I Love Red

This is my first writing of this kind. constructive criticism is welcome <3

"Caleb? You want me to go on a 'date' with your

brother

?" I asked of my giddy best friend as we sat on the cold hardwood floors of my half-assedly put-together living room. I stared at Lilith with an incredulous look, pushing my silver hair behind my right year. "You do realize that we're besties, right? Askin' me to date your brother's like you tellin' me you think I'm horribly single," I told her with a chuckle.

Lilith looked at me, as serious as the plague. "I

am

serious Gem!" she exclaimed. "Caleb is a

really

good guy, for real. Like, you know we've been living together for a year now, and he's been a

ghoul

around the house. He sits mopping around the house all day! Sighing and sulking, and shit," she said with an equal amount of sisterly concern and dramatic flair.

I had met Caleb on very few occasions, typically when Lilith and I were on our way out to whatever club or bar we frequented most weekends. I even had dinner with him 4 months ago. Well, not

with

him, but he was there. Lilith had invited me over in the stereotypical 'get to know my new friend' way, and I had

met

him for the first time.

The night of the dinner and when I truly Caleb, I had arrived at the twin's lavish manor at 7:45. Dinner was at 8 o'clock, but I hated being late. I drove my new, black Hyundai Elantra through the wrought iron gates to the front entrance, passing intricate pink and red rose flower beds, a perfectly manicured lawn, and an elegant fountain that was alit with a golden hue. How they were able to keep the roses looking so lively with the dropping temperatures of October, I couldn't guess. I parked, got out of my car, and grabbed the gift I had brought for them, a candle I made in my shop named "Vampire Lust." I walked up the front staircase, making sure to practice smiling and adjusting the brown knit sweater dress and black trench coat I wore. Then, I rang the doorbell. I could hear indie music playing. I hoped someone would be able to hear the doorbell in the expanse of the mansion. I could hear Lilith run to the door and stop just short, making sure to collect herself. She swung open the door with a huge smile and a, "You made it!" She took the gift from my hands and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply before lowering it.

"This candle smells like the best sex you'll ever have," she remarked before taking me by the arm and walking me down the hallway to the dining room, explaining how they had come to their new abode. Apparently, they inherited a sizeable estate from an uncle and decided to stay in the house instead of selling it.

As we walked through the house, I could not help but be impressed by the interior. The house was floored with gleaming white marble with light golden veins. My black leather knee-high boots clicked across the floor as we walked, passing a music room with a blood-red grand piano lit with candles, a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stuffed with books and tomes, and a state-of-the-art kitchen that looked modern but had an old feel. Lilith and I entered the dining room, giggling over some joke she made about sticking a toe into someone's butt. The dining room was just as impressive as the rest of the house. It was black and white, with checkered marble floors, and featured a floor-to-ceiling mirrored accent wall that greeted you when you entered. The table was white, long, and royal-looking, an eight-seater with only 3 guests. Lilith let go of my arm and went to the fully stocked bar to the left on the entrance to pour herself a drink and place the candle on the table. I stood and looked around, my eyes drawn to the paintings of dark and moody landscapes. Some paintings of ships on harsh ocean waves, crashing into them with such ferocity, that you felt yourself holding your breath for fear of the boats shattering into a million pieces, to sinking to the ocean floor. I noticed the grand tablescape when I brought my attention to the table. Black on white linens, gold saucers, and rimmed glasses, with hints of red through the rose floral arrangements centered on the table. Their dining room, alone, screamed, "This is

old, ancient

money, bitch!"

I felt something, or someone, staring at me as I admired a particular painting of a siren pulling a pirate into the water as he was struggling to stay afloat on a sinking ship. I slightly turned my head to the right and met eyes so icy they looked like silver. I knew exactly who he was. Lilith had shown me pictures of her twin brother, of course, and I had caught glimpses of him when I visited her. But, it was odd seeing

him

, and especially

them

, in the same room. They were gorgeous, with silky, dark chestnut hair with a slight wave to it, though Lilith recently dyed her hair jet-black and kept hers straight. They shared the same icy grey-blue eyes, pillowy, pink lips, and perfectly straight teeth with the sharpest canines I had ever seen. If it weren't for the fact that they were a boy-girl twin duo, they would have been the same person, except for Caleb's build.

