1: Covered
The club was packed and sweaty. Bodies grind suggestively against each other. Everyone seeks something from someone else. Cold comfort found in the warm touch of another- a touch that would be gone as soon as dawn breaks. Lowly and guilt laced come morning we'll all be forced through the walk of shame back to whatever hole we crawled out of just hours before. But for now we'll savor the moment. Now may be all that we ever have. This is the story of a cold, winter, New York City night.
"Anything promising?" A raspy voice breaks from beside me.
When I turn toward the voice I'm not surprised to meet icy blue eyes. Crisp, clean, daring. I shrug off her questioning gaze as she raps her nails on the bar beside me. I have long learned that it is best to pick and choose your battles with this one. She knows what everyone is thinking any way so whats the point? I'll save my energy for an argument where I would stand a chance.
"There." A long skinny finger points somewhere in the general direction of the bar. "That's her." She cocks a brow at me furtively. Cockily almost as well.
"That's who?" I follow the guide of her finger until my eyes catch a blue. A blue unlike the one that reflects in Effy's eyes. It's a blue that causes my breath to hitch in my throat and a pool to form between my legs. The girls eyes stop on my own, and from across the bar I am drawn to her.
Eff leans in close to my body, I can feel her hot breath on my ear as she whispers
"Well your lady of the night of course."
And as quickly as she arrived she was gone leaving me mystified. I don't know what it is that propels me forward. I cant discern whether it's the certainty of Effy's words, the pills and alcohol, or the aching feeling in my gut. One way of other, even if subconsciously decided, I was going to satisfy my need to be within the proximity of the blonde.
Our eyes remain locked as I make my way across the club. I keep my gait straight and intentional. I want her to know that I've spotted my target and that she's it. She's got her bottom lip tugged up between her teeth as the colors of the flashing lights above us flicker. The colored lights dance and flash radiating her long slender arms, which are elaborately tattooed. Whether or not she's nervous I cant tell. But the liquid courage doesn't allow me to care.
"Hey."
The approach was clean and simple, but my intention was clear. She scoffs feigning indifference as she releases her lower lip. Unimpressed but entertained. Ill take it. It's better than being shut down.
"You eye fuck me from all the way across the club and that's the best that you can do?"
As soon as she opens her mouth I am taken aback by the last thing that I was expecting to hear. Her accent. I try to not let my smile falter. Seems you can try your hardest to escape your home but little remnants keep popping up, beckoning you back to a past you'd rather forget.
"Of course not." I place a cool hand on her bare knee and allow it to crawl up her thigh. "I hope now that I'm in your general proximity I am no longer limited to using my eyes."
Her face contorts in a mixture of confusion and amusement as the words roll off of my tongue. Her breath hitches as my hand slides even further and before I know it shes tugging her bottom lip between her teeth again.
"You're English?" She asks between a gulp and a sigh. I nod holding eye contact. I watch her eyes gloss over and her pupils dilate.
"You?" I shoot back dumbly already knowing the answer but desperate to keep my cool in the presence of this goddess.
She leans into my body, closer than humanly possible. Closer than should feel right, but right now there is nothing that I want more than this girl. And I intend to have her. In everyway imaginable.
My knees go weak as her hot breath on my neck sends tingles down my spine.
"This is New York City babe." Her tongue trails my earlobe. I lean into her touch. "We can be whoever we want." She captures the slightest bit of my ear between her teeth where her lip had just been.
"Emily." I find myself breathing out when I have collected myself, well at least as much as possible. In situations like this an introduction at least is decent. Dare I show her a hint of a human side while all of the rest of me is oozing animalistic instincts?
"Now now Emily." She spins in her stool so her back it to me, yet she is still watching me over her shoulder. "Have we really the need for formalities?" She cocks her brow playfully. Her blues eyes are mischievous. How quickly the game has changed. But I'm desperate to get it back.
In a confident stride I push myself between the girl and the bar reaching for her glass, downing it in one ladylike sip. My eyes still lock with her icy blue. Her breathing become labored as her chest rises and falls heavily.
"Well I guess you should just let me fuck you then." I sigh. "Especially now your drinks out and all."
Her eyes widen in surprise. The ball is back in my court where it belongs. I can see that while this mystery girl is still playing along she is deliberating my offer. The beat seems to get a little longer, and the crowd a little quieter while I wait for her to speak. I try to keep my cool. I try not to make it obvious that I don't want this girl... I need her.
