Authors: Cesya Cuono
2
Awakening
“Callie? Hello? Earth to Callie,” said Lola, pulling me from the memory as she waved her hand in front of my face. It was obvious she’d been trying to get my attention for a while.
“I’m sorry. What?” I asked, puzzled.
“Jeez, Kylie.” Emery scoffed.
I smiled, remembering when he thought Kylie was my name.
“Are we boring you?” he asked.
“No, not at all. I was just lost in memories.”
Ady gave a happy sigh and glanced at Emery. He looked at her with love-filled eyes and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.
“Lola, what did you say?” I asked, ignoring the Love Parade.
“Open your presents before dinner, because you’re going out.”
I nodded, glancing at the odd assortment of gifts. I was actually excited because hello? Who doesn’t love presents?
“These are from me.” Dad handed me two wrapped presents and a gift bag. Lola was clearly the brains behind this operation. Dad would have used a whole role of Scotch tape if he had wrapped them. My nose caught the scent of freshly cut paper, and I knew before I even opened them that they were books. There was no way a normal person could tell something like that. It was the whole senses thing again. As I tore into the gift, anticipation whipped through the room like a vicious hurricane. As I predicted, both presents and the gift bag were filled with books. My body was in tune with the trees that made these books; I could tell the difference in the type of wood used.
Shaking off the odd feeling, I grinned and thanked them. I owned so many books Dad converted one of our guest rooms into a library. It was my little getaway from real life. The next gift bag handed to me was from Lola. She bought me cute bow clips for my hair, headbands that shimmered, and a gift card to my favorite clothing store. The next present was from Ady and Emery. I rotated it and tried to find a place to open it. Emery let out a small chuckle, proud and amused with himself. Peering up at him, I noticed he didn’t even bother hiding the devilish smirk on his face.
“I should have known you’d do this to me again.” I laughed.
Unlike my father, Emery purposefully wrapped gifts in the most nonsensical way possible. Mainly for his own entertainment. It was his specialty. Last Christmas, he decided to wrap my present in one-dollar bills. He taped each one together then used it as wrapping paper. I had to use his box cutter to open it, and then I had to cut each dollar bill away from the other. It was time consuming and probably not worth the twenty dollars I got from it. That was one of the easier wrappings I’d dealt with. He couldn’t help himself this time. Oh no, this present was completely wrapped in gorilla tape, and I couldn’t even find an end to start opening it. Emery was a prankster and loved making us work for our gifts.
After turning the box repeatedly and closely examining it, I finally gave up and stuck my hand out towards Emery. He pulled his box cutter from his pocket and handed it to me. He was prepared, of course. After a successful surgery, I lifted the lid and pulled out three journals. They were each differently colored and designed.
“Emery and I wrote a little something on the inside of the first one for you. You can either read it now or wait until you’re alone,” said Ady quietly.
I glanced at them and smiled. Emery gave me a tiny shrug and a bashful smile, then looked away. He was embarrassed. I decided to wait to read the note, having a feeling it’d make me cry. There had been enough tears spilled already.
“Thank you guys. This means a lot. Seriously,” I said as I placed the journals back in the box.
Emery seemed relieved I didn’t read right away, and Dad grinned at my joy—a rarity on this day. I grabbed the two tiniest boxes next and opened them. They were from Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and Mr. and Mrs. Meyers. They each bought me gift cards to the local bookstore. After the books from Dad, we would have to expand my library. Maybe knock the wall down between the library and Lola’s room. Since she had her own place in the city, she wouldn’t notice. Well not until she came home to visit and had sleep on the couch. Like that would go over well.
My stomach growled, and I eyed the cake again. I swore it called my name, enticing me with its sugary icing. I went for it, but Ady placed another box into my hands before I pillaged the cake. I looked at the box, then at her in question.
“Since this is your ‘twenty-one again’ celebration, I picked out the perfect outfit for our outing tonight. And don’t worry; it’s the perfect amount of high-class slash punk-rock for you.”
At the mention of punk-rock, the biggest grin spread across my face. The wrapping on this box seemed to take forever to rip through. It was hard to contain my anticipation, but I finally broke through and ripped the lid off. Inside was a pair of purple pumps amidst a bunch of tissue paper. I squealed like a little kid on Christmas morning and placed them on my feet. I strutted across the kitchen. They were a perfect fit and made my naturally sun-kissed skin stand out.
