked raising an eyebrow and smiling.
“I’m the one to ask. ‘Talk later?’” — He laughed and held my hand. — “There will be no ‘later’ for both of you.” — He laughed louder throwing his head back. Why is he laughing? Only then did I notice that I was jealous and overreacting.
“Let’s go upstairs? I’m tired of this loud music.”
I assented and we went to the terrace. There were a few people on the couches drinking some cocktails, and other couples were leaned on the walls making out. Some people appreciated the city lights.
We sat on a small leather couch. He looked relaxed being far from the noise and the people, but this allended upwhen another Brunette passed by and blinked at him. I looked at him and noticed the tension on his face while he tried to disguise by drinking his beer.
That’s when I understood everything! Since we got here the women wouldn’t stop looking at him or trying to talk to him, but he was always dodging.
“Oh my God!” — I said covering my mouth and getting up.
“What?” — He looked scared.
“You went out with all these women!” — I shouted and some people looked at us.
He got up quickly.
“What? No!”
I started walking to the door, but he held me.
“Elena, wait…”
“And you’ve brought me here!”
“Maybe I went out with some of them, but…”
“Some?” — I asked. I couldn’t believe the situation he’d put me in. — “You can’t take ten steps without being stopped by one of them. And they are so… so…”
“Listen, please?” — He tried to look calm and put his beer on the white parapet while holding my face with both hands. — “This was all before I met you. I didn’t want to come here today because I knew it might happen. Elena, look at me.” — He pulled my chin up. — “I don’t care about any of them.”
“Really?” — I was defying him, ironically.
His hands went down my neck and he massaged my lips with his thumbs.
“No, I’ve got you. I only want you.” — He kissed my lips, but I wouldn’t give in. I kept my arms crossed. — “We may leave if you want.”
“No!” — He wide-opened his eyes. — “It’s Scott’s birthday. We will stay.”
“All right.” — He paused. I held his neck and said really close to his lips.
“We’ll go back inside, but if I see you talking, or smiling, or looking at any of these women I’ll kill you.”
He smiled and held my waist.
“Would you get angry if I got horny with this?” — He whispered in my ear.
“’This’ what?”
“You being so bossy.”
“You should be.” — I kissed his lips. He tried to pull me, but I moved back. — “Let’s get inside.”
“No kisses?” — He had a malevolent smile as I pulled him.
The rest of the evening was calm and fun. He held me near him all the time and women wouldn’t approach him. It didn’t take long for them to realize he wasn’t available anymore.
“Where are you going?” — I asked as he moved. He didn’t answer, just smiled and disappeared in the crowd. “All I need” started playing and my heartbeat got faster. He got back with a half-smile and kept his eyes focused at me.
“Would you give me the honor, Ms. Collins?” — I smiled at the way he asked me to dance, but I held his hand.
“I’d love to.” — He smiled while putting his hand around my waist keeping me close.
“I want to do it right this time.” — He whispered in my ear while we danced over the cabin. — “The way I should have done that night.” — His breath on my skin gave me chills.
It was the first t
ime we danced since Milan and I didn’t like to remember that night. The way he treated me after that and how I cried when I realized I was in love with him and it sounded completely wrong. As if he had read my thoughts, his hands went up my back until they got around my neck. His blue eyes found mine the same way it happened that night and I felt my body responding to him. He put his hands on my face and I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the chills all over my body.
He went closer to me really slowly, but this time he wasn’t hesitating. When he kissed me, I felt like I was floating. Once more, it seemed there was no one else there but us, and Sharon den Adel’s soft voice feeling the room. I felt that was our song, just perfect.
When I thought he had done everything to proof he was my Charming prince, he would surprise me again and I felt great.
“Thank you, Elena.”
“For what?” — I raised my head to look at him.
“For being here.” — He embraced me.
“Where else would I be?” — His face went closer to mine as he closed his eyes and kissed my nose. Then he kissed my lips again.
I felt the tears in my eyes. Definitely, Daniel was my prince. I moved back and noticed his eyes fixed on mine, and the perfect smile on his lips.
I was exactly where I was meant to be. In his arms. That was my favorite place in the world.
I couldn’t wait a better ending for that night.
Elena
I woke up alone in my bedroom. Daniel wasn’t there, but he left a yellow rose on the pillow and a note.
I’m waiting for you in the kitchen. Breakfast is ready...
Love you.
I had a quick look at the window while stretching. This was one of my favorite climates: not a cloud in the completely blue sky. Sun shone strong, but it wasn’t capable of making November days warmer.