The Iron Soldier: A FourTris Divergent Story

Chapter 12

AN: Well, this is it. The one everyone has been waiting for. Please let me know what you think. Reviews keep me motivated to keep going. I am an aspiring romance writer, so I really want to know if this scene touched you at all or if it was too cheesy.

It's dark in the makeshift kissing booth. I'm blindfolded and extremely nervous. There are light voices outside, but they are too muffled to make them out. I can't wait till this is over and I never have to think about it again.

"Beatrice?" The nurse peaks her head through the curtain. "Are you ready?"

I exhale through pursed lips. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Great. I'm right outside the curtain. If you feel uncomfortable, just call me. My name is Vivian."

If I feel uncomfortable? Is she kidding? I haven't been comfortable since I agreed to this insane activity. Vivian withdrew her head as I take deep breaths to calm my nerves. My mind is racing. Every possible outcome is floating through my mind. Everything from my father showing up to rescue me from the embarrassment of no one else bidding, to Prince Charming pushing his was past the curtain holding a glass slipper. Wow, I am pathetic.

The curtain rustles and two footsteps follow. I'm no longer alone. I've been instructed not to speak. In order for the bidders to be completely anonymous, they won't speak either to prevent any voice recognition. This is killing me.

The footsteps come closer. Close enough to touch. I can hear a steady breathing and my head feels light. I think I might pass out.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this." I break the rule and speak. I need some air, and fast. My hands are reaching for my blindfold. I need to get out of here, but I need to be able to see where I'm going.

Before my hands reach the fabric covering my eyes, I feel long fingers close around my wrists, lowering my hands to my sides. My hands are not freed by my sides. The long fingers move from my wrists to my hands, gently holding them in place by my sides. The hold is strangely comforting. There is no force to keep my hands down. I could easily pull away if I wanted to.

My breathing has slowed. This stranger has calmed me with only a slight touch and I realize it wasn't the actual kiss I was afraid of, but how the bidder would go about claiming the purchase. If it had been forcibly stolen from me, like each kiss Al had taken, I would feel violated. But I'm surprised how calm I feel. This person, whoever they are, doesn't want me to feel disrespected.

The fingers finally release my hands, no longer afraid I'll remove the blindfold. I remain still, trying to portray that I am okay to proceed.

Fingertips gently brush along my cheek then burry themselves in the hair behind my ear. I tremble. This feels far more intimate than a stranger kissing a volunteer for a charity should.

All of my senses are awake. I can't believe it, but I actually want this person to kiss me. We are surrounded by silence, only broken by the sounds of our breathing and the volume of my heartbeat sounding through my head. I feel warm breath against my face. I lick my lips in anticipation of what's to come. But is doesn't.

The heat between our two bodies suddenly turns cold. The sound of shoes tapping the floor confirms my bidder and stepped back. The curtain rustles.

"Wait!" I protest. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"

The painful feeling of rejection rises from my chest. Even for charity, a decent person won't kiss me.

The room is completely silent around me. Am I alone? Against my will, a single tear slides down my cheek.

And then, there are hands on each side of my face, cradling my chin, coaxing me closer. My lips come in contact with another soft pair. The kiss is slow, testing my reaction, like a shy first kiss shared by a couple uncertain of the others feelings.

I've successfully completed my commitment to the charity. I should pull away and allow my companion to leave now. But I don't. Instead I breath in deeply, reach my arms out and wrap them around the waist of the body in front of me. The soft lips find mine again, this time without fear. The kiss intensifies with each passing moment as neither of us pull away. That is until I reach my arms up to rest on two strong shoulders. My fingertips barely graze a stubbly jawline before my wrists are captured again and returned to my sides.

He holds my hands low again as his forehead comes to a rest on mine. His lips barely brush mine one more time. Something is slipped into my hand, and then he's gone.

I pull my blindfold down around my neck. The tiny tent is still. In my hand is a paper flower made from a white napkin. The stem is twisted tight with the exception of a loose section pulled out to look like a single leaf. The petals of the flower are layered loosely into a partial opened rose bloom.

My heart is still racing when I step out of the tent. I scan the few people standing nearby, but none could be my auction bidder. Not that I expected him to be there. Why would someone go through the trouble of staying anonymous just to stick around to be identified a moment later? He doesn't want me to know who he is.

I should just let it go. Sure, it was a great kiss, but it was done to raise money for sick children. It wasn't supposed to mean anything. It didn't mean anything. I can admit to myself that is did bring a flutter to my stomach and make me aware of parts of my body I have ignored for the last few years. But how could I feel something for someone I don't even know? I just need to get it out of my head.

Vivian waves to me from a nearby table. "How did it go?"

"Oh, fine." My face begins to turn red.

"Oh good. I was a little worried about the blindfold thing. I was worried some may abuse it. But it sounds like it just gave some strength to the shy type."

"Oh, so everyone else had a good experience to?"

"Well, to be honest, you were the only one who had to wear it. Everyone else's kisses were out in the open on stage." She points to the bandstand where Christina and Will are kissing in front of a cheering crowd.

"Oh." It takes no time at all to realize, I'd be even more nervous up there, in front of everyone, than I was kissing a stranger in privacy. Obviously, not an issue for Christina as she and Will are still going at it when I look back.

"Aren't those two adorable? They each bid on each other." Vivian is practically gushing.

"Yeah, so adorable." I roll my eyes, making Vivian let out a low laugh.

"Don't worry Beatrice. Love will find you one day to. Usually when you least expect it."

"I have no interest in love. I just want to graduate and become a great reporter, for now anyway."

The nurse smiles sweetly. "Well, that is a wonderful goal. Unfortunately, life doesn't always go as planned. If you happen to meet the right person, it will happen regardless of your five year plan."

I like the thought of being in love. Having someone to hold when I'm down, and someone I can truly be myself with. Christina has that with Will. They really are great together, and though her studies are not as important to her now as they used to be, I know she is a happier person with him in her life. So she may not be an A+ student anymore, but she is still a solid A-. And, most importantly, she is so happy. I want to be happy to.

"I can't imagine anyone ever feeling that way about me." Will and Christina are embracing now and a tinge of jealousy can be heard in my voice.

"Well, someone out there liked you enough to pay $1,000 to kiss you."

I perk up immediately. "Really?" And then it hits me. Was that Al's way of apologizing? Who else would pay that much for a single kiss? From me?

One thing is certain. If it was Al, I really need to apologize. And if it wasn't, someone out there thinks I'm something special.

I want to be an investigative reporter. I should easily be able to figure out who my mystery kisser is. I touch my fingers to my lips, remembering the feeling of his touch, and his lips on mine. I have to find out who he is, because I can think of nothing else but being kissed by him again.