To say I swooned is an understatement. I

felt

myself blush, which is an amazing feat considering how dark I am. My deep espresso color did not allow for much of a blush, but I'm sure it was there. I am not typically attracted to skinnier men. After all, I am a fat woman: 42D's, 50-inch hips, and more than enough stomach. So, I had always wanted a man that looked like he could handle me. But, Caleb...he had the build of an Olympic swimmer. Lithe and tone personified. You could tell he was the type to keep himself healthy and disciplined. And he was tall. Well, they both were tall. Lilith was 5'9 to my 5'6 and Caleb was taller than both of us, standing at 6'4. All those inches of

man

. We observed each other in silence as Lilith hummed to the music and continued to mix drinks. She walked over and handed me a glass of something sweet and fruity-smelling. The ice cubes clinked together as I took the first sip. Cranberry vodka is my favorite drink. It made me feel classy and sophisticated in a way only a 25-year-old could feel. She handed Caleb a small glass of a dark-looking liquor.

"Is it safe to assume my brother stared a hole through your head instead of introducing himself, yes? I know I taught him better than to be fuckin' rude." Lilith said. I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. It was funny to hear her curse. I turned and lifted my glass to Caleb, as he had come closer as Lilith was speaking.

"Gem," I said. "Gem Story."

"I know who you are, Gem. My sister goes on and on about you and your 'delicious' smelling candles," Caleb said with a small smile on his face. He was less intense than when he and I were having a stare-down a couple of minutes ago. His smile didn't seem mean either. Up close, I could see his nose was slightly crooked and his brilliantly bright eyes were surrounded by thick, dark lashes. He glanced at Lilith before continuing, "I love how much you and my sister hang out. It keeps her off of my back about my 'sulking' around the house and interrupting her 'vibe'."

"Well, you do!" Lilith shot back. The siblings bickered good-naturedly in front of me before Caleb reached out and shook my hand. His hands encompassed mine, warm and masculine. "Caleb Vatore at your service," he said to me. There was a twinkle in his eye as he said 'at your service'. I had some services he could attend to. I shooed away the horny thought.

A friendly, late middle-aged woman with greying red hair rolled out dinner. She had a big smile on her face and wore a well-used apron. "Dinner is ready! Please take your seats" she said to the three of us. We took our seats, Lilith sitting at the head of the table with me to her left and Caleb to her right.

"Ms. Eliza, what have you treated us to tonight?" Lilith asked.

"Oh, nothing too fancy for you and your guest. Just pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, greek salad, and a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert."

My mouth watered at the idea of the food. I hadn't had someone else's cooking since I moved out on my own 7 years ago. "That sounds absolutely decadent," Caleb said with glee. Lilith just shook her head in agreement as Ms. Eliza started setting the food out in front of us. Not much was said as we dug into our food, making grunts and sighs of contentment. I sat and observed the twins as they ate and drank. They had that way about them that twins seem to have. A natural in sync-ness that can only be brought about by sharing the same womb at the same time. It was eerie. They must have caught me staring at them, as they looked up at the same time, grinning at me. I quickly explained myself.

"I was just admiring how in sync you two are. Y'all could be a part of a twin study and shock the field," I joked. When I wasn't staring at the twins, Caleb was staring at me. Our gazes would, briefly, cross each other as we ate. Lilith was oblivious, she was face-deep in her food. They laughed and shook their heads in unison and continued to eat.

Much later, after our bellies were full and we were nearly comatose in our seats, Ms. Eliza returned to clear the plates. "Why don't y'all go into the music room and have Caleb play the piano for some post-meal entertainment?" she said. We did as she said, dragging our bodies from the plush chairs with Caleb leading the way. He sat at the piano and cracked his knuckles. Caleb started playing a couple of cords, warming up his fingers and the keys.

"Good evening ladies. My name is Caleb Vatore and I will be your entertainment for tonight. Now, join me as I play some classics from your childhood and mine," he crooned. He set himself up with the piano as if to start some great piece by Beethoven, then, with a flourish of his fingers and keys, he started to sing W.A.P. by Meg Thee Stallion and Cardi B. with piano accompaniment. Lilith and I burst out into full guffaws. Lilith and I doubled over, shaking with laughter as he played a 'classical' version of the twerk song.

