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Wanted: Someone Who Cares, Part 6
Penny frowned as she looked at the dress in her hands. She had never worn it because she didn't feel like it was she. It was a dress her older sister had gotten for modeling this designer's line. Her sister had passed it to her, saying it was a gift. And now, she wasn't sure she could pull a dress like this off since tonight was her dinner with Thad. It was two weeks after Chris' party and it had been scheduled for the week before, but Dylan had been sick. So, tonight was the night. Frowning again, she put the dress on the bed. "It's too much, it's not me," she said as she stared at it.
"But it is."
She turned to see Veronica leaning against the doorframe. "I didn't know you were here?"
"I thought I would start bringing some of my things home since I don't have much longer before school lets out for the semester," the older girl said as she pushed herself out of the doorway. She shut the door behind her and went over to study the dress lying on the bed. "It's a beautiful dress. It would be a shame if you didn't wear it." Sapphire eyes slid over to leaf green eyes. "It would look good on you."
Penny looked back down at the black creation on the bed. She ran her fingers over the soft material. "It was a gift from my sister…I don't know what possessed her to give it to me since I could never wear a dress like this. And she knows that I wouldn't."
"Have you ever tried it on?"
"No."
"Well go try it on, silly! How do you know it won't look good on you? Go on!" Veronica gave Penny a soft push towards the bathroom. "You never know, the dress could be you after all."
Nodding her head, the younger girl took the dress from the other girl's fingers and closed the bathroom door behind her. Shrugging out of her robe, she sighed as she tugged the dress up over her hips. The soft chiffon felt cool against her skin. She tied it around the back of her neck and gave it a tug to make sure it was secure. Satisfied, she turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. The neckline was lower then she normally wore, showing more than a hint of cleavage. She turned and frowned even more. Her back was left bare until her waist. It meant no bra and no backless one either. It made her feel self conscious without one. "Not that I'm that big to begin with," she murmured as she turned again, the skirt brushing against the tops of her knees as she opened the door. She walked over to the waiting girl.
Veronica smirked inwardly as she walked around Penny. The dress was elegant and tasteful, and definitely sexy. The younger girl looked incredible in it. Her cousin would be hard pressed to keep his hands to himself tonight. Smiling brightly, she faced Penny again. "You look wonderful. The dress looks good on you."
"It does? I don't know…it seems a little much…I don't usually show this much skin…"
Waving her hand, the Yuy girl shook her head. "A little skin never hurts. There's no harm in showing off your body. It's every woman's right to look as sexy as she wants to be. You do too."
"I
think you look great in it too."
Penny turned to find her younger cousin, Mira standing in the door. "You really think so?"
"Of course I do, but if you feel self conscious, I can get a shawl from my mom's closet to go with it," replied Mira as she turned and left the room again.
Veronica studied Penny's hair as she stood behind her, figuring out a way to show Vaughn's cousin off to the best advantage. As Penny's hair swished across her back again, she noticed markings on the lower part of the girl's spine. "Penny, is there something on your back?"
Glancing over her shoulder at the other girl, she ran her hand over her back. "Yes, it's a tattoo I got last year." Her eyes went to the black marks she could barely see without the help of a mirror.
"What does it mean? It looks like…"
"Arabic. It means "Musical One."
"How apropos," said Veronica as she walked over and studied it for a moment. "Why there though?"
"I wanted it in a place that people couldn't see it. I don't usually wear shirts that show off my back and my hair usually cloaks it from view when I wear a bathing suit. It's something I don't let others see. Anthony knows I have it, but he's never seen it."
Veronica arched a brow at other girl's response. "Never seen it, huh? Well, tonight, your hair is going to be up, courtesy of yours truly. It'll show off your back and you have such nice features, it's a shame you don't dress up more often," she tsked as she tugged Penny over to the vanity and put her in the chair. "Give me twenty minutes and I'll make your hair look like a million credits."
