I'm sorry for not updating the last couple of days, I highly doubt you all would have appreciated it... let me put it this way... it was payday on Thursday, so pub Thursday, Friday and last night... I actually wrote a chapter while highly drunk... read it the next morning, it wasn't very coherent.
Thank you for hoping I get better, I have =]
I'm afraid I may have had to disappoint a few people with this chapter... possibly all of you, I imagine you had an image of how the dance was going to be... well you'll see... It isn't as 'spark' fuelled as you'll have hoped I think. I kind of have an idea of where this is going, at the minute I'm trying to get Naomi's emotions across... whether it will work or not I guess we'll see =]
Please do keep commenting, I'm really loving all of your feedback, criticism is welcome also.
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Chapter Eight
I watch as she approaches me, my heartbeat picking up, almost beating along to the music that is playing.
It's as if she's walking toward me in slow motion, her hair has a slight bounce with each step she takes. A smile creeps onto her face slowly as she notices me watching her. My stomach twists and turns as she stands in front of me, looking down at me. Her hand reaches out, waiting for me to accept her offer. I glance at the palm, weighing my options up, but also knowing that either way my hand will fall in hers and we'll have to complete this bet.
Right now, I wish I'd never made that bet. I wish Annabelle never existed to us, because maybe then I might be able to understand these feelings, or I might not have them at all. Maybe things can go back to the way they were, maybe seeing her standing here, asking me to dance won't evoke any emotions in me, because right now I'm feeling very emotional.
"Would you like to dance?" She asks, her voice barely above the song, but loud enough for me to hear. I glance around the table, suddenly feeling eyes burn upon me. Sure enough, everybody is looking at me inquisitively, the only person who isn't is Annabelle, she is giving me scornful looks.
I feel very nervous as my shaky hand answers her question for me, lifting up and fitting perfectly into hers. She smiles wider than before now. No second glances to the rest of the table, she's only looking at me.
"Right guys, it's getting to the end of the night now, the bar has called last orders so if you haven't already got a drink, I suggest you do so now, if so? Well, make your way to the dance floor, it's the last song of the evening" The DJ announces, I glance around the room as most of the people stand up and walk towards to dance floor. Some of them couples, others start dancing in a group, all the while Emily looks at me, her eyes scanning mine. The song changes to a slow one, and rather than both of us stand looking at each other awkwardly, Emily makes the first move.
She takes a step towards me, closing in like a predator striking their prey. Her eyes have this intensity in them, an intensity that I haven't seen before. Either that or I'm imagining it.
Her arm snakes around my waist, leading to my lower back where she proceeds to pull me even closer. Her feet are now mixed with mine, with her spare hand she lifts my arm up, resting it on her shoulder, she motions for me to do the other, and I oblige. Now she positions herself, both her hands resting on my lower back, pulling me even more closer.
I bow my head in embarrassment as I feel a slight blush start at my cheeks, "You're not shy" She smiles, making me look at her, "So why are you blushing?"
"I've never danced like this before... I don't know what I'm doing" I say, biting my lip, she laughs, not in a mean way, but in an understanding way, her head nods,
"It's a good job I'm here then" She says as she starts to guide my hips with her hands,
"Yeah" I agree quietly, bowing my head again, I feel her head move to the crook of my neck and my body freezes instantly, she doesn't notice though,
"This kind of dance requires eye contact dear" She says breathily, causing a shiver to erupt throughout my body, she notices this. I shoot my head up quickly to try and catch her reaction, but if she has any reaction, she is certainly hiding it well, "That's better" She smiles,
"Sorry"
"No need to be, I'm teaching you... put it this way, you'll remember this moment... you'll remember me teaching you to slow dance here, in this grubby pub. You'll remember it while you have your first dance with your sexy new husband" She grins smugly, "I've given you a memory of me" I laugh, feeling my entire body relax.
"You don't need to provide a memory, I have plenty, and anyway, I don't need one you'll be stood there telling me, and everybody else, that you taught me to dance like this" her eyes lift up to the ceiling, she has a faraway look on her face as she looks back at me with a big grin,
"I like that"
"I thought you might" I laugh,
"I'll also tell them how you just broke my little toe... ouch" She says, wincing, I step back, looking at her foot and looking back up at her,
"Shit, I'm so sorry" She laughs, pulling me back,
"It's ok, you are forgiven" We continue dancing, and I feel myself relax even more, I feel my heart beat so deeply as she rubs soothing circles on my lower back, I don't, however, gain any confidence, I'm looking over her shoulder as we are dancing.
I feel her warm breath against my moist lips suddenly, causing me to snap my vision towards her. My breath turns shallow as I stare into those dark, dark eyes. I feel my deeply beating heart start to pick up again for the third time tonight as a small smile dances on her lips. The smile reaching her eyes.
My eyes start to wander a little, pulling towards her lips, like a magnet to a fridge, I can't stop myself, I can't stop my eyes from glancing at her lips, seeing her take a breath through her slightly parted lips. Her smile fades as I look back up to her eyes, the smile is no longer there, and is replaced with confusion. I feel myself pull away a little, shutting her out, hiding all my emotions that I've shown during this dance, hiding them from the world. I glance back to her eyes, and they haven't changed. Her mouth starts to open as if she's going to say something, but she struggles, she struggles with the words that are about to come out.
