A/N sadly, this story is coming to a close. Expect it to be over in about
the next 2-3 chapters. Thanks for those who gave me "reminder reviews"
encouraging me to update sooner. They really helped me get this chapter
underway. Hope you enjoy!
As the black eyed Peas roared through the club's sound system Lizzie was busy swinging her hips to the rhythm, and Gordo was busy trying not to pay attention to Lizzie's hips in that dress. Kate and Larry flirted and kissed for most of the night, obviously elated to be in each other's company. Lizzie watched them from a distance and jealousy filled her heart. How could it be so simple for them? She parted the crowd and made her way towards the bar. Lizzie was determined to discover one of the other joys of adulthood: alcohol.
"umm excuse me" Lizzie yelled over the thumping of the bass.
The bar tender turned to face Lizzie and her jaw dropped. "Burke!" she laughed, "What are you doing here?"
A blush crept up his cheeks as he fumbled, trying to explain that he needed a part time job and how well this particular job paid.
"Well, I'll tell you what, you give me something really delicious, and I'll give you a tip to die for."
"Sure thing ma'am" Burke replied, putting on his best etiquette. Seconds later he produced a glass of brownish liquid with a cherry resting delicately on the side of her glass. Lizzie took a petite sip and smiled handing Burke a ten dollar bill, as an after thought she slid him another and whispered "but only if you keep 'em coming." With that she had winked and slunk back into the crowd. Burke was in heaven.
Gordo sat in a booth towards the back of the club. The further away from the dance floor, the better, at least in his opinion. He was sitting in the back to avoid the music, the break-dancers, and the drunks, but mainly, he was avoiding Lizzie. He had seen the way that she had looked tonight; he had seen the way she looked at him. His one final attempt at fidelity was to sit at this booth and be as quiet as possible. This tactic, however, soon failed him. Lizzie made a beeline for his booth as she left the bar. Smiling the whole time. Gordo could not keep his eyes off of her. Her soft bouncy hair, her radiant smile, her full lips, the swing of her waist as she approached him. These things beckoned to him. These things made his heart feel alive in a way that Miranda never had. He felt heat rising to his face and sweat forming on his forehead, his mouth felt terribly dry, as if he had just eaten a bag of cotton swabs. He licked his lips and attempted to clear his throat as Lizzie plopped down across the table from him.
"Hey Gordo" She said, smile never faltering.
"Hey Lizzie" He replied, looking at the floor.
"You okay?" she questioned.
"Yeah, I'm just...tired."
"Maybe if you came out and danced you'd feel a bit better?" she suggested.
"No, I think I just need to sit for awhile."
"Okay, well I can keep you company."
"yes, yes you can!" his heart cried out, but all he could mutter was "I'd like to be alone"
A hurt expression fell upon her angelic face as she finished the rest of her drink in one gulp. She rose from her and seconds later she had faded into the crowd again. Gordo rested his head on the table
Gordo felt a finger poke him in-between his ribs. He groaned groggily and lifted his head with his sore and aching neck. The lights had come on and the music was no longer blaring, the crowd was making its way out the door. Apparently, he thought, I've been out for a while. He stretched, throwing his arms in the air.
"Where's Lizzie?" He yawned.
"right here" Kate said, thrusting a small figure forward. A visibly drunk Lizzie smiled and waved her fingers at him "geez Gordo you could shleep fowever" she slurred.
Gordo rose from his seat and threw one arm around Lizzie's small frame, Larry used his arm to support her other side. Once they were positioned they slowly made their way out of the smoke ridden club.
Kate commanded Gordo to stay with Lizzie while she and Larry drove the car around from valet. Gordo nodded and tried his best to keep Lizzie from falling head first into on-coming traffic.
Just as Kate's grip tightened around the handle to her car-door a maniacal grin spread across her heavily glossed lips.
"Oh, no" her fiancée teased. "What are you thinking now?"
"We should let Gordo take care of Lizzie tonight...Miranda's out of town"
The devilish grin was now consuming Larry's face as well. "but what excuse do we have not to take her?"
"umm...We have a big house, with lots of stairs, in her condition it might not be good to have to go up all those, plus, due to the size of our abode, its harder for someone to be with her at all times."
Larry clapped at her solution and picked up her hand from where it was resting on the car door. He raised it to his lips and delivered a soft kiss "Kate my dear, you are a genius" Kate smiled and watched as her husband to- be opened the door for her.
Gordo struggled to reach his car as Lizzie leaned on his side with all of her weight. Her hand brushed his thigh and he lost his concentration for a moment, almost sending her, tumbling, to the concrete. Just as they were about to reach the car Lizzie stopped walking. Her stomache visibly lurched and Gordo stood, holding her hair, as she emptied her insides on a busy Hillridge street.