Penny complied as she felt a brush go through her hair. She knew Veronica wouldn't take no for an answer either. She was the confident type, always sure of herself and what she wanted. "Unlike me," she thought as she watched the girl's hands in the mirror's reflection. She was shy, which in most cases, wasn't a bad thing. She was noticed because of her talent, never her looks. People tended to overlook that. Her sister was the model, the pretty one. She was the musical one. Her brother, the athletic one. But Thad said she was pretty and beautiful, and of course, Chris called her cute. Anthony had said those things too, but not with great frequency because so much attention placed on her looks made her uncomfortable. Thad had changed that though. She looked down at her hands twisted on her lap.
"Here we go," said Mira as she came back into the room with a sheer black shawl in her hands. "My mom won't mind if you borrow it tonight."
"All finished," announced Veronica as she did the final touches on Penny's caramel colored hair. "Now let's see the final product. The shawl if you please, Mira."
Penny stood and took the material from Mira's fingers and draped it over her shoulders and arms. She adjusted it as she stood in front of the mirror. It was hard to believe that the woman staring back at her was she. She smiled a little bit. "I guess I don't feel too exposed with this," she said as she turned around to look at her back. The sheer material, as thin as it was gave her some coverage. "What do you think Thad will think?"
"He won't know what hit him," replied Veronica as she eyed her subject with appreciation. She knew her cousin had threatened her not to meddle, but in her way of thinking, he needed someone to meddle. And even Vaughn, knowing how the two felt about each other was resolutely staying out of it, and had warned her from trying anything. "It's been some time since Thad took a girl out on a date."
Penny whirled around, the skirt swirling about her legs again. "It's not a date, it's just dinner. That's all."
Mira frowned at Veronica, but let her eyes go back to Penny. "We know its just dinner. Ver just means it's been awhile since Thad went out. He doesn't do it too often, deciding to spend his time with Dylan."
There was a distant knock on the door. Veronica went over to Penny and walked around the girl. She was making sure that Thad wouldn't be able to resist. "Just a little tidbit, Penny, don't mention it to Thad that I was here. He'll just say I'm meddling. I just want you to look your best for a night on the town," she said with a smile.
Penny nodded and took a deep breath as she picked up her small beaded handbag and left the room. "Thank you for doing my hair, Veronica," she said as she looked over her shoulder at the other girl. She smiled again and left the room.
Mira eyed Veronica warily. "You're meddling, but I'm not going to say anything. I just hope your plan doesn't backfire because it'll hurt them both if it does."
"You won't have to worry, nothing is going to go wrong, Mira. You sound just like Vaughn."
"Vaughn is right to worry," mumbled Mira as she left the room after her cousin.
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Thad waited in the marble foyer, chatting with Vaughn and Quatre on various topics as he waited for Penny. He pushed back the sleeve of his suit jacket to check his watch. He had made reservations for seven thirty. He felt nervous, although, he couldn't accurately pinpoint why he would be. It wasn't like he hadn't taken a girl out to dinner before. But he had to constantly remind himself that it wasn't a date. It was just dinner with a girl he considered a friend. He looked up when he heard the sounds of shoes clicking on the stairs. He couldn't stop his mouth from falling open with surprise. Taking a few steps forward, he took her hand as she came to stand in front of him. "Are you sure you're the same girl I saw this afternoon?"
Penny smiled at his gentle teasing. Nodding her head, she raised her eyes to his. "The very same, just wearing a dress this time."
"You
look wonderful. And I mean that. You should wear more skirts."
A tale tells flush rushed across her features before he gave a slight bow and kissed the back of her hand. He looked too handsome by half too in the light charcoal gray suit with a white shirt and silver tie. "You look nice dressed up too."
Grinning, he gave her hand a tight squeeze before releasing it. "Thank you. It's been a while since I've had a reason to wear this. I'm glad that I have one."
