It All Started With A Payback

Eleven: Purple with Jealousy

            dedicated to penyoung

"Bastard," Louie heard the female voice first. It was immediately followed by the receding sound of heels clicking angrily on the pavement. The owner clearly wanted to get as far from where he was still entangled in a passionate kiss, as she could in her three inch heels.

If it weren't for Tori's palms slightly pushing his shoulders, he wouldn't have thought of letting go of her. He knew her enough to know that she had no intention of kissing him. She was just teaching Vanessa a lesson and he just happened to be a very effective visual aid. But the pull of her desirable lips and her palm gliding sensuously up his chest was too much temptation to resist.

It felt like he waited an eternity to get to where he was and he just wasn't ready to let go yet. Not when Tori initially responded to his kiss with as much ardor as she would permit. He could still remember how blown away he always was when she wasn't holding anything back and he feared that he would go crazy even before that day comes again.

She pushed a little harder and with great reluctance he let her go but not without giving her a fleeting kiss first. He hugged her tightly against his chest.

"You have absolutely no idea how much I've missed you," he whispered against her temple.

She pulled away from his embrace, "Yeah, sure." She said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "I bet not as much as you missed Vanessa."

It still amazed him that her moods could change so swiftly that he always found himself barely catching up, although that shouldn't have come as a surprise anymore.

Louie didn't know whether to be grateful to Vanessa for giving him an opportunity to steal a kiss from Tori or to strangle the woman. But damn his ex, she had just hindered his progress. Judging by the way the feisty (but undeniably captivating AND desirable) woman in front of him was acting, his ex probably yanked him back five yards because of what she said and did.

Tori would never admit it, but even the most imbecile person in the world would know how much his ex's presence affected Tori. Lucky for him, Tori's method of retaliating benefitted him. But now that Vanessa was no longer there, he needed to undo the damage she did.

When Tori gave him another chance, he had adopted a mentality that he was an employee on probation. Any and all wrong moves will have his 'career' teetering on the brink of non-existence. He really hoped that it was the last time they were going to cross paths with one of his exes. He was fairly certain that no matter how hard he tried not to, he was bound to screw up and upset Tori one way or another, the last thing he needed was another reason for Tori to reconsider hiring him for good.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Tori didn't pull her hand away when he took it, "Tori, you heard her, I haven't seen her in a while and that's because I don't want to." He brought her hand to his lips and he uttered a silent thank you when he saw the hard expression on her face softened at little bit.

He was hardly making headway, but he would rather advance one yard at a time than not make any progress. He didn't let go of her hand as he pulled her small luggage with the other and led her to where his car was parked. She still wasn't talking to him but at least her small hand was still clasped in his bigger one.

The traffic was moving at its usual turtle-like pace. The motorcycles and cars still swerved from one lane to the other like snakes slithering on a forest floor. Under normal circumstance, he would be uttering curses like a sailor. But not today. He was too damn happy to be affected by undisciplined motorists.

He never imagined that there will ever be a day when he would actually enjoy being stuck in a traffic jam. But there he was, his hand loosely holding the steering wheel while the fingers of his other hand were intertwined with Tori's. Every now and then he would glance at their hands then at her face and a sense of profound happiness and contentment would fill him.