Rated R for language and
stuff
Chapter soundtrack:
Godsmack’s “Keep Away”
Sleepy C sends…
(34) New Year’s EVE
Jason bounded the stairs to
Chloe’s apartment. He knocked anxiously, pounding with both fists. Chloe
answered with a smile. Jason entered
the door and greeted her with a swinging hug. He hadn’t seen in her in over a
week. It was only a day after he got
home from his own trip when his mom whisked her off to New York for a “golden
opportunity” modeling gig.
Chloe laughed when he
finally set her down. “Oh shit!” she giggled.
Jason picked her up again
straddle style and sat her on her kitchen counter. He delivered a passionate
kiss, welcoming her home. Chloe sighed and murmured “Oh wow. I’ll have to go
away more often. What’s with all the affection?”
Jason shrugged, “I don’t
know. It’s just good to see you, that’s all.”
“You’re pretty easy on the
eyes yourself.”
“Whatever,” he croaked.
“There’s a party tonight, you want to go? Everyone’s going to be there.”
Chloe eyed his lips,
planting an affectionate peck, “I don’t care. Doesn’t matter to me.”
“You’re not too tired or
anything are you?”
Chloe shook her head. She
hopped off the counter and went for her coat, “No, I’m fine. This morning’s
photo shoot went pretty quick. I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing until
we left, and then I slept a little on the plane.” She flipped her hair out of her coat and put on her gloves.
She looked up, “What are you
staring at?”
Jason leered at her, “You.”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I swear girl, you
look like a queen. You are so unbelievable sexy. Did I ever tell you that? I can barely function around you.”
“Shut up!” Chloe yelled,
smacking him on the arm.
“I’m serious. I get a
hard-on just watching you put on a coat.”
“You are crazy,” she mumbled
and reached for her key chain.
“I don’t know man, I’m
starting to think we should just stay home so we can go at it right on your
kitchen counter.”
Chloe let out a laugh,
“Would you listen to you!”
Jason opened the door,
“Let’s get out of here before you drive me insane, woman. I’m feeling festive
tonight, so lets party. But don’t even think about flashing me your tits, or
you’ll really get it.”
Chloe locked her door behind
her, “You can always flash me too, you know. It might liven things up a
little.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Jason
responded in sultry voice, winking.
****************
Jason ended up parking his
truck two blocks down the street. The party was packed and full swing by the
time they arrived. The beautiful pair
walked inside, hand in hand, making their first public appearance. They garnered a lot of peculiar stares, and
a few approving winks from the male audience. Jason Welles had went and scored
Philip Kiriakis’ main squeeze and it was quite a site to behold.
Chloe shyly avoided the
stares and secured her grip on Jason’s hand, weaving her way to Belle and
Mimi. She groaned once she finally
reached them. “Why is everyone staring at us?” she yelled over the music to
Mimi.
Mimi laughed at her, “Duh!
Why do you think?”
Chloe rolled her eyes and
turned to Jason, “These people have no life if they have to make a big deal out
of us.”
Jason slipped his arm around
her waist and nodded hello to Belle and Mimi. “Don’t worry about them.”
“I won’t. I just wish they’d
stop staring.”
“They will,” he whispered
into her ear. “You want something to drink?”
Chloe nodded, “Yeah a Coke
would be nice.”
He squeezed her hand and
leaned down to Belle, “Where’s Shawn?”
Belle pointed near a crowd
of guys seated on the far side of the living room. “He’s over there playing
cards… with Philip,” she added as a warning.
Jason nodded, “I’ll be right
back.”
Chloe turned to Belle and
Mimi, “How long have you guys’ been here?”
“About an hour!” Belle
shouted. “I had to beg Mimi to come hang out with her actual peers. I guess Pam
is having a big party at her place.”
Chloe gave Mimi a knowing
smile. She knew exactly what that meant- Mimi was dying to know what was going
on with Brady and his little friend. She wanted to torture herself watching
them and dealing with Brett’s arrogant ass. “You did a good thing by bringing
her here,” Chloe said appreciatively to Belle.
Mimi gave her a dirty look,
“Oh shut up. You talk like I’m some child.”
Chloe sighed, “We’re not
treating you like a child Mimi. Stop being so defensive. We’re your friends
looking out for your best interests.”
Mimi flashed her palm and
looked away irritably.
Chloe turned to Belle to ask
about her Christmas. Jason interrupted with Chloe’s Coke and his own beer.
Jason looked over his shoulders, “You
don’t mind if I?” nodding towards his crowd of guy friends. Chloe shook her
head, “No, not at all. I’ll catch up with you later,” she responded with a
goodbye kiss.
The kiss heard and seen
around the world… well, at least to the person that counted.
Belle and Mimi blushed
nervously and speechless when Jan approached Chloe from behind. “What?” Chloe
asked of her seemingly alarmed friends.
“It’s smack down time,” Mimi
announced under her breath, sipping her beer.
Belle did one of her famous,
“Oh No!!” looks and attempted her good-will cheer with a friendly greeting to
Jan.
