Dark Creations: The Hunted (Part 4) (5 page)

“Maybe he’s saving himself for marriage,” Daniella offered.

“Ha!  Are you high or something?  There is
no
way a guy that fine is saving himself for marriage.  Melissa is going to get a piece of that tonight.  She just needs to shake her sweet ass a little more so he takes notice.  No more frump-girl, right, Missy?”

Though Alexandra knew far more about Gabriel that Daniella, she never let on.  She maintained her usual crudeness and sense of humor.

“How can you even say that?” Daniella asked incredulously.  “His looks have nothing to do with his morality or character.  Just look at that baseball player.  He is handsome
and
rich and adheres to higher moral standards than his teammates.”

“Oh bullshit!  Take your head out of your ass!” Alexandra replied heatedly.  “That guy probably pays hookers on the down-low!  There’s no way he’s for real.  That piousness is just that,
an act
.  You’ll see.  Some rubber-faced prostitute will surface before you know it and do a tell-all for a nice chunk of change.”

“Jeez, Alex, don’t hold back, tell us what you
really
think,” Melissa laughed.  “So I’m Frump-girl, huh? Seriously?”

“Yeah Alex.  Frump-girl?  Not nice.  And take my head out of my ass?  That’s uncalled for,” Daniella said feigning hurt feelings.

“I’m sorry but you know I’m right.  Not about your head being in your ass, about the other stuff.”

“Well, we’ll just agree to disagree on this one, Alex,” Daniella said.

“Please do,” Melissa added.  “So I’m still Frump-girl?”

“In that outfit, yes,” Alexandra asserted.  “Go back in your closet and find something better.”

“I thought you guys were here to help me.”

“Trust me, I just did. Now get back in there and tramp it up a bit!”

Melissa did not bother arguing with her friend.  She knew it was useless.  Instead, she rolled her eyes and returned to her closet.  As she pushed hanger after hanger aside, she realized she did not own anything that could be considered sexy.  The majority of her outfits consisted of jeans and T-shirts.  She had very few skirts, dresses or slacks.  She was about to give up and wear a pair of sweatpants when a piece of pale gauzy, cloth caught her eye.  She looked more closely and noticed that the tags were still on it, that it was a lightweight dress she had bought a year earlier for a family party but had decided it was too form-fitting and did not wear it.  She had planned to return it, but never did. 

As she pulled the dress off its hanger, she silently hoped it was as revealing as she’d remembered.  She pulled it over her head and it fell effortlessly over her curves, skimming her waist and hips.  The material felt silky against her skin and fell to the midpoint of her thighs.  She slipped her feet into a pair of heeled sandals then stepped out of her closet.

“Now
that’s
what I’m talking about,” Alexandra said voicing her approval.  “Where’d you get that little number,
my
closet?”

“Nope, I bought this last year, for my cousin’s graduation.”

“And why, exactly, didn’t you wear it then?”

“Well, because, it’s,” Melissa stammered. “It’s so revealing.”

“I think you look beautiful,” Daniella said.  “It’s sexy, but tasteful, perfect for you.”

She could always count on Daniella to find just the right words of encouragement.  Melissa shifted from one foot to the next, uncertainty eating at her.

“I don’t know,” she fretted.  “I feel so, so
naked
.”

“Good!  That’s the spirit!  Feeling naked puts you in the mood,” Alexandra joked.  “Hopefully, you’ll both be feeling naked
together
real soon.”  Alexandra smirked mischievously and winked.

“Oh God,” Melissa muttered.  “You are
so
bad.”

Alexandra beamed.

“That’s not a compliment you bimbo,” Daniella teased.

“This bimbo needs to hit the road,” Alexandra announced and nudged Daniella.  “Besides, we have to let our girl here get her head ready for her big date tonight.  He’ll be here any minute, right?”

“Um, yeah, actually, he will,” Melissa said and felt suddenly nervous.

“Good luck you little whore,”

“Alex, please!  Her father is just downstairs,” Daniella chastised.