“There’s more,” Ady prompted.
I rummaged through the tissue paper, and my hand ran over a small box. I pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a silver necklace with a lightning bolt charm about two inches long. Ady knew how much I enjoyed thunderstorms. As children, we decided our dream job would be storm chasing. That obviously never panned out seeing as how I was strictly a businesswoman.
My hand dove back into the box to search for more goodies. I pulled out a purple, glittery tank top, a black half-jacket with quarter length sleeves, and black calf-length leggings. Ady was right: this was the perfect amount of high-class slash punk-rock. I flew off the chair and into her arms, practically knocking her off the stool.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It’s exactly what I would have picked out.”
“You’re welcome.” She giggled. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I don’t like it, I love it. So where are we going tonight?” My tone held apprehension. Who knew what they had up their sleeves.
Dad checked on the lasagna, probably deciding he didn’t want to know what his adult daughter would be doing late at night.
We immediately turned to Lola for help since she had been living in the city for a year. She knew all the top go-to spots to party. We chatted about potential clubs, and after ten minutes it came down to two: Club Cherry or 1982.
“Club Cherry has drink specials every night,” said Ady.
“Yeah, but it’s full of underagers acting like idiots. Case and point: My friends and I.” Lola pointed at herself, grinning.
“I’d prefer not to go to a place that sounded like a strip club. Plus, 1982 is known to play the best eighties dance music. And it’s twenty-one plus.” Being older did have its perks.
“My parents own the building,” said Emery. “I can have my dad call ahead so we’re not stuck in line, and we can get in free. It pays to be privileged.” He snorted. Emery was the least stuck up person I’d ever known. Hell, I was snobbier than he was, and I was considered a punk rocker. Without the musical talent, of course. Ady huffed, but the decision was made. Heat flooded my body as sweat beaded on my forehead. What was causing that sensation? My eyes frantically roamed the kitchen until they fell on the culprit. The open oven door.
“Lasagna is served,” Dad called. “Buffet style, so get it when you’re ready.” He kicked the door closed and the heat dwindled.
“Sweet. Thanks Mr. P.” Emery lunged off his stool and stalked the food like a lion seeking its prey. We followed behind him cautiously, afraid he might attack one of us.
I grabbed a plate off the counter and scooped a large piece onto my plate. Dad made the best pasta ever, no matter what kind. I snatched a piece of cheesy garlic bread off the tray before anyone could get their hands on it and took a seat. The room was stuffy from the oven, so Dad opened the window above the sink. I froze as the electrically charged air caressed my skin. Goosebumps trailed up my arms with each breath. It was as if the wind was calling my name, begging me to come outside and play. As if water beckoned me from miles away, and I knew it was splashing and twirling with anticipation for my touch. The scent of earth was more than an aroma in my nose; it was like another sense all together. As if I could lie in the grass and the earth would lovingly hold me to it and warm me.
“How is it?” Dad asked, yanking me from the wild sensations.
I stuck the first forkful in my mouth, mumbling an approval. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until then. I went all ogre, stuffing my mouth in a very unladylike way, not even bothering to use my napkin because my arm would suffice. Emily Post would have glanced away in shame. Hey, I was in my pajamas. After inhaling my pasta and gulping down mango tea, I waited impatiently until everyone finished. Lola was the last. My eyes had been glued to her until her fork clanked on her plate.
“Let’s have cake,” I nearly shouted, ready to take the dessert by storm. Even Emery didn’t dare get in my way.
Lola, on the other hand, had no qualms with getting between my cake and me. She rose to her feet, sauntered over to the drawer with deliberate slowness, pulled out a cake knife, and brought it back to the island. She took her good ol’ time getting plates and forks for us, ignoring my predatory stare. After she cut into the cake, she served everyone else and made me wait until last. I swore she loved to watch me suffer.
The cake was beyond delicious. I had died and gone to heaven. Savoring each bite, I decided I would take my time and enjoy each mouthful until it was gone. Once we finished, we took our plates to the sink and cleaned up the island. Ady and Emery had left and told me they’d be back in three hours. Given the surprises and all the thought and hard work that went into making this birthday different from the rest brightened up my previous mood. I had a feeling this birthday was going to be a good one.
3
Mystery Men
After a hot shower I smelled like a cupcake with strawberry icing, thanks to my body wash. Though it didn’t compare to the scent of real strawberries mixed with the aroma of the earth, which I shouldn’t know but do because of my senses going all mystical.