She flushed again as he smiled into her face. The imprint of his lips lingered on her hand. She clasped them in front of her. "I'm ready to go now, if you are."
"Sure. I made reservations," he said as he offered her his arm. That blushing of hers was really too cute.
She slid her arm through his. She turned and looked at her two cousins. "I won't be too late."
Quatre smiled at his young cousin. "Don't worry about it. You're with Thad. I have no reason to worry," he said as he looked over at the oldest Gundam pilot offspring. "Well maybe a little considering how he feels about her, but he won't do anything." "Have a nice time."
"I'll take good care of her and I won't keep her out too late," said Thad as he pretended not to notice Quatre's eyes flicker with worry. He knew the older man had picked up his feelings for Penny, but he had apparently decided not to say anything. His eyes went to Vaughn, who was giving him a wary look despite the smile on his face for his cousin's benefit.
"Have a nice time, Penny," said Vaughn as his eyes glanced back over at Thad. He shook his head slightly at the older man before returning his attention to Penny. He smiled. "Go out have fun and don't do anything crazy or stupid," he teased, but his eyes went to the older man as he said it.
The older blond understood the young Winner's unspoken message in those violet eyes and nodded his head. "We won't. Now come on, Penny, we don't want to be late," he said as he guided her out the door and to his car. After he got her in, he walked around, only to see Vaughn standing on the steps. "You don't have to worry about anything, empath. I know what I'm doing," he said before he got into his car.
Vaughn sighed and laced his fingers behind his head. "I certainly hope you do because I'd have to hurt you if you did."
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Penny glanced at her surroundings as they sat in a secluded table. Candles flickered around them and at their table. "This is a beautiful place. Veronica has good taste."
Thad glanced at her over the top of his menu. "She has an eye for color and decoration. It was good of them to give her the account for this place. She did a wonderful job with it," he said as he looked around him. The soft muted colors, the intimate setting, all made for a very romantic atmosphere. He smiled at Penny. "You'll like it here. The food is good and they give substantial portions."
"Have you eaten here before?"
"No. My parents have. My mom had to bring some of her dinner home because it was too much for her to finish. I had the leftovers." At that moment their waiter arrived at their table. He looked over at Penny. "Are you ready to order?"
"Oh yes," she replied as she gave the waiter her answer. Handing him her menu she waited for Thad to make his selection. She hadn't known what to choose. Everything looked good, but it was all so expensive. She hadn't wanted to choose something that cost a lot even though she knew he could well afford it.
"And I'll take this…" he said as he gave the waiter his order, "…and the Cristal. We'll have the bottle."
"Very well, sir," the waiter replied, giving a slight bow before he departure.
"Cristal! Thad that's…"
"Very expensive, especially if you order the bottle. But it's all right. Have you ever had it before?"
"Champagne? A sip at a friend of the families' wedding last year, but that was for the toast at the reception."
"You'll
like it, although it does tend to be an acquired taste. I'll let you try it
before I give you a glass."
"Ok," she said as she sat back in her chair. The shawl was draped over the back of it. She felt self-conscious without it since it allowed the skin of her back to show to anyone who looked. And the heat from Thad's hand had melted through it, making her insides riot from his touch. Her eyes went to the bottle as their waiter brought it over with two crystal flutes and went to the ice blue eyes in front of her as he poured. The liquid sparkled in the candlelight has he offered it to her. Her fingers brushed his as she took the glass, making her skin tingle. She took a small sip. It bubbled on her tongue before she swallowed it. "It doesn't taste too bad. I'll take some, I suppose, but I doubt I'll finish the entire glass."
"That's fine," he said he took his glass from her. He could see the barely there smudges of her lips on the crystal. He poured her a glass and handed it to her. His fingers brushed hers again. Warmth radiated from that spot and throughout his entire body. He lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip from the same exact spot she did. It tasted faintly like strawberries "And of course, champagne always tastes better when you're with a beautiful woman."