Jan ignored her and gave a
sarcastic smile to Chloe, “You and I have some matters to discuss.”
Chloe looked her over
thoroughly before replying, “I’m sorry, I disagree. You and I have nothing to
talk about, so go on your way.”
Belle clenched her jaw with
worry, and Mimi choked back her laughter. This was good, real good.
“Guys, I
don’t think we should start anything drastic right here. I mean it’s a nice
party, it’s New Years, can’t we just all relax?” Belle pleaded.
Jan smiled and let out a
small laugh, “Nice try Belle. I appreciate your efforts to keep the peace and
all, but this can’t really wait. Sorry.” She turned to Chloe, “How about if we
step into my office for a few words. It shouldn’t take too long.”
“Fine,” Chloe huffed and led
the way. She could handle this. This girl wasn’t about to ruin her evening- she
wouldn’t let her.
Jan followed her
confidently, with Belle and Mimi in tow. Mimi giggled as Belle violently
protested. Chloe entered the bathroom, slamming the door once Jan entered.
Belle gaped at Mimi, “Shit! What are we going to do?”
Mimi shrugged and leaned up
against the door, “Nothing I guess. We’ll keep guard and get an earful while we’re
at it.”
“Mimi!!!!”
“Belle please, there’s
nothing we can do about it. You knew this would happen eventually.”
“I know, but WHY HERE? WHY
NOW???”
Mimi smiled, “I think it’s
funny. Dramatic, but funny. That Chloe, she sure is something.”
“Jan will rip her apart,”
Belle exclaimed.
Mimi made a face, “Tsk! Like
hell she will. Chloe will squash her.”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe
this is happening,” Belle wailed.
“Relax,” Mimi said,
positioning her leg across the door. She leaned her ear against the door to listen.
Her ears perked with interest. “I didn’t know Jan dumped food on her at IHOP.
Damn….” She listened again.
Belle stood pouting with
worry. She jumped when her cell phone ran. She grabbed it and crouched down
between the floor and door to muffle the surrounding noise in case it was her
parents. “Hello? Paulie, is that you? Oh my God,” she laughed, Mimi looked down
to her friend, watching her with concern, “Where are you? Are you at
Bobby’s?…Nothing, well, sorta. I’m at a party with some friends….I don’t
know….Paulie! I don’t know!”
Belle looked up and rolled
her eyes, “I’ll think about it….No…Paulie!….Ok, ok!… All right, I’ll be there
in a little bit.” She hung up her phone and stood up with a smirk, blushing.
“What the hell was that?”
Mimi asked.
“It was Paulie,” Belle said,
beaming.
“I know that Belle. What the
hell does he want?”
“He wants to see me.”
“Ugh! Tonight?” Mimi yelled.
“Shhh” Belle hissed, looking
around. “He wants me to go over to his place.”
“Absolutely not!” Mimi
implored.
“Why not?” Belle exclaimed.
“You are not going to leave
me on New Year’s Eve to go hang with some junior mobster guy!”
“He is NOT a mobster Mimi,
he’s a bodyguard.”
“Belle wake up,” Mimi said
in disgust. “He’s probably drunk, isn’t he?”
Belle shrugged, “It’s New Year’s Mimi, of course he’s drinking.”
“You know all he wants is a
piece of nookie. Don’t be stupid Belle.”
“I’m not being stupid. He
lives right by Sammy. I’ll just go and say hi for a little bit and then crash
at her place.”
“So you’re going to just up
and leave?”
Belle waved her hands in
frustration, “Yyyyy-ESSS! I am, I’m going to do it.”
Mimi shook her head, “What
about Shawn?”
Belle sighed and leaned
against the door, “What about Shawn. You see what’s happened tonight. He rode
over here with us, and as soon as he gets with his friends, he forgets that I
even exist.”
“That’s not true Belle. I
haven’t even seen you go over there.”
“Because it’s pointless!”
she groaned.
“So you’re just going to
leave?”
Belle nodded, and whispered,
“Yes.”
“That is such a shitty thing
to do to him.”
“Mimi!!”
“And me! I didn’t even want
to come out here, but I did.”
“Then come with me!” Belle
cried, grabbing her arm.
Mimi shook it away, “Nope!”
She put her finger over her lips and pressed her ear to the door, “Shhh be
quiet, it’s getting really good…”
*******************
“….Walking in here like some
Miss Glamour Bitch Fashion Model”
“You’re pushing it,” Chloe
said in a low voice.
“Try to imagine how much I
care,” Jan sneered.
“What the hell do you want?”
“To smash your face in and
expose you for the shallow little slut you are.”
“Where do YOU get off
calling me a slut?”
“Because you are a slut. All
you do is bounce from one guy to the next. Oh, and by the way, who IS it going
to be next? Brady Black? Shawn Brady?
Or the whole fucking universe? It wouldn’t surprise me,” Jan relayed
hatefully.
Chloe smirked and crossed
her arms. “Look at you, a pathetic, jealous psycho.”
