---3---
She began nodding off towards the end of the evening news. Ted Copple's voice always did that to her. She rearranged her blanket on the couch. It was a cold night in Salem, and felt even more cold in her apartment. She pulled her hair up in a loose ponytail, laid back down on the oversized throw pillow, and slowly drifted off.
Despite her level-headed demeanor, Kate was essentially a dreamer. And dream she did, especially when the room temperature didn't agree with her. Soon enough, she was bikini-clad, on an island, under a palm tree, sipping Mai Tai's when an unwanted guest decided to drop in. She looked up from behind her shades, put her Harper's Bazaar down, and said in the most annoyed voice she could conjure up under the circumstances, "What the hell are you doing in MY dream?"
Roman turned and smiled. He was donning a pair of off-white linen pants and a black button-down shirt with Hawaiian silhouettes etched throughout. His sunglasses covered the usual gleam in his eye, but the smirk still remained. "Well, Kate, how are ya'?" He put his hands in his pockets and stood above her.
"Answer the question, cabana boy!" she snapped.
"Hey, I'm only here because your unconscious mind apparently wants me here."
She stood up, outraged. "That's ridiculous! If I could have any man in the world in my dreams, you wouldn't even be in the top half of the list!"
"But you're saying I'd be on the list? Kate, I'm touched." He removed his sunglasses and moved in closer. Reaching around, he lightly brushed her lower back and slid his hands so they rested softly around her hips, pulling her to him.
"Well," she said, "I would rather have George Cloony, but since he isn't here, I suppose I could settle for you."
He smiled, and slowly moved in to claim her mouth...
"Mom! Mom! Wake up!" Her eyes fluttered open and hair fell in her face. With one eye closed, she looked up to find Lucas standing over her.
"God, Lucas. What?"
"Well, I stopped by to talk to you, but here you are asleep. It's not even 9 yet."
"So?"
"So you never go to bed this early, and on a Friday night? Kinda sad."
"Don't talk to me about sad, Lucas. Your social life is much more dormant than mine."
"This is true," he shrugged. "Well, just thought you might want to move into your bed at least. Sofa's will give you backaches. Take it from me."
She got up and wrapped the blanket around herself. "Thanks, I think I'll take that advice."
"OK, well I'll just go now I guess, and catch up with you later when you're sharper."
"You do that," she said in a groggy tone, already heading for bed. She collapsed in her room just as she heard Lucas close the door. She groaned, remembering that she had to go lock it. Getting up, she took the blanket with her. It was still freezing. So much so that she couldn't believe her breath wasn't noticeable in the air. She reached for the latch and a loud knock startled her.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"It's me, Kate." She knew that voice better than she'd like to. She opened the door and there he stood. In a typically boring outfit that she couldn't believe he would've worn on his so-called date.
"I'm always so taken aback when you're not in a power suit," he said, strolling into her apartment without her inviting him. She closed the door and pulled the blanket around her shoulders.
In a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Yes, I usually wear them to bed, but tonight, I thought I'd be a bit more traditional. What are you doing here? Did macho Captain Brady strike out with the ladies?"
"No, no," he said smiling and looking down at his feet. "No, I went out." Kate looked away from him, not wanting him to figure out how much it bothered her.
"And...?" she finally asked.
"And what?"
"How'd it go?"
"It was all right. Nothing to really write home about."
"And again, you're here, because...?"
"Because," he hesitated. "I realized who I wanted to see sitting across from me at that table...and when I looked, you weren't there."
Kate kept a straight face, but inside, she was getting a great deal of satisfaction from this. Satisfaction that she wasn't ready to put into words. They both sat down on the couch. "Well..." he said impatiently, "don't you have a response to that?" She stared off.
"Not particularly."
She looked at him, and saw the anger that had spread over his face. Roman had just as hard a time expressing things as she did, yet here he was, telling her exactly what he felt, and was floored by her seemingly unaffected tone. "OK, ya' know what? Fine. If that's how you want things with us, then that's fine. I'm not doing this anymore," he yelled as he made his way to the door. She bit her lip, trying to force the words out, but they wouldn't come. Instead she got up and made it to the door before he did. She leaned up against it, blocking his path.
"Kate, get out of my way," he said softly. "I'm done with the mind games." She knew he wanted to stay. She wanted him to stay, but had no idea how to convince him of that.
"Make me," she replied seductively challenging him, her eyes burning into his. He stared back long enough for his will power to diminish and his feelings to overtake his pride. He was still angry, which was made evident to her with his forcefulness. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him until there was no space in between them, then kissed her hard. Pushing her against the door, her blanket fell to her feet and she felt his hands roaming. She wrapped her arms around his neck, but he grabbed them and pinned them back by her head against the door. She had never seen him take charge with women and the change was thrilling.
He moved in until she was sandwiched between his chest and the door. Looking at her, the arrogant smirk returning to his face, he said softly, "How's it feel to not be in control for a change?"
In an out of breath voice, she said, "Trust me, I know exactly what I'm doing." She pulled for him to let go of her wrists, but instead he spun her around and picked her up. After practically throwing her on the bed, he flung his shoes across the room and was soon on top of her. He slid her silk pajamas off her and touched her skin. They had finally given in.
