331"Oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god-!" Sophia hyperventilated, as she stumbled towards the elevator. Her heart was pounding uncomfortably fast, and fretful tears leaked from the corner of her eyes.
She clutched her chest, and tried to stop her mind whirling in frenzied anxiety. What had she done? Her inner voice screamed in horror and unease, as she sobbed quietly, admonishing herself for being so damned careless!
"Sophia?"
She jerked up at Gray's urgent call, and hastily wiped the tears of frustration from her cheeks.
"Soph…" His sigh of relief, for having found her, gave way to the enormous bear hug he enveloped her in from behind. "What happened, babe?" He questioned in concern, hugging her all the more tighter, when she sagged against his broad chest. "I thought everything was going well…?" He nudged her cheek with his nose gently, and squeezed her waist to prompt her reply.
"No." She whimpered, jabbing the call button for the elevator with force. "I'm so stupid! I ruined everything!" She cursed herself in a harsh whisper, thinking back to the previously enjoyable evening, and then, the moment everything had all gone wrong…
…
She and Gray had arrived at Jeff's apartment an hour after they managed to separate themselves, long enough, to get changed and drive to their destination.
"Is this dress okay?" She asked nervously, tugging the hem as an excuse to have something to do to occupy her shaking hands.
Gray peered at her from the driver's seat and smiled, genuine adoration shining in his eyes. "You look beautiful..." He stated with honesty, taking her fidgety digits in hand and entwining them with his own. "It's actually kinda distracting me a little bit…" He mused, his gaze lingering on the taut curves of her body under the figure-hugging, jersey wrap dress.
Sophia felt her lips forming into a begrudging smile at his words, having been distracted for the moment. "Well, keep your eyes on the road…" She insisted, clasping his fingers tightly and rested their hands on her lap.
"I'm trying…!" He murmured, even as his gaze drifted back from the windshield, down to the flowing lines of her body. "Woman, you are a danger to my concentration…!" He growled, as she stroked playfully on the soft skin of his inner wrist.
Sophia just flashed him a coy smile. She leaned closer and traced along the corded muscles of his forearms, under his dark, button-down shirt. "You look very handsome tonight, too." She grinned mischievously, trying to reroute his attention from her continued ministrations.
"Hn…" Gray smirked warily, keeping track of her feather soft caresses, as they traveled along his bicep, across his shoulder and down his chest.
Luckily, they were on a quiet, suburban street, when she nearly made him burst out of his skin with her electric touch. He groaned loudly when her fingernails scraped over his pectorals and deftly unhooked a button, slipping her small hand under the cotton shirt to scratch over the hot, steely ridges of his abdomen.
"Fuck!" He hissed, quickly pulling over and slammed on the brakes, squeezing her soft thigh reflexively.
Sophia squeaked at the abrupt motions, both, of the stopping of the car, and when he branded her thigh with his iron grip. She felt her stomach clench pleasantly, when he panted heavily against her neck.
"I know what you're trying to do, sweetheart…" He said huskily, nipping the underside of her jaw in reprimand. "And it's not going to work…" The deep rumble of his voice buzzed along her sensitized skin, making her sigh in appreciation.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" She breathed back, anticipating his harsh kiss.
Gray's eyes darkened at the innocence tingeing her voice; it made him smirk and lean over to spear a handful of her thick, glossy curls between his fingers, and tilt her face sharply towards his. "Oh, you don't?" He asked; his voice low and quiet as she shuddered minutely.
"No." She gasped, and Gray claimed her lips roughly, creating a fierce suction between their mouths.
A dark chuckle rumbled from his chest, as he suckled at her bruised, ruby lips. Her little mewl incensed his, already, frayed control. "You think that if you get me all riled up, I'll turn this car around and go straight home…" He accused dangerously, licking her lower lip, and swiped his tongue into her slick warmth when she moaned, hot and heavy with desire. She tasted so sweet; Gray couldn't help himself with sampling her mouth again… and again.
Sophia sighed with delight as he kissed her, hard and desperate. He was aggressive and impatient, and it was making Sophia shudder with anticipation. His hands made quick, decisive movements and Sophia suddenly found herself divested of her seatbelt and straddling his lap. His hands immediately grasped her thighs on either side of his, and pulled her flush against him, kneading her pert rear as he coaxed her into a slow grind.
Gray moaned in triumph as she eagerly returned his ministrations. She had grasped the collar of his shirt, and was now branding his throat with hot little kisses that were driving him crazy. "Mmm… I think your plan is working…" He grunted as she wiggled deliciously against him. Her enterprising fingers had already slipped a few buttons off, and she was now raking her blunt nails across his chest and kissing her way along his jaw line.
"Still don't know what you're talking about…" She panted, feigning innocence, and nudged her nose with his, leaving him straining with a devious roll of her hips.
He hissed in pleasure and smirked slyly. "Well… I guess we should really get going then, we are expected, after all…" He suggested, enjoying watching her bite her lip, and silently plead with him to take her home.
"Please, Gray?" She whispered, sliding her hands under his shirt and over the bare skin of his shoulders. "Something bad is going to happen, I can just tell!" Her brows furrowed in anxiety, but soon felt him trace her spine and tenderly kiss her cheek in reassurance.
"You're not bailing out now, Soph." He said firmly, making sure she was looking him in the eyes. "This is what you've wished for forever; a chance to know your father." He placed soothing kisses anywhere he could reach, and continued. "Not many people get that chance, and now it's here. Be brave, okay?"
Sophia leaned closer to receive his soft kisses, teetering between two frames of mind. On one hand, she was bursting to go and meet Jeff, spend some time in his company and just experience what he was like as a person, a friend and as an ordinary guy. The other hand meant she was suddenly faced with her biggest hope; one she thought would never come to fruition. She didn't know whether to be happy with how her life was now, without him, or jump into the unknown and wish for the best…
"Okay…" She finally mumbled, slumping against him and nuzzling the hollow of his throat.
Gray cursed and congratulated himself for convincing her. It seemed that he just couldn't catch a break with Sophia. He had a feeling that it was only going to get worse, before it got any better…
She was still pressed against him a minute later, as he stroked her back and said, "Not that I'm complaining, but I think it's illegal to drive like this…" He grinned as she snuggled closer in response, her warm breath fluttering across his neck.
"Just a little bit longer, please?" She hummed, and absently traced the muscular line of his hip.
Gray nodded and closed his eyes in silent agreement. Surrendering himself to her simmering touches; it was doing nothing for his legendary self-control, but he just couldn't seem to resist. Soon, he was cursing himself once again, as his breath became ragged and her hand burrowed under his shirt for a more intimate caress.
The quiet intensity was shattered horribly when a rogue pebble clanged off a trashcan and skittered underneath their car, bringing with it an obnoxiously loud child celebrating his apparent 'goal'.
"What the hell?" Gray yelped jerking at the sound and making Sophia jump in response.
There was a great rush of limbs and much rearranging of clothes, before the curious face of the thirteen year old boy peered into the dark interior of the car they both sat in, in abject mortification.
"You guys lost or somethin'?" The boy hollered through the closed window, not noticing the rigid postures of the occupants within. He leered at Sophia in that decidedly creepy way that adolescent boys did. He'd never seen her around, he'd have remembered her if he had…
"No, we're fine. Thanks." Gray hollered back, giving him a strained smile and a pointed look; telling him to move along and take his ogling eyes with him.