“At least I’m not a fake
slut.”
Chloe felt her blood
boiling. This girl really knew how to bring out the worst in people. “You just can’t stand the fact that it was
YOU that drove Jason away, not me.
You’re too dumb and insecure to come to grips with that reality so you
blame it all on me.”
Jan answered her with an
angry shove.
Chloe fell back a bit,
stunned. She regained her balance and
threw her shoulders back. With her high-heeled sandals on, she hovered a good
ten inches over Jan. “Come on you little psycho,” Chloe taunted her. “That’s
right, have one of your immature spaz attacks and get it over with.”
Jan stared at her in fury,
eyes darting wildly as her heart raced.
“Go on!” Chloe continued
with the torment. “Push me around you pathetic little bitch.”
Jan attempted to shove her,
but Chloe secured her stance. She held her back, nearly laughing. “Come on
little girl, poke my eyes out!”
Jan reached up to smack
Chloe. Chloe returned a smack with
twice the force, the contact echoing a hallow “Whack!” Chloe glared at her,
“Are you done, or do you want more? I’m on a roll, honey. Now I’m right at your
level.”
Jan touched her face where
Chloe’s hand struck. “Fuck you Chloe. You’re not even worth it.”
“Neither are you,” Chloe
assured her.
Jan jabbed a threatening
finger in Chloe’s face. “Don’t look at me, don’t go near me, don’t say
anything,” she commanded.
“Hmmmm,” Chloe mocked,
nodding her head.
“Jason will find out soon
enough what a tramp you are. He’ll see right through you once he stops the
whole dick-for-brains routine.”
“Too bad you don’t stand
even half a chance with Philip.”
Jan reached for the door,
“Just pretend I don’t even exist.”
“No problem!” Chloe called
after her. She rolled her eyes once Jan slammed the door behind her.
Mimi let out a giggle as
Belle opened the door, “What happened???”
Chloe shook her head and
took a deep breath, “Come on, let’s get out of here. I want to forget this
whole mess.”
“Mmm mmm mmm,” Mimi
grumbled. “Belle wants to go be ogled over by Paulie and his buddies.”
“Huh?” Chloe whipped around,
“You’re leaving?”
Belle felt the color fade
from her face, “It’s kind of boring here and Paulie asked me to stop by.”
“What about Shawn?” Chloe
asked.
“That’s what I said,” Mimi
volleyed smartly.
“Guys, lay off the Shawn
guilt trip, all right?”
“Whatever,” Chloe and Mimi
answered in unison. They looked at each other. Being roommates did something to
them- they were often on the same wavelength. They turned their focus back to
Belle.
“Can you guys just make sure
he stays safe tonight, please? Make sure he doesn’t drink too much, and make
sure he rides home with a sober driver.”
“You’re really leaving,
aren’t you?” Mimi said in amazement. What a diss! She’d have to have words with
Paulie for sure. This was some spell he
put her under.
Mimi walked out of the
bathroom, with Chloe following behind.
Belle shut off the light and
left the bathroom. She strolled through the crowd and right out the front door,
completely unnoticed by Shawn.
************************
Chloe found Jason standing
in a circle with some friends. He turned his attention to her, “Hey what’s up?”
Chloe shook her head, not
wanting to get into detail around his friends. He pulled her off to the side,
“Where’d you go? I lost you.”
“Can you please explain what
it was you ever saw in Jan? Because I’m having a real hard time seeing it.”
Jason eyes widened, “Why,
what happened?”
Chloe stared at his chest,
“Nothing, it was just stupid.”
“Did she do something?”
Chloe looked up to him, “You
know, she is a lot worse than I ever thought.”
Jason noticed her red cheek.
He touched it gently, “Did she hit you? That crazy bitch…”
Chloe grabbed him, keeping
him from going off, “Jason, it’s ok. Yes, she and I talked. She saw us come in
together and then I guess she went bonkers when I kissed you.”
“Where is she? I’m going to
lay it into her I swear,” Jason yelled.
Chloe grabbed him again,
“Jason no! Don’t go to her. That’s exactly what she wants you to do.”
“I can’t believe this,” he
fumed.
“Look, I handled it just
fine. I can take care of myself. I mean I lost it a little- I actually slapped
her back. But then it ended. I think she knew she was making a mistake so she
gave it up.”
“FUCK! Why does she always
have to pull this shit?” He scanned the crowd furiously hoping to spot her.
Chloe grabbed his face,
“Jason, look at me!”
Jason turned to her, “What?”
“Let’s just forget about it,
ok? She already ruined part of the night, I don’t want her to ruin the rest of
it.”
“Fuck! I can’t help it. I am
so pissed off right now.”
Chloe kissed his lips,
“Water under the bridge, remember?”
Jason stopped and stared at
her. He told her that line before. The memory on that girl…He grabbed both of her
hands, “So what do you want to do? You want to stay or do you want to go?”
Chloe shrugged, “It doesn’t
really matter.”
“Are you sure?”
Chloe nodded, “Yeah.”
Jason looked around. “I kind
of want to stay.”
