Authors note: It's a first story. Thanks for reading. Votes and feedback are very welcome. Many people deserve credit for going the extra hundred miles in helping me, yet, without permission, I can't name them, but you know who you are and thanks goes not cover it. AsylumSeeker, editor extraordinaire, you did the heavy lifting on this chapter, it's as much yours (the good parts) as mine (any and all bad). Heartfelt thanks. x
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He stared at her from across a crowded room and thought with amused irony of that cliché. He acknowledged that he really did want her, but there was a history and the having wouldn't be so easy. Most of the evening had been a mild case of cat and mouse as she had carefully avoided him. But that was about to change.
His brother was organizing a game of Pictionary and he would be on her team. He would make sure of it. His brother had always been a nerd and had a habit of attracting nerds and geeks. Kevin welcomed the change from his usual rough, back-pounding, ass-grabbing, manly-men as geeks and nerds tended to be kinder, and show a deeper compassion. Their lives were usually not so charmed as their more culturally favored and shallower brethren. And he might be in need of some compassion before the night was over.
He observed the look of fearful surprise on her face as he sat beside her on the loveseat and decided he had his work cut out for him if, indeed, he was going to make any progress tonight.
"Hey," he acknowledged her with a smile.
"Hi."
He watched an almost shy look enter her eyes and he knew she was remembering the last time they were together all those years ago, when she had almost come on his leg. He felt an exhilarating tingle in his groin, but he could see she felt shame. An unfamiliar feeling of guilt seeped into him as he recalled learning shortly afterward that her mother was dying and the realization of how unstable she must have been that night in the kitchen, the inner anguish she must have been feeling.
He had never gotten to apologize, or say how sorry he was. Now was not the time for that, however; he needed to make her comfortable. Something inside was drawing him to her and he wasn't in the mood to hold back.
"James didn't mention you were in town," she said.
Did he hear a slight accusation in her voice? "Would you have come if you had known?"
"Probably not."
She was always honest, he would give her that.
"Then I'm glad you didn't know. I would've hated missing you," he replied with a warm and open look. He could tell she didn't know how to take his remark. A look of surprised bewilderment moved across her face and he almost laughed out loud. He couldn't blame her, but the game had changed, she just didn't know it yet.
Before they could say any more James drew their attention, starting the game. Forty minutes later Deonne was in a pitiful struggle attempting the most basic drawing which looked to Kevin to be somewhere between the scribbled attempts of a two year old and a kindergartener's first try with a pencil. She was awful, and oh, so frustrated with herself.
Kevin had almost tuned the game and other players out he was so enchanted by her anxious, worried attempts. He had forgotten the energy and excitement that poured through him whenever she was near. She was a fighter, and a winner. She did not like to lose as he knew from card games at the Anderson's, back in college. He was just glad he was not the one to blame for their sorry score, because he would hate to see her inward frustration turned towards him. At least not tonight.
"Dancing," he tried guessing, knowing he was looking for an action word, only to see her earnest, almost tearful shakes of the head while jabbing her pencil at two slashes and a circle on her paper.
"Twirling."
Deonne's eyes gave a worried glance at the egg timer. They only had two seconds. It was killing her.
"Time!" James's latest squeeze, Cherise, shouted as she stood up to throw her hands in the air and shake her bootie in a little victory dance. Cherise was a fine arts major, James had been cartooning since he was seven. They were deadly.
Deonne slouched back against the couch, defeated.
"Stabbed," she mumbled.
"Stabbed?" Wow. He would never have gotten there. "It's just a game, you know."
"Yeah." The kid in her was struggling with the adult and it was very cute.
Kevin stood up and held his hand out to her.
"C'mon. Let's get something to drink."
He waited, holding his breath to see if she would take it, and smiled a little knowing smile as she did without a thought. Pulling her up, he made sure to tug a little too hard so that her body brushed against his. He felt an awareness move over his skin and watched her carefully.
There.
Her eyes darted up to his face before skittering away, but he caught that fleeting look of desire.
Oh, yeah. It's still there.
He pulled her through the crowd, not letting go of her hand as they made their way through the maze of people to James's little kitchen. He wasn't surprised when she chose a Dr. Pepper; some things definitely never changed. He grabbed a beer; no, some things didn't.
Working her way out of the kitchen she bumped and pushed around the small dining table to the balcony, the only unoccupied spot she could find. Kevin followed, realizing that to everyone else he was giving the impression of marking territory, and he was, but he hoped Deonne did not pick up on it or it would be over before it started.
"How long have you been in Norfolk?" He leaned his arms against the middle of the balcony rail looking out over the parking lot so she could only get so far from him. Deonne moved into a corner, as far from him as possible.
"I'm not, I'm at Oceana," she replied. She was watching him and the leeriness had returned. It would be so easy to bait her, but he wasn't going there. Not tonight, anyway.
"So, I guess you never married... Jared, was it?" Sissy-boy. He didn't say it, but he couldn't help thinking it.
This brought a smile.
"No, we broke up shortly after it began. He sure gave you a lot of material, though, didn't he? And what about what's-her-name, The Trophy? I don't see her here tonight, is she home keeping the kids?" She smiled even wider.
That brought out his own smile and a burst of laughter. The Trophy. Such an undeserving name for such a lovely girl and he had forgotten.
He shook his head. "Shawntee had bigger plans for her life than being trapped in a backwater army town with an underpaid ground pounder who was never home. I couldn't blame her."
