“Sophie?” He called through the door as he heard her voice cry out.
“Go away!” She yelled back.
“Sophie are you ok?”
“I’m fine, go away!”
“Sophie, let me in.” He banged on the door again.
“No, I’m busy. Now go away!”
“Are you sure you’re ok?” He yelled again. This time he heard her scream in frustration and her footsteps pounded closer to the door.
“I’m fine. Hear that?” She stomped. “I’ve got legs, I can walk, now leave me alone!”
“If you’re alright then open the door and let me see you.”
“Why should I? You’ve got no power over me.” Her voice was no softer, but there was a hard edge to it.
“If you don’t let me in I’ll go get Big E.” Lance used the same tone.
“Go ahead.”
“Fine!” Lance turned and began to walk angrily down the hallway. Suddenly he heard a door open behind him.
“Don’t get E-ner.” Sophie’s voice was softer now, but still cold. Before Lance turned around he smelled the heavy scent of mint again and he furrowed his brows, he couldn’t remember when he’d smelled that before. He turned and headed back towards the door.
“Are you sure?” He asked. “I mean, it won’t take me long to…. Oh my God.” His mouth fell open and he out and out stared as Sophie came into view. One arm was propped against the doorframe, while the other clutched a pillow to her body. The white cushion was just long enough to barely conceal her naked torso, with the end of the pillowcase doing its best to shield her chest from his eyes. Lance blinked and swallowed hard, but couldn’t bring himself to speak in the presence of such a vision. His gaze moved up finally to rest on her face; lips much abused by someone else’s and smeared, framed with short, blonde hair.
“Alright, so, you saw me. I’ve got all my body parts still attached, so can I go?” She waited for him to speak and when he didn’t she sighed heavily. “Listen, I know you’re supposed to be the innocent one and everything, but please tell me this isn’t the first time you’ve seen a naked woman.”
“No, no, I, I have.” He stammered, but the sound of his own voice echoing down the hall seemed to wake him up. “I just didn’t expect….” He trailed off.
“Mon amour, reviennent à moi.” A male voice whined from inside the room. Sophie frowned and called back to him.
“Soyez patient.” She said thickly in French. She turned back to Lance. “Was there something else, or can I get back to what I was doing?”
“Is he your friend from school?”
“Correction, acquaintance. And no, he’s not. I went to an all girls school there genius. Or have you forgotten that already?”
“I didn’t forget. But what happened to this ‘acquaintance’? Or was that a lie?”
“I don’t lie.” Sophie hissed. “I called her, just like I said I was going to.”
“So he’s just a bonus?”
“It’s none of your business what he is. I don’t come bothering you in the middle of the night to hear all the show names of your prize winnin fucks back on the farm, so please have some dignity and leave me alone.” She growled.
“I thought you didn’t have a boyfriend.” Lance said lamely. Sophie laughed at him.
“Oh I hardly think that what Garin and I were doing would be considered dating.” Lance was once again struck dumb. He’d had a feeling something was going on with Sophie, but he’d never contemplated anything like this. He fumbled for something else to say as Sophie shifted her position. Garin’s hand appeared from behind a corner and rolled a bottle of vodka to the door. Sophie stopped it easily with her foot, but Lance bent to pick it up.
“I thought you didn’t drink.” He accused.
“You must have heard me wrong. I simply said ‘I don’t’. I never specified what it is I don’t do.” Sophie shrugged and looked very bored. Lance leaned forward and sniffed her, causing her to jerk away from him and fall into the door.
“And what smells like mint?”
“Ah, that would be mint schnapps. Mix with vodka,” she pointed to the bottle in Lance’s hand, “and you have yourself a lovely and harder than average to detect beverage for the whole family to enjoy.”
“You’re drunk.” He said firmly.
“Wrong again.” Sophie smirked. “I only drink alone.”
“MON AMOUR!” Garin whined and then hiccupped. He came into view and Lance looked quickly away, blushing.
“Oh come now, I know you’ve seen a naked man before.” Sophie laughed.
“Just tell him to go away.”
“Sort of like I told you?” Sophie met Lance’s eyes and he shivered from the ice of her glare. He nodded quickly. “Yes, well, let’s hope he listens better than some people.” She looked over at Garin and smiled. “Allez de nouveau au lit Garin.”
“Mais mon amour…” Garin tilted his head and Lance could tell from the corner of his eye that the man was pleading with Sophie.
“Le non, disparaissent.” She waved her hand and he did as she commanded, slinking back around the corner. The heard his body fall into the bed.
“Américain stupide.” He grumbled. Sophie laughed and looked back at Lance.
“Now he?” Sophie gestured over her shoulder. “He, is drunk.” She laughed at Lance’s expression.
“But I smell it on you. I smell the vodka.” He protested.
“You smell him on me.” Sophie said, dropping her voice. Lance shook away the tempting thoughts of having his scent on her body and shoved the bottle back in her general direction. “Thanks.” She said with a laugh. Lance just shook his head and stormed off towards his room. He was followed by a door slam and a shriek of pleasure.
The next morning after Sophie had packed everything and made sure she was ready for the flight home, she stretched out on one of the beds and was reading when there was a loud knock at the door.
“Who is it?” She called.
“It’s us. We need to talk to you.” Justin’s voice came through the door. Sophie got up and opened the door and looked at five upset faces. She said nothing but let them in.
“What’s going on?” She asked innocently. Lance snorted. The guys placed themselves around the room but didn’t sit down. Sophie looked around at them, waiting for someone to speak up. Chris sighed.
“Lance said that there was a man in your room last night.”
“And would that be such a problem? Joey has women in his room almost every night.” Sophie said, her tone was soft and sweet.
“Well, we never really thought about it like that. I guess it’s not a problem.” Justin, who was anxious to have Sophie cleared of charges, answered.
“Besides, Lance is lying.” She said looking right at him.
“What?” He asked in disbelief. Sophie just smiled.
“There were two men in my room last night.” All the guys took a collective breath, readying themselves for the worst. Surely their little innocent Sophie wasn’t like that. She smiled warmly again and laughed. “Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Interview with the Vampire, in French no less, yummy.” Four of the five all began to laugh and came towards her to smother her in hugs.
“Lancers, man, you had us all worked up over that?” Justin laughed, looking over his shoulder at Lance. The latter simply shrugged. What had just happened?
“So, how was the party last night?” Sophie asked excitedly as she and the other guys walked towards the door.
“It was SO much fun, Sophie my love. You should have come.”
“Yeah Somine, we could have danced all night.”
“Hey Lance? Come on man, let’s go down to breakfast.” JC called, jump starting Lance into motion.
“I’m coming.” Lance mumbled in surprise. He couldn’t have imagined that could he? Had it all been a dream? He quickly surveyed the room, nothing out of place.
“Hurry up Lance!” Chris yelled from the door. Lance ran out, taking a deep breath as he went. The minty smell was totally gone too. As they all stood at the elevator bank he looked harshly at Sophie. She was just as refreshed and wide-eyed as she always was in the morning. She happened to glace at him.
“What happened to your hair?” He asked.
“Nothing.” She tugged on one of the long, dark curls hanging over her shoulder.
“Don’t you like it?” He said nothing in return. For the first time since she’d met him, she smiled at him with a genuine look in her eyes.
“It’s a pity you couldn’t have joined me last night.” She said as they got on the elevator. “You’d have enjoyed the show.” Lance just stared at her as the other guys kept talking, as if nothing was any different than it should be.