by Ford, Mia
And I found that very intriguing. And intriguing was hot.
After the second fast song I felt like I was going to pass out from thirst. The temperature in the room had suddenly spiked about twenty degrees, though it was probably just the dancing.
“You want to get some water?” Paul asked as if reading my mind.
“Yes,” I said. “I think I’m dying.”
Paul led the way to where the big barrel of bottled waters was. He handed one to me and grabbed another for himself. I quickly took a huge drink, feeling the cool liquid hitting my lips and rolling down my throat quenching my thirst. I drank about half the bottle with that first gulp.
“Wow, slow down,” Paul said with a smile.
“Hey, I don’t do much dancing normally,” I said. “I have no idea why this is more taxing than my daily run.”
“Ah, you run every day? Me too,” Paul said. “Are you into any sports or anything? Or do you just enjoy it?”
“Well, both,” I said. “I sometimes play some volleyball with friends at the YMCA, and I also swim quite a bit there. But mostly I run to clear my head first thing in the morning. It kind of gets me centered for the day before work.”
“Right on,” Paul said. “What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m an accountant,” I replied wishing I had something far more interesting to tell him.
“Nice,” Paul replied. “You must love numbers.”
“I do, but it’s not really about the numbers for me,” I said. “I love balancing things. It’s kind of a puzzle I get to decipher and put together. I enjoy that.”
Paul smiled and nodded.
“Wow, I sound lame,” I said. “I know accounting is the most boring thing ever.”
“Nah, don’t say that. If you love what you do then consider yourself lucky. My dream is to make a living doing what I love, but for right now I’m stuck grinding.”
“What do you want to do?” I asked.
“I’m a writer,” Paul said. “I’m actually working on a novel right now.”
“Really? That’s fascinating,” I said. “What genre?”
Paul smiled and looked around pointing at the party.
“Horror, of course. That’s kind of why I moved here,” Paul said. I detected a small note of embarrassment in his voice. Just a little. It was cute I thought.
“I used to read a lot of horror in high school,” I said. “But nowadays after staring at ledgers for eight straight hours when I get home my eyes feel numb and reading is the last thing I want to do. But on the weekends sometimes I do read a bit.”
“Well, what kinds of things do you read when you do get the chance?” Paul asked. The way he worded it sounded a bit flirty to me.
“Well, it depends, really. Just whatever I’m in the mood for,” I said just as flirty.
Paul leaned in close to me for a second. Was he going to try to kiss me? Was this the moment? The first kiss? Would there be more? Was this going too fast? What had I gotten myself into with this sexy, charming stranger?
I felt my pulse quicken and the butterflies churning around in my stomach. When I left the house tonight I certainly wasn’t ready for this. There was no way I’d imagined anything remotely close to this happening. If I’d known I probably would have stayed home just to stick to my principle of staying away from romance for a while.
But this was good. This was so good…
I wanted his. I wanted Paul’s lips on mine. What was it going to be like? He was so mysterious and interesting. His presence had me fully captivated almost from the moment he locked eyes with me.
And now he was going to kiss me? Wow…
My body stiffened slightly as I prepared for the kiss.
And then Paul reached up and pulled a small piece of fluff out of my hair. He dropped it on the floor.
“That’s better,” he said with a smile.
I felt myself blushing about ten different shades. Wow. He wasn’t going in for a kiss. I just had a piece of fluff in my hair for God’s sake. What the hell was I thinking? I felt stupid, like a jerk, but I didn’t think Paul realized what was going through my mind, that I thought he was going to kiss me.
But I still wanted it. I wanted it badly.
And I was sure by the end of the night I was going to have those lips on mine.
Chapter Four
Paul
Wow, this girl was amazing.
It had been a while since I’d hit it off so well with a girl I’d just met, but this was going along fantastic. When I’d first seen the beautiful girl across the room I noticed she was looking at me. As soon as my eye caught hers I felt this electricity sizzling between us. There was something in the vibe I was getting from her, like she was calling me over to her.
Before I even realized what I was doing I was on my way over to her and suddenly I found myself standing right in front of her. She was gorgeous. Beautiful. And so sexy. I loved her costume. It was sexy, but not slutty at all. It was hinting at all of the right things to drive my imagination wild, but it was not actually showing that much.
Just enough.
Even though she was sitting down I was instantly captivated by the beautiful legs that stood out beneath the billowing of her skirt. And the top was showing just the right amount of cleavage. She was a buxom girl. I loved that. But most captivating of all were her sparkling eyes. They were wide and bright and when they locked on you it was like your soul was getting an erotic massage.
Yeah, she was the type of girl you could fall in love with very quickly. Which made me a bit leery. I’d had a history of falling too quickly for those types of girls. For whatever reason they always tended to be bad girls and they always ended up being more trouble than they were worth.
But Debbie was different I felt. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, but somehow she connected with me in a way that was just different… special.
