During The Storm

3AM1

Her arm flopped out of the bed covers and over the side, hand reaching for a bottle top she knew was there but just could not find. Finally it connected. She palmed the bottle and pulled it towards herself quickly, turning onto her side and opening the screw top in a dizzying flash. It was lifted to her lips and tipped, the liquid gushing into her throat, warming her instantly. After a long gulp she lay back with a groan and let the bottle tumble from her hand and the bed, to the floor. Outside the sounds of the storm began to increase, thunder shaking the windows in their frames. 2

The door opened and closed with a slam. She sat half up on the bed, glancing towards the figure that moved throughout the room now. Her legs stretched out, stripped panties askew upon her form, revealing more than they were designed to. “It started raining during my run.” He grumbled from the doorway, removing his soaked through shirt and tossing it over the chair. 3

“I can see…Not so fortuitous for you….very for me.” She smirked, her reddened lips twisted in a distorted clowns grin. Last nights lipstick was smudged upon her pale cheeks. Her eyes stung as the tips of her hair fell into them, feeling like little pieces of grit which were stuck there. She did not even bother to remove it, for want of remaining sexy rather than fussy. From behind the chair he grinned. 4

“Oh and why is that?” He spoke, his voice bringing tingles to her form. She noted the feeling of falling, constantly falling, whenever he spoke, whenever he looked at her. Her eyes scanned the hard lines of his body, the firm jaw, his supple lips, and then his dark eyes which twinkled as they reflected the lamp light. 5

“Every body knows that sexy men just get sexier when they’re wet.” 6

He just smirked at her, looking at how the light danced over her body. He was standing there shivering, but he could not take his eyes from her form. The curve of her breasts, the dip of her waist, how her hips jutted out slightly from above the panties which were riding deliciously low. He almost licked his lips but stopped himself just in time. “Let me just find something warm to get into..” He murmured, voice heavy with lust.7

She just grinned back, lifting her hand to pat the bed. The alcohol made her limps heavy, her hand fell against the bedcovers harder than intended. “I’m warm.” She whispered. Watching as he started over towards the bed with a hungry grin. 8

“So you are…”9

2 AM10

Slowly he pulled the bedcovers back, moving from beneath them and tiptoeing across the room as quietly as possible. Once outside, he stumbled into the kitchen and over to the dryer, pulling out a pair of jeans and a top and slipping them onto his form. He headed towards the door, opening it up and glaring at the storm. With a single glance back towards the bare living room, he slipped out of the doorway and into the night. 11

Turning onto her side, she slid her hand over the sheet, waiting for it to meet his body. It did not. Opening her eyes, the blue orbs glanced towards, first his empty pillow, and then the bedside clock, sitting aside their family picture. Two am. Where was he at two am? She spun her legs around and slipped them out of the bed, bare feet slipping immediately into the fluffy slippers he had bought her for that Christmas. Warm, she walked on the clouds towards the chair and picked up the cotton dressing gown, slipping it over her nightdress and tying it around her waist.12

“Dave?” A whispered call echoed around the empty hallway. Eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light, she headed towards his office. Her fingertips curled around the cool metal of the door handle. She paused for a few moments, listening for the sound of his computer keys clicking. Just because she did not hear them did not mean he wasn’t working… She lowered the handle and pushed open the door onto the empty room. 13

Everything in the office remained completely undisturbed. It barely looked as if he had been sneaking into there late every night to write. She moved back out of his space, feeling almost as if she had violated it. Closed the door again, and hoped he would not somehow smell her in there and know. “Dave….” She whispered again, nibbling upon the corner of her pink lips and heading into the kitchen now. To no avail. Her eyes scanned through to the living room, but she knew she would not find him. 14

Reaching out, her fingers met the kettle. She slid them around the handle and hefted it from its cradle, taking it over to the sink and filling. The storm raged, tree branches banging upon the window. Even with the flash of lightening illuminating the outside, showing the lack of danger, it still seemed scarily ominous. She sat the kettle back, turned it on and opened up the cupboard to take out the tea cup. 15

5 AM16

Bang! The wall almost shook with the contact from her neighbours fist. She laughed joyously as if this was the best sound in the world. To her it had come just at the right moment, not to disturb, but only to heighten the music that played. Dave half sat up in the bed, a cigarette hanging from his lips, watching her. Music was blaring loudly from her player, but she appeared to be listening to something completely different in her head. On the edge of the bed she sat, hips wiggling, body squirming to the music. She raised her hands above her head, forcing her fingers through her hair on the way, making it tumble around her shoulders and hide her face beautifully. 17

She stood, dancing upon her tiptoes, she lifted her legs, spun around in a circle, bounced her head up and down, around. He grinned, watching her ass moving before his eyes, watching her spin around in a circle looking up towards the ceiling as if she could see the heavens, seeing her arms outstretched, and imagining the rain around herself, soaking her bare form. Dave thought he actually saw her shiver from the cold, from the rain beating down upon her porcelain skin. He licked his lips, putting his head back and taking another drag from the cigarette, expelling the air in smoke patterns.18

With one last jump, the song ended. The beat changed, to something slower, something much more tribal. The drums created a steady rhythm to get lost in, the violins created a thick, luxurious atmosphere over the main beat. He closed his eyes, losing himself in this moment completely, the last thing he saw was the deep, rich red of her walls. That was when she moved. He could feel her weight upon the bed, making the mattress shift position slightly as she crawled slowly over him.19

A groan escaped Dave’s lips as he felt her breath slowly trickling over his skin. Slowly over his legs first, and then travelling further up. Almost to the best spot, when she skimmed it, and he grunted with loss. Her naked form soon met his however, the soft warmth pressed into him. He slid large, strong hands over her back, and pulled her tighter into him, holding her close. She closed her eyes and lay her cheek upon him, ear over his heart, listening to that beat mix with the music. “Don’t leave me.” She whispered, so quietly that he almost did not hear it. Dave opened his dark eyes and lifted his head, looking down at her form. So small, and fragile. He would break her easily if he was not careful.20

“I wont.”21

“Promise?” 22

He closed his eyes, and swallowed back, but whispered the fateful words. “Promise.” 23

4 AM 24

The bottle top spun, it came off the bottle, and clattered to the wooden floor, skittering a little bit across the living room. She lifted up her leg and hugged both to her chest, leaning back in the chair, almost curled up into a ball. The bottle was raised and tipped into the warm cup of coffee, and she immediately swigged it down, ignoring the burning sensation in her mouth. Quietly, the music played behind her. Slow and melodic. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling the sting of tears as they worked their way out and ran down her cheeks. She took another long gulp of the molten drink, hand shaking as she lowered the cup. 25

In the other hand she clenched the crumpled up photo machine photograph. Passport sized, it folded easily within her palms. She knew the sharp corners were digging into her palm, but could not feel it. She had numbed her sense of feeling a long time ago. Upon the white covered chair, her foot sat in a red pool stain, still damp. It began to coat her skin, to permeate her. She lifted it slowly, and began to pick out the little pieces of glass she had stepped on an hour before. 26