Photo Finish

The Bridge

     Six o'clock -ish we arrived at the airport -- heavy on the -ish. Em and Damon were there to greet us. Em started screaming and bounding toward me. She almost knocked me over as she launched herself onto my person. Dae chuckled at the encounter, then introduced himself to my brother. I saw Damon pull him forward with a dangerous look on his face. He whispered something into the actor's ear.
     "Damon, don't be rude," I called, breaking free from my friend's grasp.
     Damon eyed me, shook Dae's hand, then shoved his hands in his pockets. I laughed at his pouting face. I tapped Dae on the shoulder.
     "He's just jealous," I explained.
     "I am not! I'm more handsome, right baby?" Damon asked desperately.
     "Of course," Em reassures, latching onto the man's arm.
     "When are we going to the cabin? I'm excited to see it!" I bounced excitedly.
     "Right now. The car's just this way," Emilia said, pulling my brother toward the parking garage outside.
     Damon drove, Emilia was in the passenger seat, and Dae and I were packed in the back. All of our luggage was piled around us, pushing us closer and closer together. Damon took a hard turn and I went flying toward the actor. He caught me, deflecting some falling luggage, until we were riding straight again. I was up against his chest. I could hear his heart pounding.
     "Sorry," I whispered, trying to get myself up.
     Dae tightened his grip around my body, keeping me close. His shining eyes stared down at me fondly. "It's okay."
     I smiled, leaning my head slowly onto his shoulder. Damon looked into the rear view mirror. Emilia turned back. I heard a click and opened my eyes.
     "Delete that!" I exclaimed, dashing for the phone.
     Emilia held the device toward the windshield, keeping it out of my grasp. "Never!"
     "Guys, settle down. We're here."
     I looked out the window at the mountains in the distance. I smiled, watching the snow covered trees whoosh by. The ground was covered in white and the sky was a pale blue. The cabin appeared through the pines. It was a lob cabin, very luxe. We parked in the small garage separated from the home. I got out and stretched.
     The whole cabin was on a hill. There was a small frozen stream separating it from where we were. The only way across was a cobblestone bridge. Past that was matching steps up to another stone platform surrounding the front of the house. Some of the exterior design, like columns and the chimney, were also stone. The rest was a cherry wood, very posh.
     "Here, start taking stuff in," Damon said, pulling out one of my suitcases.
     I took my suitcases and my carryon and started over the bridge. The wheels of my luggage rattled behind me as I made my way across the stream and up the stairs. The overarching roof protruded from the main building, making a sort of canopy in front of the door. I took hold of the thick branch door handle and entered the cabin.
     I gasped, looking all the way up to the fifteen foot ceiling. There were columns everywhere inside, big windows lined the walls in between them. I took another step in, staring at the rustic furniture. The sofa had a unique print, and so did all the chairs. Above the fireplace was a grand clock constantly ticking. The coffee table looked like it was cut right out of the tree it was born from, and the pictures portrayed the nature around the building in every season.
     "Woah!" I exclaimed, dropping my things and running into the kitchen.
     The kitchen was they same. The kitchen counter looked like the matching half to the coffee table but bigger, the cabinets were a pretty cherry wood color just like the exterior of the house, and the appliances were all state of the art. It was like I had entered a fantasy world. I noticed Dae had followed my little escapade. I looked at him, then giggled.
     "I'm embarrassed..." I mumbled.
     "Don't be. It's cute," he stated suddenly.
     My heart skipped a beat. "Really?"
     "Yeah. Should we see our room?" He asked, motioning to the stairs.
     I gulped and nodded. 'Get your mind out of the gutter!' I scolded myself. 'Nothing is going to happen anyway.'
     I went for my luggage and accompanied him up the steps. We followed the short hall to a large space. On either side was two rooms, one for us and one for the other pair. We took first pick and took the one on the right. We opened the door to a warmly lit room. There was one king sized canopy bed in the center of the side wall with white mesh curtains, and across that was a big window with a view of the mountains. Beyond that was a brass bathtub for two.