“Alright!  Alright!  But you better call me in the morning.  I want all the naughty details.”

“Alex!” Daniella yanked Alexandra by the arm and dragged her out of Melissa’s room, but not before mouthing a simple “good luck.”

Melissa heard her friends yell good-bye to her father before closing the door.  She walked to the far-corner of her room and examined her appearance in her full-length mirror.  The dress fit well.  A strategically placed ruffle at the collar gave the illusion that she was more buxom than she really was.  The rich lavender hue, her favorite color, complimented her fair skin tone.  She was not used to showing as much skin as she was showing, but had to admit that the fabric, cut and color were very flattering.  The only piece that would complete the puzzle was a hairstyle.  And the weather had made that decision for her.  The humidity level had steadily increased since she’d left work.  Wearing her hair down, which hung nearly to her waist, would feel uncomfortable given the mugginess and heat of the evening.  So she scooped her hair and piled it loosely on top of her head with decorative clips.  A few stray tendrils refused to be pinned up.  She did not have the time to waste coaxing and spraying them into position and decided her hairstyle was as good as it was going to get.  She spritzed her pulse point and the back of her knees with her signature body spray, a blend of vanilla, caramel and coconut, and walked downstairs to wait for Gabriel.

Her hands felt cold.  It seemed absurd to have cold hands on such a warm night, but she knew that nerves were likely responsible.  She opened the front door when she saw Gabriel’s car pull into the drive and was met with what felt like a thick wall of air.  The sun hung low in the sky, not quite ready to relinquish its blistering grip on the day.  Backlit by waning rays of golden light, he seemed to float, rather than walk, up the path to her door.  She thought he looked breathtaking in the midday sun; he was equally so in the evening sun.  He smiled at her, then as he drew closer, his eyes widened.

“Wow, you look …
amazing
,” he said.  She was pleased with his reaction.

“Thanks,” she said and lowered her eyes. She felt warmth spreading across her cheeks.

He took her hand in his and walked her to his waiting Honda Pilot.  She slipped in the passenger seat, careful to not twist the jersey material of her dress.  She noticed him looking down at her legs as he fumbled to put his key in the ignition.  She wondered whether she was wrong about him, that perhaps his feelings matched hers.

They sat in comfortable silence for the five-minute drive to his house.  He and Yoshi had rented a small, ranch-style house that sat on an equally small lot of land.  The unexciting architecture and poor landscaping was a far cry from his previous residence, but she breathed a sigh of relief knowing that an evil genius did not reside beneath it, and that a grave revelation was highly unlikely.  The night seemed promising.

He opened her car door for her after parking in the driveway and they walked to the front door hand in hand.  As she stepped over the threshold, nutty notes of garlic and cheese mingled with lemon.  His house smelled of Italian food and a cleaning product. The overall effect was inviting.  The coffee table had been set with plates, glasses and utensils and a single candle sat at its center.  Though the presentation contrasted considerably from their last true date, she liked this one much better.  It felt more like them, more intimate.  His spread could have consisted of jelly sandwiches on paper plates and she would have been thrilled, as long as they got to be alone.

“Everything looks great,” she said.

“Thanks.  It looks better without Yoshi sprawled out in the living room, doesn’t it?” he joked.

“Yes, it does,” she giggled.

“Dinner’s in the oven.  I ordered it earlier and put it in to warm so that we could eat as soon as we got here.  I figured you were hungry.  You didn’t eat much at lunchtime.”

“You’re right.  I’m starving.  I could eat this candle, that’s how hungry I am,” she rambled.

“Please don’t.  I’m sure it tastes awful.  It doesn’t even smell very good,” Gabriel deadpanned.

Melissa stared at him blankly.  Surely he’d known she was only joking.  She relaxed when he smiled broadly.  He had been playing around with her and looked rather pleased with himself for evoking a response.  She couldn’t quite put into words what was going on with him. He seemed
different
somehow, nervous even.  He disappeared into the kitchen, but called to her.

“Did I tell you how great you look tonight?”

