Blue Moon (gxg)

July 2 - It's just a kiss, after all (3)

As Mary said those words...
"I dare you to kiss Bella."

Everyone exclaimed in amusement while I became pale and began to sweat.

I looked at Bella out of the corner of my eye, and she stared unfazed at Mary.
Strangely, it seemed that the dare had not made her uncomfortable at all.

However, I blushed, and I didn't move an inch from my position.
"Come on, guys, stop embarrass her! She just said she has never done it..." Mary exclaimed and then laughed.

I turned my face toward my fiancé: "You have to, it's a dare." He said, giggling in amusement.
"Yes, Ellie, you chose dare, after all..." Mary added, provoking me with her eyes to move.

I looked at Bella to catch even the slightest sign of agreement or disagreement, but again, she seemed not embarrassed at all by the situation.
She didn't lose the slightest bit of self-control.

How does she do that, anyway?

After several recalls from everyone (but not from her) I timidly attempted to get up.
Bella evidently got the message and moved confidently to the empty part of the couch.
I swallowed nervously.

We were now facing each other.
Bella and I.
Her bun was still composed, but strands of her red hair fell gracefully over her face.
Her hair must have been long enough to do that kind of hairstyle.

I looked into her eyes and she smiled at me confidently and sweetly.
That made me feel comfortable.

"Please, don't let it be just a peck on the lips... otherwise, I could kiss everyone here! No fucking doubt!" Mary exclaimed, totally intoxicated with alcohol.

I blushed so much at that point...

"Yeah, we know that, Mary." Bella replied, exasperated.

It was clear that Bella and I were the only lucid and not drunk people among all of them.

Everyone shut up and stared at us, which made me feel very uncomfortable again.
My entire face had probably turned red, my throat, on the other hand, was dry.

I don't know why, but when I turned again toward Bella, her eyes inspired confidence in me.
It was strange how they were almost warmly hypnotic.

I sighed deeply.
After all, it was just a kiss, I thought.
Just a kiss.

I think Bella was waiting for me to feel a little more comfortable.
"May I?" She whispered when I calmed down a little.
She said it so softly that I was probably the only one who heard it.

I think she understood that I would not move first.
I think I stopped breathing for a couple of seconds, too.

I took a breath and I nodded shyly to her.
Bella approached her face towards me slowly and gently;I was frozen with embarrassment.
I pleasantly smelled her spicy perfume as I felt her breath close to my lips.

The tips of our noses brushed lightly against each other, then very slowly our lips met...
It was a very gentle kiss, two shy lips touching each other not sure how to act properly.

Then it deepened, becoming unexpectedly wet.
I felt a strange shiver.
My lips trembled whenever hers paused for a moment to catch their breath.
And then they would return to softly envelop each other.

It felt like an eternity... and somehow, I didn't mind at all.

Her trembling hand suddenly came closer to my face, and her fingertips gently touched under my cheek.
That unexpected, delicate contact made me shivered again, yet it also brought me back to reality.

I pulled away first, quickly, in a way I hadn't anticipated.
Blinking, and catching my breath, I returned to reality.

When I looked up in confusion, Bella had a graceful, serene expression.
She was still standing with her eyes half-closed and her lips slightly open.
I noticed how amber they were, and how they almost glittered in a surprising way.

I was so shocked and stunned for some reason.

I looked closely at ther face: I saw her mascara, her long lashes, her black and dark pink eyeshadow, her eye-liner.
Her gold hoop earrings moved gracefully following the slight shift of her head.
She had two in each ear.

Now that I can clearly see her expression,
I had the feeling that she was surprised or disappointed. 
I didn't understand whether in a positive or negative way.

I promptly lowered my gaze to the floor because I could sense everyone's gazes on us.
And Bella's gaze on me.

Someone started clapping, the tension subsided and they all laughed.
I quickly returned to my seat and Joe smiled amusedly at me.
I was too embarrassed to look at everyone, so I just stared directly to the floor.

Yet, I kept sensing Bella's enigmatic gaze in my direction.
It was as if her eyes were drawing me in, igniting a mix of curiosity and warmth.
My cheeks flushed.

After a short time we thankfully left the disco and said our goodbyes for the night.
I finally felt the outside air on my face and I breathed a sign of relief.

When I awkwardly whispered my good night, I took notice if Bella answered me, and she did...
I was still too embarrassed but she smiled sweetly at me and said good night.

The other friends would leave the next morning,
Bella and her boyfriend Leo would be staying until the wedding day, so I didn't want any kind of awkwardness between us.

I breathed a sigh of relief, again... the night was over and I could finally rest.

"Yeah! It was a hella good night baby!" Joe exclaimed to me, we were already outside the disco but he was still screaming.
Again he said that more as a statement than a question.

His face was red and kept laughing for no real reason.
"Sure... but now I want to enjoy our vacation." I suggested.
Sure we will now.

I had to hold him up a couple of times as
we went to our room.
As I took off my shoes, Joe jumped on the bed and started undressing while lying down.

He was definitely drunk between the pre-evening cocktails and the shots during the games.
"These are going to be... fun days with... shit—" Joe stopped himself and laughed out loud.

Something in the way he spoke felt unclear, as if he was saying something he shouldn't have.
I decided not to give importance to his words... he was just drunk, right?

I helped him take off his shoes and shirt.
I said good night to him, gave him a kiss on his forehead and I finally went to the bathroom.

When I looked in the mirror I was very tired.
Then, I noticed something: the lipstick I had put on that afternoon had blended with the one Bella was wearing, which was a much deeper, more opaque burgundy.

Strange how the first time I ever talked to her turned into a kiss... not to mention it was the first time I kissed a girl...
This night definitely didn't work out as I thought it would.

I touched my lips with my index finger to outline them, but realized that the only lips I was thinking about were hers...

I sighed deeply, something strange going on, then I laughed, embarrassed, shaking my head at those thoughts.

I took off my makeup, washed my face with copious amounts of cold water, tied up the hair and crawled into bed.
I hugged Joe in the shadows of the night, gazing thoughtfully out the window to my right, overlooking the sea.

That day it was as if I had lived two lives in one day.
What the hell was I going to do in those seven days?

It was 2 am.
I realized it was July 2; in six days, I would be married to Joe.