Chloe’s face fell in
disappointment. She kind of hoped he’d pick the former. “Ok,” she forced.
Jason noticed Jan heading
towards the card table. He felt his temper rise instantly, “But then again, it
would probably be best if we left.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t even stand
the very sight of her right now. I know I’ll end up going off on her, and trust
me, it won’t be pretty.”
Chloe said nothing, choosing
not to sway him one way or another.
Jason sipped his beer,
“Phil’s being a total dick too.”
“You talked to him?” Chloe
inquired.
“Not really. He’s just giving
off attitude that’s all.”
Chloe smiled wanly. She
wanted to be alone, away from all these people. It was too noisy, and way too
crowded for her taste.
Jason stared at her,
struggling to decide. He finished his beer. “Screw it, we’ll spend New Year’s alone.”
Chloe tried to curb her
enthusiasm the best she could. “Are you sure?”
Jason gave a slight nod,
“This isn’t how I wanted this night to be, but oh well.”
“We can stay.”
“No, let’s go.”
Chloe hugged him, smiling.
“We can go to my place if you want.”
Jason released her and
looked down to her, “I say we go to mine. My parents will be out really late,
and I’ll lock the door. That way we don’t have to worry about your friends
coming in on us.”
Chloe grabbed his hand,
“Come on then, let’s go watch Dick Clark,” she joked.
*******************
NEVER MISUNDERSTAND ME, KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"
Was she listening? He hoped
so. The song must have been written specifically for her, he mused.
Jan rolled her eyes, “You’re such a loser when you’re drunk
Philadelphia,” she claimed.
Philip laughed at her as she led him down the driveway. “You
called me Philadelphia! No one’s ever called me that before.”
Jan situated him in the
passenger seat of her car. She got in on her side and drove in thoughtful
silence.
Philip adjusted the seat so
he could stretch out completely. He leaned the seat back so he was laying down.
He stared at the car ceiling, thoughts racing.
He was insanely horny.
His mind drifted to their
first and only time. The one they never talked about. He loved it. It was so
open, so animalistic. She didn’t hesitate for a minute. She stood up on her
manicured toes and allowed him to raise her skirt without a fight. It wasn’t
that she was easy. His instincts knew she wasn’t- she was exclusive to Jason.
They joined simultaneously through their hidden needs. He was completely
fascinated by it. She was a total stranger to him and vice versa. Perhaps that
is what made the experience so intense and often had him waking up at nights in
wonder.
He grabbed himself and
adjusted slowly. Jan peered down at him in disgust. “Don’t be beating off in my
car.”
Philip reached out her for
arm, “Why are you so feisty all the time?” he asked from below, barely audible.
Jan rolled her eyes and
flipped on her turn signal.
“You’re always on fire,” he
continued to mumble. “I actually like it when you’re on fire, well, sometimes.
But I like it better when you’re sweet. You can be sweet as honey,” he said in
his most seductive voice, flirting.
Jan continued to drive as if
she didn’t hear a word he said.
Phil bit his lip, and moved
his hand upward, absently rubbing his belly. He drifted off into a light sleep.
Jan tried to wake him once she arrived at the Kiriakis mansion. His eyes still
closed, he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it softly.
Jan cherished the moment for
a slight second before snapping her fingers away, “I think you’re forgetting
who you’re with. I’m not Chloe.”
Philip sat up, suddenly very
awake and his mood instantly soured. “I
know that’s for sure,” he implored.
He got of her car, refusing to thank her.
Jan sat, furious at his lack
of manners. She got him home safely and this was the appreciation she got. She
rolled down the window and yelled out to him, “You’re suck Philip Kiriakis!”
Philip waved her off,
stumbling towards his grand entry way. “Ilove you too baby,” he teased.
Jan slammed her foot to the
accelerator, screeching out of the driveway of the enormous estate grounds.
This was the WORST New Year’s Eve of her entire life…
****************
Shawn tapped Mimi’s knee.
Mimi stirred in her sleep, hugging the couch cushion. Shawn slumped down to his
knees, “Mimi wake up.”
Mimi’s eyes peeled open
slowly, bewildered by her surroundings.
She yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know, like two I
think. Where’s Belle?”
“She left Shawn, like a long
time ago,” Mimi explained.
“How long ago?”
“Hours Shawn.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why didn’t you notice until
just now?”
“I didn’t. I’ve been looking
all over for her.”
“She told me to stay and
make sure you got home all right.”
“I can’t believe she left
without even telling me.”
Mimi shrugged and stood up,
“Don’t ask me why either. I didn’t even want to come here in the first place.
But I promised I’d take care of you in case you got wasted.”
“Where did she go?”
“Shawn I’m really not in the
mood for twenty questions,” Mimi snapped.
“Well Happy New Year to you
too, princess.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just really
tired.”
“What if I don’t want to go
home yet?”
“Tough shit. I’m ready to
leave. So you either stay the night here or let me take you home.”
“Can I crash at your place
instead?”
“No!”