The boy spared them a final appraising glance, before shrugging unconcernedly and traipsing away. When he finally disappeared into one of the tidy houses on the block, they both gave a sigh of relief.
"I think we should get going…" Sophia whispered after a while, trying to arrange her dress neatly.
Gray grinned mischievously and turned the engine on. "Close one, huh?" He chuckled at her look of quiet indignation and pulled away from the curb, his heart still racing madly in his chest.
This night was only going to get crazier, he thought.
…
"GOD, HAVE MERCY… my toes!" A squeaky shout rumbled through the front door, as both Sophia and Gray waited patiently for it to open.
"What was that?" She asked sharply, grabbing his hand in nervous anxiety.
Gray squeezed her fingers and laughed, "Sounds like Max is being put through his paces." He quirked his head and shrugged, "That, or we don't know Jeff quite as well as we thought… I'm pretty sure torturing your guests is illegal, but I guess everyone has a dark side, right?"
Sophia stared at him for a moment, in shock, but then she spied his smirk and punched him soundly on the arm. "That's not funny!" She huffed, getting more incensed as he continued to giggle away at his terrible attempt to unnerve her even more.
"C'mon," He winked, admiring her cute little pout. "It was a little funny… no?" He wrapped an arm around her waist and jostled, trying to eke a smile out of her. "Sorry?" He gave her a pout of his own, and she crumbled almost instantly.
"Gah!" She growled, reaching up to pinch his slim cheek, "How can I stay mad at that face…?" She had a sudden urge to kiss him, but it dissipated once she saw the smug smile of satisfaction creep onto his lips. "On second thoughts…" She muttered, shooting him a sidelong glance that made his face fall.
"What-?" He started to ask, but was interrupted when the door finally swung open to reveal an extremely harried looking Jeff, who trying to contain equal parts mirth and exasperation.
"Hey! You guys both made it, welcome!" He greeted warmly and beckoned them closer.
"Yeah, sounds like you guys are having a real riot in there." Gray responded drily, shaking the older man's hand and passed him the pack of beers he had brought along.
"Feels like it." He shook his head, "You guys should escape while you can…" He warned, an enormous grin forming on his lips. "Max is causing absolute carnage in there. He's practically crushed poor Jessie's feet to dust, fortunately she got her own back, and spiked him with her heel!" He chuckled and backed up into the hallway, to let them through.
Gray Shrugged off his jacket, and tossed it on a pile of others hanging haphazardly off a lone coat hook. He gave her an encouraging thumbs-up and dashed into the room opposite, where loud yelps were emanating with disturbing frequency.
Sophia felt her heart palpitating as she stood there, awkwardly, with Jeff; her father.
"Uh… It's good to see you again, Sir. Thanks for inviting me; it was really nice of you…" She managed not to stutter or mumble, to her immense relief.
Jeff beamed and waved her off, "Come on, none of that call me Jeff. And Gray is like a son to me, how could I not invite you? You're practically family already!"
She felt a hot spike of anxiety lance her insides at his words, making her giggle nervously. If only he knew… She thought.
"Really…?" The tone of quiet hope tinged her whisper, but Jeff nodded emphatically, missing it.
"Of course!" He reached out and engulfed her in a warm side-hug, which she was totally unprepared for and could only stand there, frozen to the spot. "Plus, you seem to be the only one who can drag a goddamn smile outta that miserable bastard these days…" He said this part loudly, knowing that Gray was listening intently to their conversation; his boots peeking from the doorframe gave him away.
They both heard his grumble and laughed.
"I'm sure that's not true." Sophia said, trying to stifle her giggles as she thought of how he must be scowling adorably at that very moment.
"Hell yeah it is!" Jeff scoffed, "I work with him; that boy is as transparent as glass to me. He can never wipe that stupid looking grin off his face when he talks about you though…" He smirked, shifting to a more official stance and cleared his throat, "I'll admit, I do have an ulterior motive for inviting you tonight…" He intoned mysteriously, quirking an eyebrow.
Sophia's adrenaline skyrocketed at his statement, a million scenarios flitting around in her brain chaotically. Was it possible… did he know somehow? She tried to keep her expression neutral, with just a hint of curiosity.
"You d-do?" Her hands were clasped together tightly. She could see Gray shift slightly from his hiding spot, it made her feel even jitterier.
Jeff glanced about conspiratorially and leaned in, his tone solemn. "Yes." He announced, pinning her with a discerning look. "I would like to know what your intentions are with young Gray…"
Sophia felt herself sag with relief. Her grip loosened on her palms, her nails had left crescent shaped indentations but her stomach was no longer in twisted knots.
Intentions… He was teasing her, she was sure of it from the way his stormy eyes glittered with mirth.
"My intentions are all completely noble, I assure you." She replied shyly.
"God, I hope not." Gray shot back from his niche.
She blushed furiously at the implication, trying to ignore the way Jeff roared with laughter beside her. This was all so surreal; here was her own father giving her the third degree about her intentions with a guy.
"Oh man, you definitely bring out another side of him!" He chuckled and offered his arm to her. "Tonight's gonna be great!"
Sophia grudgingly let a smile creep on her lips and accepted his invitation, letting him escort her into the open plan living area beyond the hallway. They encountered Gray just past the threshold; Jeff winked at the both of them and nudged her towards him indiscreetly.
She ducked her head and shivered when Gray enveloped her to his side once again. She gripped his shirt at his hip and felt him place a kiss on her cheek.
"You okay?" He murmured in her ear, nuzzling close to her.
She basked in his comforting hold and nodded, aware that Jeff was watching them with a soft look in his eye.
"Save all that chemistry for the dance floor, you two." He teased and led the way inside.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get this show on the road!" Jeff announced, getting the attention of the small gathering of people loitering in the middle of the room who were watching Max flail around piteously.
They turned away gratefully and called out warm greetings to both Gray and Sophia, they were surrounded in a flurry of handshakes and polite air kisses.
"Hey, Sophia, how are you?" Jessie came over, only wobbling slightly in her heels.
"I'm great, it's good to see you all again." She smiled at the female firefighter and reached over to hug her. "You look beautiful in that dress, Jessie."
Jessie squirmed at the compliment, but blushed prettily nonetheless. "Thanks." She had made the decision to wear the feminine outfit after hours of agonizing; she wanted to make Max notice her as the woman she was. However, the idiot barely looked at her all night, too busy focusing on his clumsy feet. "I'm glad you're here actually." She confessed in a hushed tone. "Bob's wife keeps giving me these evil glares for some reason, never liked that woman anyway."
Sophia surreptitiously glanced over to the said female and, sure enough, her piercing blue eyes were narrowed in a scrutinizing glare that was now pointed at the both of them. "Crap, she's got me in her sights now too!" She whispered back, shuffling closer to Jessie in support.
"Freakin' weird if you ask me…" Jessie mumbled back, "Looks like she's about to gouge holes into poor Bob's arms." They peered back quickly, and saw that Bob was indeed wincing in pain as her grip tightened around his bicep.
"Maybe she's just a little insecure…" Sophia suggested, "Take it from who has experienced it firsthand, some women are just crazy paranoid like that."
Jessie grimaced and simply enquired, "Sherri, huh?" To which Sophia nodded minutely. "She's a real piece of work, that one."
"Tell me about it…"
They both shuddered in latent horror at the mention of that basket case of a woman.
