Hi everyone, well I did intend this to be done in two halves but I just couldn't stop writing and so here it is, the conclusion to Emma and James' story in full. I may yet write more about their friends as I'm rather fond of Taff, so there's a possibility you may get to see more of them in the future, but for now I am working on an altogether different story and thinking of taking 'Heroes, Villains and a Vampire' further.
If you haven't read the first two chapters then I recommend you do so, as otherwise you may not understand the characters fully.
Thanks for reading, I hope you like the ending!
*
She nervously adjusted her hair in the mirror, checking that the clips were holding it securely in place. Adding clear gloss to her lips, and touching up the eye-liner around her large brown eyes before sighing, she headed downstairs to wait. She could hardly believe she was about to go on her first date in years.
Glancing at the clock she saw it was 8:02pm and James was slightly late. He'd been so sweet the night before, and he'd given her four orgasms with his fingers and mouth. Maybe she was finally getting some good luck with men. As fun as it was though, she doubted anything much would come of it, he was only 20, too young, and far too beautiful to be tied down. It scared her in a way, just the thought of him had made her smile several times throughout the day. Not even the copious amounts of washing up she'd had to do after the party could stop her humming happily to herself.
Her heart began hammering hard against her breastbone when she heard the knock at her door.
James hoped Emma would like the play he'd brought tickets for. Several of his college friends were acting in it, and he wanted to find some common ground between them, other than the strong sexual attraction they clearly had for each other.
As she answered the door to him he whistled in appreciation. She was wearing tight fitting jeans, sexy high heeled sandals and a red halter-neck which highlighted her luscious dark hair and eyes. She looked bloody gorgeous and he couldn't wait to be seen with her.
"Wow, you look sexy as hell." He told her, unable to stop grinning at the sight of her.
"Thanks," she blushed, "You look great too." He really did. In a simple pale blue shirt paired with his trademark pale denim jeans, he looked good enough to eat.
James leaned in to kiss her softly on the mouth. Breathing in her unique scent of musk and the soft, feminine perfume she was wearing.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" She asked him.
"Well, I hope you like the theatre babe, I thought we could check out a play a few of my class mates are acting in." He barely resisted the temptation to cross his fingers.
"Sure, I haven't been to one in a while so it'll be lovely."
He took the opportunity to place his hand on the small of her back as he ushered her to his car. He didn't usually take women to plays, but he wanted to share something he loved with her. There was something almost vulnerable about her that made him want to protect her. Holding the door open for her, he appreciated her long legs before taking his seat on the other side.
"So, we didn't really get much chance to talk about you last night. What attracts you to acting?" She asked him as he started up the car.
"I love performing of course, but it's the way that you get a fresh start with each play. I'm someone with a difficult past, a completely different life to the one I lead one now, and I like understanding what makes that character tick, what in their past affects them. Why they react the way they do, what is going through their head as they make decisions. Who doesn't like to pretend to be somebody else once in a while?" He explained, turning left to head towards the college theatre.
"So what kind of life have you led?" She was enjoying the chance to get to know him better, she knew he was wonderful with his tongue and considerate but hardly anything personal about him.
"I guess an average one with a few twists. Dad left me and Mum when I was about 5, but she never really started seeing anyone else until recently. That's partly why I moved out, I wanted her to have her own space as I always felt like she was avoiding the dating scene because I was around." he risked a quick glance at Emma's legs folded into the space next to him. "I fucked around a bit when I was younger, dabbling in drugs and shoplifting. Nothing serious, but for a while I was someone I didn't even like. Then I got caught and put into a program for teens where I discovered the freedom of acting. You got any skeletons in your closet?"
"I guess a few. I was stoned or drunk most of the time I was at college. My parents are still together, still bickering one minute, hugging the next. I got arrested for streaking once, when Holly and I ran naked across a pub car park" She stared at her hands, wondering why she didn't have the guts to tell him about Steve. She just didn't want him to look at her that same pitiful way everyone else did. It'd be even worse if she told him the whole truth, not just about his death, but what living with him had been like. He'd probably think she was weak.
"Why on earth were you streaking naked?"
"Some bloke offered us a hundred quid if we did. We'd spent the last of our money in the pub instead of buying food and it seemed a good idea." She grinned.
"Did you get the money, or just arrested?"
"We got the money, and let off with a caution. It was definitely worth it not to eat beans on toast for four more days, plus we got another night out on the bloke who was hoping he'd be able to get something else out of us!"
"You wicked woman, getting a man's hopes up like that. I'd have loved to be there."
"Yeah Holly, well, she looks great naked."
"I meant to see you Emma. You looked fucking gorgeous naked last night. Anyway, we're here, let's go get a drink at the bar before we take our seats."
Emma blushed. She didn't think she'd ever get used to his compliments.
**
James grabbed Emma's hand and led her out of the car. The play had been great, it was a comedy about a group of house mates and how they reacted when one of them died suddenly. Really touching, yet uplifting at the same time. Emma had sat completely still and seemed to enjoy it as much as he did. Although there were times it bought a tear to her eye, she'd laughed most of the way through it.
He decided he wasn't going to push things with her, let her have the option of inviting him in. As badly as he wanted to continue what they'd started last night, she hadn't given him any hint of how she felt.
She dug through her handbag to find her keys, her fingers suddenly numb. It'd been a lovely night, but it was one thing to invite a man to stay the night when she was drunk, quite another when she was sober. Her fingers found the keyring right at the bottom of her bag and she looked at him, wanting to ask him to stay again but not wanting to put any pressure on him.