Heat filled Penny's cheeks from his comment. She lowered her eyes from his intense gaze. She didn't have to ask what he meant. She had seen the smudges of her lips where he placed his. It made her own lips tingle expectantly. "Stop that," she berated herself silently as she raked her teeth over her lower lip. "You shouldn't think like that. This is just dinner. We're just two friends having dinner and his comment meant nothing." Raising her eyes to his once again, she smiled, her resolve strengthened once more.
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Dinner seemed to progress without any other "innuendo." He liked the sound of her laughter as he talked about more of his childhood and being responsible for baby-sitting the younger children. There was a smile touching her lips as he talked about Dylan and she would lean forward, listening with rapt interest. She wasn't wearing her glasses again, so he was rewarded by looking into the sparkling green depths without anything to hinder his view. It was also time for dessert. "So, what would you like?"
"I don't know, what would you recommend?" she asked as she dabbed her lips with her napkin. She had enjoyed her dinner, but more to the point, she had enjoyed his presence, listening to him talk, while his voice melted over her like butter. He had teased her like a guy friend would, but sometimes; she could see the flicker of fire in the depths of his crystalline eyes whenever he looked directly into her eyes. And when he did that, she felt breathless and her heart would pound like crazy in her chest. However, she would mentally shake herself from time to time, so she wouldn't forget. "Is there anything that you particularly like?"
"How much do you like chocolate cakes?"
"Very much."
"How about we get…" he asked as his eyes scanned the dessert cart nearby, "…that?"
Her eyes followed his and fell on the large slice of chocolate cake, garnished with strawberries and liberally doused in chocolate sauce. "I couldn't possibly finish that on my own, Thad."
"We'll share it. I'm sure the two of us could finish that," he said as he signaled to their waiter and pointed to the cake on the cart. He scooted his chair closer to hers. "It'll be easier to share if I'm closer." The cake was set in front of them with two forks. He waited. "Well?"
"It looks bigger up close," she said as she looked up at him. "You really think you and I could finish this?"
Nodding his head, he cut a small piece off and held it in front of her. "Come on, it's chocolate cake…if you love it enough it won't be a problem would it?"
Eyeing the fork, she glanced back up at him. He was still watching her. There was a teasing light in his eyes. Leaning forwards, she took the proffered piece of cake off the fork. The chocolate seemed to melt in her mouth with its delicate sweetness. The cake was light and soft, the perfect texture. Her eyes unwittingly closed as it invaded her senses.
Thad nearly dropped the fork at the look on her face. He had a flashback to the time she had one of Hilde's cookies. That look of pure ecstasy. The kind of look he was more used to seeing on a woman after he made love to her. And it was quickly becoming a fantasy of his to see that look on HER face. His vivid imagination had tormented him with numerous visions ever since that morning when he had a good look at her curving body, clothed in his shirt. His mouth felt dry. "Do you like it?"
Opening her eyes, Penny looked directly into his. There was no way she could mistake the heat in them now. "Y…yes, its good," she said, her voice shaking as the emotions she felt towards him, attempted to fight their way to the surface. They were winning. She swung her eyes away from his and picked up her fork. "I think I can finish this…with help from you," she said, her voice still shaking.
His control was slipping. He could feel it happening every time she took a bite of the cake. He blamed the champagne, he blamed the setting, he blamed Veronica for suggesting this place, and he blamed himself for thinking about her in a way he had no right to. It was getting to a point that he could never stop thinking about her, wanting her, watching her smile and laugh. She made him feel good inside. She was what he knew he had been missing, and he gravitated towards that. He wanted someone to care about him, wanted someone to need him, wanted someone to love him…and he wanted it to be her. Her every smile and touch was catalogued in his memory. The need to posses her was too much for him to handle. The cake was gone now and she was dabbing her lips with the linen napkin. "Would you like to dance?"
She put down her napkin and glanced towards the dance floor in the middle of the room. The look in his eyes was even hotter than before. "I…uh…"
He took her hand in his. "Please?"
