Hey guys, sorry it's been taking me a little while to update but I'm really
busy with homework and my apps, so new additions to the story may be a
little more infrequent. Anyway, I've kept you in suspense long enough.
Too Hot to Handle
Ch. 4
Emma was more than grateful when they finally reached Element, the club where Chris spins on weekends. The tension in the car was so thick she could cut it with a knife, and she couldn't help but wonder whether inviting Craig to the club was a huge mistake. It had taken a lot of time for Manny to get over Craig after their disastrous date the previous year, and the last thing that Emma wanted to do was to rehash all the pain that Manny had finally put behind her.
"Call me on my cell when you guys are ready to go," Chris's sister called out the window when the four of them had exited the car. "No earlier than midnight, though, because my boyfriend and I are going to a movie."
"Sure, fine, no problem," Emma answered with a wave of her hand, as though she got picked up outside clubs after midnight all the time. The older girl laughed and gave them a mock salute before peeling out onto the street.
"Well, here we are," Craig muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He glanced over at Manny, who was rocking back and forth in an effort to keep warm, then at Emma who looked as though she was so excited she wasn't sure what to do with herself.
"Hey, are we gunna stand here freezing our asses off or are we going inside? You know, where there's heat?" Chris gestured emphatically toward the door, in front of which there was a line of teenagers so long it probably would be a full 24 hours before the last few people were finally admitted. "Not to worry," Chris assured them, reading their thoughts. "I've got a few special privileges around this place, namely getting myself and my friends to the front of the line." Emma soon realized that Chris hadn't embellished. As soon as they reached the door, the bouncer-wannabe waved the four of them inside, and as they traveled through the crowded rooms, various kids slapped Chris high-fives or shouted greetings in his direction.
"Chris, this is incredible!" Emma squealed as they entered the main area where teens were crowded on the spacious dance-floor while others were seated at scattered tables sipping beverages (alcoholic? non-alcoholic? Emma could only guess).
Chris held out his hand toward Emma in a charming fashion and asked, "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" She giggled and nodded, allowing Chris to lead her toward the dance-floor and turning briefly to give Manny a pointed wink. Realizing that he was alone with the very girl who had been occupying the majority of his thoughts the past few weeks, Craig ran his hand through his hair nervously and racked his brain for something to say.
"So. here we are," he stated stupidly, mentally congratulating himself for not knowing how to act like a human being.
"Yep, we're here," Manny replied without commitment, glancing everywhere around the room except at Craig's face. 'Should I ask her to dance?' he wondered. 'That's innocent, right? I mean, Emma and Chris are dancing and the world hasn't spun out of orbit.' Craig took a deep breath and faced Manny, but just as he began to speak, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey, want to dance?" the guy asked, extending his hand.
"Absolutely," she replied quickly, grabbing his hand and pausing for a second to give Craig a small smile. He watched open-mouthed as she was led away then realized he was gaping like an idiot and forced himself to look away from the disturbing sight of Manny dancing with another guy. He decided to head over to the bar, and after ordering a coke, settled himself at a table that gave him a full view of the dance-floor. After a few minutes of what could only be considered sulking, Chris pulled up a chair beside Craig and threw himself onto it, sweat dripping down his face from the exertion of hard-core break-dancing.
"Hey man, why aren't you out there bustin' a move? It looks like you've decided to spend the night drinking coke in a corner by yourself." Craig shrugged.
"Just surveying the scene first, that's all." Chris snorted when he glanced in the direction that Craig was looking when he answered.
"Uh huh. And that 'scene' wouldn't happen to be Manny and that guy, would it? Cuz you haven't taken your eyes off them since I sat down." Craig made a dismissive noise and focused his eyes on his drink.
"Why would I be staring at Manny? I mean, I have a girlfriend. It's not like I like her or anything. Well, I did like her once but she was way too young for me and it could never have worked out," Craig rambled, earning a raised eyebrow from Chris at the overload of information.
