Spirits were running high even when they left the karaoke bar. They didn't have anything to drink except for orange juice, and yet to anyone who saw them, they might've seemed wasted.
They were walking down the street, still singing the songs they sang, and laughing heartily at their obvious lack of singing ability.
Gem couldn't remember when was the last time she felt that particular mixture of excitement and joy. The truth was that she had never felt that particular flavor of emotions. It was exhilarating for her to experience something like that for the first time, and to know that John helped her do that.
John loved the fact that she was laughing with him. He found that type of genuine laughter irresistible.
In the past, he had spent a lot of time with girls who laughed with him, but it never felt real to him. It was always so controlled, rehearsed. Their mouths would open slightly, revealing just the perfect amount of flawlessly white teeth, it was unnatural to him.
Looking at Gem at that moment, her mouth wide open in a fit of loud laughter, tears running down her face, he knew it was real. She was real.
He was aware that his friends would have found her laughter unappealing, but there was a certain natural beauty in it that made him think that he had never seen more beautiful laughter in his whole life. It was loud and uncontrolled, to John, it was beauty in its purest form.
The whole way to her house, they were so happy and carefree, that John thought someone might stop them any moment, and ask them why in the name of God, they were so happy.
The funny thing was, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered besides the fact that they were happy. What other people thought about it wasn't their problem.
When they arrived in front of her building, he realized he didn't want to let her go. It seemed like the spell they were under might break if they were apart for even a split-second.
He was so worried at the beginning of the day if she would forgive him for not defending her in front of his idiot friends, and instead, the day turned out to be just perfect. They had fun and, in a way, made promises to each other.
Maybe his promises were a bit more direct, but having in mind how hesitant she was and how much she struggled with expressing emotions, they were making progress. She promised him at least to try, with his help of course.
When he could no longer postpone saying goodbye, he made the mistake of looking into her eyes. The beauty of those shining galaxies awaited him and blinded him with its mysteries, so much so, that he became mesmerized by those orbs of wonder.
He was planning to kiss her on the cheek and walk away. It was what she could handle, but those eyes...They beaconed him to come closer, and take a better look at their hidden glory.
Before either of them could realize what was happening, their faces were inches apart. Gem wasn't sure how it happened, but she didn't have the strength, nor the will, to move.
His warm breath tickled her skin, and all she could do was marvel at his beauty. Those perfect lips, the gentleness in his eyes, all of those things combined, made him simply irresistible.
The next thing she knew, his luscious lips were on hers, and the sweet taste of orange juice and John permeated all her senses. She closed her eyes, and without even giving it a second thought allowed herself to get lost in the magic of the kiss.
At first, she was frozen in place, her arms resting by her side, but once he parted her lips, and started exploring her mouth, her right hand went up and cupped his face, in a reflex, while her left hand found itself entangled in John's beautiful mane, combing her fingers through its lustrous volume.
She was going down the rabbit hole of emotions, and she wasn't sure the fall would ever end. She wasn't sure if she wanted it to stop at all. Her heart was beating like crazy, and her skin felt too hot for that time of the day. Her whole body was trembling in pure delight as he kissed her breathless.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and they both drew away from each other. It was just one of Gem's neighbors slamming the building door to show her obvious disapproval of public displays of affection.
Although Gem understood that Mrs. Carlyle was an elderly woman, born in a time when that was considered inappropriate, she couldn't help but feel a pang of anger towards the old lady.
It was none of her business what was happening in Gem's life, and yet she did it shamelessly. It wasn't the first time the old lady used actions to show her disapproval, but it was the rudest way she had used thus far.
There was always something Mrs. Carlyle didn't approve of, and for Gem, this was the last straw. The perfect moment was ruined just because of her old-fashioned beliefs, and now all fears and doubts hit Gem with a vengeance.
"Couldn't she just mind her own business?" Gem thought bitterly.
She always did have a soft spot for the little old lady, but this time she thought she went too far.
Seeing the pure panic in her eyes, John opened his mouth to say something, but before he had the chance to utter even one word, she gently put a finger to his mouth swollen from her kisses.
"Don't say anything, please. We just had a wonderful day and what happened was something we both wanted, but I need some time to myself, to think," she said.
Since her finger was still on his mouth, he just nodded his head.
"You're awesome, you know that? Goodnight," she added.
Before he had the chance to do, or say anything, she gave him a quick peck on the lips and ran away as if the wild dogs were chasing her.
She was full of contradictions and always had him on the edge of his seat. He loved that. She was unique.
One moment she was kissing him like there was no tomorrow, the next she was running away. However, all relationships had their ups and downs, and John didn't let that bother him.
What he loved the most about everything that happened, was the fact that she accepted his kiss, she didn't push him away, she didn't stop him.
Even after the kiss, she didn't ask him to forget about it, for them to go back to being just friends, or anything like that, and that was a win in his books. Well, she did run away after the precious moment they shared, but he understood. It was still too early for her. One day, soon enough, he would help her stay.
With that thought, he started walking back home, humming a cheerful melody.
Comments (0)
See all