Shy lay in her bed silently staring at the ceiling while holding the sheets up to her chin. She kept replaying the kiss in her mind over and over again. Her eyes were droopy from the lack of sleep that the memory provided. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. The birds chirping outside that were usually soothing to her, made her want to get up and throw something at them.
There was a tap on her door. The housemaid opened the door quietly and peeked inside.
"Miss Angelis? Mr. Aurelius wanted me to request your presence at breakfast." The older woman said gently.
Shy sat up in her bed slowly and looked at the intimidated servant. She brushed a hand through her hair and played with the sheets in her hand.
"Should I tell him that you will be joining them shortly?" Her voice quivered.
"Them?" Shy asked, looking up.
The maid nodded. "Your father and the Nikolias family. Mr. Aurelius invited them to stay."
Shy swallowed hard and faced the bed. "Leave me. Tell Desmond I will be down soon."
"Very well Miss." The maid backed out of the room with a nod and shut the door gently.
Shy threw her covers off and retreated to the bathroom to get ready.
Shy came down the stairs and went through the ballroom that was immaculate now, to the dining room. Desmond had his back to her as he was telling a joke to his guests. The men chuckled as she walked in behind him, except for Zane. He saw her and rose to his feet. Desmond glanced over his shoulder as Evan, and Zander both rose with Zane. Her father stayed seated. Desmond rose and clasped her shoulders with his hands as the rest of them took their seats again.
"Well, look who decided to join us." He leaned in to kiss her and she turned her cheek to him. He raised an eyebrow at her. "The food might be cold but I'm sure someone can heat it up for you."
She broke from his grasp gently and walked over to her father. "I'm not hungry so that won't be necessary. Good morning, father." She leaned down to him and kissed his cheek.
Shy glanced up at Zane who was facing the table. Her glance swept over to Evan who stared at her with pursed lips. She inhaled sharply and glanced at Zander who resumed eating with a smile on his face. She took a seat next to her father and exhaled.
"So I was thinking that maybe after breakfast we could go over the blueprints for the new site in West Manhattan." Desmond started, after he sat down.
"Where's Layla?" Shy spoke up drowning out the rest of Desmond's sentence.
Evan looked up from his plate and placed his napkin on the table. "Oh, she had an appointment in the city so I took her home last night."
She could tell he was caught off guard. "It must be agony then to be sitting here while she is there. I bet you've never missed an appointment with her."
He looked at her suspiciously. "I never have, no, but she understands."
Zane glanced up at their exchanges.
"Because she loves you. She really loves you." Shy said, staring deep into Evan's eyes.
"Shy." Desmond's voice rose slightly.
"I bet you have romantic nights where you don't even mention work." Shy continued ignoring Desmond.
"Shy that's enough!" Desmond slammed his fork on the table.
Zane shot up from his seat and threw his napkin on the table beside his plate. "Excuse me."
Shy watched him leave and stood up.
"Sit down, Shy." Desmond said almost growling.
They heard the front door slam shut and silence fill the room. Shy looked down at Evan who looked up at her with new understanding.
"I'll be in my room." Shy said pushing the situation further as she walked slowly from the table.
She knew that Desmond wouldn't be able to lash out in front of Evan and Zander and her father like he normally would so she left. She got dressed to do exactly nothing but make Zane leave and aggravate Desmond. Now, that she had accomplished both she could go back to her room, put on her sweats and read.
She heard a motorcycle engine rev when she reached the top of the stairs and stopped for a moment to listen to the sound get further and further away. Her eyes dropped as she entered her room.
Shy opened the door to her room and peeked out before exiting. The house was silent. She had safely spent her day inside and avoided her fiancé's wrath for her morning behavior. She saw Desmond, Evan and Zander leaving the house from her balcony. No doubt to go into town and drink themselves silly for the night. Either way she was glad. She had the house to herself. The housemaid and other servants had retired to bed early since there was no one to take care of. She crept out of her room in a white tank top, blue jeans and a small gray zip front hoodie with white sneakers (an attire no one had ever seen her in outside of her room). She made her way down the stairs and through the ballroom again and past the dining room towards the kitchen in the back of the house.
She was starving since this morning after she left the table, but decided not to risk running into Desmond or Evan for that matter. She knew he would question her about what happened the night before. Questions that she wasn't willing or prepared to answer.
She made it to the doorway of the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. The light from the refrigerator was glowing at him as the door stood open and he was leaning with his arms crossed over his chest on the counter behind him staring at its contents. He blinked out of his daydream and looked at the entrance where she stood. He stood straight and let his arms fall to his side, facing her.
