𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐄 ↝ 𝘢. 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳

4 | 𝙲𝙸𝙶𝙰𝚁𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚁𝚈

𝐈 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀 𝐁𝐎𝐗 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐎, put one in my mouth, and lit it up with a match. Taking hold of the vinyl version of the 1978 debut album from Kate Bush, I studied it for a while.

"I bet you call someone to ask Kate to sign it for you," I said. "I wish I could have had those power years ago, I wouldn't have to fight my ass over those people who also want Kate Bush to sign their vinyl for them."

"I did ring someone," he said.

I pouted at him. "It's called cheating. You are a weird one. Bragging yourself with a perfectly straight face."

He has his chin in his hand. I smoked half of my cigarette, then crushed it out in the ashtray. I rubbed my eyes as if smoke had gotten into them.

"Girls don't smoke, Marlboro," he chuckled.

"You smoked Djarum Cherry, Al." I turned the red Marlboro packet over and over in my hand. "Is it good, though?"

"The taste is initially cherry flavored, but after half of the cig, it becomes spicier. Do you want to try it?"

He peeled his eyes away from the cigarette that he just got out of his hand and looked at me. His brown eyes caught me off guard. They were so deep with emotion. I smile around the cigarette, looking at him as he tastes my cigarette.

A spicy blend of tobacco and topped with sweet wild cherries infiltrated every part of me. "Hand me my cigarette back, will ya?" he asked, amused at my reaction. He watched me snatch the cigarette out of my lips, leaning closer towards me. Our faces are an inch away, as his quiff touches my forehead.

I quickly put his cigarette back between his lips as he does the same, hiding my trembling fingers. I don't like it when he does that, just kiss me already. He moves his pretty face away from me.

I put my cigarette down, standing up from my position. Walking towards the old vinyl record he has in the living room, the what are you doing look on his face says it all.

"Can I put it on?" I asked.

"Go on," he stared at me, then smiled.

I placed the record on and moved the needle to start the song. It plays Wuthering Heights so loud through the empty room. I feel stuck, but at the same time free. As the music played and my body swayed in harmony, the mirrors in front of me mimicked every move flawlessly.

Out on the wily, windy moors
We'd roll and fall in green
You had a temper like my jealousy
Too hot, too greedy
How could you leave me
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you, I loved you, too

The scarf around my next start to wiggle around as I dance mimicking some sort of 70s superstar or Donna Sheridan in one of those scenes in Mamma Mia.

I move back over to Alex. He just blinks at me. His mouth twitching and the corners of his mouth turned up. "Dance with me, Al?" I asked.

"I'd love to dance with you," he said. I smiled and took off my scarf, putting it around his neck as he held my waist and we started dancing to the music.

We dance gracefully. It's not perfect, because it's just us. He spins me around gently, holding me as we dance in the empty room. We just stare at each other, lost in one another eyes, my heart is soaring right now like it's just us in a bubble.

We dance around each other. As the song goes on then he picks me up and spins me around before gently placing me back down. I pull him by the red scarf on his neck, making our faces a little bit closer. Our noses are almost touching, we link arms, and then I dip him down and kiss him.