I feel myself frown a little, not liking this small predicament that I'm finding myself in, lusting after my best friends lips. Wondering what it would be like to kiss her, wondering how she'll taste. Wondering if she's a good kisser.
I feel those walls that I put up only seconds ago fall down again as I watch her struggle with her thoughts, struggle with her words.
Emily never struggles to speak.
"Emily" Katie runs up to us, breaking us out of trance, Emily looks to the intrusion and see's a slightly frantic Katie stood next to her. "Anna's just left"
"What?" Emily says, shocked, "Why?"
"Why do you think?" Katie looks at me like I'm a piece of shit, and right now, I feel like one.
"Shit"
"Go after her, idiot" Katie says before turning round and walking towards the door, Emily looks at me, a look that I've never seen before,
"I better go after her"
"Your plan worked" I say, trying to stamp a smile on it so it doesn't sound so, forced.
"Yeah" She says, bewildered, "I'll see you later ok"
"Ok" I wait until she's outside before I follow, creeping out into the street to watch as the scene unfolds. I hide behind a bush outside the pub, watching as Emily runs after Anna, shouting her name, calling out desperately, but Anna doesn't falter. Emily picks up her speed as she grabs Anna's wrist, spinning her around.
Nothing was said... absolutely nothing. As soon as Anna was forcefully turned towards Emily, she closed the gap, pushing Anna up against the wall behind her, kissing her with such force, such passion that it rips me to shreds to witness it. I feel a lump form in my throat as I watch Anna give in, I watch her limp arms suddenly gain life, passionately grabbing Emily. Pulling her closer, closer than I've ever been to her.
I think it's safe to say that the bet has been officially lost, and the least of my worries is having to go to college naked, because at this very moment in time, with a lone tear residing on my face, my heart longing for the person down the road, my body aching for the courage to go and break them up, but knowing that I'll never be able to, it's at this moment that I realise I've let my heart open, I've let it come out and sit on display, showing everybody who it belongs to... I've never been more naked than I am now.
That is going to change, right now. I stand up, wiping the tear off my cheek, wiping the painful image of the two of the out of my mind, I turn around and start to walk home.
"Naomi" I hear a faint voice from behind me. I turn around and I see the person I least expected to be stood there,
"What do you want Katie?"
"Are you ok?" She has a sincerity in her voice that I've never heard before, "You look like you've been crying"
"I'm fine"
"No you're not"
"Who the fuck are you to tell me what I am and what I'm not? You don't even know me"
"Yes I do" She argues back,
"Excuse me"
"Yes I do, fuck sake, Emily talks about you enough"
"She does" Damn it, control yourself Cambell!
"Yes, Christ..."
"Why do you care if I'm ok?"
"I'm not the bitch that I appear to be ok?" I raise my eyebrows, "Ok, most of the time anyway, you've caught me at a good time"
"Wasn't my intention" I say, and she smirks cockily,
"You gonna tell me why you're crying, it doesn't look good does it?" I frown, "Well, my sister looking like she's actually got more than a one night stand for a change, and with somebody who is pretty and also has a brain, which is a bonus, but then to see her best friend crouched behind a bush watching the heart-warming scene in tears, well, heart-warming for everyone else, just gross for me."
Shit, Katie has a brain... think fast...
"Don't be stupid Katie, it's not what you think" She quirks her eyebrow challenging me, begging me to come up with possibly the worst likely story in the world, "I broke up with Darren today, and seeing Emily so happy... it just hit me" I added a little emotion to the end of that to make it slightly more believable, and it worked by the look on her face,
"Ok, so why were you crouching behind the bush?"
"What would look worse? Me standing in full view crying my eyes out as I watch my best mate and her girlfriend get hot and heavy, or hiding it so people don't get the wrong idea" She nods her head,
"Ok, I'll believe that" She folds her arms as she examines me, but I start to walk away, "You need a ride? Danny will be here in a minute" Could have actually died, right here on this pavement,
"You're offering me a ride... you... act of kindness... two things I'd have never put together" She rolls her eyes,
"Hey, fine, walk, we're going past your house anyway, I was being logical"
"Again, another thing I wouldn't put in a sentence with you"
"Just walk, bitch" She gives up,
"Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather walk anyway, you know, clear my head"
"Ok, bye" She turns around, tapping her foot impatiently as she waits for Danny's 'pussy wagon' to turn up. I start walking down the road, wrapping my hands around myself. The night turning chilly.
I decided to take a detour, sitting in the local park for a short while, trying to gather my thoughts, sort my feelings out, and ultimately decide what I'm going to do...
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother... Shit... I grab my phone, looking as the light flashes, lighting Emily's name into my already Emily obsessed mind. I ignore the call, still holding the phone in my hand. Not even a minute later I get a text.
Birthday suit at the ready... the deal is done... see you tomorrow xx
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