Ch.25
Peering out the car window as they traveled down the suburban street, Michaela watched the houses steadily fly by, their doors, roofs, windows, and brightly colored shutters disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. She couldn't have felt much more content in the moment, glad to finally be back in Sully's presence. Though she'd had a spectacular time visiting her mother and sisters, the truth was it seemed as if everything had so drastically changed. Now whenever they were apart all she could think of was what he could be doing any given second and how anything wonderful she experienced he would have enjoyed as well.
Turning her eyes to her left, she stole a quick glance over at him, fully aware that this was the first time she'd been alone with him since she'd arrived yesterday evening. Of course both he and Hannah had come over to her apartment to watch a movie soon after she returned home. However, he'd left rather early in order to get Hannah to bed, and she'd been left longing for tonight to arrive knowing they'd spend hours together just the two of them.
Shifting her eyes to the florescent green light illuminating numbers on the car stereo, she swallowed hard once again contemplating the decision she'd made over break. There still seemed to be one screaming thought that echoed through her mind no matter how much she tried to silence it, leading her to wonder if she'd truly come to the right conclusion.
Rolling through the long list that had led to her final decision on the matter, she resolved for what she knew would be the last time to take action this evening. That was that and she wasn't going to let herself back down, regardless of that one gnawing thought.
"You're awfully quiet tonight… Any reason?" Sully asked, wanting to meet her eyes, but resisting in order to focus fully on the road.
"No…" she softly answered, unconsciously biting her lip.
Her vague answer did little in the way of convincing him, but he didn't want to press it, knowing if there honestly was a reason she would only confide in him when she was ready.
"Can I ask you something?" he questioned in order to change the subject.
"Of course," she agreed without hesitation.
"Truth is I was really surprised that you wanted to go to this thing tonight," he revealed, starting to wonder if maybe he had discovered the cause for her silence.
"Because of what happened at the last party?" she added.
"Well yeah.." he affirmed with a slight shrug.
She took a deep breath, buying some time as she searched for the words to properly explain how she felt. "I'm tired of being the one hiding at home afraid of what they will do… or how they will react…" she began, thinking back to how many Omega Chi members had targeted her at the only party she'd attended with Sully.
"Going to social events like this used to be a large part of my life. I've missed being a part of these events… Spending time with my friends and their boyfriends… Taking pictures… Making memories… Why shouldn't I be there tonight?" she continued, empowered by the end of her admission.
"If you want to be there, then there's no question that you should be," he said, validating her passionate reaction.
Catching the smile that burst onto her face, he was delighted that he'd somehow managed to give her the perfect answer. Removing one hand from the wheel, he began tugging at the tie around his neck, already desperate to undo it. He wondered for what had probably been the millionth time that evening alone why he'd had to specifically wear a white dress shirt, khakis, and a plaid tie Michaela had presented him with when he arrived at her apartment.
"Now whose idea was it to make us wear a monkey suit to this party?" he said, his tone light to ensure she caught the laugh it was meant to elicit.
"Oh, you don't like my costume?" she playfully countered.
"Trust me, it's not that…" he returned, quickly glancing in her direction, only too aware of how short her plaid skirt happened to be.
Immediately noticing exactly where his eyes had landed, if only for a few brief seconds, she couldn't stop herself from egging him on, asking, "So, you like the skirt, then?"
Only offering her a smile in response, he darted his eyes over to her bare legs, filled with desire to slide his hand under the small piece of pleated material. He couldn't have been more relieved when her voice broke the silence, as his control had rapidly begun to waver as his mind speculated over what she could be wearing underneath what had to be the shortest mini skirt he'd ever seen.
"To answer your question, the idea behind tonight is that everyone looks as if they are a student at a private school. If everyone wears the same attire to the party, it'll look like a school uniform," she explained, before adjusting a button holding the cuff of her white, button down shirt closed.
"I see… I have a feeling that's not the only way this theme will show up tonight," he ventured.
"Oh, I'm sure it's not," she agreed, mentally drifting through the many ways Peyton could have planned to exploit the theme even further.
"And they had these ties specially made to match the skirts you girls bought?" he asked, looking over at the plaid tie, she too, was wearing.
