Leather and Lace

Is love so fragile
And the heart so hollow
Shatter with words
Impossible to follow

The sounds of Stevie Nick's haunting voice filled the room. The clock struck one in the morning and Jennifer "Burnout Girl" Wyeth covered herself with a light sheet. It was an unseasonably cool night for early September. Jesse's body heat provided enough warmth for her not to need a blanket. As she looked up from his very naked body to his serene and peaceful looking face, her mind raced between doubt and realization that she her dreams had been answered.

You're saying I'm fragile
I try not to be
I search only
for something I can't see.
I have my own life
and I'm stronger than you know.
But I carry this feeling
when you walked into my house-
That you won't be walking out the door.

Jennifer ran her hand across his chest as she remembered how they had gotten together three months earlier. She was standing near the bar taking in her surroundings. The Zon was moderately lit and the crowd sparse enough to observe. Daria and Jane were sitting at a table talking about their upcoming moves to Boston. She had gotten used to seeing the two at Mystik Spiral shows. Then again, Jane was Trent's sister and Daria was, well, Daria. Jennifer then spotted and said hello to a few more regulars before the first notes of "Hey Mr. Normal" blasted through the bar's speakers. Grabbing her soda, she took a seat and got ready to settle in for the show.

When she first started going to the Zon three years earlier, Jennifer was a shy, loner stoner who was just looking for a place to fit in. Now, she was an eighteen year old high school graduate and was looking forward to what the future held. No longer did she want to stand in the corner - she wanted to be seen. More importantly, she wanted to be seen by him, Jesse Moreno, the twenty-three year old rhythm guitarist and co-vocalist for Mystik Spiral. Jennifer had been pining over him for him since she had first seen the Spiral perform. She would fantasize about what it would be like to run her hand through his long, curly hair. Tonight, Jennifer determined to make her dreams become reality.

After the show was over, Jennifer went out the back for a smoke. She saw Jesse out of the corner of her eye putting up his guitar and patting his leather vest and pants as if looking for something. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and pulled out her pack and a lighter. He gave her a small smile and thanked her. After a few moments of silence, Jennifer commented on the show and soon the two struck up a small conversation. When the band left the guitarist high and dry, Jennifer offered him a ride home. Much to her surprise, Jesse asked if she wanted to go get a bite to eat first. They ended up at Cluster Burger and despite his usual quietness, they talked for several hours. Jennifer could see his exhaustion and her apartment was less than a block away, so she offered him her couch for the rest of the night. As they parked, Jesse leaned over and kissed her. One kiss led to another and then another, and soon the couch idea was abandoned and Jennifer's dreams came true. Jennifer's memories started to fade as sleep began to take back over. She placed her head on Jesse's muscular chest and closed her eyes.

Lovers forever,
face to face.
My city or mountains
Stay with me, stay
I need you to love me.
I need you today.
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace.

Jesse woke up when he felt the weight of Jennifer's beautiful head lay back on his chest. As Don Henley's voice came through the cd player, Jesse reached up and began to stroke her hair as a smile came over his face.

You in the moonlight
with your sleepy eyes,
Could you ever love
a man like me?
And you were right -
when I walked into your house,
I knew I'd never want to leave.

Jesse also started thinking of that night in June and how it had changed his life forever. For the first time since he had left his parent's house or maybe ever, he felt as if he were home. Jennifer was so nice, loving, and absolutely stunning. A huge smile formed on his face when he thought about how beautiful she was when she removed her old army jacket to reveal a lacy skin-tight shirt underneath. Something inside him told him that he had found the one that he wanted to grow old with. In the three months since that first night, the two had been inseperable. Last month, Jesse started moving stuff from his place over to hers. He silently laughed as he doubted that his roommates even noticed he was gone.

Sometimes I'm a strong man,
Sometimes cold and scared
and sometimes I cry.
But that time when I saw you
I knew with you to light my nights
Somehow I'd get by.

Jesse's chuckle caused Jennifer to stir and open her eyes. With just the light of the moon shining through the curtains, his sea-green eyes met her grey. He lowered his head and they began to kiss.

Lovers forever,
face to face.
My city or mountains
stay with me, stay.
I need you to love me
I need you today.
Give to me your leather,
take from me my lace.

End