"From what I gather, Bob's not the one she should be worried about…" Sophia hinted in an undertone, watching the expressions shift across Jessie's face so fast it was difficult to name all of them.
Jessie paled at the words, she hadn't actually admitted it out loud to anyone; not even herself! She knew that all the guys at work knew on some level; Gray had definitely figured it out, and Jeff hadn't been born yesterday… she could trust them not to go blabbing their mouths. She was a private person by nature, but, it would be nice to have another female to talk about it with.
Who was she kidding… she needed a girlfriend to ask for advice, and Sophia was sweet, caring and approachable. Heck, she was the only other woman apart from Bob's wife that she actually knew all that well. Jessie made her decision.
"Uh… yeah…" She peeked at Max quickly; her notorious ability to speak her mind seemed to have abandoned her.
Sophia looked at Jessie with quiet sympathy, noting the stubborn set of her mouth and the flushed tone of her skin. She was well acquainted with that feeling; Gray caused her to blush so much, that just simply thinking about him could leave her rosy-cheeked most days.
In fact, her heart leapt as he passed by at that moment, the backs of his fingers gently brushing across hers as he went to join the boys on the other side of the room. He winked at her when he noticed her glancing at him over her shoulder. His eyes held a question that seemed to be satisfied by what he saw in hers.
"How do you do that?" Jessie marveled at length, observing the interaction between her best guy-friend and his girlfriend.
Sophia was roused from her silent conversation with Gray. "Do what?"
"Get him to look at you like you're the only one he sees?" She replied wistfully. "I can't get him to spare a glance my way; I even wore this stupid dress and everything…" She grumbled miserably, tugging at the skirt of her flowing dress.
Sophia bit her lip, she certainly had no idea that Gray looked at her that way. However, she did understand the sentiment behind it, whenever he captured her gaze; she could feel everything else melt away until all she knew was him and how he made her feel.
"I think you underestimate yourself…" She said, surprising Jessie with the confidence in her tone.
"You don't have to flatter me…" She sighed.
Sophia grinned and shook her head; it seemed that both Max and Jessie were as clueless as each other. "I'm not kidding." She insisted peering around Jessie to catch Max's eyes fixated on her back, oblivious to the conversation taking place beside him. "He's staring at you so hard right now; it's actually kind of adorable." Sophia stated.
Jessie's face bloomed with color, "What?" She nearly yelped, but managed to clap a hand over her mouth in time to muffle her voice. "Are you sure?" She asked hopefully, from behind her fingers.
She nodded, smiling at Jessie's reaction. "He literally cannot take his eyes off you." Actually, his gaze had now drifted down to her ass, but she didn't need to know that.
Jessie was glowing with newfound hope, "Why doesn't he say nor do something to let me know how he feels?" Her puzzlement was evident in her question.
Sophia frowned and offered, "Uh… maybe he's just shy?"
Jessie snorted, "Are we talking about the same guy here?" She knew for a fact that Max had no compunctions about shyness, in fact, he was the most uninhibited person she knew.
"Okay… perhaps you should try flirting with him?" Sophia tried again, "Maybe he's just not getting the right signals?"
"Signals…?" Jessie said dubiously, "I don't think I even know how to flirt…"
Sophia brightened, they were onto something now. "Well there you have it; the message is just not getting across." She stroked her chin in thought, "How do you act around him?" She asked finally.
"How do I act? Normal, I guess…" Jessie replied, obviously confused, "Why? Am I doing something wrong?"
Sophia smiled, she had witnessed their special form of interaction once before, and suffice it to say it was confusing, unpredictable and violent. No wonder Max was having a hard time deciphering Jessie's intentions; her demeanor towards him was not of someone who was harboring a secret crush.
"Uh… not wrong, per se, just… confusing maybe…" Sophia put an arm around the other woman's shoulders in support and said, "You could try making some playful banter, change your body language…eye contact, that sort of thing."
Jessie considered this advice for a long moment, "You really think that could work?" She finally asked, sounding nervous and hopeful at the same time.
"Try it and find out…" Sophia insisted gently. "Come on… what have you got to lose?"
She squirmed on the spot, but finally relented with a quiet huff. "Fine… I guess you're right, but this isn't going to be pretty." She warned, "The last time I tried to flirt with somebody, I accidentally made him cry…"
Sophia didn't know what to say to that, however, her expression must have said it all.
Jessie scoffed at herself, "Granted, the guy was already kinda depressed about getting divorced, but I really do suck at the small talk thing…"
"Well… let's just take this slow, okay?" Sophia sounded uncertain herself, but she continued to be reassuring to her new friend. "Just be yourself… but flirtier."
Jessie groaned at that piece of advice and uttered under her breath, "This'll be a hot mess, if ever there was one."
"What's gonna be a hot mess?"
They both jumped simultaneously as Jeff suddenly appeared beside them toting a tray of drinks. He looked to be enjoying himself immensely as he made the rounds as their gracious host. He offered them both a beer; Jessie took hers with relief and gulped down several large mouthfuls at once.
"I see…" He observed with a chuckle, quirking a brow at her fidgety behavior as she glanced sideways at Max. "Well, good luck with that…" He offered in support, throwing a significant look towards Sophia, which clearly said, you too.
Jessie simply whimpered with doubt and took another swig of her beer. "Thanks." She said, raising her bottle and lamented, "Here's to hoping I don't make a complete ass of myself!"
"Come on! Will you give yourself some credit?" Sophia cajoled, bumping her shoulder against the other woman. "You've got this," She implored Jeff's opinion with a slight tilt of her chin, "Tell her?"
Jeff shook his head as he witnessed one of his usually most composed colleagues jittering with nerves, it was such an odd sight that it made him chuckle unexpectedly.
Jessie's face went through a series of expressions at his response, before finally settling on a fierce scowl of indignation. "Are you laughing at me, Boss?" She growled dangerously, her stance changed to a pose that denoted her ire quite clearly.
"Why, yes I am, Jessica." He knew that the use of her full name would only anger her further; it was the perfect way to distract her from her apparent nerves.
Sure enough, she huffed and shot him a glare that communicated his betrayal of her. "Oh, that's real nice, thanks!"
He grinned and stepped closer to her, "C'mon Jess, this isn't like you." He accused and then drew her attention towards Max, who kept glancing over at her, while trying to give himself a little Dutch courage by downing his third drink in as many minutes. "I mean, look at that chump, he's so goddamn clueless it's actually painful." He lamented with pity. "All you got to do is knock some sense into him. I know for a fact that that's one of your specialties." He spied a smile emerging onto her lips, knowing he was on the right track he continued. "Go show him what he's missing."
Jessie relaxed her shoulders with burgeoning confidence, her entire demeanor blooming in a matter of seconds. Her hip jutted out sensually, a complimentary smirk adorning her rouged lips. "You're right." She conceded gratefully to her boss, who looked very pleased with himself. "He's not gonna know what hit him…" She murmured to herself as she sauntered away, catching Max's eye devilishly and making him choke on a mouthful of beer as she approached.
"Wow… how did you do that?" Sophia asked, in awe of his ability to instill confidence in the previously nervous wreck that was Jessie.
Jeff simply shrugged modestly and said, "I guess you just have to have the knack of giving rousing pep talks, when you're asking men and women to risk their lives by running into burning buildings every day." His expression changed, as though he had just realized something. "Huh… I'd never really thought about it, but these guys trust me with their very lives every single day… My very words are their reality." He trailed off quietly.