"Well, I don't know about all of that," Chris replied, "but she doesn't look very young right now, does she?" At this, he gave Craig a pointed look, which caused Craig to swallow hard and look away. "How's this," Craig began. "If you're not interested in Manny at all and you're just here to have a good time, why don't you go ask one of those girls to dance?" He gestured toward a cluster of attractive young girls who were lounging by the bar and surveying the scene. "Your girlfriend doesn't need to know about every girl you dance with, right?" Craig considered his words, then glanced over at the girls and seemed to stiffen his resolve.
"You're right. One dance doesn't mean anything. Anyway, I'm here to have a good time, not to watch everyone else having fun." Chris gave him a thumbs-up sign, and Craig took a deep breath before heading toward the bar. To his surprise, the girls seemed more than eager to talk to him when he reached them, and he practically had to fend off some of the girls just so he could take one of them to the dance-floor. It seemed like the rest were pretty eager to have their turn, because as he lead a pretty blond away from her friends, he could hear them calling after him asking him to save them a dance. Craig couldn't help but smile and he felt himself begin to loosen up, especially as the other guys he passed gave him envious looks when they saw the girl at his arm.
Once the girl had found a spot in the middle of the floor where everyone would be sure to see them, she wrapped her arms around Craig's neck and pulled him close, resting her head on his shoulder. Craig sighed, a bit uncomfortable, but after spotting Chris giving him a thumbs-up sign from where he and Emma were dancing, he allowed himself to relax a little. A few feet away, Craig could see Manny dancing with a new guy who was holding her a little too possessively for Craig's taste. He watched in dismay as the guy lowered his hand from Manny's waist to just above her butt, and was relieved when she reached behind her back to grab his hand and place it back in a more appropriate area. 'How long does this stupid song last, anyway?' Craig wondered in annoyance. 'And since when do clubs play slow songs?'
Just then, someone cleared their throat behind him. Craig smiled when he saw Emma standing there looking flushed from dancing, and the blond girl lifted her head from Craig's shoulder to give her a very dirty look. "May I cut in?" Emma asked politely, and the girl, who seemed to have been rendered speechless, flounced angrily over to her friends without looking back.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Craig asked, taking Emma's hand with mock formality.
"Well, I thought you might need a little rescuing since that girl seemed to be fused to your body," she replied with an amused look in her eye. "She wasn't your type, anyway."
"Uh huh," Craig replied curiously. "And what exactly is my type, Miss Nelson?"
"Well, I would say a girl who was intelligent, fun to be around, and probably a brunette," Emma answered seriously, causing Craig to feel a bit startled. He forced a laugh.
"Listen Em, I don't know what you're trying to do but Manny definitely isn't my type. I'm pretty sure that was firmly established last year, remember?" Emma shook her head in disbelief.
"Craig, I was talking about Ashley. Your girlfriend, remember? Forgive me if I'm being nosy but you seem awfully preoccupied with Manny tonight. Why don't you just go talk to her and tell her what's on your mind?"
"Nothing's on my mind!" Craig insisted in frustration. "I guess I'm just a little out of it, that's all. All the weird disco lights are messing with my brain." Emma rolled her eyes at his unconvincing excuse, and they continued to dance in thoughtful silence until a new song started and Chris hopped over to where they were standing.
"Come on Emma, you wanted to check out the DJ booth, right?" She nodded enthusiastically and turned back to Craig.
"You coming?" she asked, but he just shook his head. "That's okay," she added. "I'll just have to get a replacement to keep you busy while I'm gone." And with that, she marched over to where Manny and guy #2 were dancing, and grabbed her arm, dragging her over to Craig while the other guy protested with a "What the hell?"
"What's the big idea, Em?" Manny asked in annoyance, rubbing her arm where Emma hand left a red mark. Emma grinned.
"I just needed someone to keep Craig company while I go watch Chris spin. And since you guys haven't spoken more than two words to each other the entire night, I figured this would be a prime time to get the conversation flowing."
"Thanks, but I don't need a chaperone," Craig grumbled fixing Emma with a little glare.