"Yes. They will stop at nothing for an authentic party theme," she responded with a sigh, still unsure why some petty aspects of a sorority party meant so much to the girls in charge of social events.
"I'm guessing that I should expect to have my picture taken… What a hundred times?"
"I'd say closer to five hundred," she teased back. "Good thing you look so handsome."
Pulling his car into an empty space, he felt his heart race as a compliment from Michaela was one he always held in high regard, knowing she honestly meant it. After retrieving his keys, he stepped out of the car, and soon arrived at her side, holding the door open for the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.
Taking his arm as he offered it to her, she looked over the four door, silver sedan they were leaving behind.
Seeing curiosity fill her eyes as he pressed the small lock on his car's remote, he anxiously awaited her next word, become intrigued himself.
"Have you ever owned a truck?" she wondered aloud.
Caught off guard by her question, as it had come entirely out of left field, it took him a minute to respond, "I have actually. Why do you ask?"
"You've always struck me as a man who would drive a truck," she said simply as they headed towards the front door of to the sorority house.
Chuckling at her words, he was charmed by her heartwarming honesty. "Well the thing is I did own one before Hannah was born. I'd driven it for almost four years, but I had to trade it in. Two-seater pick-up trucks aren't exactly car-seat friendly…" he admitted.
Thinking over how elevated trucks were from the ground, not to mention the lack of a backseat, his logic made sense. "I can see that," she offered, glad to have his arm to hold onto as he seemed to radiate heat, which was welcome as the brisk January air stung her bare legs.
As they arrived at the front door, they joined the small line that had formed, eager to step inside away from the cold. Both began to question the decision idea to leave their coats behind in order to avoid having the responsibility of keeping tabs on the garments all evening. Stepping to the side slightly, trying to see what the hold up happened to be, he could only shake his head as he saw several girls looking over the entering guests' attire.
"Wow they seem to be taking the tie requirement very seriously," he observed, shocked as they turned away several young men who lacked the signature plaid tie.
"They used the ties like an invitation," Michaela added to clarify, clearly not surprised.
"Invitation only party, then?"
"It has to be. They would break fire-codes otherwise…" she expanded, thankful that the line seemed to be moving.
"I see…" he said softly in return, as his mind flashed back to memories of the large number of people in attendance at the last Phi Alpha Zeta party he'd been to with her.
"Welcome to Cameron Prep," a striking dark-haired girl proclaimed, as they finally made it to the doorway. Looking each one up and down, she soon spotted two plaid ties. Motioning for both Sully and Michaela to head in, she then said with a smile, "Have fun tonight."
After politely thanking the dark-haired door guard, Michaela walked inside, Sully following closely behind her. Upon entering, she quickly spotted Vanessa, waving and making her way through the already gathered crowd, her boyfriend Jamie in tow.
"Michaela!" Vanessa cried out animatedly, throwing her arms around her friend.
"Hey Sully! Great to see you again," Jamie added.
"Right back at you," Sully echoed, clasping Jamie's outstretched hand. "Glad I know a few people this time around."
"That always helps make these things more bearable," Jamie said with a light laugh.
"Oh Jamie you love these parties more than I do!" Vanessa teased, as she pulled back from Michaela, then fully embraced Sully as well.
"I'm thrilled you're both here!" Vanessa stated, her sincerity evident with not even a hint of the fake enthusiasm Sully could hardly stand.
"Thanks for the invite," Sully said, holding up the end of his plaid tie.
"Oh that was a given!" Vanessa responded, with a wave of her hand. "You two need drinks," she continued as if that were the first order of business after stepping foot inside.
"No, thank you. I'm fine," Sully said quickly.
"All right…." Vanessa returned. Somewhat skeptical of his words, she evaluated him closely, almost as if she were waiting for him to say he'd been joking.
When Sully made no attempt to clarify or expand on what he'd said, Vanessa relented, turning towards Michaela to say, "Come with me to the kitchen."
Without waiting for an answer, Vanessa grabbed Michaela's hand and started heading for the doorway in the corner. "I'll be back..." Michaela managed to direct towards Sully, spotting his nod of approval before he was out of sight.