Lizzie sat at Gordo's table slowly sipping the coffee that Gordo had made her. She could feel the fuzziness leaving her head already. Her head was still pounding though.
Gordo returned from his bedroom and draped a blanket around Lizzie's shoulder. He sat down in a chair across from her and chuckled in spite of himself.
"What?" Lizzie said, using her best pout.
"Nothing you just look so...pathetic." He continued laughing and Lizzie pouted even harder.
"No, don't worry, it's cute"
"Gordo I still don't feel very good, can I lay down."
"Sure, I'll show you the bedroom. I'm going to take the couch for the night."
Gordo pushed open the door. And helped Lizzie onto the soft bed. She eased onto the heavily cushioned mattress and closed her eyes. Gordo stared down at her. Everything about her was so incredibly perfect. He traced the outline of her lips with his finger.
Lizzie's eyes flung open.
"You had something on your mouth" Gordo lied.
Lizzie sighed and pushed Gordo onto the bed with her. "Gordo, do you remember the day that the car ran into mine."
Gordo nodded "I'll never forget that day Lizzie, never."
"Do you know one of the last things that I remember?"
"No" Gordo answered, the two were now laying on their sides facing each other.
Lizzie bit her lip. She was fully aware of the impact of what she was about to say. It was going to end friendships, start feuds, maybe even fist- fights, but hopefully she would walk out of it with the one thing she wanted more than anything...love.
"The last thing I remember was you kissing me."
Gordo shifted uncomfortably.
"I was asleep for three long years."
"Three years and a couple of months" Gordo added
"Want to know a secret?"
"Sure"
"The entire time, all three of those years, I was dreaming."
"What did you dream of?" Gordo inquired.
"That kiss" Lizzie said in what was barely a whisper.
Gordo gulped. She felt the same way that he felt.
Lizzie rubbed her arm along Gordo's side looking him in the eye the entire time.
"Gordo, make my dream come true"
Gordo's eyes were on her lips as she delivered her final plea. They looked so soft. He brought his hand to her cheek and rubbed it softly with the back of his hand. The other he brought to the back of her head. The time it took for their two lips to meet seemed immeasurable. When his delicate lips finally met with hers she savored every moment of it, knowing very well that it may be the last kiss that they would ever share.
After their lips had been together for awhile Gordo chose to deepen the kiss, pulling himself on top of Lizzie.
That night as the moon hung silently in the sky and the crickets chirped two broken hearts were finally mended.
As the black eyed Peas roared through the club's sound system Lizzie was busy swinging her hips to the rhythm, and Gordo was busy trying not to pay attention to Lizzie's hips in that dress. Kate and Larry flirted and kissed for most of the night, obviously elated to be in each other's company. Lizzie watched them from a distance and jealousy filled her heart. How could it be so simple for them? She parted the crowd and made her way towards the bar. Lizzie was determined to discover one of the other joys of adulthood: alcohol.
"umm excuse me" Lizzie yelled over the thumping of the bass.
The bar tender turned to face Lizzie and her jaw dropped. "Burke!" she laughed, "What are you doing here?"
A blush crept up his cheeks as he fumbled, trying to explain that he needed a part time job and how well this particular job paid.
"Well, I'll tell you what, you give me something really delicious, and I'll give you a tip to die for."
"Sure thing ma'am" Burke replied, putting on his best etiquette. Seconds later he produced a glass of brownish liquid with a cherry resting delicately on the side of her glass. Lizzie took a petite sip and smiled handing Burke a ten dollar bill, as an after thought she slid him another and whispered "but only if you keep 'em coming." With that she had winked and slunk back into the crowd. Burke was in heaven.
Gordo sat in a booth towards the back of the club. The further away from the dance floor, the better, at least in his opinion. He was sitting in the back to avoid the music, the break-dancers, and the drunks, but mainly, he was avoiding Lizzie. He had seen the way that she had looked tonight; he had seen the way she looked at him. His one final attempt at fidelity was to sit at this booth and be as quiet as possible. This tactic, however, soon failed him. Lizzie made a beeline for his booth as she left the bar. Smiling the whole time. Gordo could not keep his eyes off of her. Her soft bouncy hair, her radiant smile, her full lips, the swing of her waist as she approached him. These things beckoned to him. These things made his heart feel alive in a way that Miranda never had. He felt heat rising to his face and sweat forming on his forehead, his mouth felt terribly dry, as if he had just eaten a bag of cotton swabs. He licked his lips and attempted to clear his throat as Lizzie plopped down across the table from him.
"Hey Gordo" She said, smile never faltering.
"Hey Lizzie" He replied, looking at the floor.
"You okay?" she questioned.
"Yeah, I'm just...tired."