Sophia hesitated, but placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder after a few seconds. "You haven't let them down so far…" She offered him a small smile which he reciprocated.
"You're right!" He nodded, as if shaking off some rather heavy thoughts. "And hopefully, knock on wood, I never will." He rapped his knuckles on the side of his head in superstition.
Sophia grinned at that funny little quirk and did the same, making him chuckle. "My mom always does that." She blurted unthinkingly, and felt her heart lurch for a terrible second.
"Really? That's awesome." Jeff enthused, oblivious to the sudden stillness of his conversation partner as he went on. "My granny, bless her soul, would always stamp her walking stick; never liked to tempt fate. It must've worked because she outlived three husbands and a several wars!" He chuckled fondly at her memory; he could practically hear her croaky dry wit in his mind. Superstition is a fool's business, but it doesn't hurt to have all your bases covered, eh, Jeffrey my boy? She would wink conspiratorially at him and smile her wizened smile, making him feel as though she was bestowing some secret knowledge upon him.
Sophia had a strange feeling of familiarity from his reminiscence; it made her smile along with him. "She sounded like a great woman."
"She was." He agreed, grinning widely as he divulged another little anecdote. "She was the only one that stood in my corner, especially when my parents wouldn't".
Sophia felt her curiosity peak, however, she stowed it away and replied sincerely, "Wow, you're lucky to have had someone who had your back like that."
"Yeah, she was special…" He shared.
"I'm sure that all the guys here would say the same thing about you." was her confident response, making him duck his head modestly and wave away her kind words.
"Well, I think I need a drink, after all that." He beamed; taking the last open bottle from the tray he had set down and drank deeply from it. "You're dragging all kinds of nonsense from me tonight." It was a lighthearted accusation.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," She gasped guiltily, "I didn't mean to pry…"
"It's fine." Jeff shrugged to dismiss her worry, "You're extremely easy to talk to, you know." He went on, regarding her with an appraising look. "Feels like I've known you since forever, is that odd?"
Sophia flushed and felt a sense of elation blooming in her stomach, chasing away the nervous butterflies that hadn't left her until now. "Nope," She confessed wryly, "I'm extremely likable, it's a gift."
Jeff laughed and automatically reached out to ruffle her cascade of loose curls. "You're alright, kid, you can stay."
"Yes!" She pumped her fist and pretended to mop her brow, "So, I passed the test?"
"I think so." He nodded approvingly and gestured towards the other members of their informal dance class. "Let's get this show on the road, huh?"
…
Sophia's excellent mood did not last long at all.
"Mmmp!" She bit her lip to keep herself from yelping aloud in pain as Max trod on another of her defenseless toes.
"Sorry!" He lamented as he led her around the room. "You're probably cursing me to hell and back, right?" Max grinned self-deprecatingly as he counted out the steps of the dance under his breath.
Sophia, despite her agonized appendages, found herself grinning along. "No pain, no gain, right?"
"Man, you're the nicest girl I've ever met." He replied in awe, surreptitiously glancing over at Jessie who was strong-arming Gray around the dance floor. "It's okay if you wanna kick me in the shins, or jab a heel into my ankle to get even." He offered, making it sound as though it was a fair deal for her troubles.
Sophia craned her neck to peer at him, their heights also created another logistical issue when dancing. "Don't tempt me…" She warned teasingly, and suddenly steered him to the right, narrowly avoiding a head on collision with Bob and his scowling partner.
"Whoa!" Max stumbled to the side and lost his footing, careening into the path of an unsuspecting Jeff, who was observing his students with mild concern. "Watch out, Boss!"
Sophia, unfortunately, found herself dragged along after him. Her desperate attempt at halting his progress, resulted in her fingers getting crushed within his iron grasp, and losing her balance, toppling into him instead. "Sorry!" She wailed miserably as they both flailed around.
Thanks to Jeff's quick reflexes, he managed to slide out of the way in time to avoid being bowled over by his two most hapless students. He snapped out an arm to stop Max's descent, and took Sophia's hand and spun her away to his side, leaving her dizzy with relief.
"I think it'll be in all of our best interests to separate you two…" He proclaimed in amusement. "You alright?" He asked Max, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah… thanks." He ran his fingers sheepishly through his, now, disheveled hair. "I don't think this dancing stuff is for me, Boss." He admitted at length.
"What?" Jeff seemed surprised that he was giving up so easily. "You just need a bit more practice, that's all." He waved him towards the couch and ordered him to take a breather. "Take five, watch the footwork and try to get the counts right in your head."
Max gave a reluctant nod and collapsed onto the brown leather couch gratefully, releasing a gusty sigh as Jessie whizzed by with Gray in tow. He felt like crap. He had wanted nothing more than to hold her close and feel her soft body against his, as he led them in a romantic waltz, but he seemed to have the coordination of a toddler just learning to walk.
He knew that Jessie could be hard to decipher at the best of times, but she seemed to be interested in him tonight. He could be mistaken of course, but she didn't wear a dress like that every day. He had teased her about it briefly, jokingly asking if she had dolled herself up just for him. The sultry look she had given him, as they caught one another's eyes during their previous dance, made his heat rise.
'Maybe…' she had replied, shrugging a bronzed shoulder.
He had promptly lost all brain function; too busy gazing at the cute flush creep up her chest, neck and cheeks. His heart had stalled in his chest and he tripped over his clumsy feet all over again.
They had switched partners before he could delve more deeply into her coquettish statement, and he had been floundering ever since. Perhaps her words had severed a connection in his brain somewhere; after all, whenever he thought about her, or caught a glimpse of the challenge glinting in her eyes, he seemed to lose all control of higher mental functions.
This could be problematic for his plan to ask her to accompany him as his date to the Fireman's Ball. If he couldn't dance and focus on her at the same time, he really must be a simpleton after all, Jessie had told him so enough times already.
He sighed heavily once more, and resigned himself to learning the steps to memory.
…
"Either you're really invested in this matchmaking thing you and Jessie have on the go, or you have two incredibly clumsy left feet…" Jeff remarked idly as he took Sophia's hand and corrected her posture.
Sophia had the decency to cringe with embarrassment at his statement. "You saw that…?" She laughed nervously. "I swear I'm not usually such a menace to society."
Jeff's thick, dark brows drew together in amusement as he let out a deep chuckle of mirth, the dimples in his cheeks made his face look remarkably young in that moment. "I think Max has you beat on that particular title." He suddenly started moving, their movements fell awkwardly in pace with the music playing. "Let's see what you're actually made of, shall we…?"
Sophia grinned back, her stomach churning with apprehension; this had a detrimental effect on her dancing. "Sorry." She winced as she stumbled on a step.
"Don't worry! I have reinforced toe-caps in these boots." He replied smugly, teasing her "Knew they'd come in useful tonight."
Sophia groaned with embarrassment but tried to disguise it with her quick wit, which, thankfully, had not abandoned her yet. "I could've used a pair of those five minutes ago…" She retorted, enjoying the fact that she could make him laugh. "I just cannot get these steps!" She hissed as she, once again, stumbled back.
"Don't think so much." He advised easily, "Just relax and follow my lead."
Sophia grumbled, "Easy for you to say…" She took a moment and looked quizzically up at him. Hoping that she didn't sound too presumptuous, she asked, "How did you learn to dance anyway?"