     "That's what she meant about each room gets their own bathroom," I commented.
     Dae stepped in, placing his luggage next to the bed. He sat on the white comforter and bounced a few times. He took one of the amber colored throw pillows onto his lap and smiled.
Looking around he stated, "I like it."
     "It is cute. The closet is cute too," I agreed, walking over to the closet next to the window. I opened its dark folding door and glanced around.
     "Don't tell me you're getting nervous." Dae chuckled.
     I snapped my gaze toward him. He smirked and lay back on the mattress. I slowly approached him. He stretched his arms out to his sides and cocked his head toward me. He smiled, then shut his eyes with a sigh. My eyes trailed from his perfect face down to his body, then a little lower. My face heated up as I got closer. I sat next to him. He turned his head from me, a piece of hair popping out of place. I leaned over and went to move it back. Dae grabbed my hand and opened his eyes.
     "Caught ya," he said, and flipped my onto my back.
     I laughed, trying to push him off. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the bed. I kicked my legs, trying to move his muscular body from me.
     "No escape now," he threatened, then started tickling me.
     "No! Stop! Ah!" I exclaimed, trying to defend myself.
     "Ladybug! I'm coming! It's okay!" Damon burst into the room.
     Dae looked back. I peeked out from under him and waved.
     "Hi, Damon. What'd you need?" I asked. "What's with the shovel?"
     "Oh, this?" Damon referred to the spade, then shoved it behind his back with an awkward grin. "That's nothing. Sorry for interrupting. Please continue."
     He quickly rushed out of the room and shut the door behind him. I could hear Em yelling at him from outside. Dae and I both burst out laughing. He fell next to me, his arms out. I shimmied closer and rested my head on his bicep.
     "What time is it? We should probably get ready for dinner," I advised, sitting up.
     Dae quickly pulled me back down and rolled over, his leg over my waist. "Just a couple more minutes, then we'll get ready."
     "I didn't know you had this kind of side to you. It's cute."
     "I'm not cute, I'm manly," he whined with a pout.
     I smiled, rolling on my side. "Right. So manly."
     Knock knock!
     "Hey, are you guys getting ready?"
     "Yeah!" I called, moving Dae's leg and going to the door. I peeked through.
     "You aren't going in that, are you?" Em asked, eyeing my outfit.
     I scanned her glittery black cocktail dress, then looked down at myself. Em sighed and pulled me out.
     "I expected this. Come with me."
     She dragged me to her room and pulled out a dress from the closet. The area was filled to the brim with clothing like they were staying for a while. She held up the dress and found a matching pair of heels.
     "Put this on."
     I took the clothing and went over to the bathroom portion of the room. I looked around, trying to find some way to conceal myself while changing. Damon was on the bed scanning his phone. He must've noticed my dilemma.
     "It's on the wall. Pull it out," he said.
     I looked at the white clump of wood against the wall next to me and grabbed the handle. I pulled it from its resting place all the way to the other wall. I felt so smart, figuring it out.
     "Oh! It's a door," I said.
     "It's an accordion door. You have one in your room too."
     I sighed in relief.
     "Although I'm sure you don't mind the openness," Emilia said, emphasizing 'openness.'
     "I don't want to hear this!" Damon shouted.
     "Well, you're not wrong," I murmured.
     "Change and get done. We'll be late!"
     I changed into the outfit and slipped on my heels. Looking in the mirror, I realized how well the dress fit me. It was a knee length dress with a slit in the side up to my mid thigh. The top half was black and short sleeved, while the skirt was a dusty pink with a black boarder lining the hem and the opening in the leg. To match was a pair of black Mary Jane platforms. I smiled, giving a twirl.
    "Ready!" I called and drew the door open.