"I'm really glad you decided to come tonight, Michaela. I can't tell you how nice it is to have you here at the house…" Vanessa said sincerely, stopping just inside the entrance to the hallway to look for Michaela's reaction.
"I never stopped coming to the house…" Michaela countered, remembering the evening she'd stayed the night with Vanessa only a few months ago.
"Well for parties I meant. And I hope Peyton's attire for the party didn't stress you out too much. I would have said something to her about it, but I got the impression both you and Grace had a solution…" she continued, stepping to the side briefly as someone attempted to bypass her on their way to the kitchen.
"Don't worry, Grace's shorts idea worked out perfectly. Truly, I'm happy to be here," Michaela answered honestly.
Staring at Michaela intently, Vanessa gauged her friend's expression, unable to pinpoint exactly what she saw in the multi-colored eyes before her.
"Is there something the matter?" Michaela questioned after Vanessa continued to look her over in interest, though saying nothing aloud.
"You tell me…" Vanessa returned, only curiosity in her tone.
"No, not at all," she responded swiftly, becoming suddenly self-conscious wondering what she was exuding.
"All right… You just look… I thought it was about the skirt, but obviously not… I can't put my finger on it…" Vanessa thought aloud, her eyes still fixed on Michaela's expression.
Swallowing hard, Michaela found herself contemplating how on earth Vanessa seemed to be able to read something she'd thought no one could see. Feeling her heart beat faster and heat rise in her cheeks, she wanted to simply walk away, but she knew Vanessa wouldn't drop the subject until she figured out what was wrong. Then, Vanessa would make her talk about where the feeling was emanating from, due to concern, but the truth was she really didn't want to discuss it as all. Ever. If she didn't find some way to remove whatever it was in her appearance that was tipping Vanessa off, she was headed for a conversation she really would rather not have.
"Nervous! That's what it is!" Vanessa almost shouted as if she'd solved some great mystery.
"I wouldn't say that," Michaela tried, attempting to sound casual, though her voice lacked confidence.
"No, that's it! I can see it in your eyes," Vanessa confirmed, Michaela's words having done nothing to change her mind. "Why are you nervous? Are you worried that some of those Omega Chi jerks are going to bother you again? Because I made sure those guys weren't on the invite list, and they would have needed the precise plaid tie to get in…" Vanessa continued before abruptly cutting herself off, slapping a hand over her mouth.
"What?" Michaela asked, failing miserably at keeping the anxiety from her tone, her mind frantically trying to deduce how Vanessa could possibly know what she'd planned for later that evening.
Grabbing Michaela's hands in hers, she looked into her friend's eyes, whispering with excitement, "You're planning to sleep with him tonight, aren't you?"
Before Michaela could even attempt an answer, she felt someone yank on her arm so forcefully, she lost her balance slightly. Glad she wasn't wearing heels, she quickly regained her footing, but before she could pull away, she found herself being shoved through a door along with Vanessa.
Grateful that the pressure on her arm subsided before she had a chance to immensely panic, she looked around the pitch-dark room, confused and slightly alarmed, memories of David shooting to the surface of her mind. Casting her arms out in front of her, she began attempting to find the doorknob. But before her hand made contact with anything, a bright flashlight illuminated the small space.
Staring directly towards the source of light, she could make out a few features of a dark-eyed, blond-haired stranger, knowing instantly that she'd never met him before. Turning her eyes to the left slightly, she spotted Vanessa beside her, keenly aware of the calm that washed over her as she could detect only excitement in Vanessa's expression.
"Do you know why I pulled you ladies aside this evening?" the stranger questioned in a stern voice.
As her eyes started to adjust to the darkness, she spotted a red button pinned to the stranger's white, button down shirt, which read 'hall monitor'.
"No, why did you?" Vanessa returned, trying too hard to sound innocent.
Watching Vanessa closely, Michaela had the distinct sense that Vanessa knew way more about what happened to be occurring at the moment than she did.
"I didn't see either one of you ladies holding a hall pass," the stranger continued, taking another look at both girls' empty hands. "Am I mistaken? Do you have a hall pass?"