"Yeah, and I'm sure there are plenty of other girls here who would be more than willing to engage in some 'conversation' with Craig," Manny said with an edge in her voice, glancing at the group of girls over by the bar.
"Look, would you guys stop whining for a two of minutes and dance, okay? I'll see you two later." And with that, Emma and Chris disappeared into the mounting crowd, leaving Manny and Craig to face each other uneasily.
"I guess we should dance," Manny said, and after a beat, she placed her hands impersonally on his shoulders.
"Yeah, sure, whatever," he said, following in suit. They stayed in that uncomfortable position for a few moments before Manny threw up her hands in frustration.
"This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "You don't have to be so uncomfortable around me. I'm not going to make a move on you or ask you to marry me or anything. I've grown up a little since last year and I thought that maybe you would have noticed." Craig looked at her in surprise. Did she really think that he was uncomfortable around her because he was afraid she still liked him? He almost laughed out-loud at how wrong her assumption was.
"Manny, I've noticed that you've changed. Believe me, I've noticed. If I've been acting weird around you it's only because." he trailed off, unsure about how much he should reveal.
"Because why?" she asked, nearly pleading with him for the truth. He couldn't help but remember what it felt like the other two times she had been in his arms. She had grown a lot since then, making it easier for her to lace her fingers around his neck, and enabling him to look into her eyes without having to lean down. The first time they had danced Craig had been almost giddy with excitement as he led her away from Emma and onto the dance-floor, because at that time he was just a naïve kid with a crush. At the wedding, though, everything had been different, not only because it was right after Craig had torn her heart to pieces, but also because he had convinced himself that he no longer had any feelings for Manny. He had truly believed that being so close to her meant nothing to him. Now, Craig couldn't possibly deny the intense feelings that were washing over him as he looked down into Manny's face, losing himself in her beautiful brown eyes. She was still watching him expectantly, waiting for an answer, but all he could do was brush a lock of dark hair out of her eyes and tuck it gently behind her ear. He sighed.
"Because all these feelings I thought had disappeared have been coming back twice as strong," Craig murmured, only half-aware that he was pouring out his most personal thoughts to the very girl that they involved. "I guess it's just hard to be around you, knowing that I had the chance to be close to you and I blew it." He laughed humorously as he spoke, and Manny watched him wordlessly, her heart pounding in her chest. "I see you talking to all these guys at school and I'm jealous, knowing that some of them are going to know you better than I ever will. Sometimes, I think that if I had another chance, I would do it all differently." As a silence passed between them, Craig noticed that Manny had become very still in his arms, and he realized at once the magnanimity of what he had just revealed. His face flushing with embarrassment, Craig muttered, "Sorry, I've gotta go," and released Manny quickly. But as he turned away from her searching eyes, Craig felt her grasp his hand, preventing him from walking away. Slowly, as though by some force beyond his control, Craig turned back again to face Manny, and she slowly stepped closer to him until their bodies were almost touching. She took in a shaky breath and licked her lips, inviting Craig's attention to them. Before he could stop himself, Craig reached down to cup Manny's face, running his thumb across her cheekbone, and watching as her eyes lit up in awe. As he leaned toward her, Manny reached up and buried her hand in his curly hair, just as she had always wanted to, and pulled his lips down to hers. Manny felt tremors go through her body as she increased the pressure of the kiss, wanting to be as close to him as possible. For a few moments, Craig was lost in the sensation of Manny's body molded to his and the feel of her soft lips against his own. But just as he began to pull her even closer to him, desperate to intensify these incredible sensations, the image of a pair of green eyes filled with tears entered his mind. 'Oh god, Ashley,' he thought in horror, pulling abruptly away from Manny's touch and leaving her breathless from the intensity of the kiss.
As soon as he pulled away from her, Manny felt a chill creep up her body, missing Craig's arms around her. She regarded him with silent confusion as he ran a hand through his hair, unable to look at her. "I-I'm sorry. I just need some air," Craig said hurriedly, as he backed away. Then, as though he couldn't get away from her fast enough, he pushed quickly through the crowd and headed for the club exit, leaving Manny cold, confused, and heartbroken in the middle of the crowded room.