     Emilia gave an approving whistle and Damon nodded in satisfaction. The two walked out of the room with me. At the same time, Dae emerged as well. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. The black suit he wore fit him like a glove, accentuating every curve he was blessed with; so did his pants. The white button up underneath was accompanied by a dusty pink tie, matching my outfit, and a white handkerchief. He fixed his cuffs and looked up at me with a smirk. It was though I had seen everything in slow motion. My mind wasn't able to keep up.
     "Ladybug?" Damon asked, waving a hand in front of my eyes.
     I jumped, then shook my head.
     "Right, sorry. Let's go."
     "Wait! I almost forgot!" Em said, suddenly running back into the room. She emerged a second later with a white fur coat. "Wear this. It's cold outside."
     She draped the fuzzy coat over my shoulders. I fixed the puffy cuffs and buttoned it together. It was so warm and cozy.
     "I can't, Em, this is your favorite," I started.
     "Don't worry, I have another one in black. See?" She pulled out another coat from behind her back and put it on. "Now we match!"
     I giggled. "Let's go!"
     Again, we were back in the car. Dae and I had a little more room since the luggage was gone, but we still stuck together. He stretched out his arm along the back of the seat. Occasionally I could feel his fingers gently playing with a few sprouts of my hair.  I watched him for a while, making eye contact a few times with him along the way. Eventually, we pulled up to the fancy restaurant. Damon parked in valet and got the door for Emilia. I went for the door as well, but Dae stopped me. He ran around the vehicle and opened the door. Taking my hand, he pulled me to my feet. After we were all out, Damon handed the keys to the valet driver. 
     "Um, Em?" I asked nervously.
     "Yeah?!" Em called over the loud music from within the building.
     "Why are we at a club? Weren't we going to a fancy dinner?"
     "Did I say that? Oops. Sorry! Let's just have some fun!" She exclaimed, dragging Damon along.
     Dae held out his arm, glancing at me.
     "Let's enter this as elegantly as possible. And whatever you do, don't get run over," he said.
     "Right," I replied, taking his arm nervously.
     We walked past the red rope and down the red carpet. A big, bald man was standing in front of the entrance. He glanced down at us through his shades. Dae straightened, taking my hand and showing it to the bouncer.
     "Dae Lee and Laurraine Yao? Please come in!" He exclaimed excitedly.
     Instead of cursing us out, the entire line of waiting partiers erupted in cries of joy. Feeling uncomfortable, I held tight to Dae until we were inside. I tapped my friend's arm.
     "What was that?" I asked as we descended the stairs.
     "We're famous now. Since your company is making this movie, it's blown up on social media. Everyone knows about it"
     "Really? That's cool."
     We made our way through the migrating crowd and over to a booth where our comrades were sitting. Em had a champagne cocktail sitting in front of her, while Damon didn't have anything. I scooched in next to my friend, while Dae sat next to Damon.
     "It's about time you guys got in!" Em shouted.
     "Something happened outside," I replied.
     "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's okay if you're scared!"
     "I wasn't scared. I'm going to get a drink." I stood from the booth, leaving my coat next to Emilia.
     "I'll come too."
     Dae took my hand and walked me over to the bar. The handsome bartender turned around, a rag in his hands, and set a cup onto the counter. He flipped the rag onto his shoulder and leaned over the counter until our noses almost touched. My face was blank. The tender gave me a smirk.
     "Hey, babe. What can I get ya?" He asked.
     "I'll take two to three feet of distance between us, please," I replied coolly.
     "Fine, fine. What can I get you?" He went back to cleaning his cup.
     "Can I get a coke spritzer?"
     "Yep. And you, dude?"
     "Whiskey on the rocks, thanks," Dae said, followed by a small nod.
     "Take it hard, huh? I figured." I turned to him, resting my head on my hand.
     He did the same with a smile.
     "Yeah, what can I say? I like it that way," he replied provocatively.
     As I stared into the male's eyes, my mind began to wander. My face heated up as I suddenly had entered the gutters. I envisioned a sharp gasp, smooth and sexy.
