heard her tease. '...It's OK, Ben. You can look.'
His gaze bounced up. She smiled at him. He managed a whole second of eye contact before his gaze began meandering down.
The arch of her throat, the light playing on the soft skin of her shoulders. He stared at her coral-tipped breasts.
Eve watched the dip of his Adam's apple, his eyes glaze over.
She was perfect. She was beautiful.
'I have no problem with me...' he heard her say.
His eyes swept her midriff, the soft indentations of her ribcage, the hollow of her bellybutton, the arc of her white hips. His fingers fidgeted. He wanted to touch her. His gaze lingered on her soft, supple thighs. The neat, little dark crease.
'...I'm just not so sure about you.'
Eve's stare was intense. Ben shook himself.
'Nice socks!' he said, rubbing the back of his head, trying to smile, not sure anymore what to do with himself.
'How do I know you won't screw me over?'
'...Huh?'
'Oh, I know,' she said pointedly. 'You'll promise me that you won't. And we both know I'm going to believe you. But... it's only words. A promise is only good until it is broken. And when it is? Oh well,' she said in a sing-song voice. 'Never mind! ...But if I give you my body, that's something valuable, to me... That's something I can never take back.'
Ben paused. He stared for a moment. Eve watched a smile spread across his lips. He turned his back on her. Eve watched as he marched over to her wardrobe, flinging the mahogany doors wide open.
He riffled through the hangers quickly, their hooks scraping on the rail. Eve saw him unclip her black ball gown; watched in confusion as the mille feuille fluttered through the air, landing on her like a big black meringue.
She peered over the top.
'Get dressed!'
Ben was grinning.
'What are you—'
'Come on, put it on!'
She unzipped the velvet bodice, tugging it over her head in a daze. She felt a hand grab her ankle, felt him dragging her to the edge of the bed, watched in horror as he pushed her feet into her Reeboks.
'They stink!'
...Oh God, he's not some weird fetishist, is he?
'Shush!' said Ben. He grabbed her hands, yanked her onto her feet. He went behind her. Eve felt the bodice grow tight as he quickly did up the zipper. The mille feuille unfurled to her shins.
He put his hands on her shoulders, looked her over.
'Beautiful!' he grinned.
A second later they were at the front door.
'That'll do,' he said, grabbing her hoodie from the coat stand, thrusting it into her hands. Eve yanked it on. She grabbed her keys from the hall table, slammed the door, chased him down the metal steps, out onto the street.
Ben grabbed Eve's hand and yanked it, grinning. They ran down the middle of the road. A couple stood in a doorway watching. They were giggling too. Ben had a smile as wide as a mile. Eve's eyes sparkled like diamonds.
Their laughter and footsteps echoed around the terraces as they ran down Burlington Street. Eve's head was cold, her hair still damp, the curls bouncing as she ran.
Eve knew it was madness, everyone was staring. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun.
They burst out on Marine Parade, weaving between parked cabs and running across. Music pumped from the bars, huddles of smokers clustered outside, but it was quiet out on the street. It must have been before midnight. The pier was still lit up, its lights twinkling in the water. Eve balked at a police car, but he didn't stop. They scooted down Madiera Drive, running alongside the Volks railway track.
'Please slow down!' panted Eve, dragging on his hand. 'I can't breathe!'
Ben laughed. His loud footsteps petered out to a walk. He threw his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. Eve slipped hers around his waist, under his jacket. He felt sweltering through the shirt.
The moon hung high and bright, the silver rays fanning out across
His gaze bounced up. She smiled at him. He managed a whole second of eye contact before his gaze began meandering down.
The arch of her throat, the light playing on the soft skin of her shoulders. He stared at her coral-tipped breasts.
Eve watched the dip of his Adam's apple, his eyes glaze over.
She was perfect. She was beautiful.
'I have no problem with me...' he heard her say.
His eyes swept her midriff, the soft indentations of her ribcage, the hollow of her bellybutton, the arc of her white hips. His fingers fidgeted. He wanted to touch her. His gaze lingered on her soft, supple thighs. The neat, little dark crease.
'...I'm just not so sure about you.'
Eve's stare was intense. Ben shook himself.
'Nice socks!' he said, rubbing the back of his head, trying to smile, not sure anymore what to do with himself.
'How do I know you won't screw me over?'
'...Huh?'
'Oh, I know,' she said pointedly. 'You'll promise me that you won't. And we both know I'm going to believe you. But... it's only words. A promise is only good until it is broken. And when it is? Oh well,' she said in a sing-song voice. 'Never mind! ...But if I give you my body, that's something valuable, to me... That's something I can never take back.'
Ben paused. He stared for a moment. Eve watched a smile spread across his lips. He turned his back on her. Eve watched as he marched over to her wardrobe, flinging the mahogany doors wide open.
He riffled through the hangers quickly, their hooks scraping on the rail. Eve saw him unclip her black ball gown; watched in confusion as the mille feuille fluttered through the air, landing on her like a big black meringue.
She peered over the top.
'Get dressed!'
Ben was grinning.
'What are you—'
'Come on, put it on!'
She unzipped the velvet bodice, tugging it over her head in a daze. She felt a hand grab her ankle, felt him dragging her to the edge of the bed, watched in horror as he pushed her feet into her Reeboks.
'They stink!'
...Oh God, he's not some weird fetishist, is he?
'Shush!' said Ben. He grabbed her hands, yanked her onto her feet. He went behind her. Eve felt the bodice grow tight as he quickly did up the zipper. The mille feuille unfurled to her shins.
He put his hands on her shoulders, looked her over.
'Beautiful!' he grinned.
A second later they were at the front door.
'That'll do,' he said, grabbing her hoodie from the coat stand, thrusting it into her hands. Eve yanked it on. She grabbed her keys from the hall table, slammed the door, chased him down the metal steps, out onto the street.
Ben grabbed Eve's hand and yanked it, grinning. They ran down the middle of the road. A couple stood in a doorway watching. They were giggling too. Ben had a smile as wide as a mile. Eve's eyes sparkled like diamonds.
Their laughter and footsteps echoed around the terraces as they ran down Burlington Street. Eve's head was cold, her hair still damp, the curls bouncing as she ran.
Eve knew it was madness, everyone was staring. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun.
They burst out on Marine Parade, weaving between parked cabs and running across. Music pumped from the bars, huddles of smokers clustered outside, but it was quiet out on the street. It must have been before midnight. The pier was still lit up, its lights twinkling in the water. Eve balked at a police car, but he didn't stop. They scooted down Madiera Drive, running alongside the Volks railway track.
'Please slow down!' panted Eve, dragging on his hand. 'I can't breathe!'
Ben laughed. His loud footsteps petered out to a walk. He threw his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. Eve slipped hers around his waist, under his jacket. He felt sweltering through the shirt.
The moon hung high and bright, the silver rays fanning out across
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