Deliquesce
(SEQUEL TO "MELT DOWN")
By Jaye Reid.
Written: 9 – 10.11.1999.
Disclaimer: Well, I am NOT having an affair with Hal. I'm not his cousin, half sister or lovechild… Hell I have never met the guy…. So, he and Southern Star own them, not me. Get it?
Authors Notes: HERE IT IS! This fic is dedicated to anyone who wanted to see what happened to Gavin and Tayler on their night out on the town after leaving the Cutter's Bar…
Hope you enjoy and remember to tell me what you think.
I will not be writing another sequel to this.
** I do not wish anyone else too either. **
Sorry, but I like the ending and I think it should be left where it is.
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"So this is your place?" said Tayler standing in the open doorway.
"Yep," said Gavin walking in and throwing his keys on the couch. "You can come in you know."
Tayler wandered inside and closed the door.
"I won't be a tick," he called as he disappeared up the hallway.
"Nah, that's fine," she called back.
Gavin grinned to himself as he opened his wardrobe door to find something to wear. Tayler Johnson, alone in his house… if only they weren't going out.
He heard a blast of music from the lounge room. She had found the stereo. Shit, he thought, what were the CD's in there at the moment? He hoped nothing obscure. Midnight Oil, was one. He figured that was passable. There was silence for a few seconds as she obviously changed it from tuner to CD. Hell, what was the other? Gavin racked his brain as to what he had been listening to. Oh no… he suddenly realised that one was Status Quo. Definitely an unfunky one to admit to listening to. Arghhh, it would be all around the office on Monday. Maybe she wouldn't get to that one.
He could hear Midnight Oil start to blare.
Hell the neighbours were going to love this! But at least it wasn't the other one. Maybe there were only two CD's in there anyway.
He was just about to put his good trousers on when he heard Tayler's voice at his bedroom door.
"Hey Gav?"
"Ah, um…. hang on a tic… ah yeah?"
"Where will I find the loo?" she asked.
"Ah, second door on the right along the hall," he replied.
"Ta!" she called.
Gavin put his trousers on and sat on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on. What the hell was this, he asked himself. Earlier today if anyone had suggested that there was a chance of Tayler being in his room with him half dressed he would have spun out at the thought. It would have been a dream come true. But all he had been thinking now, was how glad he was that she didn't open the door. How stupid was that?
He wandered back to the lounge. Tayler was dancing around to the music. She had moved the coffee table to make some more room.
"I LOVE THE 'OILS'," she yelled to be heard above the music. "COME DANCE WITH ME!"
This was crazy, but he wasn't about to argue. The way she looked... the way she moved.... Tayler would want to get going soon. She was dressed to party, dressed to kill actually, and he couldn't see her being satisfied with partying at his place. He decided to join in and enjoy it while it lasted.
They had danced their way through half the CD. Gavin figured he was dreaming, but he had no intention in pinch himself. He was sure he would wake up.
"YOU GOT ANYTHING TO DRINK?" Tayler yelled.
"AH, NOTHING SWEET," he yelled back, remembering her comment at the Bar about being in the mood for the sweet top shelf stuff.
"BEER?"
"YEAH, I'VE GOT BEER," Gavin yelled.
Tayler grinned and nodded.
Gavin left her dancing around the lounge while he headed to the fridge. She had obviously changed her mind about what she wanted to drink. The fridge wasn't stocked, but it would last them until they went out. He grabbed a couple of Crownies and opened them before going back to the lounge.
Tayler grabbed the stereo remote before collapsing on the couch. She turned the volume down so that they could actually hear each other. Gavin handed her the beer.
"Ta, I need this," she said as she took a mouthful.
"Don't go wearing yourself out this early in the night," said Gavin sitting down beside her.
"Nah, takes a bit to wear me out," she replied with a mischievous grin.
Gavin wondered if she was…. Nah, doubt it. Although he could definitely have taken *that* comment in a variety of ways.
"What other CD's do you have in here?" she asked, hitting the disc skip button.
"No… You don't really want to…."
Too late.