Melissa desperately wished she could conjure a feisty comment to respond with, something playful or naughty to spice things up and let him know how intense her feelings for him were.  But she could not think of anything.  Her mind was completely blank, until she became acutely aware of the how much time had passed from when he had originally asked her his question.  Suddenly, her heart began to beat a little harder.  Her palms became damp.  Her thoughts became muddled and she could not remember what he had asked her in the first place.  Before she knew it, Gabriel’s stunning face was before hers.

“Is everything okay, Melissa?” he asked.  “You’ve been really preoccupied lately.  Have I done something wrong?”

“No, not at all.  You’re fine.  Everything’s fine.”

He looked at her briefly, skeptically.  Certainly, she could not tell him that she worried he was not attracted to her, or lacked the desire for physical intimacy.  How could anyone ask such a question, least of all, her? 

“Fine,” he agreed and smiled again.  “Shall we eat?”

“Fine,” she said with an impish grin.  His smile grew and his eyes seemed to twinkle with delight.

Gabriel brought the food from the oven to the shaky table.  They both sat and began to eat.  Melissa was wary of the garlic bread and anything that smelled pungent.  She did want to have bad breath later on when they
hopefully
spent a long time kissing.  She couldn’t be sure, but Gabriel seemed to be doing the same.  Once they’d finished eating, Gabriel cleared the plates and returned with a bottle of wine and two long-stemmed glasses.

“I took the liberty of getting cabernet sauvignon, just like the one you liked last time.”

“Oh, I remember.  It was delicious,” she replied.

He filled her glass, and his own as well then handed her hers.  She was surprised to see him fill his glass, and confused.  He did not drink when she did, and vice versa, so that one of them was always the designated driver.  While his full glass took her by surprise her, it also heartened her; it meant he intended to spend a significant amount of time with her.  Now that she was eighteen, she did not have a formal curfew.  If she intended to be out very late, all her father asked was that she called him.  She hoped to be making such a phone call tonight.  With his glass in hand, Gabriel seated himself beside her on the couch again and his hand brushed against her bare leg.  His touch, though unintentional, made her insides tremble.  Goosebumps raised in her skin, just as they always did when his skin met hers.  Her reaction did not go unnoticed by him.

“Are you cold?” he asked

“No. Why do you ask?” she tried to feign ignorance.

“You have goose bumps.  It felt hot in here to me, but I could raise the temperature on the thermostat if you’re cold.”

“I’m not cold,” she said levelly.

“You don’t have to be shy or anything.  It’s no trouble.  I’ll just put on shorts and a tank top.”

“Really, Gabriel, I’m not cold.  But feel free to change into whatever you want.  You won’t hear me object to seeing you in a tank top.” 

And with that, Melissa had flirted for the first time in her life. The words floated from her mouth effortlessly.  She had not given any thought to them, just told the truth.

“Oh,” he said and seemed
happy
.  “So it’s not too cold in here.”

“Not at all.”

“Then what’s with the goose bumps?”

“That’s all
you
, Gabriel,” she said and stared into his sapphire eyes.

Officer Jarrod Richards glanced at himself in the rearview mirror of his unmarked sedan.  Dressed in plain clothes, he felt relaxed and refreshed, and was pleased that his complexion suggested as much.  In the brilliant glow of the Moon, he discovered that his skin texture not only exuded tranquility and vitality, but that his features on the whole also radiated such qualities, along with undeniable appeal.  In the ethereal moonlight, his attractiveness assumed an entirely different quality, an allure that was mysterious, and polished.  He enjoyed his reflection immensely.  But he knew he should not distract himself with his glorious appearance.  After all, his reflection would be there when he returned.  He needed to focus his attention on his current mission.  Still, it was hard to tear his eyes away, especially since it had been such a trying day.  Recalling the day’s events caused him to knit his brow.  He knew that wearing his disappointment so plainly on his face was detrimental to his flawless complexion, but simply could not find a more becoming expression.  A smile or neutral countenance was impossible given that half of his day had been wasted.  And he hated wasting time.