"Maybe if you came out and danced you'd feel a bit better?" she suggested.
"No, I think I just need to sit for awhile."
"Okay, well I can keep you company."
"yes, yes you can!" his heart cried out, but all he could mutter was "I'd like to be alone"
A hurt expression fell upon her angelic face as she finished the rest of her drink in one gulp. She rose from her and seconds later she had faded into the crowd again. Gordo rested his head on the table
Gordo felt a finger poke him in-between his ribs. He groaned groggily and lifted his head with his sore and aching neck. The lights had come on and the music was no longer blaring, the crowd was making its way out the door. Apparently, he thought, I've been out for a while. He stretched, throwing his arms in the air.
"Where's Lizzie?" He yawned.
"right here" Kate said, thrusting a small figure forward. A visibly drunk Lizzie smiled and waved her fingers at him "geez Gordo you could shleep fowever" she slurred.
Gordo rose from his seat and threw one arm around Lizzie's small frame, Larry used his arm to support her other side. Once they were positioned they slowly made their way out of the smoke ridden club.
Kate commanded Gordo to stay with Lizzie while she and Larry drove the car around from valet. Gordo nodded and tried his best to keep Lizzie from falling head first into on-coming traffic.
Just as Kate's grip tightened around the handle to her car-door a maniacal grin spread across her heavily glossed lips.
"Oh, no" her fiancée teased. "What are you thinking now?"
"We should let Gordo take care of Lizzie tonight...Miranda's out of town"
The devilish grin was now consuming Larry's face as well. "but what excuse do we have not to take her?"
"umm...We have a big house, with lots of stairs, in her condition it might not be good to have to go up all those, plus, due to the size of our abode, its harder for someone to be with her at all times."
Larry clapped at her solution and picked up her hand from where it was resting on the car door. He raised it to his lips and delivered a soft kiss "Kate my dear, you are a genius" Kate smiled and watched as her husband to- be opened the door for her.
Gordo struggled to reach his car as Lizzie leaned on his side with all of her weight. Her hand brushed his thigh and he lost his concentration for a moment, almost sending her, tumbling, to the concrete. Just as they were about to reach the car Lizzie stopped walking. Her stomache visibly lurched and Gordo stood, holding her hair, as she emptied her insides on a busy Hillridge street.
Lizzie sat at Gordo's table slowly sipping the coffee that Gordo had made her. She could feel the fuzziness leaving her head already. Her head was still pounding though.
Gordo returned from his bedroom and draped a blanket around Lizzie's shoulder. He sat down in a chair across from her and chuckled in spite of himself.
"What?" Lizzie said, using her best pout.
"Nothing you just look so...pathetic." He continued laughing and Lizzie pouted even harder.
"No, don't worry, it's cute"
"Gordo I still don't feel very good, can I lay down."
"Sure, I'll show you the bedroom. I'm going to take the couch for the night."
Gordo pushed open the door. And helped Lizzie onto the soft bed. She eased onto the heavily cushioned mattress and closed her eyes. Gordo stared down at her. Everything about her was so incredibly perfect. He traced the outline of her lips with his finger.
Lizzie's eyes flung open.
"You had something on your mouth" Gordo lied.
Lizzie sighed and pushed Gordo onto the bed with her. "Gordo, do you remember the day that the car ran into mine."
Gordo nodded "I'll never forget that day Lizzie, never."
"Do you know one of the last things that I remember?"
"No" Gordo answered, the two were now laying on their sides facing each other.
Lizzie bit her lip. She was fully aware of the impact of what she was about to say. It was going to end friendships, start feuds, maybe even fist- fights, but hopefully she would walk out of it with the one thing she wanted more than anything...love.
"The last thing I remember was you kissing me."
Gordo shifted uncomfortably.
"I was asleep for three long years."
"Three years and a couple of months" Gordo added
"Want to know a secret?"
"Sure"
"The entire time, all three of those years, I was dreaming."
"What did you dream of?" Gordo inquired.
"That kiss" Lizzie said in what was barely a whisper.
Gordo gulped. She felt the same way that he felt.
Lizzie rubbed her arm along Gordo's side looking him in the eye the entire time.
"Gordo, make my dream come true"
Gordo's eyes were on her lips as she delivered her final plea. They looked so soft. He brought his hand to her cheek and rubbed it softly with the back of his hand. The other he brought to the back of her head. The time it took for their two lips to meet seemed immeasurable. When his delicate lips finally met with hers she savored every moment of it, knowing very well that it may be the last kiss that they would ever share.
After their lips had been together for awhile Gordo chose to deepen the kiss, pulling himself on top of Lizzie.
That night as the moon hung silently in the sky and the crickets chirped two broken hearts were finally mended.