We just really clicked with each other on a conversational level as well. After a few dances I could see she was getting very hot and looked like she could use some water. And honestly I felt I needed some as well. With all of those people in that room when you were moving around it got very hot, very fast. It was starting to feel like a sauna and I suddenly found myself wishing I’d gone with a lighter costume, one that didn’t require a stinking suit.
I’d thought about kissing her. Damn, she was so beautiful. Normally I would have just followed the impulse to kiss her. She was standing there with me, drinking her water, her body was glistening a bit with sweat, and some of the water was rolling down her chin, dripping onto her chest and inching towards her cleavage…
Yeah, she was so fine looking… I wanted her badly.
As I wiped a fluffy thing out of her hair, I realized it would have been the perfect opportunity to kiss her right then and there. Normally, I would have just gone for it.
But something stopped me. I wasn’t sure why, but for whatever reason I just didn’t feel that it was the right time. I’d never worried about anything like that with a woman before. If I wanted to kiss her, I went for it. If she wasn’t ready and moved away then that was fine. I’d respect it and possibly try again another time. No harm, no foul.
But for some reason I was afraid of scaring this one away. I really wanted to just keep things moving the way they were and hopefully by the end of the night we would end up with a kiss or two. Possibly something more. It wasn’t the craziest idea.
“So, when do I get to read this novel you are working on?” Debbie asked me.
I smiled. “Why are you so interested? You said you don’t really read horror much anymore.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ve ever met an author,” Debbie said. “I’d love to read it sometime.”
Sometime? Did she just inadvertently reveal that she was thinking about seeing me again? Good. That was very good.
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t usually let people read my stuff until it’s finished. I’m still in the rough draft stage.”
&nbs
p; “Ah, I see,” Debbie said. “So, where are you from?”
“I’m from Middleport,” I replied. “Born and raised.”
“That’s up North, right?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s a nice place to grow up, but very boring. And it’s one of those ‘blink and you will miss it’ types of towns. It’s a bit more than it used to be. They actually have a few businesses now.”
It always made me laugh to describe my little one horse hometown to people.
The band started a slow song right then. Ah, now was the time.
“My lady, would you care to dance?” I asked in my best gallant voice.
“Oh, I would love to,” Debbie replied with a giggle.
I led her slowly back to our spot on the dance floor and took her hand in mine, resting my other hand on the small of her back. I couldn’t help but think about how easily I could reach down and grab her behind, but that was definitely going to be the wrong move right then.
She felt so good up close to me. The way she smelled, her sweet warmth, and the way the heat radiated from her skin as if there was a protective barrier around her body—it was all intoxicating.
As the song progressed we moved even closer together until Debbie wrapped her arms around my neck and stared up into my eyes. God, she had the most beautiful gaze I’d ever seen. It was like staring into the bluest ocean surrounded by the clearest skies. I couldn’t help myself from getting completely lost in those sweet eyes of hers.
The only thing that could take me away from that sexy, sweet stare were those beautiful lips that I realized were actually very close to mine. I was beginning to feel that this might have been the right time for us to enjoy our first kiss.
Debbie was moving her body in sync with mine now, both of us rocking to the music. It felt like we were almost becoming one person right then. It was almost like making love on the dance floor, our souls intermingling, our hearts and minds becoming one together.
And right then I knew for sure that this was the beginning of something very special. Something had brought me to this town, and it wasn’t at all for the reasons I had initially thought.
Life was funny like that sometimes. Everything did happen for a reason, I supposed.
As the song came to an end and the guitar player picked out those last few sweet notes, I felt the urge overcome me. It was the perfect time. I knew it.
Without thinking, I held Debbie’s face in my hands and leaned into her. She pushed back into me and tilted her head back slightly.
And my lips were on hers.
The kiss was sweet, it was intimate, it was sexy, but I kept the passion back a bit. This was just the tip of the iceberg I knew. It was like dipping your toe in the water to test the temperature first. This was just a prelude to what would come after. And I was in no hurry. I was new in town. I was just starting a new chapter in my life, a new journey, and I was so glad that Debbie was becoming a part of that.
As our lips parted I leaned back slightly. Debbie was smiling at me. God, she had a phenomenal smile.
“Well, that was a nice dance,” Debbie said.
I nodded and smiled back at her. “Yes, it was. Would you like a drink?”
“Sure, but something stronger than water,” Debbie said with a wink. “Meet me back at my table. I want to introduce you to the gang.”
“Oh, you have a gang? Interesting. What is your gang’s primary objective? What type of mischief do you get into?” I teased.
“We mostly talk about really stupid things,” Debbie replied.
“Ah, that’s the best type of mischief,” I said. I watched her walk back towards her table for a second taking the moment to steal another glance at her ass and then I made my way to the table where I filled up two cups with punch.
“Hey everybody,” I announced myself when I returned to the table Debbie was sharing with her friends.