"There's some hoes in this house, there's some hoes in this house," Caleb sang out. Lilith and I continued laughing and dancing as Caleb reached the chorus again. Powered by alcohol, I began to twerk, bending over and arching my back, hands on my knees, bouncing my ass to the beat. Lilith began to do the traditional robot, drunk off of the tequila she had been drinking all night.

We sang along with him, "NOW GET A BUCKET AND A MOP FOR THIS WET ASS PUSSY!" Caleb finished the song with a twinkle of his fingers, standing to bow to his audience. We hooted and clapped for him. He continued to play various popular songs from today in a classical rendition, us dancing and making up choreography. Lilith and I fell into a heap on the plush leather couch that was in the corner of the cozy music room.

"Gem, it's too late for you to drive home and you've been drinking. You should sleep here tonight. We have plenty of rooms, or you can sleep in my room! It'll be like a sleepover!" Lilith bubbled. Caleb looked over at me expectantly from where he was sitting on the piano bench. I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders in agreement and Lilith giggled in excitement. She jumped from the couch and grabbed me by the hand. "I'll show you to my room and the bathroom!" Caleb gave me another look, hugged his sister goodnight, and silently walked to the third floor.

Lilith led me through the hall and up the opulent staircase to the second floor where her quarters were. "This is my bedroom," said Lilith as she showed me the most gorgeous room I had ever seen. She had a four-poster canopy bed with a rich purple comforter and black quilt centered on the far wall. It pilled high with plush pillows in shades of purple, black, and silver. Her bed was flanked by two Victorian-era nightstands with matching lampshades with purple coverings. Her bed sat on a large black brocade rug. Her room was a Victorian-era recreation. "The bathroom is the door on the right, and my closet is the door on the left. I should have something that will fit you in my pajama drawer in my closet. You can go ahead and shower if you want! Anything you need will be in the bathroom!" I thanked her and went to her closet, somehow managing to find something in my size considering Lilith was, at most, a size 10.

I showered, making sure to clean all the sweat out of my crevices from the vigorous dance workout we had downstairs. I brushed my teeth and did my skincare routine for the night. Then, I put on the pj set I found, a silky red cami set with black lace trimming and a pair of black socks. Somehow, Lilith had a bonnet in her bathroom. It seemed like she planned on having me stay the night.

Lilith breezed past me into the bathroom as I exited, throwing over her shoulder, "I might be a while!" I contemplated getting into bed, as it was around 2 am and I was exhausted, to be honest. However, I decided to explore. Their castle of a home drew me like a curious child, wanting to explore its corners and secrets. I left her room and wandered to the second floor, coming across more guestrooms and an old, clean office that obviously hadn't been used in several years. The large, dark mahogany desk sat in front of a large mirror, the chair facing the door. It was illuminated by the light of the full moon.

As with the library downstairs, this office had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with books, but these seemed older and worn. I turned on the desk lamp and walked to the nearest bookshelf. I pulled off a book of poetry that was yellowed with age and heavily dogeared; a well-loved book. I sat back at the desk and started to read. It must have been no more than 15 minutes when I felt a familiar presence.

I looked up to find Caleb staring at me. He was clean, and shirtless, wearing only socks and black joggers that sat low on his hips, revealing the dark brown hair smattered across his chest and his happy trail at the V of his abs. His pale skin glowed as he leaned onto the doorframe.

I smiled at him. "I hate reading poetry," I started, "I could never get into it for real." He smirked. I closed the book and put it back in its place. His eyes tracked my movement. I felt like prey. He stood up and stalked towards me, stopping right in front of where I stood.

"Gem," he began in a low voice, "thank you for coming to dinner, tonight. I was wondering when I would get to

feast

my eyes on you. As I said earlier, my sister does speak very highly of you, and for that, I am

forever

in your service." He drew out the 'forever' getting closer into my personal space with his last words. He was so close, I had to crane my neck to look up at him. I could feel the warmth radiating off his body, adding to the heat I was already feeling.

"Well, Caleb, thanks for being a gracious host. You're really good at the piano. Best live show I've ever seen. I haven't danced to live music like that in a long time."

