Warmth | ✔️ #wattys2021

9. kiss

After they got dressed again, Dylan kissed her cheek and left to give her some alone time to get herself fixed again. She looked deeply into the mirror and seeing her cheeks so flushed, Adeline now only processed what happened. Didn't she go there with the absolute conviction that she's not even going to look at him. And now... well, she had to admit she didn't regret it when looking at how good he made her feel. After all that's why they started to do what they just did. And he did apologize tonight. 

But thinking of how little it took for her to give in to him...a bit of flirting and touching and intense stares...she couldn't believe she let that happen. Shame overcame her whole her body and she was almost disgusted by herself.

Looking at herself in the mirror again, she wiped the bit of mascara off from under her eye and tried to make her hair less messy. She looked at least decent now and escaped the fancy bathroom.

Going back to her table, Adeline noticed that not only Nora was still missing but also Dylan seemed to have disappeared. She sat down again leaning heavily against her chair in a bit of satisfaction, a bit of shame. And the come back of boredom. Everyone around the room was still busy, invested in deep conversations, probably about money and dapper paintings. A few were dancing, others still eating. And she was the only one who was still sitting around their table.

Adeline decided to text Nora and leave, not seeing a reason to stay anymore.
Just as she stood up and put her small bag around her shoulder, she caught a familiar face grinning at her from across the hall. She smiled back and made a beeline to his table nervously, of course with the best view of the stage. Once she reached him, his grin only seemed to widen.

"Hey!" He said, standing in front of her in a blue suit.
"Hey, I didn't think I'd see you here." Adeline answered happily.
"Yeah well, it was a bit of a last minute decision. I'm sorry for this morning by the way, I don't know what got into me..."  Adam said, obviously ashamed by his actions.
"I shouldn't have called you like that. Jimmy also let me know how upset you were when he came over. I'm really sorry." He added.

"It's okay, your call was kinda cute though afterwards I only realized how stressy this day was gonna be so I took it out on him a bit. Are you okay now though?" Adeline responded nonchalantly still happy she found him.

"I'm all good now, it's my own fault really. It was good you sent Jim, hate to admit it but it's true." He responded somewhat flushed in the face.
"Oh, you're welcome! What made you drink that early in the day anyway?" She asked.
"Boredom, I guess." Adam admitted shyly and made her laugh, which made him feel so warm inside.

"Come on, come on sit down!"
He offered her the seat next to his and they both sat down.
"I was actually going to leave until I saw you!" She admitted looking down a bit.
"Hmm...don't like such gathering, do you?"
"No, not really and well my friend Nora has been lost forever so the whole night was kinda boring."

Yes, that was a bit of a lie. But mentioning Dylan in front of him, probably wasn't the smartest thing. Especially now, that she admitted to himself that she actually likes him. Famous or not. And just as she remembered that probably the whole world knows him, a younger girl came around and asked for an autograph.

"Sure." He answered politely and stood up, signing what seemed like a napkin.
"Probably worth a few thousands now on eBay." Adeline said smugly as he sat back down.
"Wouldn't bet on it!" He answered.
"By the way, you mentioned Nora being lost?"
"Yeah, wait— do you know her?" She wondered.
"No, but well I know Jim and I also got to know this black haired girl that was on his side the whole time called Nora."
"Oh than that was definitely her!" She laughed.
He laughed and took a sip of his champagne. Placing it down again he said:

"You look beautiful tonight, have I told you that?"
"No...no you haven't, but well thank you so much!" She said, becoming red in the face again.
"You look nice too, by the way!" Adeline complimented and immediately bit her lip.

"Hmm...thanks. Do you want a drink?"
"No actually, I don't drink"
"Oh, oh well alright." He said respectively and put his champagne glass back on the table. As a bit of silence came over them after that she cut back in.
"So...what it's like to be a hot shot in Hollywood?"

He chuckled.
"Hmm well I mean it does have its perks but like I'm really mostly in because I enjoy acting."
"Oh come on, as if you don't enjoy the red carpets and all the money and the girls..."  She said.
"As I said it does have its perks but of course I like that I get to do what I love. I still enjoy normalcy though. There's a lot of shit going on in Hollywood and it's nice to have a sense of privacy from time to time."
"Yea I can't imagine what it's like."

"What I wanted to tell you..." Adeline changed the topic. "...I'm really sorry for how I reacted on Friday, it really wasn't right. I regret it so much, sorry if I hurt your feelings, it was all panic?"

"All forgotten now, though I must admit it brushed my ego a bit."

Twenty minutes of a very close conversation later he asked:

"Well do you want to leave? I could drive you if you want?" Changing the topic but it was well founded considering how late it was getting.
"Yea, okay I'd like that, let's get going!" Adeline answered.

As he stood up, he offered her a hand and helped her up. As they were going to his car they both still grinned like idiots. She was linked to his arm and they kept talking about nothing. As spring slowly approached the nights were warmer than in the last few months but still cold. So Adeline shivered still only in her green slip dress. He did not notice though. Yes she perhaps was a bit disappointed but she forgave him. As much as she wanted to have his jacked around her shoulders and his smell lingering around a bit longer.

Adeline sat next to him in the passenger seat. His car was an obviously very expensive Audi with the comfiest lather seats. They sat next to another as he drove her home, the radio was on lightly, a bit of chatter and she felt happy. Even though she also felt guilty and ashamed thinking how she let two guys charm her in one night.

15 minutes later he stopped in front of her apartment building.
"So, here we are my lady!"
"Oh my knight! Thank you for riding your hose all the way up to my castle!" She answered jokingly. And they both laughed.
"Seriously thank you for tonight, you really saved it!"
"You're welcome, I had fun!" He answered and stared deeply into her eyes.
She didn't want to leave the car and go up, she wanted to stay there next to him forever. And so it came that she stayed a tad too long. That he leaned into her and their soft lips touched for the first time. Fireworks exploded in her heart even if it only lasted for five seconds. His hand stayed on her jaw for a few more seconds, they stared into the others eyes. And although she also felt the whole thing tonight, this was much better.
"Good Night!"
Adeline whispered and left.