They looked like an interesting group. There were two pretty girls and two guys who looked nice, but like they were not nearly cool enough to land ladies like those. But then again, it was a small town and who was I to judge?
Debbie introduced me to everybody after I handed her the punch.
After I shook hands with everyone I pulled my secret ingredient out of my inside jacket pocket. A little bottle of vodka. I had brought three of them with me just in case this party was not quite up to my standards.
Debbie laughed. “You know, the punch is already spiked.”
“I did not know that,” I replied. “But now it is going to be extra spiked.”
I opened the little bottle and emptied it evenly in the two cups.
Debbie’s eyes widened when she saw I was spiking hers.
“Wow, are you trying to get me drunk?”
“I’m not trying,” I said. “But if you want to try to get me drunk then go ahead.”
“Wow, great sense of humor and handsome as can be. You are a lucky lady, Debbie,” Lara said with a flirty smile at me.
I was not sure exactly how to respond to that. Lara was hitting on me with her boyfriend right beside her.
“Do you want to take this one off my hands?” Mark asked. “I’ve been trying to get someone to take her for a while now, but it just hasn’t worked.”
I laughed. I guess those two had an odd sense of humor. But it was becoming apparent they really loved each other and that they would probably be married sometime soon. That was sweet. I hoped one day to find a strong love like that.
Hell, for all I knew I’d found it and she was sitting right beside me.
Whoa, boy… don’t get ahead of yourself.
I took a sip of my now very strong punch and tried to relax. I did want to find the love of my life one day, but I knew better than to go searching for it or to think that every new woman I met was going to be the one. I’d always stayed pretty clear headed that way. I prided myself on not being one of those guys that fell head over heels for someone I barely knew. It took me a while, especially now. After the thing with my ex… I was determined to not rush into anything. But I damned sure wasn’t going to be a monk either. I just had to be a bit more guarded than I might have been before.
“So, what do you guys do for fun?” I asked. “I mean, I’ve heard a lot of the rumors about this town and all of the supposedly paranormal things that go on here, which is kind of why I came here, but how much of it is actually true?”
“None of it,” Greg said. “It’s just fun, kids’ stuff, and old timers with their stories.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Lara chimed in quickly. “He is just jaded because he has never seen anything cool.”
“But you have?” I asked.
“Oh, I’ve seen some things. I might tell you some stories sometime,” Lara teased.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I said.
“Don’t listen to them,” Debbie said. “This town is all built around superstition. I would love to have a paranormal experience, but so far for me it has never happened. And I don’t know anyone who can honestly say they’ve ever seen anything. But we make a lot of fun out of it anyway.”
I was intrigued.
“Cool, like what?” I asked.
“Well, the McNare place is what we always did when we were kids,” Mark said.
“The McNare place?”
“Yeah, when we were kids and some new kid came to town we would make them go into the McNare place which has been abandoned for years and years, is very creepy, and supposedly haunted. Apparently, the rumor is that Robert McNare killed his family and himself there like a hundred years ago and it’s been haunted ever since.”
I grinned. “Well, that is interesting and disturbing. But it’s also the case with every supposed haunted house in the world, right?”
“Pretty much,” Debbie said. “So, we would dare someone to go into that house when we were kids and they had to remove an item from upstairs and they had to wave to us from the upstairs window so we would know they actually went up there. And then they would
come back out with something.”
“I’m in,” I said.
“What?” Debbie asked.
“I want to do it,” I said. “And then will I be cool enough to join your club?” I used my best little boy voice when I asked the question.
Debbie smiled at me. Wow, she was sexy. I kept thinking about that kiss… and how I wanted a lot more of it.
“Awesome,” Lara said. “So, we can do it later. Right now they are getting ready to announce who is in the finals of the costume contest.”
“Alright,” I said. I had entered as a goof. I didn’t really think my costume was near cool enough to get any attention. But Debbie’s on the other hand… she not only looked smokin’ hot, but her costume was actually very well done. I could tell someone had put some work into it. I appreciated it.
“Ok, Ladies and gentlemen, we have narrowed it down to the top five,” the announcer said.
“When I call your name, please come forward,” he continued. “Dallas Brookes, Alice Cross, Naomi Butler, Lara Miller, and Debbie Helms!”
“Yes!” I said standing up to give Debbie and Lara both the proper standing ovation.
“I can’t believe this,” Debbie said as she walked past me with a big smile on her face.
“I told you!” Lara cheered following behind her.
A few moments later all five finalists were standing up on the small stage.
“Ok, everyone,” the announcer said. “This year we are going to do something a bit different. Instead of doing a secret ballot we are going to go by audience enthusiasm. So when we name each finalist everybody cheer for whomever you think should win. Our judges will decide who got the best cheers and they will declare the winner.
“Alright Debbie!” I cheered. She deserved to win. Not just because I had a bit of bias when it came to her, but I truly felt her costume was the best. She looked amazing.
The announcer went down the line naming the finalists one by one. The cheers were all pretty consistent.