When it came to my makeup it had to be perfect—I wasn’t a vain person, but I had my beauty routine to match my just-rolled-out-of-bed hairstyle and look. Which wasn’t as easy as the name suggests. I was OCD about how my look turned out regardless of my style. It was the one thing that was me. That made me different than everyone around me. I styled my hair to give it that untamed appearance and voilà! I was ready for a night of debauchery. I grabbed my little black clutch off the top shelf in my closest and headed out after I checked and re-checked myself in the mirror. I decided I looked great. My white-blonde hair hung inches below my shoulder in a perfect mess, and my left-swooped bangs stayed in their styled position.
My steel eyes appeared brighter thanks to my metallic-black eye shadow. The purple heels with the black leggings made my legs seem longer. The silver lightning bolt necklace glistened along with my diamond-studded snakebite on my lip. The outfit really suited me. Ady knew my style to the T, God bless her.
The minute my foot hit the hardwood floor at the bottom of the staircase, Emery honked twice. I called out to Lola and Dad, who sat watching TV, and said I’d see them later. Outside, my nose was assaulted with the fragrance of rain. I peered up at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling and winking down at me like angels across the satin sky.
Huh
,
I thought and shrugged. Just in case, I grabbed an umbrella from the stand inside and closed the door. I climbed into Emery’s black Range Rover.
“Looking sexy as always, Ms. Pierce!” Ady’s gaze roamed over my outfit with pride.
“Why thank you, Ms. Meyers!” My tone was embellished with a fancy lilt. “And you look ravishing!”
Ady wore a silver, sequined top, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of glitter peep-toe pumps. Her long, brunette hair was done up in huge, bouncy curls.
“You do as well, Mr. Jones,” I continued.
In the rearview mirror, the lines around Emery’s eyes crinkled, and I could tell he was smiling.
It took us twenty minutes to drive to Philly and another ten to find a parking garage within walking distance of 1982. We bypassed the long line that formed at the door and walked right up to the front. The bouncer nodded at Emery and removed the velvet rope to let us in. I felt like I needed to hang off Emery’s other arm like a rockstar’s groupie. Once inside, we moseyed over to the bar and picked our poison for the evening. As I waited for my Tequila Sunrise a strange sensation washed over me, and I spun around. Nothing was out of the ordinary, not even the couple in the corner going all X-rated. When I turned back to the bar my drink was already there. After consuming it like I’d just crawled out of the Sahara Desert, we headed out to the dance floor.
As much as I loved dancing with my two best friends, I needed my own guy to dance with. One, because three was seriously a crowd when it came to dancing. And two, it was my birthday, and I deserved a little man-meat. Just as I thought that, the sensation of someone’s eyes boring into the back of my head brought me spinning around in a faked dance move that would have made Michael Jackson proud. My eyes scanned the dance floor for the source. Everyone was into their own thing, dancing and carrying on in a mass of sweaty limbs and gyrating body parts. I was about to whip around in another flamboyant dance move when my gaze fell upon him.
I became so entranced my eyes practically licked him, raked over him, devoured him. You get the point. Hello, Tall, Dark, and Sexy! He had to be at least six foot, if not taller. The dark-fitted T-shirt he donned made every muscle stand out on his athletically toned body. He had chin length, shaggy black hair and full, kissable lips. Highly kissable. Did I mention the kissable part? The club’s darkness didn’t ruin the image of his olive-toned skin. As if he was the angler and I was the fish, I was drawn to him. Our eyes met, and he smiled brightly. I returned the gesture. It was instant attraction.
I was about fifty feet away when someone blocked my path. I looked up at my blocker to say “excuse me,” but when my eyes locked with his something made me hesitate. I forgot where I was going as I stared at this new person. He made everything go haywire in my mind. I glanced at the people around me, and they appeared to be moving in slow motion. It was as if a gigantic strobe light was affecting everyone’s movements except ours. I regarded Mystery Man in the darkness.
He was a few inches taller than me and had spiky dirty blonde hair and light eyes. He held his hand out to me, and I placed mine in his without hesitation. It was as if he was my motivation behind coming to the club. I was there solely for him. He led me to an open spot on the floor, and we began dancing. My brain tried to piece together my reasoning for leaving Ady and Emery, but all I could think about was his hand in mine as he twirled me across the dance floor. My body was lost in a whirlwind of emotions, but the one that overwhelmed all the others was excitement. Who was this confident man?