"Hall pass?" Michaela uttered, not following what appeared to be some kind of game they'd stepped into.
"Yeah, a hall pass. The card you need to leave class. Or did you just walk out of class of your own free will to wander the halls?" the blond-haired man countered, clearly trying to hold back his own laughter.
"That's exactly what we did. We're rebels, Derek," Vanessa admitted, smiling playfully.
"Exactly what I thought. Probably planning to light up in the bathroom would be my guess. I'm going to need you both to head down the stairs just behind you," Derek demanded, pointing his flashlight behind both girls.
"How are we going to do that? We can't see…" Michaela ventured, looking into the jet- black darkness, unaware of where these said steps even started.
"You're lucky I'm feeling generous this evening," he answered, handing each girl a flashlight. "Now get going!"
"Yes sir," Vanessa said with a wink, before shining her own light in the direction of the stairs, readily heading down them.
Michaela followed Vanessa, a bit reluctantly, though a large part of her was intrigued as to why they were headed into the basement, knowing there had never been anything other than storage in the very bottom level of the house. Forcing herself to take a deep breath as she climbed further down the stairs, she had to constantly remind herself not to let fear overtake her. Vanessa was clearly in on whatever was going on at the moment, and she wasn't concerned in the slightest, therefore there was no need to overreact.
Jolted out of her thoughts as she heard Derek say, "Stop right there," she almost stepped on Vanessa's heels, shocked at the abrupt stop.
"The headmistress is currently out of her office at the moment, but I believe she has her secretary covering the desk for her. Go ahead and step inside," Derek urged, gesturing towards the white door on their left.
Eagerly twisting the doorknob, Vanessa pulled the door open, handing her flashlight back to Derek before stepping inside. Taking a look at the small office that had just been revealed, lit by a light bulb hanging in the very center, Michaela was stunned as her eyes took in the bookcases filled with novels, large wooden desk, and planted asparagus fern in the corner.
Feeling Derek's eyes on her, she turned towards him, suddenly aware that he seemed to be waiting for her to enter the office as well. Complying, almost entirely out of curiosity, she heard Derek say, "Have fun," before retrieving her flashlight as well and then closing the door behind her.
"Have a seat," a brunette girl with thick bangs requested, tipping her clearly fake glasses as she spoke.
"Where's the headmistress?" Vanessa questioned, doing everything within her power to stifle a laugh, as she stood in front of one of the two blue plastic chairs that directly faced the wooden desk.
"I don't know what you find so amusing. Not that it's any of your business, but she's taking care of other troublemakers such as yourselves," the brunette answered, keeping her tone firm.
"Alright then if she's not here, I guess we'll just take off," Vanessa said with a smirk, taking a step towards the door, as Michaela took a seat in one of the blue chairs, still trying to figure out the game she seemed to be inside.
"Have a seat!" the girl commanded, or rather screamed from behind the desk, startling both Michaela and Vanessa.
"Wow Amanda!" Vanessa said softly in surprise, as she complied with the order and sat down beside Michaela. "You are staying in character much better than I would have thought."
"It's Mrs. Hanson to you!" Amanda returned, her voice still steely.
"The headmistress would be so proud," Vanessa retorted, a smile still on her face.
"Are you quite finished then?" Amanda questioned, unwavering in her determination to show only ruthlessness.
"I believe so," Vanessa answered, winking at a still confused Michaela.
"All right then. Let's talk about your punishment…" Amanda started, opening a drawer within the wooden desk and retrieving a silver key.
"Punishment?" Michaela echoed, now finding the humor, trying not to laugh herself.
"What did you think would happen if you were caught without a hall pass?" Amanda responded, placing the key into a lock in the upper right hand corner of a gray file cabinet to her right.
Unable to keep her laughter at bay for a second longer, Vanessa burst into giggles, finding it impossible to play along with any note of seriousness for a second longer.
Scowling at Vanessa after her outburst, Amanda stated, "You first, Vanessa," sliding the top drawer of the file cabinet open, retrieving a tall, black liquor bottle from the cabinet, along with two dark black shot glasses.
