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"Sora love you're up!" Sarah grabbed her arm.
Quickly Sora went up the short steps to the catwalk and then calmed down her walking speed. She lifted her head up proudly, strutting the catwalk again to remind the bidders of the outfit. She turned, giving a saucy smile to Leon over her shoulder before turning completely around and staying at the end of the catwalk. That saucy smile was left to each person's imagination for whom it was intended for.
The auctioneer started the bid. "$200. Do I hear 200?"
Someone rose their hand. "Double that for 400. Do I hear 500? 550 in the back. 600-I see 800 from the gentleman in the front. Do I - 1,000 for the lady in the back. 1,100? Do I see - 1,500 from the gentleman on the left."
Sora spotted the 'gentleman' on the left and nearly shuddered. It was the perverted model from earlier. Apparently opposing boutiques were allowed to bid. She was only aware that a boutique couldn't bid on their own items to drive up a cost. It wouldn't be very fair. The lady in the back was the Ms. Benoit from earlier. And then of course, Leon was the gentleman in the front. A couple of others placed bids every so often.
"3,000."
Sora blinked at the number. People were dropping off. She couldn't blame them.
"4,500."
She withheld the urge to wince. Leon was still bidding.
"5,600."
She looked at Leon, trying to convey to him to stop bidding. She was just flirting earlier.
"7,850!"
Was it normal for a dress like this to be so high?
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"$10,125," Sora whispered in French as he wrote the check "...are you out of your mind?"
Leon handed over the check to the auctioneer. "I thought you wanted it."
"Not for 10 grand." She kept the smile on her face as she murmured, "You do know what I have planned for us regardless of the outcome of the bid, right?" She handed him the box with the outfit. "I was not serious about trading my body for that dress."
He looked at her in amusement. "You are aware that the auctioneer is French, correct?"
"French-Canadian," the man corrected without blinking an eye.
"One guy hears this...fine." Sora waved off. "The whole room is another matter."
"Leon."
Sora saw his back stiffen just a little.
"I did not expect to see you here."
"I must congratulate you on the dress." Alice leaned in for a loose embrace. "Though I do not think it will fit your shoulders."
He looked at her with thinly veiled annoyance. It was like her to beat around the bush instead of asking directly what she wanted. Once he saw her wordplay as charming, but only for a short time. His eyes briefly darted to Sora. It was one of the thing he liked about Sora. She did not disguise her feelings.
Alice caught his eye movement. She turned to look at the redhead and then back to Leon.
"You cannot mean her."
Sora frowned a little. "Why does it matter if it is what he means?"
Alice arched a sculpted eyebrow and then turned her head. "Men always go to a younger woman after a divorce. I made the mistake to think you were different, Leon."
"Leon can do what he wants."
Alice turned fully towards Sora.
"I'm afraid we've not been properly introduced. I am Alice Benoit, formerly Oswald."
The name made her heart stop a beat, but she stuck her hand out anyways.
"Sora. The new woman in Leon's life."
"Until he realizes what he's doing."
"We owe you no answers," Leon dryly murmured.
Sora had heard about Alice. It only made her squeeze her hand harder.
Alice wretched her sore hand free. "You cannot offer him much."
"Happiness. Affection. Attention. Mind blowing sex, just to list a few."
"Sora-"
"No class," Alice snubbed. "I'm not surprised."
"No shame," Sora retorted back easily. "For a woman that tries to come back after a divorce."
The bit of crazy that Leon spoke of started to enter Alice's eyes. He recognized it, quickly getting in between to grab Alice's arm. Sora stared at the long painted nails just inches from her face.
"You're going home," he murmured to Alice. He then turned to the perverted model hovering nearby. "You're never approaching Sora again if you want your nose to stay straight." With Alice's move to attack Sora, Kalos caught wind of the commotion. He came up to get Alice. The model made himself scarce. Sora stood in front of Leon. Leon grabbed the dress box he had put down. "You're wearing this tonight."
She took the box without argument. "I'm so hot for you right now."
"The drive will be quicker if you take 11th instead of 8th."
"Qui Monsieur," she said with sass.
Sora changed before getting in Sophie's car.
She knew she'd want to just jump him once she got home. She turned the a/c up, feeling her face still flushed from thinking about what Leon did at the preview night. The guys back home had been rough and completely not the type to ever say that they loved a woman. It wouldn't be seen as manly while the woman's love would be expected as well as her compliance in everything.
She hated that.