With a crooked smile and sideways glance she finally speaks.
"Sure do know how do woo a woman don't you there Ems."
She slurs her words a bit but the way she said my name sets something off inside of me. So we went from no formalities to nicknames? Her hand lazily makes its way to mine. Stroking the tips of my fingers ever so softly, she challenges me.
"Oh but the wooing is just the beginning. You have no idea what you're in for."
I sealed my fate. She bites her lip on more time before signaling the bartender. He quickly arrives and sits two drinks before us. She grabs the bottles between two fingers and then my hand with her free one.
The moment she touches me I feel a jolt of electricity through my body. Frozen in place I look up find her eyes already on mine. They looked scared, and a bit apprehensive. Nevertheless before I knew it I was letting myself be pulled outside into the cold New York City night… I wish I had remembered my jacket.
;
;
;
Two days later
The earliest light casts a warm glow on her face. Ive been up all night, reading, listening to music, watching her… As she begins to stir she allows me to pepper soft kisses shoulder to palm. I move along the path with my eyes fixed on the colors and images splayed under my lips. This girl is a hard one to figure out.
"Mmm." She moans and rolls over as my mouth meets her palm. "I guess I was wrong about you."
"Yeah?" I cock a brow at her playfully
"You do know how to woo a lady." I break out into a giggle as she continues. "I have been at your flat for two days." She smiles at me genuinely. But I can tell that deep down something is troubling the girl.
"Well since you've made yourself comfortable I think that the least you can do is tell me your name." I smile playfully however desperate to know anything about the woman in front of me
"I thought that we were going to keep this simple." She challenges me with a cocked brow.
I give her my best puppy dog face, lip pouted and all. Damn, this girl may make me lose all self respect. She lets out an exaggerated sigh and rolls her eyes.
"Naomi." For something so simply stated in beautifully rolls off her tongue. "But that is where it begins and ends. Simple." She reiterates.
"Simple." I nod in agreement. She lowers her head to give me a gentle kiss on the lips.
I let my hands travel down her body and across a large bruise on her toned abdomen. How did I not notice it the other night? It is angry, … and fresh.
"Ran into a table." She says quickly removing my hand from her tender flesh.
I cock my brow skeptically before she pulls the sheet over her midsection. Gently she grabs my chin and forces me to look her in the eye.
"Simple." She says one final time.
Our eyes remain locked, both searching for something in the others. Something inside me knows my next move could make or break it with this girl. Well this is turning out to be one hell of a one night stand. When suddenly-
"EMILY FUCKING FITCH!" The brunette storms into the room her hands clenched into little balls at her side.
"Fucks sake Katie!" I yell back glancing at Naomi and then back at my sister who obviously didn't care what she walked in on. "I've got company." I tell her tight lipped, praying that Naomi would not use this as her excuse to flee.
"I don't give a fuck what you've got Emily! DO YOU REALIZE I have been doing your runs all morning? The winds just gone and fucked my hair, and the colds burned my cheeks red, and my nose is running like a proper faucet!"
"Katie!" A low voice calls. Effy no doubt. She enters the room, also without invitation or warning.
"Is there any bloody privacy around here?" I turn to Naomi. "I'm sorry."
"Emily!" Katie cries "Im pasty!"
I see Naomi looking between Katie and I.
"Where the fuck is my apology?" Katie fumes, "Or a thank you would suffice as well."
"I'm sorry." Effy grabs Katies arm leading her out of the room. "We were going to see if you- you both" She corrects herself "would like to join us for lunch but since your occupied"
"Thanks anyway Eff." I am thankful for her grace and ability to remove my sister from my room.
"No problem. Besides, she'll be a cheap date." She turns to Katie "You can order off the kiddie menu if you insist on acting like you're five."
Effy is the only person that can talk to Katie like that. I cannot even get away with half of the things that Katie says to her and she is my fucking sisters! At least Katie didn't explain further what those "runs" entail. The last thing that I want is to scare this girl off.
"Sorry." I say again. There is a blush I try to push back with no avail crawling up my cheeks.
"'s fine." She turns and looks at me with a smirk. "Didn't realize you had a twin." Naomi pointed out
"Simple. Remember?"
She scowls, obviously not like having her own rules used against her.