Michaela watched closely as Amanda shut the file cabinet behind her, then skillfully poured the contents of the liquor bottle, a dark gold liquid, into each glass. When each glass had been filled to the brim, she safely placed the bottle back into the drawer of the file cabinet, turned the lock, and returned the key to the desk, without saying a word.
"Approach my desk," Amanda ordered, glowering at Vanessa. "Drink this…" the brunette directed, pushing the glass towards Vanessa.
"Wait… Can Michaela drink hers at the same time?" Vanessa requested with a smile.
"I suppose," Amanda reluctantly agreed, her tone full of irritation.
Joining Vanessa as her friend motioned for her, Michaela took the second full glass into her right hand.
"What exactly is this?" Michaela wondered, looking down into the glass and examining its contents closely. As she raised the small glass up to her nose, she was bombarded with the distinct smell of cinnamon.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that," Amanda supplied firmly.
"It's just a shot Michaela," Vanessa explained, oblivious to the reason for her hesitation.
"A shot of what though?" Michaela returned, almost positive she'd never seen anything like it before.
"I don't know," Vanessa said, still unconcerned, though looking at the contents of the glass a little closer now.
Raising the glass up towards her face, Michaela couldn't hide her skepticism, finding it odd that the contents of the shot glass needed to remain a mystery.
"Oh it's not going to kill you. It'll just help you relax," Vanessa said as she pulled her phone out of a pocket in her skirt. "Take a picture with me," she pleaded, holding out her phone and snapping a picture of both her and Michaela, shot glasses in hand.
Taking another look down at the dark gold liquid in the glass, she decided that one shot wouldn't hurt anything. And truthfully, Vanessa was right earlier… She had been nervous and still was nervous…This shot could be the very thing she needed to calm down and silence the one thought that didn't want to be stifled no matter how she tried to reason around it. This one little shot could only help her stop questioning and instead listen to all the reasons in favor of what she'd planned for the evening.
After clinking her glass against Vanessa's, she poured the liquid down her throat. Swallowing the sweet, potent, liquid in one gulp, she certainly knew she'd never had the apple pie tasting liquor before.
"Now I'd better not see either of you again this evening. You won't want to know how I'll react if you violate another rule of this school," Amanda said, as she reclaimed both glasses.
"Yes, ma'am," Vanessa returned with a giggle.
Simply shaking her head at Vanessa playfully, Michaela headed for the door along with her friend, stunned when Peyton burst through the door with a grin on her face. She, too, was wearing the plaid skirt, white button down shirt, and matching tie, though she'd taken the outfit a step further, wearing navy knee socks, saddle shoes, dark-rimmed glasses, and had put her blond hair in pigtails.
Immediately spotting the empty glasses in Amanda's hands, Peyton's smile quickly turned into a frown, as she marched towards the desk in outrage.
"I told you to have these two wait for me!" Peyton declared, glaring at Amanda in annoyance.
"Sorry, I forgot…" Amanda mumbled in return, averting her eyes.
Peyton sighed in frustration, rolling her eyes, and looking towards Michaela and Vanessa with an expression that said, This new member is so incompetent….
"Well Peyton she did play a terrific headmistress. Kept in character the entire time even with my attempts to throw her off," Vanessa jumped in.
"I guess I can't be too angry then…" Peyton hesitantly relented, Vanessa's testimony having convinced her. "Amanda, grab another glass," she added, watching Amanda carefully as she began retrieving another shot glass from the file cabinet.
"On the other hand, make it two. Since you apparently did such a stellar job, I'll let you join us," Peyton carried on, obviously enjoying Amanda's willingness to comply with whatever she requested.
"So, you are the headmistress?" Michaela asked, holding back laughter.
"Of course! This party was my idea, I deserve to be in charge," Peyton justified, before taking a seat on top of the desk. "And when I want to take a break from punishing rule-breaking students, I have Amanda here to fill in for me."
"You've taken this to a whole-new level, Peyton," Michaela responded, still trying hard not to burst into a fit of giggles, wondering how long Peyton would be able to continue this charade as the evening progressed.