Jeff took her question in his stride and replied jauntily, "A Russian ballroom dancer called Anya was called in to whip me into shape, once upon a time."
She was left speechless for a long moment. "There's a really interesting back-story in there somewhere… I just know it!" She teased.
Jeff shrugged casually, "I've been forced to attend a few dozen debutante balls in my time."
Sophia tried to contain her surprise; she had known he was rich, her mother had told her as much, but she didn't know that his life had been so very different from her own at that age. The humble but confident man she saw in front of her was a direct contrast to the man her mother had described to her. The man who had betrayed her in the worst possible way…
No. That wasn't fair; she didn't know the other side of the story. Sophia had to remind herself to reserve judgment. Until she could find the courage to reveal who she was, she was going to live in the moment.
"Sounds fancy," She said at last, eyeing him with contemplation. "Didn't peg you down for a tux-and-ballroom kinda guy…"
Jeff gave her a wry smile, "Nah, that was in a different lifetime; I'm more of a denim-and-flannel type, these days."
Sophia wondered about that; how had he become this person? He certainly didn't look, or act, like the man she had feared he would be. After hearing the tale of woe her mom had bestowed upon her, she felt anger and contempt for a man who would choose money over the woman he supposedly loved. However, everything she was seeing of him tonight showed to be vastly different to whom she had imagined. She guessed that the large part of her fear to come here tonight was due to the thought that she would be proved correct. Even as the minutes passed, she felt the unease and dread slip away from her mind.
She wanted desperately to ask him about his life, but had to restrain her burning curiosity for the time being.
This was serious stuff and she couldn't get her mind to focus properly damn it! She couldn't afford to slack now, it was a crucial moment in her life; she was dancing with her father! The thought alone made her giddy with excitement. This was one of the things she had never dreamt of coming to fruition in her lifetime.
It was true; she could never be called famous for her co-ordination, Gray could wholeheartedly attest to that fact, but she tried to gather herself before she proved herself to be a complete fool. After a few wobbles, some helpful pointers from him, and Sophia getting over the shock of her actually dancing with Jeff, they found themselves gently gliding along with the rest of the dancers in the room.
"Well, your diagnosis isn't looking so bad now…" Jeff mused aloud as he lifted his right hand to twirl her in a tidy pirouette, her giggles lifting his heart in some strange way. "I can say with confidence that you do not, in fact, have two left feet!" He dipped her over his arm with a flourish; she let out a happy shriek and Jeff found himself grinning along with her.
"I thank you, Sir, for being a most wonderful teacher." Sophia said lightly and grasped her skirt, bobbing down into a prim curtsey.
"There's no need to thank me, child. I was merely performing a public service." He simpered, drawing himself to a taller stance and smirked obnoxiously.
Sophia pretended to look highly offended at his statement, but couldn't help but grin at the way he looked so pleased with himself. "Alright, I wasn't that bad." She jerked her head over to a despondent Max and said, "There are those more in need of your help, I'd say."
Jeff grimaced and whispered conspiratorially, "I've never seen a sorrier sight… maybe I should help the poor guy out." He mused for a moment and then called out loudly for Jessie to switch partners again and assist Max with his footwork. He tried to stop the mischievous chortle from escaping him when he spied both their expressions of stricken anxiety.
"Uhh… do you really think that's a good idea?" Sophia wondered, also not missing the wide-eyed panic that Max was trying so frantically to hide. She glanced up at Jeff and was chagrined to see the deviant smirk twitching at his lips. "I thought we were trying to help Jessie out?"
"We are." He replied simply.
"Really? Because this looks like a recipe for disaster to me…" The look of determination on Jessie's face was offset by the look of pure dread on Max's as they took their stance and began another turn of the room.
"Oh, ye of little faith…" He uttered, gesturing to the couple with his elbow. "Behold."
"Okay." She nodded with wonder as the scene unfolded, "I see where you're going with this…"
Max looked like a lost puppy, trailing along helplessly after Jessie, who was resolute in her mission to flirt with him. He, being so focused on not crippling her toes, missed every little smile and coy look she gave him.
Sophia could see that both parties were becoming increasingly frustrated with their respective tasks. She waited with Jeff to see what would happen next, and sure enough, they were rewarded with a string of curses and a yelp of pain when Jessie slapped him upside the head. Everyone in the room winced along with Max.
"Will you quit looking at the ground?!" She cupped a hand around his cheek and tilted his head sharply until he was gazing sheepishly at her. "Stop worrying about everything and just dance with me." She ordered with equal measures of exasperation and affection.
Max stood to attention and blurted, "Yes Ma'am!" His cheeks blazed with an unfamiliar tint when he realized that she had taken his hand and was positioning it around her waist.
This new, less scary, side to Jessie was bewildering and exciting for him. She had never willingly allowed him to be this close to her – ever. Usually when he'd sidle up to her, she would get flustered over something stupid he had just said and would either hit him, yell at him or stomp away in an angry huff.
This Jessie - he could work with…
He found himself drawn to her smile; it wasn't often that he found himself on the receiving end of those ever rare sights. He was not going to fuck this up…much.
…
"Huh… that went better than expected." Jeff remarked offhandedly.
"She literally knocked some sense into him…" Sophia beamed; a look of pride adorned her face. "They look so cute together!"
Jeff chuckled, retorting, "Let's just see how long they can play nice. I think the longest they've gone without bickering is about a half-hour."
"Oh, ye of little faith…" She quoted back to him with a grin, shaking her head in gentle admonishment. "They seem to really like each other; I think they'll make it work."
"Hey, don't mind the ramblings of a jaded old codger like me." He informed, sighing dramatically and leading her towards where Gray was stood observing their interactions with a smile on his face. "Now, I think I'll let you two enjoy yourselves." He winked at her and deftly switched places with Gray. "Thanks for the dance, kid, you're quite something else…"
Sophia could feel herself positively glow with happiness. "Sorry if I was a nuisance asking too any questions." She shrugged sheepishly.
"No, are you kidding?" He waved her off with a broad smile. "It was nice talking to someone who actually talks back for a change." He gave a pointed glance towards Gray as he said this.
"I take great offense to that statement." Gray retorted in a jocular tone.
Jeff simply shrugged and pointed out that just because he sat there most of the time stoic and sarcastic, it did not mean he made a great conversation partner. "Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a snarky brick wall." He commented wryly, slapping a hand on the younger man's shoulder in a consoling manner. "At least, now you have Sophia to make up for your glaring deficiencies." He guffawed at the glare shot in his direction from his lieutenant.
"Well, I'll catch you two later; gotta get back to my teaching duties…" He flashed a concerned peek over at his other struggling students and braced himself before rejoining the fray.
Gray seemed to be stumped for a long moment, before finally sulking, "At least I'm a good listener… right?"
Sophia felt her heart melt at his fretful expression, his lips forming a little pout. She let out a soothing sound and draped her arms about his neck, rising on her toes to nudge his nose with hers. "He's just messing with you." She slid closer to his chest and murmured, "You're a great listener. I especially love it when you get that brooding look on your face, makes me feel like I'm all you're focused on…"
Gray seemed mollified for that instant, enjoying her soft curves pressing against him. He cupped her hips low with his hands, and pulled her into a gentle swaying rhythm. "Really…?" He sounded intrigued by her admission. Smirking, he leaned their foreheads together and prompted her to go on, not without informing her first that he, absolutely, did not brood whatsoever.
