Page 74 of The Other Side
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I’d never seen the lounge looking so festive before.
Putting everything up with Chance went so quickly, and his height certainly helped to expedite the process. It was nice to decorate with someone as well. The fact that that someone was Chance was a nice bonus. I had a lot of opportunities to admire his figure as he stretched in various ways to assist me.
“Did you bring these from home?” Chance asked as we worked together to fluff the faux tree. From a distance, after it was all done up, I swore you couldn’t tell the difference.
“Actually, Lenny and Jolene got them for me last year.” I smiled, thinking about how Lenny and Jolene had conspired together after they learned I would be alone at Montgomery over the entire break, pretty much on my own.
They still didn’t know the extent of what the holidays meant to me, or how much their act had impacted my life. It almost made me tear up to think about the shock I’d felt as Jolene had shown me everything and told me that Lenny had picked up each item at her instruction.
There was a fake tree with all the trimmings, a giant pack of ornaments, and a star for the top. They’d gotten a dozen packs of Christmas lights to help cover the entirety of the lounge, although Chance and I hadn’t gotten to those just yet, and even a single stocking for me to hang on the mantel.
“That was very nice of them,” Chance commented.
It was a selfless and incredibly thoughtful gesture. I had never had anyone do anything so meaningful, just for me, with no motivations other than to make me happy.
“It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” I smiled up at him, and he returned the expression.
It took us all morning to finish stringing the lights around the perimeter of the lounge. I’d had the foresight to leave up the nails I had used last year, as it had been an even more arduous task by myself, on a very tall, but rather unsteady ladder I had procured from the garden shed, at the reluctance of one of the groundskeepers. He had been very grateful when I returned it, seeing that both myself and the ladder were unscathed.
At some point, Chance had put on a record, and when the last string of lights was strung, he pulled me into him, swaying with me to the rhythm of the soft jazz coming out of the gramophone’s horn-shaped speaker.
“I’m positive this is the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had,” Chance whispered, using his palm splayed on the small of my back to press me closer to him as we danced.
I looked up at him at the exact same moment he looked down at me. Maybe it was the music or the lights or my heart beating so fast I thought I might be having a stroke, but I pushed up on my tiptoes, and he lowered his head to meet me in the middle.
My second kiss with Chance Harper didn’t lack any of the heat from the first, but the heat burned low and slow, embers flickering so hot that if anything got near them, they would combust, needing no flame.
Chance kissed me sweetly, cupping my jaw with the hand that wasn’t at the small of my back and letting me lead, as if he knew that if he pushed me too far, I’d pull back. My skittishness wasn’t intentional but the fact that he sensed it and knew just how to counteract it made me even more drawn to him.
I opened my mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss, and his tongue mimicked my movements, only going as far as I was willing to dare myself. Without the buzz of the liquor from our first kiss to taint the experience, I thought I knew what it would be like to kiss him again, but I didn’t. I really didn’t.
His clean smell was overwhelming in the best way possible. The warmth of his body seeped through every place where we touched, and I liked how he tasted of his morning coffee, strong, and slightly bitter, but in that moment, all mine.
Every fiber of my body was vibrating with every touch, every sensation, every new angle. Chance released a soft moan that had heat pooling low in my body, wanting more of him. I couldn’t help myself from whimpering in response.
But then, oddly, Chance started to physically vibrate.
Hesitantly and breathless, I pulled back from the kiss.
Chance groaned in agitation, withdrawing his phone from his pocket. “I—” He looked down at the device. “I need to go downstairs.” He pointed a finger at me. “Don’t go anywhere. And we’re not done with this.”
I watched him hurriedly make his way to the fire escape, and pressed trembling fingers to my swollen lips.
Oh fuck. I just kissed Chance.
What on earth had come over me? And I’m pretty sure I had initiated.
I staggered to the couch, my knees weak, and was only able to manage leaning against the armrest, taking in deep and measured breaths as my mind continued to spin.
I shouldn’t have done that. Because now how am I supposed to stop?
“Violet?” Chance called from outside the window.
I realized I had no idea how long he’d been gone while I had spiraled and tried to remember how to breathe.
“Can you help me?”
