Yael | Ongoing

Chapter 5: Handle With Care

Charlie.
8:59 PM

"Put your back into it!" I snapped, goading Sam into dancing. It was for his good. If he did nothing else well tonight, I wanted it to be forever said that he killed it on the dance floor.

"Hey, you heard the man. Dance!" Tinu yelled, laughing hysterically.

"You're crazy," I stated, taking another gulp from the bottle while holding her gaze. The music was much louder now so I had to move closer to her so she could hear me.

"Oh, please, don't say it like you don't like it," she interjected. She immediately turned away as soon as she said it. Maybe she was trying hard not to blush.

She is into me, I thought. Well, she was pretty in a way that other girls weren't. She wasn't your typical Jay Lo or anything but it was the air she carried around her. She was nice, sweet, couldn't hurt a fly. It made you focus even less on her face and more on her.

I took another gulp.

And then another.

And one more.

"Hey, slow down there, Mister. You don't want to ruin this fine leather couch now, do you?" Tinu muttered, clearly teasing.

"I assure you," I defended, bottle held in front of my face, "I can't get drunk.

I set the bottle down and sank into the sofa, drumming my fingers against my knees.

Suddenly, I felt someone breathing gently against my right cheek and I immediately stopped myself from laughing cause it was ticklish. Then, I remembered where I was and my amusement metamorphosed into concern. I shot my eyes open and turned only to see Tinu's face just inches from mine, her eyes darting around like she was following something flying across my face.

"Sorry," was all she said, as she retreated away from me. "Just wanted to see your face from up close. Your eyes. . . they're really nice."

I didn't want to make it harder for her or make her even more nervous than she already was, so I didn't speak. It felt like we sat there for a long time. The playlist kept dishing out song after song after song and the lights were doing a good job of changing the mood; red, then it would be a shade of teal, and then lilac or turquoise, and then a light shade of green or something.

I reached down for the bottle of booze to take another swig but my hand made purchase with space. I looked down and it wasn't there.

"Uh-hmm." It was Tinu, apparently trying to make a point. I looked over and she held the bottle in one hand, shaking it and watching the clear liquid slosh around like a mini tsunami inside it.

"You know I could wrestle you for that, right?" I said, grinning and sitting up.

"And you'd lose." She moved the bottle closer to me. As I reached forward to take it, she pulled her arm back, removing it from my reach.

"I'll only have to pin you down with one arm," I proclaimed, turning my body and facing her directly. "I'd barely be touching you."

"Oh, no," she wailed sarcastically, pulling both arms to her chest in mock fear and defense. "I'm scared. Someone, please come to my aid. I'm so helpless."

I couldn't help but laugh. So, in one swift move, I reached out and held her where her forearms made contact with her chest. Then, I gently pushed her using part of my body weight until she fell on the couch and I shifted my weight to one knee so I was almost on top of her. I leaned in until our noses were almost touching. She was breathing through her mouth and I could feel it on the tip of my nose. Holding her gaze, I didn't say anything.

I reached down and gently slid the bottle out of her hand. She didn't resist. All she did was look at me. Like really look at me. And I had to move away because I didn't want to tempt her into something she would otherwise not want to do.

"Told you so," was the first thing that came to my head and that's what I said.

She sat up, didn't say anything and without warning, punched me in the arm hard enough that I felt it.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "What was that for?"

She afforded me no reply. She just stood up and walked away, fuming I presume, and I didn't know whether to get up and go after her or let her go. Jeez, I thought, I didn't even do anything.

I took another gulp from the bottle. It was almost empty.

"Oy. She's a girl, not a ragdoll. Handle with care!" I yelled in Sam's direction.