"You do too!" She informed him in a matter of fact tone, a grin threatening to appear on her lips as she contemplated on whether to share the next piece of information with him.
"What?" He cajoled, admiring the way her cute little nose crinkled as she deliberated on her curiously amusing thoughts. "C'mon, you've got that look on your face. You can't not tell me now…"
He dug his fingers under her ribs, making her nearly jump out of her skin as she struggled not to dissolve into fits of laughter. "What look?" She gasped out, giggling and squirming to get of reach of his determined digits. "Gray, stop it!" She yelped with mirth as he hugged her closer, despite her best efforts to thwart his roving hands. "You know I hate it when anyone tries to tickle me!"
Her warnings were falling on deaf ears. He was simply having too much fun torturing her; the way her knees turned to jelly and how she tried to muffle her laughter into his shoulder, all the while poking, prodding and pinching any available space on his side to get him to quit made him fall in love with her even more.
The last train of thought brought him up short. Feeling a little breathless himself, he blinked, a little buzzed on the adrenaline flowing through his body. He felt an icy-hot sensation descend upon him – an expression of shock and contented revelation warred within, until the latter succeeded. It was the weirdest, and best, thing he had ever experienced.
Finally, he gathered his thoughts together to bury his face into the crook of her neck, nuzzling close and pressing a string of hot kisses there. The delicate fragrance of her skin and silky brush of her hair kept him grounded, until her little sigh jolted him from his moment.
His heart was hammering against his ribs and the heavy rush of her breath on his ear caused a shudder to rip through him. Voice husky and smirk teasing the corners of his mouth, he whispered, "That look you get when you're thinking of something naughty or mischievous…" He let out a short laugh at the way she bit her lip guiltily.
"I wasn't thinking anything of the sort…" She tried to deny, although the rosy tint of her cheeks gave her away.
"Oh yeah?" He challenged, his tone smug, "You forget that I've known that look since you were that tricky little pigtailed ankle-biter." He enjoyed the expression of wonder on her face. "I can read you like my favorite book…"
Sophia huffed, a mixture of awe and warmth bloomed within her. "That's not fair!" She grumbled, "I've never been able to tell what you were thinking; even as a kid!" Involuntarily, an affectionate smile lit her face. "I used to spend hours trying to decipher what one of your infamous broody glares meant… always so mysterious…" She accused playfully.
Gray chuckled at the memories her words brought up. "There was nothing mysterious about it." He grinned, drawing their foreheads together once more to gaze into her eyes clearly. "I'd scowl and glare to disguise the look of jealousy that I'd always felt towards my idiot brother monopolizing all your attention." He tried to sound candid, but he couldn't quite bite back the bitterness he had felt for a long time since he was a young boy. "We were inseparable once, do you remember?"
From the silent, stricken expression of shock plastered across her face, he deduced that she didn't. He couldn't lie, a pang of hurt wormed into the back of his mind, but it would explain why they had become so estranged after that one long summer.
"When Danny was born, Mom and Dad were so busy taking care of him that I learned not to expect to be the center of their attention anymore; you know what Danny's like, people gravitate towards him, even from when he was a baby." He hadn't planned on telling her any of this, but once he started, he found himself unable to stop. "I got up to my own devices and kept my own company most of the time. I wasn't particularly impressed by the new messy and noisy addition, not that Danny ever let that deter him from being an epic pain in my ass. He could cry those crocodile tears at a drop of a hat, the little bastard had everyone wrapped around his pudgy fingers!" He groaned in remembrance, a sliver of affection for his brother escaped him nonetheless.
"Then one day you showed up." He stated, wrapping his arms about her waist and bringing her closer. "A little chubby toddler with her curly hair bunched in a fierce top-knot and attached to a chewed up red pacifier." His eyes twinkled with adoration and amusement at the image conjured. "You made quite the first impression…" He teased.
He recalled that day, Penny had come over to introduce herself and baby Sophia to his family. They were playing out in the yard whilst his mother sipped lemonade and watched her husband tend to his vegetable patch…
…
"Hi!" The sunny greeting was called out by a pretty young woman who had a plate of cookies in one hand and a beautiful baby girl perched on her hip. "I'm Penny and this is my daughter Sophia, we just moved in across the way and we thought that we'd come and say hello!"
Susie had stood up to meet her new neighbor and found herself immediately taken by the duo. "Oh, Hello!" She chirped, smiling widely and gestured for Penny to sit with her. She graciously took the cookies and shook her hand. "I'm Susie Blake and this is my husband Sam."
"It's nice to meet you both!" Penny replied earnestly as she shook Sam's proffered hand also.
"Nice to meet you too!" Susie reached out to shake Sophia's little hand when she copied what she had seen her mother do. "Awww, she's so precious!" She clutched a hand to her chest as she cooed. "Isn't she the cutest thing, Sam?"
Sam chuckled in the affirmative when the precocious toddler offered her hand to him too. "I'll call the boys over." He said as he excused himself to fetch his sons.
"Welcome to the neighborhood! You're going to love it here." Susie gushed, happy to make a new friend. "Would you like some lemonade?" She was already pouring a glass before Penny had a chance to respond.
"Thank you." Penny took a sip and complimented Susie on the delicious drink.
"No problem." She replied and tried a cookie from the platter. "Wow!" She groaned, her eyes going wide with appreciation. "These are amazing, how did you get them so moist?"
As Penny regaled Susie with the exact method and ingredients, she found herself enjoying the company of the other woman, who chattered on excitedly. She hadn't felt so welcomed in a new place in a very long time.
"Oh, boys! There you are." Susie waved her sons over. Danny rushed forwards on his short legs, Gray following behind at a more sedate pace. "Say hello to our new neighbors; Aunt Penny and little Sophia." She turned quickly to face the young woman and asked hopefully, "You wouldn't mind if they called you Auntie, right?"
Penny looked taken aback, but touched nonetheless. "No, I'd like that actually."
"Hewwo!" Danny shrieked and waved, making the grown-ups to titter and Sophia to start suddenly at the loud noise. "I'm Danny!" He sounded proud of himself as he said this. He trundled over to peer at Sophia, who shrank back into her mother's lap in alarm.
"Hello Danny." Penny laughed and ruffled his hair, then turned to Gray who was hovering reluctantly beside his mother. "And what's your name, buddy?"
Usually, Gray took a while to warm up to strangers, but this lady had a kind way about her. He stepped forward and introduced himself shyly, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm Gray; it's nice to meet you Auntie Penny."
"Oh, he's such a little gentleman!" She pinched his cheek gently. "Susie, you have the cutest kids!"
"Thank you." She sounded pleased, and they continued to coo over the children.
His ears burned and he ducked his head to avoid their gazes, but found that Sophia was leaning to the side, almost upside down. Her large eyes were watching him intently, apparently finding the quieter of the two brothers more intriguing. He felt a little unnerved and tried to look away, but her gaze followed him. When he finally lifted his head, she did too. She reminded him of a baby owl he had seen on the discovery channel once. He grinned despite himself, for a baby she wasn't bad.
Sophia's gaze was fixated on the dark haired boy, when he smiled, her chubby cheeks also pulled into an adorable beam. The pacifier dropped out of her mouth and dangled on the ribbon fastened on her shirt. Her happy giggle alerted the congregation to the scene occurring before them.
