Something of a dream.

Chapter 34.

             “Erm…” I mumbled, as I stood in front of him, my hands fiddling with each other. I started picking at my nails, while I felt Zayn’s eyes looking me over, top to bottom. I just stood there, not knowing what to do.

                He apparently didn’t have any words for me. He was just gaping.

                My head instinctively turned to the clock on the wall which now read 5:50 pm (17:50).

                “Um, so just stand there,” I said, picking up the end of my dress and walking barefoot to my closet. Zayn didn’t move a muscle, but his eyes followed me and my open back to the closet where I was digging out a pair of 4 inch strappy black heels.

                “Aha,” I said under my breath, as I detached the black strap from another pair of heels that had taken over my closet. They were a pair of super high black heels, with sparkly black straps and a platform bottom.

                I sat myself down on the couch and Zayn watched me get one heel on. I slipped my red painted toes into the straps and looped the sling-back against my heel. I put my other foot in the heel and stood up, walked to Zayn, and gripped his shoulder as I pulled the sling to cover the heel.

                My hands were digging into his arms. I whipped my head up, gained my balance and let go.

                “Nope,” he said, pulling me into him, my body pushed against his. Our curves matched almost perfectly, my hands lying against his chest.

                He was wearing a black dapper suit with a sophisticated red bowtie. His hair was done, as always, in a high, dark black quiff, but something about it today was really chic and modern. The smell of crisp, minty aftershave was wafting off his skin, and I could see that he had freshly shaven for the event.

                Zayn pulled me into him again, because apparently we had drifted 2 mm from each other. He placed his cold hands on my back, causing me to shiver, little goosebumps appearing on my arms. His hands snaked their way down my back and hooked right above my butt.

                “So, what the hell were you thinking when you put on that dress?” he whispered against my nose, his minty breath once again bringing shivers down my spine. My face wasn’t accustomed to being that close to Zayn’s mouth, especially because I was normally a solid 8 inches/20 centimeters shorter than Zayn.

                “Erm, I dunno,” I said to him, trying to wriggle free. I was blushing, my face getting hotter by the second.

                Zayn inched his hands again slowly on my bare back; eventually I got the feel of it and let him put them wherever. His hands stopped moving and paused on the middle of my back. Two of his fingers took refuge under one of the straps of the dress.

                “Jess, you look gorgeous,” he said to me. “Like absolutely beautiful.  Sexy, gorgeous, like amazing. I don’t even know what else to tell you, babe.”

                I gave him a big smile and brought my lips close to his. He brought his lips closer, but right before he leaned in to give me a kiss, I whispered, “We’re gonna get late; it’s already 6:00”. I pushed myself off of him and laughed.

                “You tease!”  he said, grabbing my hand. He kissed it and I smiled again.

                “So, the door?” I said, slinking off to the door. Zayn laughed and dropped his head. He looked back up and walked to me, twirling his keys with his hands.

                “Is it okay that I bought the bike?” he asked as we entered the lift. I had to keep watching my heels because they’d get stuck in the spandex like dress material.

                “You what?!” I exclaimed, a bit of shock and annoyance registering in my tone. “You’re screwing with me right now, right?” The kid could not be serious. Like I just spent a good six hours on what I was now, there was no way that he expected me to be on the back of his bike for a solid 45 minutes.

                He shrugged. “Mum needed to take Waliyha and the girls out, I thought maybe you’d enjoy the bike some more? Plus, it’s so beautiful outside, babe.” He looked into my eyes imploringly.

                “Ugh Zayn,” I said, buttoning the top of his shirt as the lift beeped us out onto the lobby floor. “Fine, but I’m not gonna look like what I do right now.” I pointed my finger as a warning at him, which he grabbed and kissed.

                The doors opened and let us out to the front counter. I steadily walked in my heels (I had had much practice through high school and college) and waved to Nathan. His face registered shock and amazement.

                “Wow, Jessica…damn. Damn. Wow.” Nathan stood with his eyes bugging and mouth gaping just as Zayn had been 15 minutes ago.

                I laughed and gave him a smile. “Yeah, erm thanks. We’re just about to go for the dinner,” I said, looking at Zayn. Oy. Unfortunately Nathan’s eyes liked to wander too.

                Honestly, how did sluts deal with this? I mean I was nothing close to being dressed like a slut, but I could not deal with boys looking at me like this! Like how could whores feel okay with guys probing their bodies? Ugh.

                “Oh hello Nathan,” Zayn said, his right arm coming around my waist and stopping at my hipbone.

                Nathan snapped out of his daze and looked at Zayn, giving him a small smile. “Hello Zayn,” he replied. “Have fun okay?” Nathan said to me, looking me straight in the eyes.

                “Ah, we will, no problem,” replied Zayn. I felt bad that Zayn was being this protective, so I removed myself from Zayn, walked over to Nathan and gave him a hug.

                Gosh darn it he smelled so good.

                We walked out to the sidewalk. It was a warm London day, a quiet breeze humming through the evening streets. People were packing up to go home, suits ripped open, ties loosened and shirts unbuttoned.