She began nodding off towards the end of the evening news. Ted Copple's voice always did that to her. She rearranged her blanket on the couch. It was a cold night in Salem, and felt even more cold in her apartment. She pulled her hair up in a loose ponytail, laid back down on the oversized throw pillow, and slowly drifted off.
Despite her level-headed demeanor, Kate was essentially a dreamer. And dream she did, especially when the room temperature didn't agree with her. Soon enough, she was bikini-clad, on an island, under a palm tree, sipping Mai Tai's when an unwanted guest decided to drop in. She looked up from behind her shades, put her Harper's Bazaar down, and said in the most annoyed voice she could conjure up under the circumstances, "What the hell are you doing in MY dream?"
Roman turned and smiled. He was donning a pair of off-white linen pants and a black button-down shirt with Hawaiian silhouettes etched throughout. His sunglasses covered the usual gleam in his eye, but the smirk still remained. "Well, Kate, how are ya'?" He put his hands in his pockets and stood above her.
"Answer the question, cabana boy!" she snapped.
"Hey, I'm only here because your unconscious mind apparently wants me here."
She stood up, outraged. "That's ridiculous! If I could have any man in the world in my dreams, you wouldn't even be in the top half of the list!"
"But you're saying I'd be on the list? Kate, I'm touched." He removed his sunglasses and moved in closer. Reaching around, he lightly brushed her lower back and slid his hands so they rested softly around her hips, pulling her to him.
"Well," she said, "I would rather have George Cloony, but since he isn't here, I suppose I could settle for you."
He smiled, and slowly moved in to claim her mouth...
"Mom! Mom! Wake up!" Her eyes fluttered open and hair fell in her face. With one eye closed, she looked up to find Lucas standing over her.
"God, Lucas. What?"
"Well, I stopped by to talk to you, but here you are asleep. It's not even 9 yet."
"So?"
"So you never go to bed this early, and on a Friday night? Kinda sad."
"Don't talk to me about sad, Lucas. Your social life is much more dormant than mine."
"This is true," he shrugged. "Well, just thought you might want to move into your bed at least. Sofa's will give you backaches. Take it from me."
She got up and wrapped the blanket around herself. "Thanks, I think I'll take that advice."
"OK, well I'll just go now I guess, and catch up with you later when you're sharper."
"You do that," she said in a groggy tone, already heading for bed. She collapsed in her room just as she heard Lucas close the door. She groaned, remembering that she had to go lock it. Getting up, she took the blanket with her. It was still freezing. So much so that she couldn't believe her breath wasn't noticeable in the air. She reached for the latch and a loud knock startled her.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"It's me, Kate." She knew that voice better than she'd like to. She opened the door and there he stood. In a typically boring outfit that she couldn't believe he would've worn on his so-called date.
"I'm always so taken aback when you're not in a power suit," he said, strolling into her apartment without her inviting him. She closed the door and pulled the blanket around her shoulders.
In a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Yes, I usually wear them to bed, but tonight, I thought I'd be a bit more traditional. What are you doing here? Did macho Captain Brady strike out with the ladies?"
"No, no," he said smiling and looking down at his feet. "No, I went out." Kate looked away from him, not wanting him to figure out how much it bothered her.
"And...?" she finally asked.
"And what?"
"How'd it go?"
"It was all right. Nothing to really write home about."
"And again, you're here, because...?"
"Because," he hesitated. "I realized who I wanted to see sitting across from me at that table...and when I looked, you weren't there."
Kate kept a straight face, but inside, she was getting a great deal of satisfaction from this. Satisfaction that she wasn't ready to put into words. They both sat down on the couch. "Well..." he said impatiently, "don't you have a response to that?" She stared off.
"Not particularly."
She looked at him, and saw the anger that had spread over his face. Roman had just as hard a time expressing things as she did, yet here he was, telling her exactly what he felt, and was floored by her seemingly unaffected tone. "OK, ya' know what? Fine. If that's how you want things with us, then that's fine. I'm not doing this anymore," he yelled as he made his way to the door. She bit her lip, trying to force the words out, but they wouldn't come. Instead she got up and made it to the door before he did. She leaned up against it, blocking his path.
"Kate, get out of my way," he said softly. "I'm done with the mind games." She knew he wanted to stay. She wanted him to stay, but had no idea how to convince him of that.
"Make me," she replied seductively challenging him, her eyes burning into his. He stared back long enough for his will power to diminish and his feelings to overtake his pride. He was still angry, which was made evident to her with his forcefulness. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him until there was no space in between them, then kissed her hard. Pushing her against the door, her blanket fell to her feet and she felt his hands roaming. She wrapped her arms around his neck, but he grabbed them and pinned them back by her head against the door. She had never seen him take charge with women and the change was thrilling.
He moved in until she was sandwiched between his chest and the door. Looking at her, the arrogant smirk returning to his face, he said softly, "How's it feel to not be in control for a change?"
In an out of breath voice, she said, "Trust me, I know exactly what I'm doing." She pulled for him to let go of her wrists, but instead he spun her around and picked her up. After practically throwing her on the bed, he flung his shoes across the room and was soon on top of her. He slid her silk pajamas off her and touched her skin. They had finally given in.