Everyone watched, enraptured as she scrambled to kneel on her mother's lap and reached to snag a cookie from the plate. She thrust her arm out towards Gray, offering him the baked good excitedly.
His mother practically collapsed from the adorable sight. Gray observed the curious little girl, she didn't behave like any other kid he'd come across. Her babbling talk cut through his musings, obviously prompting him to take the cookie, in her own way. His grin widened even more when she began swaying it insistently in his direction. She was too cute, how could he say no?
Before he could take it, Danny jumped up and snatched from her hand; obviously put out by the fact that she didn't offer it to him first. Sophia looked devastated by the boy's actions and promptly burst into tears.
"Danny!" Susie scolded her youngest firmly, "That wasn't very nice; give it back, right this instant!" But Danny had already crammed it defiantly into his mouth.
As his mother apologized profusely for Danny's behavior, Sophia refused to be consoled. Penny tried to sooth her cries by rubbing her back and shushing her, even tempting her with her pacifier, but to no avail. The tears welled in her striking eyes and rolled down her rosy cheeks, she rubbed at them with the back of a chubby fist.
"Maybe I should take her home…" Penny pondered feeling distressed by her daughter's obvious upset.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Penny." Susie lamented, "He's not usually like this." She gave Danny a stern look, to which he shuffled guiltily on the spot.
"Don't worry about it; kids will be kids, right?" She replied good-humoredly.
Whilst this exchange was going on, Gray found himself strangely disturbed by Sophia's cries. Perhaps it was because he knew what it was like to be betrayed on a regular basis by his devious brother.
On impulse, he took a cookie and held it out to her desperately, pleading with her to stop her wailing. "Here you go, Sophia, it's alright now, see?"
After a few tense moments, Sophia finally stopped crying. Hiccupping and taking shuddering breaths, she rubbed her tearstained cheeks and shyly took the cookie from him. Her hesitant smile reassured everyone. She looked up at her mother, who was observing Gray curiously.
"She really likes you, young man." She informed him, chuckling when he shrugged and toed the grass awkwardly. "I think she wants to play with you." Sure enough, Sophia was sliding down off of her mother's lap and toddling towards him.
"Would you look at that?" Susie sighed and nudged Gray closer, "Go on, sweetie, have fun."
At his mother's insistence, and the fact that Sophia had somehow maneuvered herself beside him and was now clutching the pocket of his shorts tightly to keep her balance, he complied. It was a mission to get across the yard to the pile of toys littered about the place. Sophia hadn't quite mastered the art of walking yet, her curly top-knot quivering with every step she took. When they reached the mountain of plastic blocks, she sat down, chattering happily and gave him half of her cookie.
"Thanks kid." He ruffled her bangs and helped her build a vast array of block towers.
They spent the next hour playing, she narrating in gibberish and pointing to things. He followed after her, to make sure she didn't fall or anything, and explaining the things she was pointing at. She would listen with rapt attention, obviously not understanding a word, but putting in her two cents anyway.
Soon enough, Danny was let out by his mother and he made his presence known. Resenting the fact that Sophia had gotten him in trouble, even though it was trouble of his own doing, he followed after her, snatching back his toys.
"Mine!" He grumbled as he gathered the piece of Lego she was holding to the growing pile of toys beside him.
Gray had muttered under his breath when Sophia flashed him a beseeching look. "Geez, Danny, why are you being so mean today?" He gave his little brother an annoyed glare and took back some of the toys.
Danny screamed in indignation and tried to rip the ball Sophia had in her arms away. Gray quickly intercepted before another scene ensued, but not before Danny yanked her pacifier off the ribbon clipped to her dress and ran away, laughing maniacally.
"No, please don't cry again…" He muttered under his breath as he watched her lip tremble with the oncoming tantrum. He groaned at his bad luck with being saddled with two temperamental toddlers, and chased after his brother.
Eventually, after a harried search and a fraught interrogation, in which a noogie, or two, was given, Danny finally revealed that he had buried her pacifier in the dirt next to his Dad's tomatoes. It was safe to say, that when Sophia was reunited with her beloved pacifier, it further compounded her liking for Gray, and increased her suspicion of Danny.
Soon after, Sophia became inseparable from Gray, who would act as a long-suffering mediator between the two warring toddlers. However, she quickly became his favorite person, and he hers. The fact that she'd pelted his younger brother in the head with a block for his meanness may have had something to do with it…
…
"...But then, one year I went to camp for the summer and when I came back, you and Danny were suddenly best friends and you'd try your utmost to avoid me…" His tone betrayed the confusion and hurt he had been feeling since then.
Sophia was completely shell-shocked, she had been wondering for years what she had done to make him hate her back then. Now she knew…
Danny – that ass - had convinced her four-year-old counterpart that Gray had found her presence so annoying that he'd ran away from home to get away from her. In her childish innocence and naiveté, she had believed him and had kept her distance from Gray since. It was probably a stupid prank on Danny's behalf that went too far, but she vowed mentally to rip him a new one when she caught up with him again.
She felt terrible now; she couldn't imagine the sense of abandonment he must have felt. This massive misunderstanding had ruined their relationship in the past; she was immensely grateful that he was back in her life once more. She wouldn't let anything get between them again.
Tears of regret and apology welled in her eyes, "I was made to believe that you didn't want me around anymore, so I stayed away." She revealed sadly.
Gray's face fell, "Did I do anything to make you think that?" He knew that he wasn't the most forthcoming in regards to his thoughts and feeling, especially in the past.
Sophia shook her head vehemently, cupping his cheeks in her palms. "No, of course not!" She hissed in firm assurance. "It was my fault. I was such an idiot." Her humorless laugh masked the self-recrimination she was feeling.
"Well, forget that. We're together now…" Gray pointed out, trying to lift her crestfallen expression, his tone low and clear, "And this time, I'm not going to let you go."
He barely glimpsed her radiant smile, before she surged up and pressed several tiny kisses on his lips and over his jaw. His breaths rumbled in his chest as he stumbled to keep his balance, her whole weight resting on the toes of his boots as she reached to drape her arms around him in an intimate hug.
"Gray, I-" She sounded breathless against his collar. He didn't know if the thrumming was from her heart or his, but he desperately wanted her to finish that sentence.
His hold tightened around her, fingers flexing at her hips to prompt her words. "What were you going to say, Soph?" He whispered in her ear, making her sigh happily.
Before she could muster the courage to gather the three loaded words to her lips again, they were interrupted. Her breath left her lungs in a great whoosh.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's really get our dance on, shall we?" Jeff's booming voice roused the occupants of the room; they all whooped and cheered in appreciation when he turned up the music and showed them how it was done.
Gray caught Sophia's eye as they pulled apart, a knowing glint conveyed to her that he knew exactly what she was trying to say…
She slipped her fingers between his and tried to ignore the way his smirk made her feel. Her heart almost stuttered for a long minute when he leaned in and uttered, "Me too…"
A hard searing kiss was crushed against her lips and she was tugged along to join in the impromptu mosh-pit surrounding Jeff.
…
"Pizzas are here!" Jeff announced, buzzing the delivery guy up to his apartment.
A chorus of appreciative groans piped up from the exhausted bodies of his crew and their partners. They were all in various positions, slumped across couches and leaning against the walls, catching their breaths.
"God yes!" Max breathed, "Who knew dancing could make you work up such an appetite?" He sounded genuinely baffled.
