Climbing Uphill by Maria Overlook
Amazingly, I wrote this before writing chapter one...
It wasn't until about a week later that I saw Jack. No, that's not strictly true. I had seen him several times at work, but I hadn't spoken to him since that afternoon under the oak tree. He hadn't come back to our apartment—my apartment now, I reminded myself—so I assumed that he'd found a place to stay. Meanwhile, I had my own life to live.
I came home that evening and unlocked my front door to be greeted by the telltale smell of Italian cooking. I set my keys on the table and closed my eyes with a smile, breathing in the scent that wafted out of the kitchen. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands on my hips from behind me that slid slowly up and wrapped around my stomach. A deep, sensual voice whispered in my ear, "Welcome home, baby." I felt his lips on my neck, and I leaned back against him, reaching back to entangle my fingers in his curly dark hair. "Mmm... hey, Tony..." Tony slowly turned me around and captured my lips with his. I wrapped my arms around him and moaned with pleasure. He seized his chance and slipped his tongue into my mouth, probing, exploring, as I responded with just as much force and passion.
Yes, Tony Almeida. I... I couldn't really explain how it happened. I guess Jack told him we were over, and in a gesture of comfort he invited me to dinner the next night. Turns out, he needed to forget Michelle just as much as I needed to forget Jack. But the truth was, our relationship wasn't just about forgetting. You could say that I didn't screw Tony because he wasn't Jack; I screwed him because he was Tony. And even then, it wasn't just about sex. We truly believed that we loved each other. Tony possessed all the good qualities Jack had—loving, passionate, kind—plus all the good qualities Jack lacked.
We finished our hellos and I pulled off my coat, following him into the warm, inviting kitchen. "Mm, Tony," I said, perching myself on the counter and swinging my legs back and forth like a little schoolgirl, "this smells really great."
"Italian cooking, mi amore," he replied. "Keep watching the master and you might learn."
I giggled and kissed his cheek, rough with his five o'clock shadow. "Listen, babe, I'm gonna hop in the shower and change." I jumped lightly off the counter and walked into my bedroom, the one I had shared been sharing with Jack one week ago. But I didn't want to think about that. Now it was the bedroom that I had all to myself, or occasionally shared with Tony.
All right, all right, so it was onlytwo nights that I'd had the bed to myself since Jack left. It seemed strange, that first night that he stayed with me, that we were falling asleep in each others arms after two dates, but Tony explained to me that he'dfeltsomething for me for much longer. He said that I shouldn't look at my break-up with Jack as the end, but instead as the beginning of something for both of us. It made sense to me, and I confided in him through my tears that I'dfelt something forhim for a long time, too. It just... hadn't been enough at the time to overpower my love for Jack. Now it was. I thought it made sense. Besides, Tony was really good in bed.
By this time I had left the shower and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. We had dinner and then just sat and talked, as we always did, for a long time until we went to bed. Finally, I stretched my arms out over my head and lay down on the sofa, my head in Tony's lap. He stroked my hair for a few moments and smiled down at me. Returning the smile, I took his hand in mine and kissed his fingers.
"You know," he remarked in a low, alluring tone, "that outfit would look much better on the floor."
I giggled. Somehow, a man like Tony Almeida could make even the worst pick-up lines seem sexy."Tony..." He leaned over and pressed his lips against mine before reaching for the bottom hem of my t-shirt. I put my hands over his and murmured, "No... I want it in bed. Not on a couch right in front of the windows." Tony nodded and pulled me up, leading me into the darkened bedroom with a playful smirk.
"Come on, baby," he whispered seductively. "Come be mine... for one night..."
I smiled, closing the door behind us. "I'm already yours."
At about one in the morning, Tony climbed slowly out of bed and pulled on the jeans that he'd discarded. I sighed and sat up, pulling on my sweatpants and fastening a lacy black bra over my chest. "Where are you going?"
"I'm just getting some water," he replied softly, bending down to deliver a swift kiss. "You want anything, baby?"
I yawned, deciding to crawl back under the covers. "No... I'm fine." Rolling over onto my side, I tried to close my eyes, but the sounds coming from the kitchen somehow kept me awake. At first I thought it was just the usual racket of getting a glass, fetching a handful of ice, and turning the squeaky handle of the sink, but I soon realized that Tony's voice was more distinct than anything else I heard.
"Tony," I called somewhat impatiently, "come back to bed."
This time, the voice was louder. "Jack, I can explain." Shit. Jack was here? What was he doing? If he found that Tony and I slept together...