“Why not? I don’t want to go
home. I’m still wired. Especially now that I know my girlfriend is God knows
where.”
Mimi searched for her keys,
finding them wedged between the cushion, “I don’t care. I just want to get out
of here.”
Shawn followed Mimi outside
and climbed inside the VW. He chuckled when she fired it up, engine squealing.
Mimi ignored it and drove on in sleepy daze.
Shawn glanced over to her when they came to an intersection. Mimi
grinded the gears and let out the clutch.
“This is a real piece of
shit you got here,” Shawn said smiling.
Mimi gave him a side-long
glance, “Then get out and walk” she retorted, pulling over to the side of the
road.
Shawn gaped at her, “Dang
girl, I was just joking.”
“Hey, if you’re too good for
my car…“ she mumbled irritably.
“What crawled up your ass
tonight?” Shawn shouted.
“Nothing!” she yelled back.
“I just got shit on the mind, that’s all.”
“You’re telling me,” Shawn
said under his breath, plunging head first into wonder.
This was not like Belle, at
all. What was so important to tear her away on a night like this?
****************
Belle was just stepping off
the elevator when Paulie’s door suddenly opened. “Oh wow,” he said, “I just had
a gut feeling to peak out here all the sudden to see if you were coming, and
here you are.”
Belle walked up to him and
smiled. He wore dress pants and a grey shirt with his tie loosened. Belle found
herself reaching up to tug his tie. “Why are you all dressed? Did you work
tonight?”
Paulie took a firm stance,
looking down to her as he nodded. “I had dinner with Mr. V and the rest of his
partners. They finally hinted to let me go for the night, thank God. No offense
to Mr. V, but I’m used to livelier New Year’s Eve if you know what I mean.”
Belle gave him a small
smile, “That was nice of him. I’m glad he let you off, otherwise I wouldn’t
have had the chance to see you.”
Paulie stroked her bangs
gently and behind her ear. “What about you? What were you doing tonight?”
Belle tried to resist the
temptation to shake off her chills. Instead, her body became overwhelmed with
goosepimples. “I uh, went to a party with some friends and stuff.”
“Oh yeah, with your
boyfriend too?” he asked in a deep voice, meeting her eyes.
Belle let the shiver go. She
couldn’t help it. Suddenly she had the very strong urge to urinate. Instead she
swallowed hard and nodded, “Um yeah, Shawn came with us too.”
Paulie continued his gaze,
saying nothing as he waited for more.
“But it was a really stupid
party kind of. Too crowded and all that. Plus two of my friends got in a fight
and it was pretty crazy.”
“That’s too bad,” Paulie
relayed. Belle inhaled, catching a strong with of alcohol on his breath. Paulie
had been drinking. Was that why he called her?
“Was your boyfriend mad that
you left?” Paulie asked.
Belle shrugged, “I doubt it.
I don’t even think he noticed. I told you all he cares about is partying and
hanging out with his friends.”
“Sounds normal for a guy his
age,” Paulie explained. “He’ll learn to pay more attention to you eventually.”
Belle shook her head in
defeat, “I doubt it.”
“I don’t,” Paulie relayed,
somewhat insincerely.
Belle bit her lip nervously.
Paulie shifted in his feet and leaned towards her. “That’s for coming over
Isabella. I kept thinking of your sweet, pretty face. I couldn’t help it
anymore so I called.”
“Oh, anytime,” Belle cooed.
She breathed in his scent again, this time pleasantly familiar. His breath
smelled like the wine she drank at church communion- sweet, strong, and
enticing.
She blinked wildly when he
leaned down to plant a series of kisses all over her face- everywhere except
her lips. It was so sweet, yet she had to fight off the urge to giggle. She felt like a little girl once again being
kissed goodbye by her mother.
Belle stood on her toes and
placed her hands on his shoulders, daring him to proceed further. Paulie
responded with a gentleman’s reluctance before giving in to her invitation.
But when he did give in, oh
man. Once she felt the touch of those warm, pouting lips of his, along with his
hands on her body, roaming eagerly….the naughty taste of lust ignited any
hesitant signs of impending womanhood within her body. Belle felt a sudden rush
of blood to her breasts, creating a sensation of her cup size increasing
two-fold. This was insane! Like a great experiment in human biochemistry- and
she was the star subject understudy. And God help her for loving it so much.
She didn’t feel like a
little girl anymore- not in the least. More like a nuclear power plant,
simmering with kinetic energy.
Amazingly, she heard
Bobbie’s voice from behind the door, inching closer, “Where the hell did Paulie
go?”, the door suddenly flying open. Bobby’s face fell when he saw Belle, “Oh
hey, you’re that one girl…”
Belle stepped down from her
heels and looked away, blushing profusely.
“Get the fuck out of here
Bobby!” Paulie yelled, his New Jersey accent suddenly in tact.
Belle caught her breath as
Paulie shooed Bobby back into his apartment, nearly closing him in the door.
Paulie turned back to her,
“Now where were we?”
“Uhhhhh,” Belle struggled.
