Earth-In-A-Can Stuff: The Second Kiss (2000)

The Second Kiss

Not this week, though. I got myself a scotch and dry... ginger ale. I didn't like the drink all that much, but it made me sound sophisticated. A few quick sips and it was time to let my radar kick in. The first one I saw was nice... cute. Her hair was long, black and silky. She had a good body... with a dress so tight you knew just how good it was. Okay, she was better than cute. Her only flaw was a slight blemish on her arm. Probably a boyfriend, though it could have been any guy.

Short blonde hair cropped the head of the next one. It was a nice look, though again, it could have been any guy. There wasn't any real problem with her; just... well "not my type" sounds like a good way to put it. She was a female, but she wasn't very womanly. Then I saw her friend... and I saw a real woman.

With my drink in hand, I started to walk. No, I swaggered over there; my moves so full of sex I was nothing but a pelvis with legs. The disco lights painted her face with the same fiery red of her hair, and I'd always had a thing for red hair. I took another sip of the drink, and then let the broadest smile in the world paint itself upon my face. I stopped in front of her and began. "Hi". She turned to look at me with her pale blue eyes, and I knew that I was in trouble.

Her voice was husky in its return. A simple "Hello", but the look on her face said a lot more. Her friend, the blonde with the guy's haircut, gave me a goofy grin before leaving me alone with the feminine one. "I'm Sean...", I told her. She replied with her name, Eliza, and the world around seemed to disappear.

I bought her a drink and we went and sat down at an out-of-the-way table. She was funny. She was smart and she was good-looking. Her smile was there, and her body language couldn't have been stronger. And before I knew it, her hand was on my knee. I gave her a smile and the handed moved up a little.

"My friend really likes you, you know.. a pity for her you chose me."

I didn't know where that came from, so I did my best to smile and nod in agreement.

"You sure its me you want?"

This was beginning to get annoying, but weird. The weirdest part was that while trying to give her friend to me, she kept her hand on my leg, slowly moving to brush the inside thigh. I knew she was playing with me, but what other answer could I give? "I'm sure."

She sharpened her pale blue eyes at me and smiled with self-satisfaction... "Good." Her hand kept moving up, creeping higher. I figured if she was getting all touchy, there was no reason that I couldn't. My fingers barely brushed against her knee before she took my hand in hers, and moved it. She moved again. Not her hand, but her whole body... and then we were face-to-face. I looked at her, searching for something apart from the smirk on her lips. Nothing.

She leant forward.. to kiss me, I thought. I closed my eyes and parted my lips slightly.. to hear her muffled laugh. I was about to say something when she put her finger to my lips, and whispered into my ear.

"Do you want to dance?"

It might have been only a suggestion, but it didn't sound like one... though again, I couldn't refuse her if I wanted to. Not that I wanted to. She stood up and I followed. Of course, I wasn't anywhere near as alluring or graceful, but I still found my own comforts for that. Those comforts being how alluring and graceful she was.

Centre of the dance floor, we stopped.

She smiled coyly at me, flashing her pale blue eyes. Her hand brushed against my arm, and she spoke. "I'm just going to powder my nose." She disappeared into the sea of dancers moving to the sound of the heavy bass beat, leaving me stranded in the thick of it.

I stood there foolishly, and considered going back to the seat, but that'd be rude. She would have deserved it. Asking me to dance and then deserting me. No.. Screw it. I'll just forget she asked me to dance and just go sit back dow-"Excuse me?" I snapped back to reality as the voice repeated itself, turning to face the female it belonged to.

It was Eliza's friend.

More antics, I thought... or maybe not. That stupid grin she wore before was gone, replaced with a subtle smile. She was trying to hide something. The smile, as best as I could tell, was forced. "Yes?" was my abrupt reply. She shrank back, and I realized it was her nerves she was trying to conceal.

"Forget it. It's not important." As she started to retreat, she looked at me. Why was she looking so sad?

The human in me awoke... "What's your name?" and it surprised her. She stopped moving away, turning back to face me again. "I'm... It's Amy." She had a voice like a small child. It could be a bad thing if it wasn't so cute. I told her my name awkwardly, she held out her hand to me, so I shook it. I had another look at her, and STOP. I had to stop... get myself out of this vicious circle I was in.

If I kept judging like this, I wouldn't get anywhere... but then, wasn't I meant to be waiting here for Eliza? "Where's your friend?" I asked, and she frowned. "I don't know." I began to apologise when the music changed. A broad smile transformed her face; joy exuding as she spoke, "You have to dance..." It was like she pleading me to dance, even though her words could have been orders. So I did.

I actually enjoyed it despite myself. So much in fact, that it wasn't until Eliza finally came back that I remembered whom I was there "with". There was a faint smile on her face as I looked at her, though, when I asked Amy if she wanted to leave.

Amy took it wrong.

Eliza took it wrong.

As I listened to myself, even I could have taken the words wrong. The sad look on Amy's face, the smugness that flooded through Eliza's features. "I meant..." I began as Amy began to retreat. I felt as though I was a spectator, watching my life unfold without any control over any of it. Even my own actions, "I meant I'm about to go... Would you like to come with me, Amy?"

The last thing I remember before being knocked out was the broad smile appearing on Amy's face, and the anger in Eliza's as she pulled back her arm.

My jaw still hurt when I woke up. The place was being closed, and it was time for me to leave. Neither Amy nor Eliza. All I was left with was a crumpled piece of paper with a phone number on it. No name. I took it with me as I left, walking out the exit into the crisp night air. The chill woke me up, but it also made me feel my jaw even more. Next week, I think I'll stay home.