Howard reluctantly joined Helena in a bubble bath. The last time he'd taken a bath with another person, he and Vince had been covering themselves in tomato soup after an nasty incident with a skunk who had fallen in love with Vince's raven hair. For his efforts to rescue his friend, Howard had been rewarded with being scented AND having Vince jump into his soupy bath without permission. It had been hard to resist a naked and beckoning Helena and, all-in-all, this bath was a completely different experience. Unlike his forced bath with Vince, this bath wasn't disgusting and wretched smelling (although the perfumed soap continued to tickle Howard's nose). Also, unlike the small metal trough he and Vince had shared, this bathtub was enormous and made of marble. Even Howard's long legs fit comfortably and allowed Helena room to move. He washed her hair and her back and realized that she'd been right. Sharing a bath could be fun. It didn't just have to be embarrassing and uncomfortable. The fact that Helena had recently come into very close contact with his naked form did little to ease his embarrassment while easing into the tub with her. Now that he was covered in bubbles and Helena, he began to relax. When she insisted on straddling his legs and washing his hair, he nearly fainted.

"Howard, you can't possibly be ready again!" Helena seemed more incredulous than judgmental as she aggressively rubbed his scalp (stimulating the follicles), her breasts dancing in front of Howard's face (stimulating everything else).

"I warned you I was a man of great passion," he aimed for a teasing tone but was pretty certain he failed. He was going to have to find a pamphlet on pillow talk. It really didn't come naturally to Howard. He felt a near constant urge to discuss stationary.

"Well, I'm a woman who needs to look amazing in just under an hour so I don't have time for your funny business. You'll have to make due with the massaging shower head."

After conditioning Howard's hair with something that looked like it had been sicked up by a cat, Helena jumped out of the tub and began getting dressed. Howard stayed in the tub for another five minutes, until he was allowed to rinse his hair. When he climbed out, he made sure Helena wasn't around and quickly covered himself with a towel.

"I've seen you naked," Helena called from the other room, either a psychic or simply seeing his reflection in one of a dozen mirrors. He blushed but kept covered. He'd been teased in a similar vein by Vince on many occasions, including when Vince had jumped into Howard's shower to wash off the tomato juice from their shared bath. The reason Vince gave for jumping in the shower before Howard was done? "I was bored sitting in the tub alone!"

Once he was dried off, he sat on the unmade bed and watched Helena transform herself. He was able to help a little with her hair but he was useless with everything else, including the tiny clasps on her jewelry. He felt oafish and out of place. It wasn't until Helena was working her way into a skin tight and very revealing red dress that she seemed to notice his discomfort.

"What's wrong, Howard?"

"Wrong? What could be wrong? I'm right as rain, hale as a hail storm, bullier than a blustery day..."

"Enough with the weather metaphors. I need to be in a cab in ten minutes. Tell me why you look sad."

Howard looked in the mirror. Did he look sad? He thought he just looked normal.

Helena's face was suddenly so close to his, their noses bumped together, "Is it because of what we did? Are you regretting it already? I really tried to make it special but I'm just not that romantic, Howard. My first time, I just wanted to get it over with. I thought the jazz and the food..."

Howard silenced her with a kiss because he had no words. He felt embarrassed to realize she'd put so much effort into his deflowering like he was young and innocent girl rather than a cantankerous and barely youngish man. He whispered into her ear so she wouldn't see his face and he wouldn't have to see her laughing eyes, "Thank you, so much. You've been perfect. I expected my first time to be a bit of a joke, like my first kiss but..."

Helena pulled back her head, trying to force eye contact.

"A joke? Your first kiss saved a man's life! That's not a joke, that's fairy tale shit right there!"

"I saved Vince from getting his head lopped off by the husband of some woman he was shagging in a cupboard."

"First of all, they didn't shag. He figured out who she was and ran before she made a move. Second, Vince needs his head, empty as it may be sometimes," Helena continued with an impish smile, "Your first kiss was important and special."

Howard didn't want to argue when Helena looked so sweet but he knew, deep down, that kiss had been a joke. Vince was saving his skin while Howard was falling in love.

Helena bit her lip and looked thoughtful, "I know you don't believe me, Howard, and I don't know what else to say. I know that Vince thought that kiss was special and he'll always be grateful that you were there for him that night."

"I hardly had a choice, did I? I was trapped on a roof by a maniac with a sword and a maniac with an overactive libido."

"You could have refused, just left Vince to figure it out on his own. Told the Shaman that Vince was lying."

"I couldn't have done that..."

"That's what people do, Howard. People turn their backs on each other all the time. No one has ever cared about me..." Helena trailed off as tears filled her eyes, threatening to destroy her make-up, "If I'd been on that roof, I'd have been screwed literally or metaphorically because the only time anyone ever helps me out is so they can fuck me. Again, literally or metaphorically."

Before Howard could process her words, Helena was across the room and putting on a pair of shoes that had surely been made by the Marquis de Sade.

"Helena..."

She didn't look up from her shoes and Howard had no idea what to say next so he stayed silent. Once her shoes were on, Helena adjusted her dress in the mirror. The dress was made of carefully placed straps of fabric that made Howard think of a mummy who had fallen on hard times and was now walking the streets for money.

"How do I look?"

"You're beautiful but your dress and shoes look like they're bearing you a grudge."

Helena laughed, "I know. Fucking Jean Claude's designs are beautiful but they are not comfortable," Helena indicated the thin piece of fabric over her breasts, "I'm going to spend all night just trying to keep the twins in place. Still, I promised him I'd wear it and I owe him."

Howard didn't care for the idea of Helena 'owing' anything to Jean Claude.

"I like your other dresses better."

Helena smiled and gave Howard a peck on the cheek, "I like you, Howard Moon."

The dress was not as pretty or playful as Helena's usual choices but there was a lot of skin showing. Helena followed his eyeline and laughed.

"You are a menace to the female sex, Howard Moon."

Helena was thirty minutes late for her cab but her hair and make-up were fairly in tact.

xxx

Howard walked her to her cab, feeling a bit shabby in his old roll neck and cords. Maybe he should let Vince take him shopping. Even as the thought flitted through his head, Howard shuddered in horror. He could imagine himself in latex pants and a Victorian blouse.

Then again, Helena had been able to find clothes for Howard that didn't make him look like Jacobian rentboy.

Helena hesitated before climbing in the cab. Howard took a page from her book and moved his face close to hers. He was surprised at how little he wanted to flee her proximity.

"Is there something wrong, Helena? Please tell me if there's something wrong." He didn't say 'Please tell me if I did something wrong' but he was pretty sure it was implied.

Helena refused to meet his eyes and Howard felt a sudden empathy for Vince. It was pretty frustrating to talk to someone while they looked away. He'd have to make more of an effort in the future.

"I keep thinking of something... I don't know if I should say anything."

"Please, Helena."

Helena gnawed at her lip, too deep in thought to worry about her make-up.

"Don't ever repeat this."

"You have my word as a gentleman."

Helena rolled her eyes, "Swear on Charlie Parker's grave."

"You have my word as a jazz maverick."

"When Vince was fourteen, he asked you to practice snogging and you said no because you wanted your first kiss to be special."

Howard flushed at the memory, "A bit ironic it retrospect."

"The thing is, he wanted his first kiss to be special, too. That's why he asked you."

Howard stood dumbstruck as Helena gave him another light peck on the lips beforing disapearing into her cab and into the night.