The cat had her tongue. No, Paulie did. And did he ever!
“Are you alright?” Paulie
asked sweetly.
Belle managed to nod, “I’m
fine.”
“Sorry he barged in on us
like that, it was very disrespectful.”
“He didn’t know,” Belle
claimed in Bobby’s defense.
“I know, but still…”
Belle backed up, “Paulie,
this is, wow, um, I don’t know.” She pointed to him, “You are a really good
kisser, Paulie. I mean, whew, really good. I couldn’t even begin…”
Paulie stared at her and
gave a crooked smile, “Isabella.”
Belle halted him, placing
her hand on his chest, “This is too much. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to
stop, cuz I just can’t…handle this.” She backed up, struggling to speak, “I,
I…you’re a really good kisser.”
Paulie gave her a worried
look, “Are you leaving? Don’t leave. I can tell Bobby and the other guys to
leave. We can just hang out and listen to music, or whatever you want.”
Belle shook her head, biting
her lip again. At the moment, she could not comprehend “hanging out” with
Paulie. In fact, it seemed impossible, especially now. “It’s pretty late. I
really ought to get home, you know, my parent’s are probably worried and
stuff.”
Paulie gave a disappointed
frown. He leaned down to her, and Belle let out a small yelp of “Ahhh.”
Paulie laughed at her
recoiling, “Don’t freak out Belle. I’m just going to give you a innocent good
night kiss, that’s all.”
“Is there such thing?” she
murmured.
Paulie cupped her face in
his massive hands and planted a soft tender one first on her forehead, then the
tip of her nose, and finally on her stiff lips.
Belle remained intact,
shocked. “Sugar,” she purred as Paulie took her hand and led her to the
elevator.
Belle stepped inside,
watching as Paulie waved goodbye to her until the doors finally shut. She stumbled back, leaning on the railing.
She stared at the floor in a daze, unaware of how long it was until she
realized she wasn’t moving, and her ticker came to full fruition.
Uh hello, ding dong. Press the button ya
genius!
But what way to go: up or
down? She didn’t know or care. She absently hit 12 and 3. She stood back,
pulling on her lips, closing her eyes as she curled an intoxicated smile.
Wake up Belle,
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaake up!
***************
“Where did you tell your
parents you were staying tonight?” Mimi yelled to Shawn in the bathroom. She
was changing into one of her Salem High t-shirts and pajama bottoms. She heard
the toilet flushing and water running.
Shawn emerged in a near stumble plopping face first onto Mimi’s bed.
“Shawn?” she asked again.
Shawn rolled onto his back
and let out a deep breath, “I told them I’d either spend the night at Phil’s or
Jason’s.”
“Great, and now you’re
here.”
“They won’t know.”
“They better not. By the
way, you’re sleeping on the couch. I don’t know if or when Chloe is coming
home, but I don’t think she’d be too crazy to about finding you in her bed.”
Shawn closed his eyes and
groaned, “Sure Mimi, whatever you say. Just give me a second, I’m resting my
eyes.”
Mimi rolled her eyes. “Could
you at least move over a little bit, please. Cuz this is my bed, and this is
where I’M sleeping.”
Shawn scooted over, refusing
to argue.
Mimi crawled under her
sheets, grumbling by her lack of space. “Are you done closing your eyes yet?”
Shawn turned on his side to
face her, dismissing her hint. “What is up with her? I don’t get it. She’s been
acting goofy for awhile now. Ever since I hinted that I’m not ready to be some
Husband or freaking Father of the Year right this second, she’s been distant.”
Mimi tried to control her smile.
Here we go, she thought. Lucky her, she got to hear both sides of the story.
“What kind of girlfriend
puts that pressure on her boyfriend while we’re still in high school? That is
so stupid.”
“Shawn, no offense or
anything, but I don’t think Belle wants to get married and have kids right
now.”
“Ha ha, very funny Mimi.
That’s not what I mean. One day she was asking what I saw in my future, and I
gave her the honest truth, but I guess it wasn’t good enough.”
“Shawn!” Mimi wailed. “I
just want to sleep.”
“Gee thanks Mimi, you’re a
great listener.”
“Come on Shawn, you know I
am. But Belle is my best friend.”
Shawn pulled back, “I get
it. You already know about this, don’t you?”
Mimi expressed the obvious.
Shawn shook his head, “That
girl is too frustrating. I don’t get her at all. She’s all milk, and no
cookies…”
Mimi laughed out loud at his
last remark.
Shawn continued, “I’m sorry,
but that shit gets real old. She’s got that whole tease thing down pat, and
then she turns around and says she wants to run off to Miami so she can screw
the Dolphins football team.”
Mimi laughed harder, “She
said what?” She never heard this part of the story.
“I’m serious. I was like
‘what the?’ But she said it like she was serious and starts hanging all over
Maddox.”
“She was probably just
trying to make you mad.”
“Trust me, it worked. She is
so hard to read sometimes.”
“Ugh, ok Bud. Try being
roommates with Chloe Lane. Belle isn’t even half as bad.”
