I could feel the fresh air of the night hit my face like a splash of cool water. I took in a deep breath and looked at the petite brunette beside me. And noticed her hand was still in mine, and bashfully pulled my hand away. With that she looked up at me and sighed.
I felt so stupid, most men my age would jump at the chance of being close like that to a beautiful woman. But how could I be like that when I had just had my heart tramped over by the only person who I actually thought cared. Now I had to set my prioritize with women straight. I could not, would not fall in love with just another pretty face.
"Are you okay Lance?" Lynn asked as we began a silent stroll toward the limo that had driven us to the club.
I ran a hand through my thick blond hair, what could I say? I didn't even know this girl, how could I pour out things I never even told the guys to this girl?
I nodded,"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just that all the work lately has really been exhausting me." Of course I was lying, I was on vacation, but she did not know that.
"Oh..." she whispered, her blue eyes turning to stare at her feet looking for conversation as we reached the limo.
I pulled the limo door open and let her slip in the back, with me following right behind.
"Where to?" the limo driver, Winston, asked as I shut the door behind me.
I glanced once at her and then at Winston,"Take us anywhere, somewhere nice." I said and he nodded with a smile.
"You like coffee and good music my man?" Winston asked looking in the rearview mirror at the two of us.
I looked at Lynn. "Sounds great!" she said with a smile, a flash of her radiant blue eyes and we were off.
"So... " I began, now in a car with the most gorgeous woman, scrambling for thoughts, thoughts that I could connect with words.
But she took the upper hand and began the conversation,"So, Joey says your big into parties."
I looked up at her and smiled,"Yeah, I guess so. "
"Tell me about them. "she encouraged me, as if I were a child, and she were trying to coax a secret out.
I nodded,"Okay, my parties... well lets see. They are usually at my place, which is pretty big, so it makes good for a lot of people. We invite lots of people, lets see, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, though she's awful cocky... hmm, I invite Howie Dorough and A.J. no one else likes to come from that group." I said, "Dream, Toni, the guys of 98 degrees come a lot, let's see... oh god everyone comes!" I cried.
Lynn smiled, "They sound really fun from what Joey says, of course JC warned me about what Joey considers 'fun'." she pointed out.
I had to laugh, there was no way around denying Joey's scandalous affairs, "Yeah, you gotta watch out of that guy, he'll screw you seven ways from sunday. "
"God, and he asked me to your party on Saturday too." Lynn laughed.
"Figures!" I cocked,"Not that he shouldn't, just that I kinda figured he would be the first to ask."
She only smiled,"I understand."
"Anyway, if you do end up coming to my party with him, make sure you hang around me, I'll keep him under control."
"I hope so, cuz I don't know I can handle all that goes with that guy." she laughed turning to look out the window at Orlando that was now a blur as the limo sped through the city.
The limo was silent after that, of course how could it not be quiet. What could we speak of. The key thought was that we didn't know each other.
I searched my brain for thoughts, and then the first thing that came to mind I blurted out,"So how did you get into writing?" I asked turning my gaze back to her.
Suddenly her eyes became cloudy and she looked away. Her blue eyes became misty as if she were about to be sent to tears. I could not believe it. We had just met and already I was making the poor girl cry. What had I said?
"Are you okay?" I asked, wondering why she suddenly looked so distant and unsure.
"My writing is kind of personal, and it all really applies to my life. I was coming out of a really hard time in my life when I sat down and started to write. And from then on... it just seemed to be so real for me and I found myself writing and wondering where my talent after so long had suddenly come from.
I nodded and felt myself rather than growing closer to her with that converstation starter growing even more distant. I sighed and began picking at the leather seats in the limo.
"Lance why did you start singing?" she suddenly asked interrupting the silence.
"Well... " I began, I had told this story about a million times before,"The guys were setting up the group here in Orlando and their fifth member dropped out so Justin..."
She then interrupted me and shook her head "No, why do you SING, not why you joined the group... why you sing?"
This woman was deep,"I've never been asked that question before,"I said now confused.
"Well, maybe you need sometime to think about it, then you can get back to my question. And when you are able to answer mine, maybe I'll be able to answer your's clearer." she responded.
I nodded and stared at her, with a sudden awe in my eyes. She was so mysterious the way she said things. The way she acted, the way she looked. Her eyes were so intrancing as we sat their looking at each other. A deeper blue than I had ever seen. And with her black hair framing those eyes it made her seem so exotic. Like a beautiful but poisonous creature. I found my eyes locked on hers, unable to escape her essence that seemed to be pulling me deeper and deeper into her.
so beautiful
And there were her lips, so soft and gently curved into a innocent smile.Then she extended her hand and with her finger gently tipped down my sun glasses so that she could see my eyes.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have the most, incredible green eyes?" she asked moving closer to me to stare deeper into my eyes.
