Forbidden - Pedro Pascal

Chapter 7: "take them off"

The lights glowed in the theatre as the film ended, and I fiddled with my hair to ensure I didn't look to flustered leaving.

"Hey your fly's down," I flicked his zip, chuckling at him.

"Fuck," he looked around frantically at people clambering to leave, pulling it up and flushing a little red.

"Come on let's go," he squeezed my ass through my dress and I yelped, giggling and running out of the theatre.

"So, where to now?" He enquired as we strolled down the emptying back street.

"I'm staying at Oscar's penthouse, I think we're going there for an after party and then it's a free house tonight," he slipped his arm over my shoulder, pecking my cheek.

"Yeah I'd like that," I rested my head against his, but stopped in my tracks for a second.

"Wait, we can't," I sighed, running my hands through my hair and pulling it down.

"I didn't mean we have to do anything like that," He said intently and stroked my wispy bangs out of my face.

"No it's not that, we're supposed to be going clubbing remember, the whole cast is out celebrating the film release. We can't just disappear, people will notice,"

"Okay, let's go. We can turn up and stay for an hour or less, whatever you wanna do," his arms around my waist, leaving a kiss on my forehead. I glowed with happiness as he chatted on the phone for the limo.

I hopped from one foot to the other on the cobbled street, waiting for our ride, and winced at the soreness of my feet.

"Just take them off," he prodded gently at my silver heels.

"Jeez, a little forward Pedro," I joked, and he rolled his eyes as I slipped off my heels, passing them to him. He danced around on the pavement, swinging them playfully.

The limo was just as we left it, but the champagne had been refilled. I fiddled with the straps of my dress.

"Wait, I can't go to the club like this," I giggled, reaching for my bag that contained my earlier outfit of a skirt and lace top. Carefully I wriggled out of the dress, throwing on my original clothes. As I touched up my makeup in my pocket mirror I noticed Pedro watching, his head at an angle.

"What is it," I cocked my head at him. He looked away embarrassed.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes, that's all," he said softly. I covered my face, but secretly loved it.

"I could say the same to you," I quietly answered. Turning shyly, he shrugged off his shirt and changed into a black t shirt, his shadows of his back muscles muscles squirming under the dull lighting of the limo.

-

The clang of the cathedral bell echoed through the air, striking midnight. Despite all the lamps of the busy square, the moon shone so brightly it casted shadows onto the street as we walked up to the club doors, joining the queue.

In front of us in the line, I spotted Oscar and Enya, and my mouth gaped open, surprised at them together alone.

The thumping and strobe lights soothed me as I realised we were nearly not noticeable here. Speaking to other people, I realised I had lost Pedro in the sea of the crowd but was distracted by speaking to Timothée, having a dance with him and his close friends.

Eventually I bumped into my dad, with a woman I didn't recognise.

"Bye sweetheart,"

I was surprised he had even lasted until 1am. For some reason, a sense of freedom arose in me as it set in that he had left, and I crept over to the bar for a drink.

Enya ran up behind me, hugging me hard.

"Lily, you will never guess what," she shouted into my ear over the thud of the bass, shifting into the seat next to me.

"You and Oscar?"

She nodded, and we squeal excitedly. She tried to explain the details but it was too loud, so we headed out into the smoking area.

"I can't believe it," she beamed at me, lighting her cigarette. "We just hit it off straight away at your dads, he kissed me on the balcony. It was so romantic," she gushed, giggling like a little girl. "I think he's gonna come back to mine later, after the after party." She looked at me pleadingly.

"Come on, I know somethings going on with you and Pedro. Oscar thinks he's maybe, in love with you or something, and no one knows Pedro better," her eyes glittered in haze of the smoky air.

My stomach clenched with childlike excitement. "I mean, I have a lot to tell you. It all started like, 2 months ago-"

Seemingly out of thin air, I felt a tap on my shoulder and a light kiss on the side of my neck as hands swept my hair onto my shoulder. I spun round, and there stood Pedro, grinning underneath his dark moustache, with Oscar's hands on his shoulders.