"And the other girl?" She asks
I give in. She does seem genuinely interested. I get the feeling that this "keep it simple" scenario was only going to be regarding Naomi and what she cares to divulge about herself... Or not for that matter. She picks at her fingernails as I speak, and watches me from a crooked angle. In the past two days I've caught her several times allowing me to confuse her with a small child. Slightly unsure of herself, but sure enough to have enough conviction to act. Like the confidence inside her is stifled, definitely not by ignorance or even by choice. It just is. And I cant figure out why.
"Effy." I begin having no actual problem giving the girl an explanation. "She and Katie, my sister, have been together for a few years now."
Naomi looks a bit surprised.
"I wouldn't have pegged it."
"Me either." I admit. "Effy is mental… well, in a way, balanced out now but that stuff never just goes away you know?" Naomi nods as she listens "Anyhow, Katie is good with it. And Katie isn't mental but often acts as if she is and the Effy goes and fixes her. Neither of those girls take shit, that's why they're good together. They can both be full of it."
Naomi seems to ponder this for a second before she shrugs.
"Well then I'm guess it's good they have each other."
She smiles although she seems almost sad at the thought. Wanting desperately to keep her here I figure it best to change the subject.
"You hungry?"
;
;
;
"I cannot believe that you don't like soup?" I howl as we stroll through the snow covered park, nursing warm drinks in our palms.
Naomi's face twists up into a scowl.
"Soup offends me. It's not even a real meal! Everything's all mixed up like baby food." She shakes her head, trying to suppress a smile. "All that I am saying is that soup really, genuinely, upsets me."
"Even when it's near freezing out and your in the middle of a snowpocolypse?"
Naomi scoffs and chuckles
"That's not even a real thing Ems."
I can't stop staring at her, She is beautifully toned with her light blond hair and crystal blue eyes. She looks like an angel against the snow. She blends in with it so perfectly I fear that she'll disappear against it. Somewhere in my heart I know it's only a matter of time. And as if on cue.
"Shit." Naomi mumbles as a low buzz sounds from her jacket pocket. We stop completely as she digs furiously for her phone. Finally she manages to grab hold of it and her eyes flick to the screen quickly. She looks worried as she tugs her lip between her teeth and furrows her brow.
"You alright?" I ask taking a step toward the girl. She stays in place.
She nods with exaggeration, although I can tell its just nerves as she shoves her phone back in her pocket.
"Hum?" She finally looks up at me. "Oh yeah I'm fine. Let's go." She drags my hand and leads me off into the snow.
;
;
;
"I love this song." She leans back into her chair and sips her glass of wine.
We had found our way to a little jazz pub. Best way I think to escape the snow, and much to my surprise Naomi seems to be loving it. Although she did seem to be a little off since receiving that phone call, a little jumpy like, always looking over her shoulder, she seemed to be having a good time.
She is absolutely entranced watching a man perform solo on stage. It was just he, his sax, and the saddest song I may have ever heard. Her elbow is on the table, and she has one leg pulled up to her chest with her chin propped on it like she has made herself completely comfortable. I want to keep her.
Glancing up with me she has sad eyes. Eyes that signaled our time was coming to an end.
"Don't." I say before she even says the words.
"I have to." She says in a small voice.
"You can stay with me. Whatever you're running from Naomi-"
"Is none of your concern," She finishes for me.
"But you want to stay." I argue trying to not sound like a begging child
"Of course… these have been the best day's that I've had since being in the states." She smiles sadly as she stands. Her face look ghostly in the dark.
"… will I see you again?" I ask rising to my feet as well.
She has her lips pursed as she shakes her head no. Her arms wrap around her chest protectively.
"It's not safe." Her voice cracks when she speaks finally.
"What if I can keep you safe?"
I say the words before considering their implications. And why is Naomi not safe? I try not to let my mind flash back to the bruise on her stomach. I try to not let myself consider that someone had done that to this beautiful woman in front of me.
"The bruise on your stomach?" I ask trying to not let a tear fall from my eye looking at this broken girl before me.
"Don't Emily. We said this was going to be simple." She shuffles on her feet a moment before making her way over to me.
Lightly she wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me in close. Tilting my chin up to her she brings her eyes to lock with mine. Face to face I can feel her hot breath on my lips. Helpless to do anything else, I ease toward her and close the gap. The kiss lingers for a moment before she deepens it. I can feel her need, and she mine as our bodies sink into one another. One more night is all I need. One more night and maybe I can get her out of my system. But it seems that fate has other plans. She pulls back.
"I've got to go."
In a flash she spins on her heels, and flees out of the door into the cold night air.
My heart breaks.