It wasn't a matter of being a 'silent type,' 'sporty type,' 'smooth talker type' or whatever other 'types' there were out there. She just needed someone honest. Someone who wasn't afraid to tell her how much she meant to him. And he needed to be okay with her arguing her point if she thought he was mistaken. He didn't have to agree to it. Coming up with a compromise was something she could live with as long as she was heard.
She didn't want anything less than that.
Her gps told her she was here. She was sure she sped the whole way despite having promised to go slow. The front bumper scraped the sidewalk as she pulled in the driveway too fast. She winced. If it was badly scratched she would pay for it.
"Ok."
She grabbed her bag and locked the car. Taking a quick look at the bumper she nodded to herself. It wasn't really visible. Mostly on the underside that nobody typically looked at. As fast as she could in wedges, she jogged up to their mailbox and put the key in an envelope. She turned around to get to the car...when she realized she was dropping off the car she rode in.
"Shoot!"
She walked away from the front door to call. "Leon don't disrobe yet. You need to pick me up."
"Ah, you have no ride back."
"Yeah." She smacked her forehead. "I can't believe I didn't think of it."
"It is a pity. Good thing I realized the problem."
"...Are you here already?"
"Perhaps."
She went to the sidewalk to look for his car. "I don't see you."
"Go to the street light on your left."
She walked over to it. "I still don't - "
"There's something on the floor."
She bent down to pick it up, her rear sticking up in the air. "It's just a leaf."
"My mistake. Circle around the pole."
She started to walk around it.
"Not like that."
She blinked at his low tone and then impishly smiled. She put the phone on speaker and slipped it into her bra. She walked around the pole, adding a swing to her hips.
"Without the poncho."
She took off the poncho slowly, putting it on the grass. Then she stepped in front of the pole. Her knees bent as she lowered. Her hands grazed it as she went down. She heard his hum of approval before she straightened up again.
"Let me see you."
She waited. Just when it didn't seem like he would do it, she heard his voice over the phone.
"Your right."
She looked over to another street light on the other side of the street.
"You told me to walk in the wrong direction."
"My mistake."
She crossed her arms. "It's your turn, Magic Mike."
"I do not know the reference."
She smiled wide. "Get me hot again."
He took his coat off with his back to her view. She leaned back against the pole. She loved his broad shoulders and that narrow waist of his...She bit her fingernail.
"Turn around so I can see your face." He did, and what a face it was. "Do a sexy spin."
He grabbed the pole and then paused. "Does it matter which leg I use?"
"Why would I know?"
She saw him shrug. She bit back a laugh as he attempted to spin.
"I did not do that correctly."
"Says who?"
"Your laughter."
She did laugh at that. "Let's just say that pole dancing isn't your strong point."
He shook his head. "I'm coming over."
"We'll see if I stay put."
"You will."
He hung up the phone. She watched as he grabbed his coat and swung it over his shoulder. Then he strode over to her. She was still making up her mind when he reached her.
"Hey."
"Hello."
He grabbed her poncho and offered it to her. She took it with a smile. Their fingers grazed. She looked up just as he looked back. Her body got hot again. By the way he leaned her against the light pole, she figured he did too. Her poncho fell back on the grass with his coat. Her fingers grasped his short hair tightly as they kissed.
"We need to go home."
Red rose petals led up the staircase.
They led to a bedroom full of music and sound. By the bedside table was a dozen lush roses. Sora could still smell them even now as they kissed repeatedly.
'How do we fall in love,
harder than a bullet could hit ya?'
She ran her nose along his jaw before kissing it.
'Don't you say, don't you say it.
One breath, and it'll just break'
He turned his head to face her, seeing her clouded eyes and sweaty hair. His eyelids lowered as he felt her fingers grazing his skin. He murmured the words against her soft lips, letting her feel each motion of his mouth.
"Je t' aime."
Her lashes fluttered as his lips tickled hers. She slid her fingers into his hair, pressing him against her as she kissed him hard. She could practically taste the emotion in his mouth as he reciprocated. He gripped the sheets near her as he felt her arch into him. He let out a soft chuckle before answering her flirtation with a roll of his own. Her head fell back against the pillow as he repeated that motion. His hands drifted down her legs, raising them up. She complied with his silent request, wrapping her legs around him. Her eyes closed on their own as he made love to her.
"Oh Leon..."
Alice was a fool to give up a man like him.
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AN: More on SxL I know. I can't stay away from them. XD
Song: River by Bishop Briggs