"It's one of the last parties I will ever plan for Phi Alpha Zeta. I have to leave an indelible mark," Peyton continued, sending Michaela a mischievous grin and a wink.
Eagerly taking the dark black liquor bottle from Amanda, Peyton expertly poured the mysterious liquid into each of the four glasses. She then handed one to Vanessa and Amanda, placing the third on the desk directly in front of Michaela. The very last glass she took into her own hand, and began to raise it in the air.
"Peyton, Vanessa and I have already had one. I don't think I should take this…" Michaela began, before Peyton cut her off, brushing her concern to the side saying, "Oh, you just need to relax! There's always room for another. Come on, do a shot with me!"
"Can you at least tell me what it is?" Michaela questioned, having the notion that she would feel better about drinking another if she knew what exactly she was consuming.
"If I did that it would lose its mystique, which is part of the fun. I promise it's not going to kill you. And you've only had one?" Peyton returned.
"Yes…"
"Oh, you're fine then!" Peyton countered, showing not even a hint of concern.
Though the mystery behind it still made her uncomfortable, Peyton's lack of concern somewhat relieved her own worries, as she knew Peyton would never willingly put her in any danger. She knew Peyton may not be the world's most responsible person, or the most understanding, but she'd never risk the safety of others, especially her friends.
And this wouldn't be the first time she'd had more than one shot… She'd had several the night Marjorie had taken her out in Boston over Thanksgiving break, and she hadn't been overly intoxicated at the conclusion of that night. One more isn't going to hurt anything… Peyton and Vanessa are right… I just need to relax…
Raising her small glass up fully in the air, Peyton said, "To friends I will remember forever and hopefully know for a lifetime."
"Cheers," Vanessa added, before all four girls clinked their glasses together.
Opening her mouth and pouring in the full contents of the glass, she once again noticed the sweet apple taste. Returning Vanessa's smile as she set down her empty glass down onto the desk, she somehow felt as if her nerves had been eased. She knew it couldn't possibly be a result of the alcohol all ready, rather it was an outcome of her conscious decision to relax. But either way, she was feeling better already.
"Hey Vanessa, can you grab me one?" a tall, tan, and muscular stranger asked, flashing a smile at both girls.
"Sure Brad," Vanessa readily agreed, retrieving a beer bottle from the refrigerator.
"Thanks girl," he said with a wink, as Vanessa placed the bottle into his outstretched hand.
"No problem," she returned, smiling in his direction. Turning back towards the open refrigerator, Vanessa handed a bottle back to Michaela. Then, grabbing another bottle, she held it close against her chest with one arm, holding a second one in her hand.
"Sully said he didn't want one right?" Vanessa checked, ready to close the door with her free hand upon Michaela's confirmation.
"Right..." Michaela returned, waiting for Vanessa to turn towards her. "I don't think I really need one either…" she said softly, as she met Vanessa's eyes. She tried to hand the bottle back, not surprised when Vanessa made no attempt whatsoever to take it back from her.
"Oh take it we have plenty! Drink whatever you want… But don't feel like you have to drink by any means…." Vanessa responded as she set both bottles in her arms onto the kitchen cabinet.
Watching as Vanessa used a metal opener to pop of the caps off both bottles, she took the opportunity to ask about what had taken place just minutes earlier, knowing Vanessa had to possess the back-story.
"All right, now can you explain to me what in the world happened downstairs?"
"What do you mean?" Vanessa returned. "Do you want me to open that for you?" she wondered, gesturing towards the glass bottle in Michaela's hand.
"Yes, thank you," Michaela said, handing her friend the bottle. "Peyton is somehow playing headmistress of this pretend school for the evening?"
"Yeah," Vanessa affirmed with a smirk. "She wanted a fun way to regulate the heavier liquor so a few guys didn't down it all in a twenty minute period leaving nothing for the rest of the guests."
"So, you knew what was happening from the moment Derek shoved us into the basement then?" Michaela continued.
"Pretty much. I helped Peyton recruit the guys that would play hall monitors for the night. I only asked that she find a way to catch us early so we could all do a shot together," Vanessa confessed, popping the cap off the bottle in her hand.
