| Ugly- Aquilae Stilus 1998 His eyes seemed to sear straight into her; his smoldering smile washed all beings from existence, stripped clean her soul, and hung it up for his view. He was tall, his chin fitting comfortably on top of her head. His shoulders weren't huge and brawny, but fitted with the sleek musculature of a panther. He was so gorgeous he stole her breath and wrapped her heart up in his smooth, mellow voice, tucking it away for future use. He was perfect. And somehow, when those keen eyes fell upon her, his gaze flickered with interest. She had shivered in excitement and a chill akin to the climax of a thriller movie as he boldly approached her and somehow wrenched her phone number from the clutching grasp of her shyness. Now they walked hand-in-hand, his strides open and uncompromisingly long. She curried along as a mouse flutters through tall grasses, slightly out of the hawk's eye, not moving overtly or making any sound that might provoke an attack. Head tucked firmly in between hunched shoulders, studying the spakling bracelet on her wrist. It was ruby- her birthstone. The bloodlike droplets were remembrance of his method of currency. He loved her so much it hurt. Her stomach growled. It missed the five pounds she'd traded in fro the hand she held now. His head turned sharply, and he smiled down at her with those eyes. His lips curled into a lady-killer smirk that liquefied her knees every time. "What was that?" "Nothing," she said defensively. "Nothing?" He paused and lifted her hand in his, brushing his smile across suddenly trembling knuckles. "I'm sure I heard something." "My stomach, I guess. You want to get some lunch?" He shrugged. "Sure. I'll get us a couple of burgers." "I... uh, could I get something else, maybe?" she mumbled. He frowned. "What, you want to go get in a line without me?" "No!" Her cry was sharp, the edge of fear pulling several skeptical glances their way. "No, nothing like that. Look, forget I said anything. I'd love a hamburger." Frantically, she wondered how she was supposed to get rid of an entire burger right in front of him without actually eating it. He didn't like fat girls; he said that at the very beginning, pinching her bottom and smiling that smile that soothed an insult into constructive criticism. "Good." He said it as if there had never been any question of opposition, smiling brilliantly, his smile both dazzling her senses and shrinking something deep inside her, something that curled into a fetal position and waited through the eye of the storm. "Sit here." Gallantly pulling back her chair, he escorted her into her seat and leaned both hands firmly palm down on either side of her, leaning over her, his body curving above as if to hold her in place with his presence. "Don't run off, now," he teased, but the underlying threat he never uttered had her biting her lip and saying palely, "I won't." As he loped confidently away, almost leaning back into his suave confidence, he shot that devastating smile at a brunette in the Wendy's line. The brunette returned it with a naughty twinkle and a little-girl pout as he passed her by. "Hi," a slightly familiar voice said nearby. Rachel jumped and whirled. "Hi!" "Fancy seeing you here." Josh straddled the chair backwards, resting his forearms on the table, his easy smile drawing hers reluctantly from the depths of her apprehension. He had to leave before Alex came back. He HAD to! "Yeah, well, I do have a life," she parried, hoping he'd find someone more interesting to talk to before Alex turned in the line and saw him- them- there. "You'd never know, the way you disappear into the sunset with that Alex guy every day," Josh said, making the accusation softer with his gentle eyes. He'd probably never hurt a girl in his life- "Speaking of Alex-" Rachel desperately cleared her throat- "it's been nice talking to you. See you at school." He frowned, confused. "Okay, but I was going to ask you-" "Ask me at school," she interrupted, a sense of doom enveloping her as Alex's sharp eyes fixed on the back of Josh's head. The hawk was diving in for the kill. "I'll talk to you later." Continue |