     "Ma'am?"
     I jumped and snapped my gaze to the bartender. He set down my spritzer, then Dae's whiskey. I thanked him and took a big gulp of the drink. The fizz mixed with liquor was refreshing, and ultimately mesmerizing. I stood from the bar. Dae followed me back to the booth. I looked around.
     "Where did they go?" I asked him, finding our booth empty.
     Dae glanced around until his gaze fixed onto the dance floor. He pointed at a pair of people dancing together.
     "There they are," he said.
     "That looks fun," I ogled. "Let's finish our drinks and join them!"
     "Bottoms up," Dae toasted, then downed his drink.
     I chugged the rest of my coke mix and set the glass cup on the table. Dae held out his hand and unbuttoned his blazer. I smiled, taking up his offer.
     We walked out onto the screen floor. I couldn't help but stare at it a moment. It was a complete digital screen we were standing on with blue and pink squares floating around in it. Mixed with the strobe lights on the ceiling, the mood went from awkward to awesome real fast. We both got down and dirty with it. People began to move closer as others joined the crowd. We were pushed closer together until I felt someone's hind end knock into me. I flew forward. I fell against a hard surface, which I only assumed could be the floor. But when did floors have abs? A pair of muscular arms wrapped themselves around me. I looked up. Dae was looking down at me with his sweet, concerned eyes. I smiled, feeling the alcohol kicking in.
     "Are you okay?" He asked, still dancing with me in his arms.
     "Yeah!" I called, looking back. Em was staring at me as she danced, obviously implying that she was the one who pushed me. "I'm great."
     By the time we were all tired or passed out drunk, the club was closing and we had spent at least two hundred dollars. I was the one passed out drunk in the back of Damon's car. My head was on Dae's lap as we drove back to the cabin. The next thing I knew, I was drooling on the couch. I heard fumbling in the kitchen and upstairs. I assumed Em and Damon were 'having fun' seeing how loud it was. Dae was also not in sight.
     I sat up and rubbed my head. I looked around once more to see if anyone was in the immediate vicinity. No one was around, but I noticed something strange. Only Em's black coat was hanging on the coat rack, and not the white one she had leant me. I sighed.
     "I better go get it. I don't want it stolen."
     I stood from my seat and went over to the door. I slipped on a pair of snow boots and grabbed the car keys from the bench. I stepped out on the porch, I noticed someone rocking in one of the rocking chairs. Dae was sitting in silence with a hot chocolate. He looked up at me as I exited the cabin.
     "Hey, are you awake?" He asked.
     "Yeah. What time is it?"
     "It's around one in the morning—give or take a few. What are you doing out here dressed like that?"
     "I left something in the car. I'll be back in a few minutes." I waved and started down the stairs.
     "Be careful! It's slippery!" Dae called.
     "Yep!"
     I went across the bridge and down the path to the car. It was unlocked, of course. I quickly grabbed the coat and started my way back to the cabin. I must've been moving too fast. I shouldn't have ran that path. I knew it was slippery.
     "Oh, it's cold!" I said to myself as I sprinted up the steep hill path and over to the bridge. The stone overpass was just a mere foot away. Why did it have to be so slippery? "Ah!"
     I felt my foot slip from under me, flinging my sideways. I grabbed for the bridge, but to no avail. My fingertips just grazed the side of the railing. I went tumbling down the cliff side and onto the ice. I heard the crack of the ice breaking. My heart raced and my stomach rose to my throat. I was afraid to breath, to move, to do anything. The ice must not have been thick enough, and I didn't think I was that heavy. After all the liquor, I wouldn't doubt it though.
     I tried to move my foot, gasping at the pain that shot through my leg. I must've sprained it falling down the hill. Bad news: I couldn't move. If I fell in, I would surely die.
     "He..help me..." I breathed out, the chill of death crawling up my spine.