Mystery Man pulled me closer, and I wanted him to. I couldn’t pull my thoughts away from him as his body rubbed against mine in a way that had my whole body tingling. Mid-spin, I caught the eyes of Tall, Dark, and Sexy who stared at me with an intense frown adorning his face. My heart sunk, as if I needed to go comfort him but wasn’t sure why. My brain was still a mushy mess, and the warning messages were greeted with a proverbial shrug. I just didn’t know where the warnings were directed. Was it at my dance partner or the man whose eyes watched our every move? My body didn’t care. Mystery Man’s exquisite body moving in sync with mine only made everything more devil-may-care. I surely didn’t.
Another rotation and my eyes met with the same guy again. My hands fell off Mystery Man’s body as I turned to Tall, Dark, and Sexy as if on autopilot. Mystery Man grabbed my hand before I could get too far and spun me into him. My heart fluttered, but my stubbornness at being forced to do something I didn’t want had me fighting back. I tried to pull away, but he placed his hand on my back and held me closer. I gazed into his eyes and begged him with mine to let go. Pain filled his eyes, but a smile spread across his lips as he brought his hand to my face and softly caressed my cheek with his fingertips. They traveled leisurely down my face, and an intense, almost fire-like burn followed in their wake. My body trembled. Not with fear or anger but with lust.
A weight bore down on my mind, growing powerful every second. I held onto Mystery Man’s arms as if he was the only thing holding me to the ground. Did someone put something in my drink? His expression was confident, steady. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Sexy on the sidelines? His eyes narrowed with unbridled rage. Fear spiked in me at his dangerous leer. Mystery Man, noticing my distress, linked his fingers in mine. He drew me farther into the mass of bodies, and we continued to dance. We seemed to dance for hours. Never stopping. Never slowing. The longer we danced, the closer he pulled me to him, and the more I melted into his skillful body. Our dancing was too intimate for strangers. I had no control over it, but I didn’t care. He captivated me.
The music lowered, and the DJ announced something, which I couldn’t hear because of the ringing in my head. Then the music blared to life again. We danced a little longer, my Mystery Man holding me closer. My legs grew tired, and my mouth was dry due to the lack of refreshments. Mystery Man noticed and led me over to the bar. He motioned to the bartender from across the bar. The bartender was back in a flash with a drink and indicated with his fingers the price. Mystery Man threw down a couple bills.
I took a sip of my drink, then paused when his hand tucked my hair behind my ear. An intimate gesture. He leaned down to me, and his lips moved against my ear as he spoke.
“My name is Cayden. What’s yours?”
Chills ran the length of my spine. I held his bicep and moved closer to his ear. “It’s Callie. Nice to meet you.” I backed away and gave him a shy smile, which was unlike me. Normally I was outgoing, not the bashful girl Cayden had made me into.
“Very nice to meet you,” he said smoothly against my ear. “What do you say we go somewhere quiet to talk after you finish your drink?”
Uh, yes please! I nodded my head, gulped my drink down, and placed the empty glass on the bar. He took my hand again and started to lead me away, but someone’s vice-like grip clamped down on my other arm. It was Ady holding me back with Emery behind her all bodyguard style.
“Where are you headed?” she asked, head cocked to the side.
“We”—I motioned to Cayden and myself—“were going to head into the lounge to talk.”
“They already announced last call.” Ady inspected Cayden as she spoke, and her eyes lingered on our clasped hands.
I nodded. That must have been what the DJ announced. I was so caught up in Cayden that I didn’t notice the time. It was as if my internal clock slowed and everything else sped up. With Cayden still holding my hand, we followed Ady and Emery out the door. The chilly air still smelled like rain, but there was only a haze in the sky brightened by the half-moon.
My stomach growled. “Hey, is it cool if we stop at The Greasy Spoon on the way home?”
Ady and I both looked at Emery since he was the one driving. “Yeah, that’s fine. I can go for some of their Grande Fries,” he said, loosening his silver tie that matched Ady’s top.
“You can come too, if you want,” I whispered to Cayden.
He smiled. “Would it be cool if I joined you?” he asked Ady and Emery politely. “I can drive myself.”
I gave them a knowing look, encouraging them.
“Sure,” Emery responded, glancing at Ady, a little unsure.
“Great. I’ll see you there, Callie,” he said all sexily and walked in the opposite direction.