Shy looked behind her to see if anyone might have been around and then back at him. "What are you doing here, Zane?" She whispered sharply.
He rolled his eyes and reached into the refrigerator, pulling out a six-pack of beer. "I got thirsty. What's your excuse?"
"You weren't supposed to come back!" She whispered again, ignoring his previous remark.
Zane placed the six-pack on the counter and shut the refrigerator door. "Was that the plan?"
"You can't be here. You can't be around me." Shy said quietly.
Zane turned to her. "Who said I came back for you?"
Shy's mouth dropped open with shock and shook her head.
"That's kind of vain, don't you think? Considering you called me the same thing last night." Zane opened a bottle from the six pack and drank some. He tilted the bottle toward her and she declined.
"I didn't call you vain, I said you were proud." Shy said, wondering why she was actually partaking in this conversation in the first place.
"Okay, then you're vain, I'm proud." Zane shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of beer.
Shy crossed her arms over her chest and turned to leave. "You're hopeless."
"Now I'm hopeless?" Zane puts his bottle down and follows Shy. He grabs her elbow to stop her.
She turns to him and he swallows. "What?"
"Take a ride with me." He says quietly. "If I don't convince you that there is more to me than you think, I'll leave tonight and you won't have to deal with me again."
Shy studied his eyes to see if he was serious. Her arms dropped to her sides and he grabbed her hand gently to start leading her out the back door. She pulled back a moment.
"What if they come back and find us gone? Desmond will be furious." She said.
Zane looked into her eyes. "I'm not scared of him." He started guiding her again and she followed.
They walked out the back of the house and around the side where Zane had parked his motorcycle. He jumped on and started it. He looked over at Shy who looked apprehensive to get on. He took her hand and made her get on.
"Just hold on." He said putting her hand on his waist, then pulling off into the night.
Zane parked in front of a Neon lighted bar/club called "El Corazon del Mundo" and got off the bike. Shy looked around the not so nice neighborhood of South Bronx as she stayed on the motorcycle. It was late and the streets were hardly busy. She felt uncomfortable. She had never been there.
Zane extended his hand to her. "You coming or what?"
Shy looked around again and saw three men across the street staring at her. She quickly took Zane's hand and jumped from the bike. He held her hand and felt her intertwine her fingers tightly with his as they made their way to the door of the bar. He squeezed her hand a little to ease her. He reached for the door and opened allowing the muted Salsa music from inside to waft out.
The two were greeted at the door by a beautiful Hispanic woman wearing a black suit. "Mira quien esta aqui!" This meant: "Look who's here!"
Shy had taken two years of Spanish in high school, but was far from fluent in the language. She looked at Zane who smiled at the woman as if he knew exactly what she was saying. She loved his smile. The woman came from around a coat check counter near the door and attacked Zane with a kiss on the lips and a hug. He didn't let Shy's hand go.
"Que quieres amor?" The woman asked him wiping the red lipstick from his lips, looking at Shy and smiling.
"Una mesa por nosotros, pero háblame en ingles por favor. La nena no entiende." Zane spoke as smoothly as the woman had. Shy looked at him with a confused expression.
"But of course! Where are my manners? Hello, mama, my name is Maria and you?" The woman introduced herself to Shy and extended a hand.
"Shy." She answered shaking the woman's hand as Zane looked on. She glanced at him and a smirk spread on his lips.
Maria looked at Zane with her smile even wider. "Que bella!" She turned to Shy and told them, "Follow me."
Zane leaned into Shy's ear as they followed Maria and whispered, "She says you're beautiful."
Shy blushed and faced the ground as they were lead to a table in front of a small dance floor where other Hispanics danced to the pace of the music in ways Shy had never seen. Zane pulled out a chair for her and she sat as Maria left them. He sat next to her facing the dance floor. Shy's eyes remained glued to all the beautiful women being spun around the dance floor by handsome, dark men. A young waitress came over and leaned down to Zane giving them drinks and some appetizers already prepared. He smiled at her and she pinched his chin before leaving.
Shy turned around and saw the exchange and her eyebrows arched. "So how'd you find this place?"
Zane took a sip of his Corona and leaned his elbows on the table. "The waitress that just left; she's Maria's daughter, Sylvia. I went to high school with her. She was my first girlfriend."
"And not his last." Sylvia came back to the table with some napkins for them. She winked at Shy who couldn't help but smile. "Anyway he's being modest. I taught him how to speak Spanish and he buys my mom a club."