Too Hot to Handle
Ch. 4
Emma was more than grateful when they finally reached Element, the club where Chris spins on weekends. The tension in the car was so thick she could cut it with a knife, and she couldn't help but wonder whether inviting Craig to the club was a huge mistake. It had taken a lot of time for Manny to get over Craig after their disastrous date the previous year, and the last thing that Emma wanted to do was to rehash all the pain that Manny had finally put behind her.
"Call me on my cell when you guys are ready to go," Chris's sister called out the window when the four of them had exited the car. "No earlier than midnight, though, because my boyfriend and I are going to a movie."
"Sure, fine, no problem," Emma answered with a wave of her hand, as though she got picked up outside clubs after midnight all the time. The older girl laughed and gave them a mock salute before peeling out onto the street.
"Well, here we are," Craig muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He glanced over at Manny, who was rocking back and forth in an effort to keep warm, then at Emma who looked as though she was so excited she wasn't sure what to do with herself.
"Hey, are we gunna stand here freezing our asses off or are we going inside? You know, where there's heat?" Chris gestured emphatically toward the door, in front of which there was a line of teenagers so long it probably would be a full 24 hours before the last few people were finally admitted. "Not to worry," Chris assured them, reading their thoughts. "I've got a few special privileges around this place, namely getting myself and my friends to the front of the line." Emma soon realized that Chris hadn't embellished. As soon as they reached the door, the bouncer-wannabe waved the four of them inside, and as they traveled through the crowded rooms, various kids slapped Chris high-fives or shouted greetings in his direction.
"Chris, this is incredible!" Emma squealed as they entered the main area where teens were crowded on the spacious dance-floor while others were seated at scattered tables sipping beverages (alcoholic? non-alcoholic? Emma could only guess).
Chris held out his hand toward Emma in a charming fashion and asked, "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" She giggled and nodded, allowing Chris to lead her toward the dance-floor and turning briefly to give Manny a pointed wink. Realizing that he was alone with the very girl who had been occupying the majority of his thoughts the past few weeks, Craig ran his hand through his hair nervously and racked his brain for something to say.
"So. here we are," he stated stupidly, mentally congratulating himself for not knowing how to act like a human being.
"Yep, we're here," Manny replied without commitment, glancing everywhere around the room except at Craig's face. 'Should I ask her to dance?' he wondered. 'That's innocent, right? I mean, Emma and Chris are dancing and the world hasn't spun out of orbit.' Craig took a deep breath and faced Manny, but just as he began to speak, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey, want to dance?" the guy asked, extending his hand.
"Absolutely," she replied quickly, grabbing his hand and pausing for a second to give Craig a small smile. He watched open-mouthed as she was led away then realized he was gaping like an idiot and forced himself to look away from the disturbing sight of Manny dancing with another guy. He decided to head over to the bar, and after ordering a coke, settled himself at a table that gave him a full view of the dance-floor. After a few minutes of what could only be considered sulking, Chris pulled up a chair beside Craig and threw himself onto it, sweat dripping down his face from the exertion of hard-core break-dancing.
"Hey man, why aren't you out there bustin' a move? It looks like you've decided to spend the night drinking coke in a corner by yourself." Craig shrugged.
"Just surveying the scene first, that's all." Chris snorted when he glanced in the direction that Craig was looking when he answered.
"Uh huh. And that 'scene' wouldn't happen to be Manny and that guy, would it? Cuz you haven't taken your eyes off them since I sat down." Craig made a dismissive noise and focused his eyes on his drink.
"Why would I be staring at Manny? I mean, I have a girlfriend. It's not like I like her or anything. Well, I did like her once but she was way too young for me and it could never have worked out," Craig rambled, earning a raised eyebrow from Chris at the overload of information.