"I did enjoy your

dancing

," he quickly responded. I felt myself blush again. I backed up and my butt hit the bookshelf. He followed me. His hand lifted playing with the strap of my cami that had begun to slide off of my left shoulder. "Red...is my favorite color," he breathed into my ear. I caught my breath, suddenly aware of my hardening nipples and the heat gathering in my pants. I was so glad I wore panties. I held my breath, afraid that my nipples would brush against his torso. We continued to breathe together, gazing into each other's eyes; my dark brown to his silver. He was pushed into me, his left hand finding purchase on the shelf above me, his right hand sliding from my shoulder to my elbow. My nipples grazed his bare chest. It felt like we stared at each other forever.

When his hand finally reached mine, he stooped closer to my face until our noses touched. His left arm wrapped around my waist, pulling us flush. There was no way he couldn't feel my heaving chest. Caleb raised my hand, softly licking and then kissing the back of it. He put my pointer finger in his mouth a briefly sucked, moaning. That sent a shiver through me that lit up places I thought I had long put to sleep. Finally, he kissed my hand and released me, breathless and more turned on than I can ever remember being. He slowly walked backward to the door frame. "Good night, Gem," he said. My name sounded like a siren's call with his voice. I smiled back at him, finally out of my shock.

"Good night, Caleb." He smiled and turned around walking out of the office and into the dark hallway. Quickly, I made my way back to Lilith's room where she was still awake, lounging in bed watching cooking videos. She looked up as I entered the room. "Sneaking around, huh?" she teased. "I'm surprised you didn't get lost. My first couple of days here, I wandered into Eliza's room so many times I almost switched with her."

"Yeah," I started, "I figured if you were going to hold me captive for the night, I might as well further tour my jail."

She laughed at me and watched as I walked towards my side of the bed. "Did you run into Caleb?" she asked me with a smirk on her face. "Maybe," I confirmed, "I can't let my jailer know if I'm friendly with my fellow inmates. Can't let her catch me slippin'," I said as I got into the bed and pulled the blanket up to under my breasts.

"Ooooh, okay. Keep your secrets, but I have eyes and ears everywhere," she said with a chuckle before exiting the video she had been playing and plugging her phone into the charger. Lilith glanced at me a final time before turning to her right side and adjusting the blanket. "If you're gonna fuck my brother, please do it on his floor of the house. Goodnight!" Before I had much time to develop a retort, Lilith was sound asleep, snoring as if she had not been awake just seconds ago. I sank into the bed, pulled the blanket up to my chin, and turned to my left side, our backs facing each other. I didn't know what to make of her comment or the incident with Caleb in the office. I did know one thing, and that was her bed was the most comfortable I had ever slept in, and that I was exhausted as hell. I fell into a dreamless slumber.

I came out of my reverie with a slight startle that I hoped Lilith didn't notice. She was at the end of her statement, "...so if you just simply fall in love with him and get married, then we can, legally, be sisters," she said in all seriousness. I wanted to guffaw at her idea that it would be 'simple' to fall in love with her brother and marry him. She was out of her rabbit-ass mind.

"Lilith," I began, "while I do love your enthusiasm, I don't think that's the best idea. And, besides, I have a date on Friday." She looked at me with a slightly disappointed look. She pouted again. "But Gem," she whined, drawing out the 'e' sound, "Why are you fucking up my plans? Don't you ever think of me?" she pouted.

"I do think of you, and that's why it feels a little weird to date your brother, babes," I said while sipping on my tea. That wasn't the total truth, about why I didn't want to date Caleb. I did find him attractive and intriguing, smart and capable, too. But, I did not want to bring unnecessary drama if things were to go south with him. I loved Lilth too much to do that.

"You didn't tell me you were talking to anyone," Lilith said. "Actually, you said, and I quote, 'Lilith, I don't think I will go on another date unless he checks all of my boxes.' So, who's this mystery man that somehow came along and checked them?"

"His name is Richard. He's the son of a customer who has come to my shop to pick up orders for his parents. He came by Monday to pick up some of my basic collection candles and a flower arrangement, a gift from his dad to his mom for some occasion or another. Anyway, I noticed he's been eyeing me and lingering longer than necessary when checking out and 'browsing', so I approached him. I asked him if he would ever buy any of my products for himself or a girlfriend. He responded with 'I have been single for some time.' I took that as my queue and asked him out," I finished. Lilith looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.