“Yeah but that’s Chloe.”
Mimi smiled and closed her
eyes. “Shawn, go to bed.”
Shawn waited, then finally
nudged her again. “Mimi?”
“Whaaat?” Mimi groaned. She
opened her eyes again and waited.
Shawn rolled onto his back
again and adjusted his pillow. “Promise you won’t say anything?”
Mimi nodded, “No Shawn, I
won’t tell Belle what you told me. Besides, it’s old news anyway, well most of
it.”
“I’m not talking about
that.”
“Spit it out Shawn, I’m
losing patience.”
Shawn looked over to her.
“Do not breathe a word of this to her.”
Mimi crossed her heart,
“Speak.”
Shawn hesitated before
finally confessing. “For awhile now, I’ve been having these reoccurring dreams.
I’m not totally sure what they mean, but I have an idea.”
Mimi perked her head up,
“What’s the dream?”
“Ok, here it goes. I’m on
this hockey rink by myself. And I’m just playing around with the puck…”
“You’re telling me a dream
about hockey?” Mimi interrupted with disgust.
“Shhh, I’m not done Mimi,
just listen. Anyway, I’m about to pass the puck into the neck, and out of the
blue this other player comes and smacks the puck away from me and drives it
straight into the net.”
He stopped and stared at Mimi, awaiting her reaction.
Mimi stared back at him,
“And???”
“That’s it.”
Mimi grimaced, “You’re
telling me this because?”
“I think it’s symbolic.”
“Of what?” she wailed,
completely lost.
“I think it’s another guy
taking Belle’s…” he couldn’t even say it. Her virginity.
Mimi’s face fell, and
suddenly she felt nauseous. Before she could even ask, Shawn sat up and leaned
on his elbows, hovering over her. “Mimi, I know she’s your friend and all, but
you would tell me if something was going on wouldn’t you.”
Mimi let out a slight croak.
“Did she leave with a guy
from the party tonight?”
Mimi shook her head,
speechless. Technically, she was telling the truth. Belle didn’t leave the party
WITH a guy- she left the party FOR a guy.
Shawn was dreaming about
Paulie, and he didn’t even know he existed.
Mimi covered her mouth, eyes
boreing into Shawn’s. How could Belle do this to her? Put her in such an
awful position like this? Mimi felt a sudden wave of guilt. She always
encouraged Belle to hook up with Paulie. But did she really mean it? At first,
yeah, but more as a joke. One thing she knew for sure- she never expected Belle
to let things get so carried away with her new crush that she would just
abandon her own boyfriend at a New Year’s Eve party. Belle was not thinking,
which wasn’t like her. That’s supposed to be my job, Mimi uttered to herself.
“Are you sure?” Shawn asked,
snapping her out of her guilt spell.
Mimi nodded again, “I’m positive.
She wasn’t having a good time. Chloe and Jan got in a really bad fight. And I
think she had a cramps or something,” Mimi added with a small white lie.
Shawn let out a sigh of
relief. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid and reading too much into it. Maybe it
is just a dream about hockey, and nothing more.”
Mimi said nothing. She was
too busy strangling Belle in her head. She felt soooo sorry for Shawn.
“I won’t bug you anymore,”
Shawn said. “Now I feel stupid. It’s probably just the alcohol. Instead of it
making me think less, it actually makes me think more.”
“Really?” Mimi asked with
fake interest. She prayed to God he wouldn’t ask her any more questions. She
didn’t know how good she would be at keeping Paulie a secret at this point.
She lay quiet, hoping Shawn
would leave her alone. Within twenty minutes, her wishes came true. Shawn was
out cold. The alcohol’s depressive effects came through like a miracle. Mimi
crawled out the bed slowly, ensuring not to disturb him. She removed his shoes
and covered him with her blanket.
Mimi was about to go into
the living room to crash when she heard the front door open and foot steps past
her door. She paused, realizing Ginny was just entering from her own New Year’s
party. She opened her door, surprised to find Brady carrying a passed out Ginny
to her bedroom. Luckily, Brady didn’t notice her. Mimi cracked the door and
waited.
Brady emerged from Ginny’s
bedroom, closing the door behind him. He walked quietly through the bedroom and
past Mimi’s door, not looking as he exited the front door.
Mimi threw her door wide
open and crossed the living room to Ginny’s bedroom. She peaked inside, finding
her undressed down to her bra and underwear, tucked under the covers.
Her jealousy and curiosity
ignited, Mimi shut the door and ran to catch up with Brady.
*********
Brady was backing out of his
parking stall as Mimi ran down the stairs. She sprinted after him just as he
was about to drive off. Mimi waved to
slow him down, yelling “Hey!” The car proceeded a few more seconds until his
brake lights finally came on. He stopped and rolled down the window.
Mimi slowed to a walk and
approached his passenger window. She knelt down, gasping, “Hi.”
“Hey,” Brady answered
civilly. “Why are you standing out in the cold?”
“Why are you just sitting
there with your pecker hanging out?” she fired back.
