And now, back to Jareth and Sarah. I also talk a little bit about England, so sorry if anything isn't quite right. :-) - Angel
It was Sunday afternoon, and Sarah was frantically going through her closet, trying to find something to wear. She only had an hour left before she had to meet up with David and she couldn't decide on an outfit. On the one hand, she didn't want to underdress, but on the other hand, she didn't want to go overboard. After 20 minutes of flinging clothes around her room, she finally settled on a simple pair of jeans, her favorite pair of dark brown boots and a green long-sleeved, V-neck sweater that brought out her emerald eyes and showed off her curves.
She then went into the bathroom to apply a little makeup to bring out her already natural beauty and to brush out her long locks. After she was done, she scrutinized herself in the full-length mirror until she was satisfied with how she looked.
At 10 minutes to 2, she grabbed her jacket from off the coatrack and left her apartment, only stopping to lock her door. Then, with a nervous breath, she walked to the coffee shop.
David was already seated at a small high-top table located near the windows when Sarah entered the coffee shop. Steam arose from a cup of black coffee sitting in front of him. He stood as she approached the table, secretly appraising her delicious curves. In turn, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in black slacks, black shoes and a dark blue button-down shirt that accentuated his physique. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone to show just a glimpse of his skin underneath, and the chain he wore around his neck glinted in the sun streaming through the windows. His hair was still in the same disarray as the day she met him and he looked at her through the same round tortoiseshell glasses.
She held her hand out to him, intending to shake his, but once again, he captured her hand and bent low as he placed a kiss across her knuckles. He then straightened up and pulled out her chair for her. Once she was seated, he walked to the other side of the table and sat down.
"You look stunning, Sarah," he complimented her in his sensual British accent.
She could feel the heat rise in her face as she flushed and she nervously reached up to push her hair behind her ear. He smirked, pleased with her reaction.
"Thank you, you look great yourself," she replied, looking up to meet his blue eyes with her green ones. Sarah thought she felt a jolt of electricity between them as they continued to look into each other's eyes.
"What can I get you?" a voice broke through her reverie and she came back to herself. She looked up to see a pretty girl of about 20 with an eyebrow piercing and chin-length, magenta colored hair waiting to take her order.
"I'll take a small peppermint mocha, please," she ordered. The girl turned to go fill her order and Sarah noticed her smile flirtatiously with David as she passed by him. Jealousy instantly exploded within Sarah before quickly receding again.
What's wrong with me? I barely know this man and already I'm acting like we're an item, she reprimanded herself.
Her reaction had only lasted a few seconds, but he noticed the way Sarah had narrowed her eyes at the girl. A slight smile formed on his lips.
There's the spitfire I'm familiar with, he mused.
"So, how's your weekend been so far?" David asked, drawing Sarah's emerald eyes back his way.
"Not too bad considering I had to work both Friday and yesterday. Sometimes it feels like that's all I get done is work and school, school and work," she pointed at herself and smirked. "All work and no play makes Sarah a dull girl."
"Nah, I find you fascinating," replied David, leaning forward to look more closely at Sarah. "I can't help, but want to learn more."
Sarah's lips parted as she found herself becoming entranced once more by this man.
"What would you like to know?" she asked as she held his gaze.
"Hmmmm, where do I begin?" He placed a finger to his lips as he contemplated his first question. Having watched Sarah throughout the years, he already knew many of the answers. "How about we start off easy with you telling me where you're originally from and about your family?"
"Oh, that's easy enough," she responded. "I grew up in a small town about eight hours from here called Everett. My dad, Robert, is a pretty well-respected attorney in that area. My stepmom, Irene, is a stay-at-home mom who takes care of my younger brother, Toby, who's about 14 now and a freshman in high school. Anyway, I usually try to make it back there for some of the holidays if I can. I moved here to Stratford when I was 19, wanting to be on my own, and I ended up getting married when I was 21 but it didn't last long. Guess you could say I was young, dumb and tried to grow up too fast. So, how about you? Where in Britain are you originally from?"
"I'm from Reading, which is located on the Thames River west of London. My parents lived there until they passed away a few years ago and I don't have any siblings, so I don't have much reason to go back; hence, why I moved across the pond. I also did my schooling at the University of Reading, earning my Ph.D. from there before moving on to instruct at the University of Cambridge in the arts department. I've always had an affinity for beauty," he turned his eyes toward Sarah to further his point. She flushed, but continued to hold his gaze as he smiled.
"You're very beautiful when you blush. I hope I get to see it some more," he said, causing her to further turn red. "You know, I would love it if you would sit for me sometime; I know your portrait would look stunning in pastels. What do you say? Will you be my model?"
Sarah wasn't a prude, but the idea of being alone in a room with David while he captured her on canvas just somehow seemed intimate to her. She couldn't help but think about Kate and Leo in "Titanic."
"Model?" she thought for a moment. "Can I think it over a little bit before giving you an answer?"
"Sure, but please let me know soon; I find inspiration with you," he reached out to tuck a piece of hair that escaped from behind her ear and looked into her eyes. When he touched her, she was startled when she felt a jolt of electricity pass between them again.
Slightly smirking at Sarah's reaction to his touch, Jareth leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee.
"So what made you decide to go into business administration?"
Sarah came back to herself as she realized he had asked a question.
