1.3 - Tall, Dark and Handsome

“Thanks for not bailing on me tonight.” Shelby said as she wrapped her long graceful arms around Amiee for a friendly hug.

“You wouldn’t let me if I tried…” Amiee reminded her.

“You want me to walk home with you?” Shelby asked as Amiee turned to walk home.

“NO!” She shouted defensively.

“Wow…no need to go postal, just wanted to make sure you got home alright.” Shelby said with her hands now on her hips, giving Amiee a discerning look.

“I am a big girl Shelbs…” Was all Amiee said before continuing her walk.

“Remember the promise you made me!” Shelby shouted as she watched Amiee heading to cross the street.

“Yeah…yeah.” Amiee replied waving her hand back at Shelby, not once looking back.

Amiee arrived home and quickly checked her mail before calling for the elevator. She stood in front of it watching the buttons slowly countdown to her floor while thinking of the stunt that Shelby had pulled at the bar.

“Just who does she think she is telling me who I can and can’t talk to?” Amiee said aloud. She looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone standing around in the lobby before continuing to verbally argue with herself.

“I am a big girl and I can decide for myself!” She said aloud again.  She was quite taken with the tall, dark and handsome man that had sat next to her at the bar. She had only made that promise to Shelby just to get her to shut up…she didn’t have to abide by it…right? After all what Shelby don’t know won’t hurt her. Amiee thought as she heard the elevator approach.

She patted down her dress making sure it was clung to her tightly and smoothed down her hair as the elevator began to open.

When the elevator doors parted, there he stood, where she wasn’t expecting him too.

“What on earth are you doing…” She whispered as she looked around. He just continued to stand propped up on the railing at the back of the elevator with a grin on his face. He studied her momentarily before stepping out of the elevator.

“What no ‘I see you found the place alright.’” He said in a deep and sultry voice.

“You want me to get caught with you?” Amiee said as he began to circle around her in the lobby. One hand in his pocket the other fixed on his chin as if he were checking out merchandise in a department store.

“Isn’t that half the fun?” He replied coyly.

“That any moment Shelby could come walking through that door and see me standing here with you.” He said as he drew himself closer to her. Their faces only inches from the other. She could feel his hot breath warming the skin just above her lips. 

The mere thought of the words he spoke had Amiee’s blood boiling with excitement, racing through her veins with more power than jet engine fuel. She pushed him away from her as her heart had begun to slow back down.

“No, I don’t want to get caught; if I do Shelby will go ballistic I made a promise to her.” Amiee said looking into his stunning green eyes that had reminded her of peridots.

With their light olive green color, so vibrant and translucent, shimmering below the brightly light room of the lobby. She could get lost in those eyes…and for a brief moment she did.

“What promise was that?” He said inquisitively.

“That I would stay away from you, and trust me if she gets wind of this…she will not be a happy camper…trust me you don’t know her…” Amiee said sternly.

“I know more than you think…” He replied. “But that is for another time.” He added.

"Besides...living dangerously is what I do best." He said as he pulled Amiee closer to him.

He leaned his face in closer to hers letting their lips touch…but not completely. He let them suspend in the air before hers, bringing them closer and then pulling them away again…teasing her…silently wishing Shelby would walk through the door at any moment and catch them in the act. That would be satisfying enough for him.

Amiee didn’t pull away…she had to admit she found it thrilling, exciting, liberating.

She pulled away from him as her heart begun to beat faster as she looked at the faces that passed by the apartment building, scanning them, hoping that one of them didn’t belong to her friend. She adjusted her focus back to him as she continued to pull away.

“That was nice…but hardly what I would call dangerous.” She said half truthfully.

“Well then what is your idea of dangerous?”  He said looking down to her, the corner of his lips slightly curled up into a devious smile. 

Amiee said nothing, instead walked over and pressed the button to the elevator and climbed inside when it opened.

“Are you going to join me or just stand there like an idiot?” She said cocking her head and flashing him a smile of her own. She didn’t need to ask twice as he rushed into the elevator, almost being enclosed by the doors.

When he was finally in the elevator, limbs still intact, she fingered the button to her floor and glanced over at him. He stood there with a smirk on his face and she could smell the air of confidence and cockiness that surrounded him. 

She wasn't the type of girl to have quick flings or one night stands, but it had been a while since she was with a man, one that came with no strings attached. He wasn’t her usual choice of men either, but for tonight he would do. After all she wasn't looking for a life partner, she just wanted to let loose and have a little fun. 

Of course she wouldn't see him after tonight, hiding the fact that she was seeing him for one night, would be much easier than an ongoing affair with him.

She pulled herself closer to him as the elevator doors began to shut. He just stood there with his eyes locked on to hers, their glare so intense it could have burned holes in their retinas.

The elevator doors finally shut as Amiee rested her chin on his shoulders.

“What’s so dangerous about an elevator ride?” He said with a chuckle. She stayed silent as she walked over and pressed the stop button on the elevator.

The elevator came to a halting stop, suspending itself mid-shaft. She drew herself closer to him pinning him against the back wall. 

She wrapped one leg around his body as her lips desperately searched for his. This had initiated a full on make out session in the elevator, their bodies moving all around it, banging and slamming into the walls, neither of them realized that they had brushed into the controls operating the elevator again.

He reached up and began pulling the straps of her dress down when it had finally reached her floor and the doors split open.

They stopped abruptly as they heard the sound of coughing before them. Their jaws dropped as Amiee looked into the eyes of the neighboring tenant.

“You didn’t see a thing!” She said as she jolted out of the elevator pulling him with her. The tenant shook his head and entered the elevator. The doors shut soon after. The two of them joined in a small giggle before resuming their lips to one another.

With one hand wrapped around him, lips still joined she kicked open the door to her apartment and they slid behind it.

She stared off into the darkness of her apartment fumbling for a light switch but was easily distracted by him. His lips were cool and refreshing on the fiery skin of her neck.

Her heart had begun to race so quickly it could have thrust out of her chest right then and there; she brought a hand up to it trying to calm the rapid and loud thumping before nudging the door closed with her foot.