"You're saying she's hired these men to look for infractions she's concocted all evening and bring guilty parties downstairs to take a shot with her?" Michaela concluded, with a surprised look.
"Exactly," Vanessa said validating her friend's words, handing her back the now open bottle. "Peyton still surprises you after all these years?"
"Her commitment to social events never fails to astound me," Michaela responded with a small laugh.
"That's Peyton for you. She's got a tendency to go off the deep-end with some things, but I actually like the headmistress thing," Vanessa said, grabbing the other two open bottles off the cabinet and heading towards the living room.
Following Vanessa's lead, she made her way through the crowd of people gathered in the kitchen, eager to have Sully by her side again.
"Sully really doesn't drink? Ever? Not even at social events?" Vanessa wondered aloud, as they continued to dodge the large number of people currently making their way through the narrow hallway.
"I don't believe so… He told me he doesn't drink, and I've never seen him break his word…" Michaela answered honestly, never having seen Sully even hold an alcoholic drink before.
"Strange…" Vanessa murmured, as they finally arrived in the doorway of the living room.
Before Michaela had a chance to offer any comment in return, they had reached both Jamie and Sully.
Instantly drawn to Michaela from the second she entered the room, Sully wrapped an arm around her, placing his hand on the small of her back. "I missed you… What kept you away?" he asked, hoping she heard him over the loud music that filled the entire first floor of the house.
Leaning into him, she spoke close to his ear to ensure he'd hear her, saying " Long story… I'll have to fill you in later…"
"I look forward to hearing it," he returned, taking a cue from her, and speaking right into her ear.
The sensation of his warm breath against her cheek made her pulse quicken, and she was suddenly aware of the verylittle distance that remained between them. Focusing directly on his eyes alone, a shy smile glistening across her face, she still found it surprising the effect his presence had on her.
Bringing his arm around her fully, he began caressing her arm with his left hand, gesturing with his right towards the glass bottle in her hand. "I didn't know you were a beer drinker…" he stated simply.
A surge of affection for him swept over her, as she hadn't detected even a hint of judgment in his tone. He'd merely said an observation aloud, not intending to imply anything or lead her to defend herself.
"I'm not really. Vanessa gave it to me…" she admitted.
He nodded his head in understanding, having a distinct inkling he truly did grasp her intentions. "What you mean to say is that it's more socially acceptable to be holding something alcoholic even if you aren't going to drink it. Am I right?"
Marveling once again at how he had this unexplainable talent for reading her like no one else ever had before, she smiled radiantly at him in return. Even though she'd said nothing to confirm his speculation, she could sense from his expression that he knew his words had hit the nail dead on.
With the beat of pop music pulsing through the room, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that both Vanessa and Jamie had joined the countless other couples dancing. Though he knew he wasn't much of a dancer, he could vividly remember how incredible it had felt to hold her close in his arms as they'd danced to Just the Way You Are in his darkened apartment months ago.
"Dance with me?" he ventured, raising an eyebrow in question.
"I'd love to," she affirmed, allowing him to take the bottle from her.
After setting the dark glass container down on a nearby table, he took both of her hands in his and led her to what had become a makeshift dance floor of sorts in the corner of the larger living room.
Coming to a stop next to Vanessa and Jamie, he pulled Michaela in close, placing a hand on her waist, the other still clutching her hand tightly. Utterly charmed by her enchanting smile as she followed his lead, her enthusiasm was contagious. Once more he forgot how much he disliked dancing, especially in public, instead finding it exhilarating to be moving across the floor with her.
Thoroughly content and relaxed in his arms, as they moved together to the music pumping powerfully through the room's speaker system, she couldn't stop thinking about how handsome he was as she admired his tanned, freshly shaved face. Somehow formal clothing only seemed to enhance his extraordinary good looks, leaving her only too aware of the how close he was holding her. Flashes of the feelings he'd stirred within her Christmas Eve night quickly filled her thoughts, leaving her cheeks red in their wake.
As the music shifted from a thudding pop song to It Will Rain by Bruno Mars, he let go of her hand gently, placing his now free hand around her waist as well, wanting her fully in his arms. Appreciating how she followed his prompt flawlessly, wrapping her arms around his neck, he looked down into her eyes, finding it more difficult each passing minute to focus on dancing, rather than kissing her and taking her breath away.