"Well, I can't lie, the ability to earn more money is pretty enticing although at this point, I'm not sure what type of career I want to get into. I was thinking maybe something in marketing, but I guess we'll see what happens when I get closer to having my degree. How about you? What led you on the path of art?" Sarah leaned over to take a sip of her coffee, glancing at David over the brim of her cup.
"I've always liked to create, but when I was about 12, I went on a trip to Paris with my parents. While I was there, we went to the Louvre Museum and I was just amazed by all the beauty surrounding me. I was mostly smitten with the paintings though. The use of color in many of them was just astounding and they inspired me to do everything I could to contribute to the arts. But, because you can't really do too much with an art degree, I decided I would become an art instructor, although I like to dally in painting when I'm at home. I've even shown my work in several art galleries back in my home country," he leaned forward and looked directly into Sarah's eyes. "Like I said, when something inspires me, I have to capture it."
Sarah reached for her coffee to take a sip, trying to hide the flush that once again spread across her face.
As the afternoon wore on, they continued asking questions and learning about each other's lives, likes and loves. Around 5 o'clock, Sarah glanced at her watch and was surprised to see how much time had gone by. They had been so interested in each other's stories, that they didn't pay attention to the time. She glanced over at the counter and noticed the baristas were giving them looks of impatience, waiting for them to leave so they could close.
"I really hate to put an end to our conversation, but I think we're about to get bounced out of the joint," she said, secretly pointing toward the employees so only David could see. "Besides, I should start walking home so I can get laundry done."
"How about I walk you home? I don't live too far from the campus, so I just walked here, too," David said, standing up to help Sarah put on her jacket before putting on his.
As David held the door open for Sarah to walk through, he turned to the magenta-haired girl who served them and tipped his finger to his forehead in a small farewell.
"Have a good night, Madison. See you in class tomorrow." The girl returned a reply as David turned to exit and caught a glimpse of jealousy on Sarah's face before she quickly schooled her features.
Oh, Precious, how I love your fire, Jareth thought.
"Shall we?" he asked Sarah with a smile, offering his arm to her which, with some shyness, she accepted.
It was a beautiful fall evening as they walked toward Sarah's apartment building. The afternoon sun was just beginning to go down and a slight breeze blew through the treetops, making the leaves whisper in response.
"So, have you thought any more about sitting for me?" Jareth asked, looking straight ahead and waiting for her response.
Sarah slightly stiffened at his question, not quite sure what to say. After a few seconds of contemplation, she finally responded.
"What would it entail?" she asked slowly and nervously.
A smile crossed David's face as understanding of what she was really asking sunk in.
"Don't worry, I'm not talking about anything indecent. I just thought maybe you could stop by my studio and just ... sit. No hidden agendas. I just really would love to paint your likeness."
Sarah blushed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything bad by it. I just have never modeled for anyone before," she replied. She paused for a few seconds, thinking, and then turned her head to look at him with a smile. "Sure, I guess I could do that."
"Great, love. I look forward to it," he stopped and looked up at Sarah's apartment building as they reached the front door. "Well, here we are."
Sarah climbed the first step and turned to face David. Even with the extra bit of height, she was still slightly shorter than him. She raised her eyes to meet his appraising ones.
"I had a really great time," she said, feeling the butterflies in her stomach once again. She lingered on the step, hoping David would kiss her goodnight.
He gazed intently into her eyes.
"I have to say, I haven't laughed like that in a long time. I really enjoyed your company as well," he said softly, then leaned in to press a kiss to her lips, moving his arms around her back to hold her. Sarah closed her eyes and moved her hands up to wrap around his neck. As soon as their lips met, a tingle swept through her whole body, and Sarah wasn't sure if it was her reacting to David's kiss or if electricity was actually flowing between them. Because of that spark, what started off as a light goodnight kiss soon turned into something more passionate, as David worked his mouth over Sarah's and she allowed him further access. A light moan escaped her, which was music to his ears.
Out of nowhere, a voice brought them back to the here and now.
"Get a room wouldja!" It came from one of the apartments above them.
Startled, Sarah pulled away from David and looked toward the source of the voice.
"Sorry, Mrs. Davenport!" she called back, then turned back toward David with a shake of her head and a small laugh. The window above thumped closed as Mrs. Davenport walked away.
"Sorry about that," Sarah said with a trace of frustration in her voice and a roll of her eyes. "That would be Mrs. Davenport, the neighborhood watch. She lives a couple of doors down from me. I swear, if you want to know anything about anybody around here, she can tell you their life stories."
David chuckled and leaned against the stair railing.
"It's OK, love, I probably should let you go anyway since tomorrow is Monday," he replied. And before I reach the point of no return, he thought. "I'll call you during my lunch break tomorrow to arrange a time for you to come sit for me."
"Sounds good, David. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a good night" replied Sarah. She reluctantly turned to walk up the rest of the stairs, but Jareth grabbed her hand and gently pulled her toward him for one last kiss. He then placed a kiss to the palm of her hand before letting her go.
"Good night, love," he whispered, then turned to walk up the street toward his apartment.
Sarah touched her fingers to her lips and watched as he strode away. She then sighed, turned around and entered her apartment building.
After they were gone, a lone figure emerged from the shadow of a neighboring building. A fiendish grin spread across the face of the handsome, dark-haired stranger who had followed the couple from the coffee shop.
So, this is Jareth's little plaything, Talbot thought to himself. Not bad, not bad at all. I think I might have to get in on the action.
With that, Talbot walked off in the opposite direction of Jareth, with his hands in his pockets and whistling a happy tune.