"My mom tells me that, but shes's basically it." I explained.
She smiled, "I'm suprised." she whispered,"They are gorgeous, so wild and fiery, but you seem so innocent. It's a complete contrast of attitude."
I blushed realizing she was getting closer now only inches from me. And my breath was deep in my throat, it felt like I was drowning. Drowning in her essence. Her eyes keeping me locked on her.
"They are so very sexy." she whispered looking into my eyes. As if questioning what she was about to do. And with that she brought her lips to mine. And kissed me. Her sweet lips on mine I felt the whole world slip away. Her lips were soft on mine, gentle and it was if I was just being more than kissed, I was being tasted. After a moment she pulled away and looked back up at me.
The kiss held me under a spell, completely in awe at the feeling of her lips on mine. The taste of her still left on my lips I felt faint, light headed, in need of more.
I looked down at her and without hesitation moved in for a kiss. My lips met hers and this time I took control of the kiss. Her eyes closed softly and she pressed her lips deeper against mine. She tasted to good, it was as if I was touching ecstacy. I parted my lips and licked hers. She let out a soft moan and parted hers as well letting me enter her mouth with my tongue. The touch of our tongues sent a shiver of excitement through me and filled my heart with desire.
Wrapping my arms around her I tried to hold on to the passion as we rode it deeper and deeper into the kiss. Soon I pulled her to me and allowed her to straddle my waist with her fingers tangled up in my thick blond hair. Our lips stayed deep in a passionate kiss. Our pelvises grinding together in a desperate attempt to satisfy the growing need for each other's body.
My hand traveled up her back under her dress. Fingers lacing under her bra making her pant harder and harder as my fingers got more daring.
"Oh, Lance...Lance" she moaned softly as my lips traveled over her neck.
"Lance... Lance...Lance?" the female voice asked.
I snapped my head in her direction and found her seated on the other side of the limo. Her eyes gazing at me in a conserned expression.
I shook my daze off and looked around the limo, in shock.
"Lance are you okay?" Lynn asked.
"Why what happened?" I said with shock in my voice.
She squinted her eyes in confusion, "Nothing, but we just arrived." she said pointing out the window to restaurant that read, "The House of Blues, Orlando".
I swallowed hard, my mind racing in confusion. What had just happened. Why did I suddenly fall into such a fantasy of the two of us?
I stared at her, fear deep in my eyes. Why was I fantasizing about our new co-writer. And even after the fantasy, why was I staring at her with the same emotions filling my body?
"Ready?" Lynn asked looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
I nodded,"Yeah, and Winston opened her door letting her out and I followed behind, leaving behind my fantasy.
"Mademoiselle?" I said to Lynn holding out my arm. She smiled and linked her arm with mine. And the feeling of her skin on mine, brought back the thought of my fantasy. I shook the idea off and giving her a slight smiled lead her inside.
The place Winston had taken us two was a Blues cafe. The most popular in the city. And I had been here several times before, but being with Lynn made the experience seem so new.
"I've never been to one of these." she said looking around as we were seated, "But I love blues music."
I leaned across the table,"Whoa, you've never been to one of these places! I thought being a poet went with the whole blues and jazz type thing?"
She smirked,"That is so cliche. No, writers find their inspiration from many different sources, and this just doesn't happen to be mine."
Smiling I dared to ask," So, what is your source of inspiration?"
Running her fingers through her short black hair she laughed,"You know, you are extremely nosey."
I blushed,"I'm sorry, I'm just not very good at starting conversation."
Lynn shook her head,"No, no it's okay. I understand." she replied, but still she said nothing and looked up at the band who played on the stage.
"You know, you're really not what I expected." she said turning back to face me.
"What do you mean?" I asked leaning back in my chair.
"Excuse me, may I take your order?" The waiter interrupted. We both looked up at him, we had already eaten before the club.
"I'll just have something to drink, um... I'm not big on alcohol, I'll just have a mocha latte." she smiled looking across the table at me bashfully.
I smiled and to make her feel more comfortable replied,"Make that two."
The waiter nodded at the two of us and left us alone again.
"Okay, back to my question." I said lookign back at the brunette.
"I forgot, what were we talking about?" she asked.
"Um... you said that I was not what you expected, and then I asked what you expected of me." I explained as she listen attentively.