No. It was my life and my private business, and Jack had no right to control who I fell in love with. Resolved to give my ex-boyfriend a piece of my mind, I stood up and headed for the door. Then Jack's voice, slurred by intoxication, stopped me dead in my tracks. "I've got it all figured out, you fucking son of a bitch!" I raced for the door and slid into the kitchen, horrified at what I saw.
They were fighting. Jack threw punch after punch, but he was drunk and didn't stand a chance against Tony. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I turned my face to the wall, unable to watch any more. I felt Jack's eyes on me, but I didn't return the stare. How could I? I felt like a naughty girl caught making out in the bathroom for the first time, even though I knew it was perfectly within my rights to go out with Tony if I wanted to. Then I heard the sickening crunch of Tony's fist colliding with Jack's face. Had that been my name that Jack whispered in the split second before Tony hit him? Did he still want me back?
"Tony," Jack finally said, "what the hell do you want?"
"I want you to keep your eyes off my girlfriend." Tony's voice was cold and dangerous, and I suddenly sensed that he might take this too far.
"And if I don't?" Tony glared at Jack when he heard this and punched him again. I yelped and took a step towards Jack, honestlyfearing that Tony would kill him. I knew thathe was perfectly capable of doing so. "Tony," I pleaded desperately, taking his hand and gazing up at him through tear-filled brown eyes, "let him go." Tony reluctantly complied and let Jack's bloody form slide to the floor. I saw the thick red liquid running down his face as he choked, and for a second I thought that Tony had murdered him. Then Jack coughed, splattering blood all over himself and the wall behind him. I closed my eyes and gagged.
"Audrey, I love you. Please, forgive me, forgive me... Whatever I did, please..." Jack's voice was heartbreaking, but I could still hear the garbled undertone of alcohol, as well as smell its stench on his breath mixed with blood.
"Jack," I said softly, and then paused for a moment. A part of me wanted to forgive him, to take him in my arms and whisper that everything would be all right, because I was with him. And yet, a bigger part was harshly reminding me of the silver box I'd found in his sock drawer, and of Paul's face as Jack pushed the wire into his slick, wet chest. "Jack, you're drunk. If you were sober... then... then you wouldn't be saying this." It was the truth, but I knew that it had hurt him. Tony must have sensed some of what I was going through, for he slipped a comforting arm around my almost-bare shoulders and smiled down at me. I returned the smile warmly before turning back to Jack. "I'm sorry..." I whispered sincerely. "Just get your stuff and go." As tears threatened to fall once more, I buried my face in Tony's bare chest and wrapped my arms around him. He kissed the top of my head and sighed as Jack headed towards my bedroom.
"I'm so sorry, baby," Tony murmured, smoothing my hair down with a gentle hand. "I... I never meant for any of that to happen. But he tried to punch me, and I had to defend myself, and—"
"Sh. I don't want to hear it." I silenced him by pressing my lips against his. His hands slid sensually up my back and reached for the clip on my bra, slowly trying to unfasten it, but I shook my head. "Not now... he's still in the bedroom." A smile played across my lips. "You're always so impatient." I bent closer and whispered, "Not that I mind."
Tony smirked and kissed me again, pulling me closer. "Audrey—" That was Jack's voice, and I leapt away from Tony as soon as I heard it. "I'm sorry," he continued, gazing at me calculatingly, but I forced my face to remain neutral. "I only wanted you to be happy." He turned and left the room as quickly as he could, which wasn't too fast considering his injured and intoxicated state. Tony took me in his arms and held me close again, whispering, "Audrey... um, look at your wall." I turned around slowly and gagged as I saw the blood dripping down the clean white wall. Then Tony smiled and whispered something indistinct in my ear. His warm breath tickled my sensitive skin, and an involuntary giggle escaped my lips.
I couldn't help it. All my emotions overflowed, and I started laughing. After a few seconds, he started laughing, too. We giggled like children together for a while, enjoying the welcome relief from the tension of a few moments before. Tony finally directed me towards the bedroom and nudged me in ahead of him, trailing kisses down my neck and onto my shoulder. I closed the door and let him lift me up and carry me gently over to the bed. Setting me down carefully, he lay down beside me and pulled the covers over both of us, taking me in his arms from behind. I put my hands over his and sighed happily.
"I love you, Tony."
"I love you, too, Audrey."
OK, so there's chapter two. OMG, y'all are gonna love the next couple of chapters... Sara and I had so much fun planning them. I know y'all are probably wondering why I keep cutting off all the good Tony/Audrey sex scenes, but I do have a reason. And I can almost definitely promise that you'll get one or two eventually.
Hasta luego,
.Maria Overlook.
P.S. - Sara, can you imagine how bad Carrie would kill me for saying 'good Tony/Audrey sex scenes'?