"Well, I don't know about all of that," Chris replied, "but she doesn't look very young right now, does she?" At this, he gave Craig a pointed look, which caused Craig to swallow hard and look away. "How's this," Craig began. "If you're not interested in Manny at all and you're just here to have a good time, why don't you go ask one of those girls to dance?" He gestured toward a cluster of attractive young girls who were lounging by the bar and surveying the scene. "Your girlfriend doesn't need to know about every girl you dance with, right?" Craig considered his words, then glanced over at the girls and seemed to stiffen his resolve.
"You're right. One dance doesn't mean anything. Anyway, I'm here to have a good time, not to watch everyone else having fun." Chris gave him a thumbs-up sign, and Craig took a deep breath before heading toward the bar. To his surprise, the girls seemed more than eager to talk to him when he reached them, and he practically had to fend off some of the girls just so he could take one of them to the dance-floor. It seemed like the rest were pretty eager to have their turn, because as he lead a pretty blond away from her friends, he could hear them calling after him asking him to save them a dance. Craig couldn't help but smile and he felt himself begin to loosen up, especially as the other guys he passed gave him envious looks when they saw the girl at his arm.
Once the girl had found a spot in the middle of the floor where everyone would be sure to see them, she wrapped her arms around Craig's neck and pulled him close, resting her head on his shoulder. Craig sighed, a bit uncomfortable, but after spotting Chris giving him a thumbs-up sign from where he and Emma were dancing, he allowed himself to relax a little. A few feet away, Craig could see Manny dancing with a new guy who was holding her a little too possessively for Craig's taste. He watched in dismay as the guy lowered his hand from Manny's waist to just above her butt, and was relieved when she reached behind her back to grab his hand and place it back in a more appropriate area. 'How long does this stupid song last, anyway?' Craig wondered in annoyance. 'And since when do clubs play slow songs?'
Just then, someone cleared their throat behind him. Craig smiled when he saw Emma standing there looking flushed from dancing, and the blond girl lifted her head from Craig's shoulder to give her a very dirty look. "May I cut in?" Emma asked politely, and the girl, who seemed to have been rendered speechless, flounced angrily over to her friends without looking back.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Craig asked, taking Emma's hand with mock formality.
"Well, I thought you might need a little rescuing since that girl seemed to be fused to your body," she replied with an amused look in her eye. "She wasn't your type, anyway."
"Uh huh," Craig replied curiously. "And what exactly is my type, Miss Nelson?"
"Well, I would say a girl who was intelligent, fun to be around, and probably a brunette," Emma answered seriously, causing Craig to feel a bit startled. He forced a laugh.
"Listen Em, I don't know what you're trying to do but Manny definitely isn't my type. I'm pretty sure that was firmly established last year, remember?" Emma shook her head in disbelief.
"Craig, I was talking about Ashley. Your girlfriend, remember? Forgive me if I'm being nosy but you seem awfully preoccupied with Manny tonight. Why don't you just go talk to her and tell her what's on your mind?"
"Nothing's on my mind!" Craig insisted in frustration. "I guess I'm just a little out of it, that's all. All the weird disco lights are messing with my brain." Emma rolled her eyes at his unconvincing excuse, and they continued to dance in thoughtful silence until a new song started and Chris hopped over to where they were standing.
"Come on Emma, you wanted to check out the DJ booth, right?" She nodded enthusiastically and turned back to Craig.
"You coming?" she asked, but he just shook his head. "That's okay," she added. "I'll just have to get a replacement to keep you busy while I'm gone." And with that, she marched over to where Manny and guy #2 were dancing, and grabbed her arm, dragging her over to Craig while the other guy protested with a "What the hell?"
"What's the big idea, Em?" Manny asked in annoyance, rubbing her arm where Emma hand left a red mark. Emma grinned.
"I just needed someone to keep Craig company while I go watch Chris spin. And since you guys haven't spoken more than two words to each other the entire night, I figured this would be a prime time to get the conversation flowing."
"Thanks, but I don't need a chaperone," Craig grumbled fixing Emma with a little glare.
"Yeah, and I'm sure there are plenty of other girls here who would be more than willing to engage in some 'conversation' with Craig," Manny said with an edge in her voice, glancing at the group of girls over by the bar.