                Zayn walked by my side and got on the bike. I stood and watched him with a sad “I-can’t-do-this” expression on my face.  He revved the bike and turned to me.

                “Babe, you can do this,” he reassured me.

                “Mahhhhhhh,” I whined, lifting up my dress.

                I hooked my heel onto the ledge and climbed up, sitting with both my legs on one side. I adjusted myself by holding onto Zayn with both my hands. My dress needed some more help, as the material kept getting stuck in all the stupid pipes and whatnot spurting out of the stupid bike. My hair was clipped to the side and all projectile jewelry was tied down. After 3 or 4 minutes, I was ready to go.

                “You good?” Zayn asked, his head over his shoulder.

                “Yup!” I said, my hands in my lap, my legs crossed at the ankle. My dress seemed secure, and my butt wasn’t being flashed to the side of the road and passing motorists.

                “Mmm, no that wasn’t the right answer,” Zayn said. His hands came around and grabbed mine. He wrapped my hands around him; one hand on his heart, the other close below it.

                I rolled my eyes.

                He laughed. “Even though I didn’t see that, I know it happened.” He laughed again, looked to the left, and signaled to enter the street.

                 The ride wasn’t as rough as I had expected it to be. It was actually rather romantic. The dance studio required us to go straight through London city, and I loved seeing the city on a bike. We would stop at lights and I would rest my head on Zayn’s shoulder. Other times we would rip through the city, some wisps of my hair escaping the clip and dancing in the wind. I could only imagine what the two of us looked like. Two teenage kids on a bike, one in a backless deep red dress, the other in a dapper black suit. Like something out of a James Bond movie.

                We arrived at the studio right on time. Louis and Eleanor, along with Danielle and Liam, were waiting outside for us.

                “You bought the bike, you idiot?!” Louis exclaimed. Louis was wearing a pair of skinny black trousers, coupled with black braces. A black coat was slung on his shoulder. “And damn, Jess, looking good!”

                “Doesn’t she?” Eleanor said. She, as always, looked breathtakingly stunning. She was wearing a peach colored strapless high low number, complete with silver jewels along the border. Her long brown waves were cascading down her back. She looked clean and sophisticated.  

I got off the bike, again holding onto Zayn for support. Danielle came by and held my hand as I untangled my heels from the bottom of the dress.

                Danielle looked amazing. She was wearing a really short black dress. It was strapless, the corset top embellished with colorful, large rhinestones. The skirt was just black, shimmery feathers.

                “So what did Zayn think?” Danielle asked inquisitively.

                “Well, I think he loved it,” I said, looking down and smoothing my dress, a pretense for hiding my flushed face.

                “What? The dress?” I heard Zayn say from the other side of the bike. He was talking to Liam and Louis. “Damn, I don’t know, but you guys did a great job.”

                “Ah, of course, like always,” Danielle said, blowing a kiss in his direction. Zayn laughed and waved it off.

                “So anyone seen Harry?” an Irish voice said, coming out of the door of the studio. Niall was holding a tall glass of beer in his right hand. I turned to look at him.

                “Jesus, Jess. Literally I come out of the bar and see no clothes, like I thought I was wasted already,” Niall said, his famous laugh escaping his throat.

                “Oh shut up Niall,” I said quietly. Everyone was laughing.

                “But you’re looking right fit tonight, Jess,” he said, looking me up and down.

                “Hey back away little leprechaun,” Zayn said, a playful smile on his face. “She’s mine. And yeah, where is dear Harold?”

                “I bet his date showed him up again,” Eleanor said, and all the girls giggled.

                At that moment a black Audi pulled up next to Zayn’s bike.

                “Ah Harold, we were just talking about you,” Liam said. “Did the girl ditch?”

                A curly haired head hung in the front seat. I saw Harry nod sadly.

                “Go park, maybe Niall can be your date,” Louis said. He got a low high five from Zayn, laughs both appearing on their lips.

                Harry swerved about and parked his car. He exited, his swag a bit off, his pants sagging a little lower than usual. But for some reason, he lit up when he saw me.

                “Damn, Jessica! Damn!” Harry said as he looked me up and down. “I literally thought that this was someone else.” He looked around at everyone else’s smiling faces. “Man, Jess,” he said, his eyes still trying to take in the whole picture. “Turn around?” he asked. I turned for him, a breeze catching the middle of my back.

                He took a deep breath. “Okay Jess, you need to dress a little more like this. Wait let me fix that sentence: you need to dress with little. Like a little bit of clothing.” He had a cheeky grin on his face. Poor ole Harold received a punch from me, a good hard one.

                “I was just joking!” Harry said, a glint of light shimmering in his green eyes. We all smiled at him.

                “And so, because we are all accounted for, shall we head inside?” Louis said, looping his arm through Eleanor’s arm.

                “Of course!” Niall said, his arm trying to loop Harry’s sad, limp arm. Harry smiled and gladly hooked his arm with Niall’s.

                I went up to Zayn and grabbed his arm with both mine. He kissed the top of my head and I looked up at him.

                Honestly, something as beautiful as this should never come to an end.