Imagination- Part 3

PART 3
Authors Note: Again, make sure to check out Heroin!

Another look was given to the mirror, checking my appearance for the millionth time. I leaned in, applying just a bit more eyeliner. I had debated between dark makeup or the barely there look. I compromised with barely there, but black eyeliner, bringing out the deep chocolate of my eyes. A tad extra mascara, another fluff of the hair to bring out the natural curl a little more, spritz of hair spray and I was on my way out the door.
I wore black skinny jeans, a deep red baby-doll shirt with “They’re real, the shirt is fake” scrawled in white across the front. I’d always thought it was amusing and people usually smiled when they saw it. I was going to a bar after all, why not have some fun?
I grabbed ID, keys, purse and money and was on my way to the bar.
Visions is a cool club, lots of chrome and blue lights. I loved the place and always enjoyed going there. They played great music, always had good drink specials and the guys were always hot. Tonight, if he showed up, there would be a totally hot guy for me to watch.
When I arrived, I walked in and looked around, standing on tip toe to see if I could spot the man I was supposed to meet there. I finally spotted him at about the same time he spotted me. A smile slipped across his lips as he made his way toward me. A black leather jacket, black t-shirt and black jeans graced his form. His hair was in its usual disarray and he had almost a full beard and mustache. I wondered how long he’d been letting it grow.
He gave me the once over, looking me up and down. “Good thing you were on time, I would have hated to have to hunt you down.” He almost had to yell over the sound of the music.
“Well I thought I should do my best to impress you at first, later I can piss you off.” I replied. He gave me a frown that slid into an eye-catching smile as he held out his hand, ushering me in front of him.
“Your table awaits,” he said as we weaved through the crowd of people over to a somewhat hidden corner.
I expected to see the rest of the group and maybe Meg, but it was just us and I turned looking at him.
“They didn’t come?”
“Were they supposed to?”
“I thought….”
“Nope, just me, disappointed?” His brow arched.
“Well ya know I was hoping to see your brother, he is the cute one,” I teased, looking right at him. He rolled his eyes.
“Oh you brat, sit down.” Ha. Score one for me. I slid into the booth, with him following me. It was one of those large round booths meant for a group, and it was just us.
He rested his elbows on the table and looked over at me. I did the same, interlocking my fingers together.
“So…” I said as I looked at him. His eyes were a hazel color, brown with green rimming the edges, they were beautiful really, not as intense as his brothers cerulean blues, but still gorgeous. He had nice bowed lips too, the bottom lip slightly fuller than the top. I found myself staring at them, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Diverting my gaze back at him, I felt my cheeks flush red and he grinned then, seemingly proud of himself without doing anything at all.
“I need a beer.” I blurted out. He waved a waitress over and ordered us both a beer. I took a quick glance around the bar before I looked at him again.
“So you’re going to school me in the art of photography?” I asked, turning slightly in the booth to face him. It was just a little quieter here so we didn’t have to yell… as much.
“I thought we’d get to know each other a little better before I humiliate you”
“Oh well thank you so much”
“So Karen right?”
“Yeah, most of my friends call me K, they’re too lazy to say my entire name.”
“Maybe you need new friends, but, I think K fits you better.” He commented as our beers were dropped off to us. I took mine and placed it against my lips, taking a long pull from it.
“Well thank you,” I grinned, gripping the bottle between my hands. “Can I call you Shanny?” He groaned.
“Not if you expect me to answer.” We both laughed and I could tell we were going to get along fine.
We spent most of the night talking about his career, my career, music, art and life in general. We had a lot in common, from our interest in photography down to favorite cartoons as kids. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of ribbing, insults thrown back and forth as well as sarcasm. We were having a good time and no one paid us any attention.
At 4 a.m. we finally left the bar and headed for a small diner he said had great breakfast. We walked, both of us tucking our hands in our pockets and talked the entire time. While we ate pancakes and had coffee, he told me about the paparazzi and how it bothered him that Jared, and sometimes the rest of them, could barely have a quiet night alone. I agreed with him. I photograph weddings; people hire me to catch intimate moments of their life for that one day. I didn’t try and sneak into people’s lives. I couldn’t imagine how it must be to live his life, the constant traveling, girls, people demanding your time. I asked him about touring, he asked me about growing up in Buffalo, I asked him about Louisiana. It was constant back and forth, sometimes we’d both get so excited that we’d burst into laughter.
As the sky began to lighten with sunrise, he looked at me with a smile.
“Well how about we go catch the sunrise on boardwalk and I’ll cuss you out?” he asked with a grin. I nodded, throwing down a couple dollars for the tip while he paid for breakfast.
“Always up for a good cussing.”
Darkness was fading away with light blues, the clouds spreading out along the horizon, streaking it with their marks. Shades of orange, pink, lighter reds and even faded violet filled the sky. I think it might have been even more breathtaking than the sunset two days earlier.
We walked down the boardwalk to almost the same place where he’d given me three kinds of hell and stopped. I leaned against the railing, hands resting on the cool metal bars.
“Amazing isn’t it, that the day begins as beautiful as it ended.” I commented. I felt him slip up behind me and he placed a hand on each side of me, grasping the railing. His chin was placed on my shoulder as he spoke.
“Today is the first day of the rest of your life,” he said quietly. His breath tickled my ear, much like it had at my place. I tilted my head just slightly, resting it against the side of his.
“A little cliché but true. Now the question is, how are you going to use it?” I countered, using another cliché but it seemed appropriate. We stood that way for awhile and then his hands moved from the railing to my waist, arms locking around me as his lips touched my cheek.
“I think we’ll start here,” he whispered. I felt a chill that went from head to toe, like someone had flipped a switch and I was alive. Every part of my body that he touched felt energized. It was like taking a breath for the first time. Every scent, every sound, the feel of my heart in my chest, the blood rushing in my ears, every single detail was crystal clear. He pulled me tighter against him then with his left hand as his right lifted, turning my face just slightly as he leaned in and kissed me. I held my breath, not sure what exactly to expect. It was soft, a brush of lips against mine. The rough stubble of his mustache slid along my upper lip and gave me chills once more.
I shifted my body enough that I could lay my hand on the side of his face, the rough stubble of his cheek scratching my palm. The kiss continued, tongues teasing, each of us taking turns to nibble at the others lips, and finally to pull apart slowly.
Our eyes were locked then, my dark brown with his hazel-green. The hand that had turned my chin was now on the side of my face, much the same way I touched him.
“Tired yet?” he asked, his voice soft. I felt the smile slide onto my face.
“Are you?”
“I asked you first.”
“True but I think you should answer first.”
“Woman… you’re testing my patience,” his voice held a playful growl that made my knees weak.
“No I’m not tired, and if I was, you’d hold me up.” I stated.
“Damn right,” he said as he kissed me again. It was deeper than his first kiss and I knew right then, that Shannon was going to change everything I’d thought I wanted and everything I thought I knew.