"Hey what's this?" she grinned listening to it. "It's Status Quo isn't it?"
Gavin nodded, he was actually surprised she had any idea who they were.
"Which album is this? 'Burning Wembley' or 'It's Only Rock and Roll'?" she asked excitedly.
"What? You're kidding? You actually like them too?" he asked bemused.
"Hell yeah. Mind you, if you DARE breathe a word to ANYONE I will…."
"Hey, it's my CD, as if I'm going to say anything!" he laughed.
"Hmm, guess so. Okay, well which one is it?" she asked again.
"Ah, hang on," he said as he stood up and went over to his CD rack. "I've got a lot of theirs. This one is… 'Ice in the Sun'."
"Oh, I don't have it. Is there any chance I could borrow yours and tape it? Pretty please?" she asked pitifully.
"Well, if you are going to beg like that, I guess I can," he grinned.
"I'm not begging, I am just awfully keen to get a copy that's all," she replied with her best smile.
If only she knew what that smile did to him, Gavin thought. Hell he'd walk barefoot over broken glass if she wanted him to if she was going to smile like that. It was mesmerizing.
"Gavin!"
Back to reality.
"Ah what sorry…. What did you say?" Damn, caught out twice in the one day daydreaming.
"I said, what other music have you?" she repeated.
"Ah, you really don't want to know. All down hill from there I think. I suppose you want to get going? You seemed to be planning on a big night."
"Oh, yeah, okay. You ready are you?" she said standing up. She grabbed her bag off the top of the coffee table and put it around her neck. Flicking her red locks out from underneath the strap.
"Well as ready as I will ever be," he replied, turning off the stereo. "I'll bring that CD into work next week. Are you ready?"
"Do I look like I am ready?" she asked pirouetting around in his lounge room.
He didn't need the display. There wasn't an inch he hadn't noticed.
"Shit yeah," he said forgetting himself for a second. He bit his lip, wishing he hadn't said it like that. "Ah I mean you look really great. There won't be one straight guy out there tonight who won't want to dance with you."
"But will *I* want to dance with them is the question," she replied with another grin.
"Let's go then," Gavin stated.
"Great," she said, heading for the door.
Gavin looked around. "You didn't see what I did with my keys did you Tayler?"
"Umm, no. I didn't… I don't think… Yes I did. You threw them on the couch."
Gavin looked down on the couch and they couldn't be seen. He hadn't seen them when they sat down either.
"Maybe they have gone down the back behind a cushion?" she offered.
"Damn," he said sitting on the floor and taking the cushions off the couch. "Sometimes things fall down the back of it and they are a bugger to…. No, I can't see…"
Tayler leaned over and ran her hand along Gavin's back; tracing his spine and resting her arm around his shoulder once she reached his neck. It sent the equivalent of an electric shock through his whole body. What was this woman trying to do? Give him a heart attack?
"Hmm," she whispered in his ear, "Do you really want to go out?"
He looked shocked.
She looked bemused.
"Ah, well, I thought… well you said…. What…?" he started.
She sat down on the floor beside him. She laughed to herself. She liked it when he got all nervous; it was a definite turn on, in a cute sort of way. She loved to tease him.
"So are you trying to tell me that when I feel you watching me so damn closely at work, the glances, the comments, the nervousness whenever we are alone and close…" she said as she moved in right beside him.
Her bare thigh was touching his leg.
He was sure he was going to pass out.
"Are you trying to tell me," she repeated, "that I have imagined it all?"
"Ah, no… Not in your imagination," he said.
He couldn't even look at her for fear of what might happen next. The anticipation was killing him!
She ran her hand down his face, placing one finger under his chin and drawing him up to her gaze.
"How about we go dancing," she said, "in your bedroom?"
"Oh… ah… yeah… I think that would be agreeable to me," he grinned as he stood up and held out his hand for her. The wait was over. She took his hand and followed him.
"Oh, hang on a minute," she said as she removed her bag from around herself and threw it half way across the room, onto the couch. "I won't be needing it."
Gavin didn't see his keys slip out of the bag as it hit the couch…..
The End!