"Help yourselves to more beer, guys!" Jeff said with a smile, opening the door to the bored looking teenager beyond.
"Excellent suggestion, Boss…" Max nodded, walking to the fridge, "Don't mind if I do…" He liberated several bottles and passed them around to his friends crowding around the counter.
Gray and Jessie had also followed his example and were busy gathering plates and napkins. Everyone joked loudly that Max hadn't done much dancing anyway.
"Whatever guys, I'm still eating my weight in pizza." He shrugged drily.
Sophia was rounding the couch, reluctant to leave the comfortable embrace of the overstuffed cushions, when she heard Jeff call out.
"Hey, can I get a hand over here?" His voice sounded muffled.
She looked around; everyone else was otherwise occupied and seemed not to have heard his request. Crossing the room and heading to the hallway, she found Jeff clutching a towering stack of pizza boxes to his chest with one arm, and searching his jeans pockets with the other hand.
"What's up? How can I help?" She called out lightly, approaching him.
Jeff spun around, the box on top of the stack sliding around precariously. "Hey." He grinned sheepishly and jerked his head towards the coat rack. "Could you dig my wallet out and pay the kid?" He saw her hesitate and winked conspiratorially, "You seem like the trustworthy type."
She smiled at his airy tone and rooted around the bundle of coats to find his. At his direction, she prized his beat-up wallet from the pocket triumphantly.
"Uh…" She blinked, a little alarmed and dismayed when the she surveyed the threadbare nature of the hunk of leather. The coin compartment dangled on by a hope and a prayer as it lay open in her hands.
Jeff chuckled at her worried expression, "Don't worry about it, the thing's probably older than you are…"
Her shoulders dropped in relief.
"I'll be back in a sec." He said over his shoulder as he trudged away towards the kitchen.
"Okay!" She shook her head in amusement, finally acknowledging the long-suffering teen at the door with a cheery smile. "How much do we owe you?"
"That'll be fifty bucks, ma'am." He drawled, adjusting his hat.
"No problem." She chirped and rifled through the bills and pulled out the money. "Sorry for the wait." She apologized, as she straightened the notes something fluttered to the floor. "Keep the change." She distractedly paid the youth, bending down to retrieve the thing she dropped.
"Awesome, thanks." He pocketed the cash, saluted and left.
"You're welcome…" She breathed, nudging the door shut with her hip as she turned the strip of paper over in her hand, and gasped loudly when she saw what it was. "Oh my God!"
It was the strip of photos of her parents Gray had shown her weeks before.
She marveled at the faces of her mother and father printed on the, slightly yellowed and worn, glossy paper. A tremulous smile adorned the corner of her lips; unexpected emotion buffeted her as she greedily took in their joyous expressions.
So engrossed was she, that she didn't hear Jeff's approach until he was right next to her.
"Better get a move on if you want any pizza." He announced airily, peering over her shoulder.
Sophia started so violently, that she nearly jumped a foot in the air. "OH MY GOD!" She yelped, seemingly capable of only those three words.
"What?" He yelped back in alarm. "What happened?" He looked alert and ready to take on any foes.
"Uh…" She stammered, mind blank, "Nothing… just didn't hear you walking over…" Her nervous reply was punctuated with shifty looks.
"Okay…" He said slowly, unconvinced. He gave her a once over and discovered the sliver of paper still clutched tightly in her hand. "Caught red handed, huh?" He asked knowingly, indicating at the pictures.
"…" Her mouth moved wordlessly, panicking to think of a good excuse. Finally, her brain not cooperating, she apologized profusely. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to snoop at your things, it just fell out when I was paying the delivery guy and I picked it up – I only looked at it for a second. I was going to put it back, honest!"
Jeff stared at her for a long moment, before breaking out in deep chuckles. "Relax, kid." His shoulders heaved with mirth. "A little curiosity never killed anyone… but you should've seen your face!"
"What…?" She was genuinely flustered, slightly indignant and bewildered at his reaction, "You're not mad?"
"Nope." Her expression made him break out into fresh peals of laughter. "In fact, if you really wanna know, I'll tell you the story behind those." He pointed at the wallet and photos.
Sophia considered him for a minute, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. Finally, deciding he wasn't pulling her leg, she nodded eagerly. "I bet it's a good story, right?"
"The best." He deadpanned, "Full of romance, betrayal, tragedy and angst." His voice dropped and he quipped, "If I hadn't actually lived through it all, I'd swear it was the plot of an overly dramatic soap opera."
"Now you've really piqued my interest…" She prompted hopefully, gazing at the pictures and saying, "She's really beautiful, was she your girlfriend?" Pretending she didn't know her own mother threw Sophia for a loop, but she kept a straight face nonetheless.
"Yeah… She was…" He smiled wistfully, taking the photos she held out to him. "She was the one who gave me that wallet, actually; won it in the ring toss at the fair that night."
His eyes glazed over with emotion as he relayed the prudent and abridged details of his messy past, occasionally throwing in a self-deprecating joke to lighten the mood.
"So you never heard from Penny ever again?" She asked sympathetically. Her head swimming with the multitude of new information, that she missed the appraising look he flashed her.
"How do you know that? I've never told anyone what her name was… " He asked quizzically, brows quirked, "Is being psychic another gift of yours?" Although his tone was joking, he was startled to see the color drain from her face.
"I-I…" She stuttered, eyes wild and heart in her mouth. How could she be so careless? It took most of her energies to maintain her calm façade; she was a terrible liar, how could she redeem herself now, especially when she was so panicky…
Jeff's easy-going grin was dissipating quickly; the cogs were turning in his mind. His demeanor suddenly became very serious, and his renowned analytical skills indicated that the young woman before him was extremely important, but why?
Sophia was hastily trying to conjure up a plausible cover story, when Jeff asked the fateful questions.
"Sophia," He gripped her upper arms gently, making sure she was focused on his words. "Do you know who she is? Have you met her before?"
His expression was so hopeful and wary, that it made her break out into a cold sweat. What could she say? Should she reveal her relation to the beloved memory of the woman who still ruled his heart, even now?
Sophia found that her throat had seized up, a leaden pressure weighing heavily in her stomach.
She couldn't do it.
So she ran.
What can I say…? I'm so sorry it took so long to update guys (if anyone is still reading this story…)
It's been an eventful time since last we spoke;
I graduated (a MASSIVE thank you to all who participated in my project, love you!).
Then I was ill for a long time and was hospitalized; all the while, searching high and low for my muse (finally found it, after months of struggling to get this chapter down!).
I've got the rest of the story planned out, waiting to be written. So, here's hoping, that I'll actually complete this entire thing this year…
As always, your continued support means the world to me!
Thank you to: cat10985, FallenAngelFromTheSky, taylor057, Stretch19, call me Richardson, ChellyWrites, checkyesdana, clear skye, Niky D, , HelloFasination, 72898, CynicLiar, Heather, September Stone, RhythmOfLove, Carmel March, njw5s, missyoga4u, DA-chen1, philosophyluver and ObsceneFreak
(Your reviews really kept me going, seriously, thank you, you guys!)
Hope you enjoy this chapter; it's the longest I've written to date ( 27 pages/12,000 words to make up for the disgustingly long wait!)
ALSO: I've updated the character pictures in my profile, if anyone's interested to know how I imagine them...
Let me know what you think?
Love you all!