"Look, would you guys stop whining for a two of minutes and dance, okay? I'll see you two later." And with that, Emma and Chris disappeared into the mounting crowd, leaving Manny and Craig to face each other uneasily.
"I guess we should dance," Manny said, and after a beat, she placed her hands impersonally on his shoulders.
"Yeah, sure, whatever," he said, following in suit. They stayed in that uncomfortable position for a few moments before Manny threw up her hands in frustration.
"This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "You don't have to be so uncomfortable around me. I'm not going to make a move on you or ask you to marry me or anything. I've grown up a little since last year and I thought that maybe you would have noticed." Craig looked at her in surprise. Did she really think that he was uncomfortable around her because he was afraid she still liked him? He almost laughed out-loud at how wrong her assumption was.
"Manny, I've noticed that you've changed. Believe me, I've noticed. If I've been acting weird around you it's only because." he trailed off, unsure about how much he should reveal.
"Because why?" she asked, nearly pleading with him for the truth. He couldn't help but remember what it felt like the other two times she had been in his arms. She had grown a lot since then, making it easier for her to lace her fingers around his neck, and enabling him to look into her eyes without having to lean down. The first time they had danced Craig had been almost giddy with excitement as he led her away from Emma and onto the dance-floor, because at that time he was just a naïve kid with a crush. At the wedding, though, everything had been different, not only because it was right after Craig had torn her heart to pieces, but also because he had convinced himself that he no longer had any feelings for Manny. He had truly believed that being so close to her meant nothing to him. Now, Craig couldn't possibly deny the intense feelings that were washing over him as he looked down into Manny's face, losing himself in her beautiful brown eyes. She was still watching him expectantly, waiting for an answer, but all he could do was brush a lock of dark hair out of her eyes and tuck it gently behind her ear. He sighed.
"Because all these feelings I thought had disappeared have been coming back twice as strong," Craig murmured, only half-aware that he was pouring out his most personal thoughts to the very girl that they involved. "I guess it's just hard to be around you, knowing that I had the chance to be close to you and I blew it." He laughed humorously as he spoke, and Manny watched him wordlessly, her heart pounding in her chest. "I see you talking to all these guys at school and I'm jealous, knowing that some of them are going to know you better than I ever will. Sometimes, I think that if I had another chance, I would do it all differently." As a silence passed between them, Craig noticed that Manny had become very still in his arms, and he realized at once the magnanimity of what he had just revealed. His face flushing with embarrassment, Craig muttered, "Sorry, I've gotta go," and released Manny quickly. But as he turned away from her searching eyes, Craig felt her grasp his hand, preventing him from walking away. Slowly, as though by some force beyond his control, Craig turned back again to face Manny, and she slowly stepped closer to him until their bodies were almost touching. She took in a shaky breath and licked her lips, inviting Craig's attention to them. Before he could stop himself, Craig reached down to cup Manny's face, running his thumb across her cheekbone, and watching as her eyes lit up in awe. As he leaned toward her, Manny reached up and buried her hand in his curly hair, just as she had always wanted to, and pulled his lips down to hers. Manny felt tremors go through her body as she increased the pressure of the kiss, wanting to be as close to him as possible. For a few moments, Craig was lost in the sensation of Manny's body molded to his and the feel of her soft lips against his own. But just as he began to pull her even closer to him, desperate to intensify these incredible sensations, the image of a pair of green eyes filled with tears entered his mind. 'Oh god, Ashley,' he thought in horror, pulling abruptly away from Manny's touch and leaving her breathless from the intensity of the kiss.
As soon as he pulled away from her, Manny felt a chill creep up her body, missing Craig's arms around her. She regarded him with silent confusion as he ran a hand through his hair, unable to look at her. "I-I'm sorry. I just need some air," Craig said hurriedly, as he backed away. Then, as though he couldn't get away from her fast enough, he pushed quickly through the crowd and headed for the club exit, leaving Manny cold, confused, and heartbroken in the middle of the crowded room.