Zane rolled his eyes. "I helped."
Sylvia laughs and looks at Shy. "My mom put in twenty dollars. The rest was Zane. I always said your heart was bigger than your pockets. I'm Sylvia by the way." She wipes her hands on her apron and extends one to Shy.
Shy takes it and answers her, "I'm Shy. This place is great."
"It's what it is." Sylvia looks at Zane and sees him gazing at Shy. "Anything you guys need let me know. It's good to see you Zane."
Shy looks at him and catches his gaze. A slow Spanish song comes on and Zane looks around. He stands up as Shy is studying the people dance. He steps in front of her and takes her hand. "Want to learn how to dance bachata?"
"What? No I can't dance." Shy shook her hands in front of her.
Zane yanks her up to his body. "I know you're a control freak but just follow me."
He takes her by her waist to the dance floor and starts to lead her. Shy looks down at her feet and Zane tips her head up. She looks at him and quickly turns her face. Zane pulls her closer to his body and holds her hand on his chest with his own. She looks up at him and sighs. He bites his bottom lip as she places her head on his shoulder and follows him.
Zane pulls up on the side of the house again and turns his engine off. Shy jumps off of the bike quickly and opens the back door with Zane following. They go inside of the kitchen and hear voices coming into the house from the front. Shy stops in her tracks and looks at Zane.
"Hopefully Shy will feel better in the morning and join us." They could hear Desmond say from the foyer.
"Go, go, go!" Zane pushes Shy gently to make it up the back stairs that the maids used to get to their rooms.
Zane followed Shy to her bedroom that was right at the top of the front stairs of the house and looked down. He caught a glimpse of Desmond, his brother and Shy's father coming up and shoved himself and Shy into her room, shutting the door quietly behind them.
He and Shy leaned with their ears pressed up to the door breathlessly to hear what was going on outside. The men each bid each other a goodnight and retired to their rooms. When the last door shut Zane leaned away from the door and Shy leaned her back on it exhaling.
"I'll wait a second before I leave." He whispered, brushing a hand through his hair.
Shy nodded her head once, looking at him. He looked at her and licked his lips, then cleared his throat. He reached for the doorknob cracked the door open so look out. The hall was silent. He shut the door and met Shy's eyes as she still leaned on the door next to him. He had unconsciously placed his other hand on her side when he had opened the door. She looked down at his hand and shifted her body to make his hand lean on the other side of her so Zane was in front of her now. He leaned, with one hand on the doorknob and the other beside her shoulder, and started to breathe deeply as he stared down at her beautiful face.
Shy feels next to her and places her hand on the door's lock. She gently locks the door, not breaking her gaze from Zane. He looks at what she has just done and feels her pull his attention back to her with her right hand before he feels her warm lips on his own for a kiss.
Zane takes the hand that is next to her shoulder and caresses her cheek with it, kissing her more passionately. Shy arched her back in response to his kiss. She felt chills run up her spine and to her lips which tingled with anticipation of his next move.
Zane wrapped his other arm around Shy's waist and pulled her away from the door. He lifted her up, so she was on her toes and felt her whisk her arms around his neck. Her hands traveled to his thick brown hair as he backed up to her bed. He felt the back of his legs hit the foot of the bed and sat down, breaking his hold on her lips. Shy looked down at him sitting in front of her breathlessly, while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He had one hand on each side of her waist as he looked up at her. He unzipped her hoodie with one hand and ran his thumb underneath her tank top on her stomach. She sighed quietly and he stopped.
"Do you want to stop?" Zane whispered quietly. He's never asked that question before. He was scared of her answer.
Shy let her hoodie fall to the floor and climbed on top of Zane kissing him again. He reached his hands underneath the back of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She then reached under his long sleeved shirt and took it from over his head. Zane picked her up with one arm and turned over on the bed so that she was underneath him and opened his eyes to look at her as he kissed her. Shy's eyes opened slowly and stared back at Zane. He slowed down his kissing and caressed her more softly. He tilted his head to the side and kissed her neck so gently that she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from sighing out loud as they undressed each other.
Shy had never felt anything like this. Her pulse raced in her chest so fast, she thought she would explode. His fingers sent electricity throughout her body wherever he touched. She was so used to being ravaged. She felt overwhelmed. He moved as gently as he could on her underneath the covers of her bed and tears found their way to her eyes.
Zane wiped one of her tears away with his thumb and placed his forehead on hers. "Are you okay?"
Shy nods her head quietly and squeezes a remaining tear from her eye as she leans up to kiss Zane again.