Her insides melted from his touch and his simple please. Her battling emotions broke to the surface. She nodded her head. "Yes, I would love to."
Her emotions were in her eyes as he stood up and led her to the dance floor. He slid his arm around her waist, drawing her close so that their bodies touched. He rested his chin on her hair. His fingers lightly caressed her skin as they danced.
His touches made her weak. Their fingers were tightly entwined as they danced. It felt so good to be in his arms, to be this close to him. Her eyes closed. The light touch of his fingers gliding across her skin was making her burn from the inside out. She bent her head forwards, resting it against his collarbone. There was nothing she could do to stop herself. She willingly molded her form closer to his.
Thad tightened his hold on her as she stepped even closer. He pressed his lips against her hair. "Penny?" he asked softly. He felt the tickle of her hair against his chin as she lifted her head away to look up at him. There was a look in her luminous eyes he hadn't seen before. It was longing. It was surrender. He let go of her hand and rested it against her cheek, his thumb glancing her lips. He heard her breath catch. Closing his eyes, he bent his head towards hers until he felt the tip of her nose against his. He opened them again. She was blushing, he could feel the warmth radiating off her skin. His eyes flickered down to her gently parted lips before raising them back to hers. They were only inches away. There would be no one to stop him this time and he wasn't going to, but there were too many onlookers. He wanted to kiss her in private. "Would you like to leave?"
Penny felt her heart trip madly as his words vibrated against her mouth. She wanted to kiss him so badly. She wanted him to kiss her. "Yes." Her voice sounded breathless to her own ears as he guided her off of the dance floor and back to their table. She felt his hand rest on lower back as they left. Her heart was pounding so hard, she felt like it was going to burst through her ribs. It was anticipation and she knew it was because what she was going to allow to happen was forbidden. She looked up in surprise as he opened the door again and helped her out. His gaze was burning and making her insides liquefy even more. Her legs shook as they walked up the stairs to his room. She walked into his living quarters first, the door clicking shut behind her, made her, spin around. "Thad…I…"
His eyes traveled over her slender figure, moving over every inch of her. Her fingers were splayed over her chest. They were pressing over her heart. Shrugging out of his jacket and undoing his tie, he walked over to her, taking her bag from her other hand, placing it on the table by her side. "Let me take this for you," he said as he grasped the end of her shawl and slid it off her arms and shoulders. He locked eyes with her.
The sensuous feel of the material sliding across her skin and the look in his eyes made it feel like he was removing a more personal article of clothing. She was tingling from head to toe as he dropped the material on top of her bag. Her breathing sounded ragged to her own ears. "…Thad…"
"Can I ask you something?"
"…Yes…"
Sliding his hand over her side, his fingers sought the small of her back. "What does this mean?"
The simple touch made her insides quiver. "…It means "Musical One," she said, her voice breathless.
A corner of his mouth quirked up as he stepped around her and let his eyes linger on the delicate markings on her lower back. " I noticed it earlier. It suits you." His fingers traced over each stroke.
Closing her eyes, she willed herself to stand up straight and not melt into a puddle on the floor. Her body began to hum with awareness. The scent of him invaded her senses. She felt his fingers dance over each marking before running up the curve of her spine to settle on the back of her neck. Her eyes opened and found him in front of her again. She nervously ran her tongue over her lips as he continued to look down at her. His fingers were so warm on her skin. "T…thank you…you're the first one to say so…"
She was blushing again. It made her irresistible. Smiling a little, he bent his head towards her. "Why you hide it…I don't know, but I find it…"
Her heart sped up. "…Find it what…"
"…Very…"
Her eyes closed, as he got closer.
"…Very…"
Feeling his breath against her lips, her eyes opened again to meet his.
"…Sexy…"
Then his lips touched hers.
A/N: Want to see what happens? (Grins evilly) You'll have to wait until the next part, so until then…XOXO!