Brady gave her a dirty look
and softly insisted, “Don’t talk to me like that.”
Mimi grimaced with guilt,
“I’m sorry, it just came out. Bad habit.”
Brady looked at her, curious
of her point. “What do you want?” he finally asked.
Mimi hugged herself and
shivered. “I just want to talk to you,” she said, jumping up and down.
Brady tilted his head and
gestured for her to get in the car.
Mimi took his cue and sat
inside as he rolled up the window. He pulled into a visitor stall and threw the
car into park. He waited as Mimi continued to shiver.
“I see you dropped Ginny
off,” Mimi managed through chattering teeth.
Brady gave a simple nod and
reached down to turn the heat on full blast. He looked out the window
aimlessly, refusing to make eye contact with her.
Mimi waited for him to
explain what happened. Unfortunately she knew Brady- right now he was pissed.
Finally she looked over and said, “Why are you so mad at me?”
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because
you sent me flowers and I’ve been ignoring you.”
“Very good Mimi, you get
points for instinct,” he quipped, meeting her gaze. “Actually, I’m more mad at
me than you. I should have known. I’ve watched you long enough to know you’re
all talk and no walk. You went flying back into Brett’s arms after what, two or
three days? Like I said before, you’re just young and confused.”
“Why do you keep saying
that?” Mimi asked, raising her voice defensively. “It doesn’t mean shit and you
know it.”
“It means plenty.”
“No it doesn’t. You’re just
mad because of the way I handled everything.”
“You didn’t handle anything
because you don’t want to and you don’t know how.”
“You aren’t exactly a beacon
of maturity yourself. And you sure as hell are NO expert on human relations
Brady Victor Black. Trust me, you are the last person to talk. Just because you
and your little fuck-mate Pam have this understanding and there are no complex
emotions involved doesn’t mean it’s that way for everyone else. Not everyone
has an ‘arrangement’. Some things are a little more complicated.”
“You’re rambling,” Brady
said with a sarcastic laugh.
“I am NOT rambling,” Mimi
shouted. She let out a sigh of frustration before admitting her true feelings,
“I just didn’t want anything to change between us. I like things the way they
were.”
“Yeah, well I think it’s
bullshit,” Brady replied.
“I don’t,” she insisted
stubbornly.
Brady remembered otherwise.
There was not one iota of fear or hesitance in her kiss in the bathroom. She
wanted it, he wanted it, plain and simple. And if Brett hadn’t interrupted
them, he had no doubt in his mind that they would have taken it a lot
further…right there on the sink.
Mimi sunk lower in her seat
and adjusted the vents so they blew directly on her. She was warming up, quick.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” she asked softly, attempting to make
pleasant conversation. She hated it when they argued. She just wanted to forget
everything: his bitterness, the recent drift between them, the fact that they
never hung out they way they used to. It hurt too much-especially when she
witnessed the bond between him and her roommates. She missed his company, the
old Brady.
“Yeah, I had a really good
time,” Brady answered, caught off guard by her sudden change of tone. “Ginny
drank way too much though. She passed out at the party. She’s going to be
hurting tomorrow.”
“That’s too bad,” Mimi said
with a smile. She looked up at him adoringly, “Did you get a nice kiss at
midnight?”
Brady nodded and gave a sly
smile. “Yes, of course I did.”
Mimi leaned forward, “By
whom?” she cooed.
“All the ladies in the
house,” he responded, a bit cocky.
“You lie!!” Mimi yelled,
nearly laughing. Her heart was doing those familiar flips again.
“All right, maybe a only a
couple,” he admitted. “You?”
“I was asleep,” Mimi
grumbled.
“Sorry to hear that. You
should have came with us tonight. You would have had fun.”
“I know, don’t tell me. I
wanted to go, but I promised Belle I’d go with her. It sucked.”
Brady looked at his steering
wheel. There he was, falling into her little charms all over again. One look at
those big hazel eyes and he forgot he was mad at her. And that she was only 16.
Mimi leaned her head back in
the chair and reached for his hand, “Bradyyyyyyy?”
“What Mimi?” he asked
without looking up.
“Can I get a New Year’s
kiss?” she begged in a whiney voice.
Brady looked over to her,
shaking his head. “No,” he replied firmly.
“Pleeeeeeeeeease?”
Brady shook his head again.
Mimi ignored him and reached
over and grabbed his face to ring in the New Year.
Her lips met his own and
Mimi purred in girlish delight. She wrapped her hands around his neck, breaking
into a smile.
Brady was withdrew from her,
furious. “Get out,” he ordered as he removed her hands.
Mimi’s face fell, “Why?”
“Cuz I’m sick of your
bullshit games!” he shouted.
Mimi shook her head with
regret, stunned with disbelief at his coldness. “I hate you,” she announced
before getting out of the car. She slammed the door furiously and hugged
herself in the frigid air as she stomped back to her apartment, Brady’s Mustang
burning rubber behind her.
Wrapped like a warm cocoon
on the couch, Mimi cried herself to sleep.
************