"Oh okay, before I met you, I really figured you would be a lot like Joey and Justin. Very superficial. Trying to live up to your name as celebrities. But you, you don't seem like that, neither do Chris or JC. Of course we just met and all...so I could be wrong." she said.
I shrugged," I dunno, Justin has just always had more attention, the rest of us don't get as much. I think it has gone to his head. And then Joey, he's the ladies man, likes his women. And 'cos of that , I guess he just tries to play the big shot."
She smiled and the waiter brought us our drinks and she turned back to me.
"This is rather strange, because I just, I feel like I know you already. So I don't even know what to ask you, ya know. It's like normally when out with someone new you ask them what they do for a living, where they grew up, what they like to do, the whole nine yards. But doesn't everyone know that about you? You have done about a thousand interviews where you are asked the same questions. And so people already know what you are gonna answer. So... without digging to personal into you, I'm basically asking you to tell me something about yourself that I don't already know." she said.
I had to laugh, she was so right, "Alright, but only if you agree to in turn tell me something about yourself since you seem to be such a secretive person.
She smirked and raised her latte in a toast, "It's a deal."
"A deal." I said and hit my drink together with hers.
We had been there for two hours, through 3 lattes each and now found ourself in hysterics over a story I had told that we had both forgotten exactly why we were laughing about it.
"Okay, Okay..." I said regaining my composure,"Your turn, tell me about your... love life, I mean are you single, any really funny boyfriend stories you wanna share?" I asked.
She sighed, "Lemme see... I had this boyfriend in college, about three years ago. He was okay and all but it wasn't very serious. And that was the last time I have had a "love life". After the novel took off, I just basically gave up dating, mainly because all my time was devoted to writing. That's the only real boyfriend I've ever had." she looked back up at me from sturring her drink with her spoon,"Okay,now you shoot,you tell me about your love life."
I sighed, thinking about Danielle. And the devastating break up letter she had sent me. It was hard to imagine pouring out feelings like the ones I had about the situation to someone I didn't know very well. But looking up at her sincere blue eyes made me open up, and realize maybe I need to share it. Just like she had said at the club before we left.
I know I don't really know you, and that it would seem rude for me to suddenly expect you to tell me things, its just that since I met you to me it feels like I should listen to you
And even before I could collect all my thoughts and realize it there I was across from her spilling out everything.
"We met about 3 years ago, her name was Danielle. She was not a celebrity or anything, she's from my home town on Clinton. I don't really know how it started. This whole dating thing. But it was through mutual friends, just after the No Strings Attached Tour. She was pretty with long blond hair and pale blue eyes. And a think southern accent. She was one of those tofu eating freaks, which really didn't fit in with the whole southern thing, but anyway. Once the touring started we didn't see each other very much, but we still kept a strong relationship. She always told me that we'd be together and all that. But, then something happened. And I thought it would have been my fault if we broke up. Like I would be the one to break her heart. But she went off to college and I didn't know it yet but something changed. Not with me, I sent her letters and flowers, and called her when I could. But either see was never in, or she never returned the calls or wrote back. Then after the tour stopped just a couple weeks ago I was home and in my fan mail was this letter, and it was from her. And I guess she met someone in college away in Cali and she called it off. And I really thought this, this was gonna be the one. And what really hurt was that I had no one to talk to about it. The guys didn't approve of us dating, 'cos they knew something was up about her, and they warned me about her." it all seemed to rush out of me. As if her being there had opened a flood gate and now I was able to lift this weight off my chest.
She stared at me in amazement,"Wow, if she was that cruel to do that to you it was not worth it. I mean she couldn't even give you the courtesy of her telling you this face to face. Obviously she never really cared, I wouldn't get myself worked about her if I were you. But really that's just plain cruel."
I nodded,"I know, I shouldn't but, It's just so hard, we were together for so long. I didn't think it would end so suddenly. Okay, I admit it I didn't think it would end at all. But all good things must come to an ending."
She rolled her eyes,"You shouldn't believe that. If it's really a good thing then it will last forever. But if there is something wrong with it is better end sooner than never, right?" she asked.
I looked back up at her,"You know you are so right, and the way you put that, god your so poetic."
"Thank you thank you thank you." She blushed.
I out at the dance floor at to where couples had found their way dancing. I smiled and returned my gaze to Lynn,"I say, we go for a spin on the dance floor, get off such depression subject matter. Shall we?"
Lynn nodded,"I'd be delighted." she replied and stood up from her seat.
Taking her hand I led her out to dance and she immedietly found her way into my arms as we swayed to the music. Not nervous about being so close like before in the club, but now realaxed and comfortable, now that we had become friends.