"So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm making
To keep you by my side and keep you from walking out the door…"
Distinctly hearing each word fill the room, these lyrics, unlike any others of the evening thus far, seemed to echo through her mind, leaving an indelible mark with their truth…
Tonight she was going to give him everything… Every last piece of herself… But it would be worth it, as she knew she could trust him. He'd shown her that time and time again… He'd shown her how right it would feel… After all he was the love of her life, of that she was sure. And as the words had said, this choice tonight would keep him by her side… Because she could no longer fathom life without him.
"Cause they'll be no sunlight
If I lose you baby
They'll be no clear skies
If I lose you baby
And just like the clouds my eyes will do the same
If you walk away,
Everyday it'll rain, rain, rain"
The truth was Sully had heard this song several times before. But with Michaela in his arms, it somehow meant something much more. Like so many other songs that held no special significance before her, it's words now described emotions he'd never be able to find words for. It couldn't be truer that if she left him… walked away from them… The warmth and light she'd brought into his life and heart would be gone forever. Only never-ending tears of sorrow would pour from his eyes if she were no longer his future… His forever…
As she placed her cheek on his chest, he couldn't have felt more grateful in that moment to be the one she happened to be so in love with. For he knew she would be just as crushed as he would without the love that had grown between them. A love so powerful, it had already changed her, and changed him as well.
When the last few seconds of the song filling the air, she raised her head to look into his eyes, and he took the opportune chance to place a hand under her chin to bring their lips together. Kissing her without reservation, he loved the way her lips felt against his, never tiring of the sparks her kisses sent flying through his veins.
After sharing several dances with her, and enjoying spinning her around the floor, he couldn't have been more stunned or shocked when she pulled away and pressed her back against him. Bending her knees slightly, she started swirling her hips in a circle, swaying her hands with the beat of the music. Watching her move in surprise, he was even more caught off guard when she grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips.
Feeling euphoria and excitement overwhelm her as she shook her hips to the beat, she allowed herself to become lost in the music, enthralled with her attraction to him and wishing to elicit a specific reaction. With both arms up in the air, she continued to move her hips, dropping down low. As she worked her way back up, she made a point of shifting her shoulders forward, her hips back, making it impossible for him not to notice one particular feature.
Soon finding herself longing to see his face, wondering what she'd find reflected in his eyes, she turned around. It didn't take long for her to have an answer, as the desire burning in his eyes was readily apparent. Throwing her arms around his neck, she pressed herself up against him, smiling at him seductively as her affect on him wasn't only evident in his eyes. Placing a hand on his inner thigh, as she continued to sway to the music, she bit down on her lip to hold back a playful smile, watching for his reaction closely.
Clamping his jaw tightly, sucking in a deep breath through his nose, he reminded himself of where they were and gently took her hand in his, moving it away from his body entirely. She reacted by sending him almost a pouting look that seemed to say, you're no fun, leaving him pondering what could have come over her.
Before he could give it much thought, her alluring dancing had pulled him in again, distracting him entirely. Unable to stop himself, his gaze soon landed on her chest, at once aware that she'd left several buttons to her shirt unclasped. He wondered why he hadn't noticed that before this instant, the corner of her plaid tie catching his eye. Realizing she'd pushed the tie to the side at some point, now giving him the view he couldn't tear his eyes away from, he reached out, ready to gently pull the tie back into place, though something sparkled and caught his eye.
It was her ring… The one he'd given her for Christmas… The one she'd seemed so in love with… Now it was around her neck on a silver chain. Clearly out of sight… Why wouldn't she be wearing it on her finger? he mused, finding her actions unexplainable and odd.
Truthfully, this wasn't the first thing he would describe as odd over the last hour either…She'd been unusually flirtatious and forward with him, dancing in ways he'd never seen her before…It was as if she'd decided to ignore any reservations she had and instead act on instinct alone… That kind of impulsivity wasn't a part of the Michaela he'd come to know… The only question that remained now was why the change?