Post by Andrea Johnson on Nov 19, 2014 20:37:40 GMT -8
December 23, 2008
Darkness was soothing. It always had been so long as she could remember. Something about the way it engulfed her, capturing her in its calm, silent embrace, she supposed, or the memories of her mother singing to her as a little girl before tucking her in and giving her a tender kiss on the cheek, followed by an eskimo kiss, which had always made the younger version of herself giggle. She had always been alive at night, full of creativity, revealing itself in wild conversations between her stuffed animals as a little girl to finally the imaginative poems written as an older teenager and an adult.
At night, she could be anything she wanted so desperately to be but felt she was not—beautiful, girly, ravishing. No, with her plain brown locks that fell just past her shoulders but was usually pulled back in a bun and her run-of-the-mill blue eyes, Andrea Johnson felt she was rather plain to look at, maybe cute and certainly womanly and strong but still plain.
"Andy?" The sound of a man's voice made her jump and gasp quietly and the feeling of his cold fingers against the bare skin of her shoulder made her shiver as goosebumps erupted over her arms and legs,
but she turned her head to look at him with a tired smile. She'd nearly forgotten Thomas was here as quietly as he'd been sleeping while she'd sat on the edge of the bed silently thinking. "Can't sleep?" the man queried in a quiet voice. She shook her head as the man sat up, and she leaned back against his chest, eyes closed and a smile on her lips as she felt his arms slip around her middle. "Something on your mind?"
"Mm-hmm," she agreed, lifting her eyes as she bent her head back onto his shoulder to see him as her slender fingers came up to rest against his rounded, dimpled chin. "What a wonderful friend you are, Tom."
"And here I thought you were going to say last night was a mistake."
She smirked. "That possibility still hasn't passed, you know." At the disappointed look on the man's face, she let out a soft laugh. "I'm only joking" As he smiled, her fingers pulled his face closer to hers and met his lips in a brief kiss, pulling away as he tried to deepen it. "Easy, tiger," she cautioned with a hint of amusement. "Just because it happened once doesn't mean it will happen again."
"You sure about that?"
Andrea gasped as she felt his hand begin to travel up her thigh, knowing full well what he was aiming to do, and swatted his hand away. "Honestly now, I have to get ready for work."
"But it's only four a.m...."
"Uh-huh, and I have to be at the office by six."
"As precise as you are, Andy, I doubt if it takes you over a half hour to get ready."
"No, but you know I prefer to walk rather than apparate."
"I'll never understand you."
"No? And I certainly never thought a friend of mine offering to listen to me cry over Josh would translate to him sleeping with me. That gives a whole new definition to 'comfort.'"
"Hey, it got you to stop thinking about the bloke, didn't it?"
She laughed, pushing herself out of the bed. "Yes, but that's beside the point, darling."
"You know, you could always call in a sick day. Everyone would understand. After all, you and Josh were engaged to be married."
She chose to ignore the sadness that welled inside her at the reminder and instead smirked. "Horny bastard," she teased.
"Hey, I'm a guy. What can I say?"
"My point exactly."
"Can you blame me?"
She pretended to take a moment to think. "I suppose not. Josh never could get enough of me in bed either." They both laughed and Andrea disappeared into the bathroom.
It was hard to say what her true feelings on the matter were. Sometimes she felt relieved, other times deeply saddened beyond the point of motivation. Then there were the moments of silent anger where she'd sit brooding, remembering the break-up quite vividly, his many excuses, the way he still had tried to make love to her—"for old time's sake," he'd argued before he'd found himself pushed into the dresser, crushing most of her rarely used, decorative perfume bottles.
Stupid ass. Seemed the battle only four nights ago had scared him away. "I can't stand to worry like that again, snuggles."
"Don't call me that. Don't, if you're going to do this."
Josh had approached her swiftly, taking her chin in his fingers delicately, saying huskily, "But I still love you," before leaning in for a kiss, a kiss that never made it to his mark as Andy had turned her head away. "For old time's sake...."
"Pig!" she'd exclaimed, anger flashing through her eyes as she'd forcefully pushed him into her dresser and pulled out her gun as he made an advance towards her. She might be a witch, but she was also muggle born. "Get out!" He'd stared at her wide-eyed, not moving. "One...two...th—" He'd bolted.
And now she was all alone, back in the broad, never-ending ocean of single people, only this time it would be harder to get out because of her age—not that it particularly mattered. She was determined to be single the rest of her life. Well, at least she wouldn't actively look for a man, but if he came to her? She'd have to see. Men seemed to always be after one thing, even Tommy, and it was sickening to her at the moment, which was why she had left for work without so much as saying a word to her "friend." Was he really? or had he just had ullterior motives this time? It was so hard to tell, just made her want to pull out her hair for being such a fool.
"Hey, boss lady." It was Chance Winslow up to his usual antics, but at least he was honest and straightforward and didn't pretend. Besides, he was perfectly harmless. It was all just a charade with most women. The blond was surprised to find his boss' arms around his neck.
"Don't ever change, Chancy Wancy."
"Oh, look, Jack! Our little bro's dream come true!"
"Do you hear bells, sis?"
"Bells?"
"Yes, Gladys...wedding bells..."
Her thick, dark brows arched as her lips formed an O before she smiled and shook her head before taking her younger brother's arm and beginning to skip through the office with him, loudly humming Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Andrea pulled away from the embrace but left an arm around Chance's shoulders, laughing at the sight. "What do you say, Winslow?" she asked, her hand coming down and playfully swatting his butt.
"Sexual harrassment!" the man declared.
"Oh, grow up!" she exclaimed with a laugh.
"Chance? Grow up?" It was Gladys, she and Jack having ceased their jubilant skipping and singing.
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, haven't you heard? He's bloody Peter Pan!"
"No joke!" Chance threw in, striking a pose with his head up and to the side, arms akimbo, and his legs spread. Gladys found it all too tempting to transfigure her brother's black pants into green tights while Jack began to levitate him. "Hey!" Chance exclaimed, his hands moving to cover himself.
Gladys laughed. "Oh, grow up, dear little brother! None of us are looking at that."
"Yeah, not impressive, baby bro. I'm sure the ladies have seen bigger."
"Oh yeah..." said Andrea just for kicks. Chance's reaction was priceless. He looked like a rejected little kid.
"You should see your face, Chance."
"Oh shut up, miss flat chest."
Gladys gasped, picking up a rubber band and slinging it at him, forcing her younger brother to raise his hands to protect his face. "You did not just go there!"
"Oh look! It really is small!"
"Told you."
"If I wasn't personal friends with your wife, Jack, you know you wouldn't be getting off so easily."
"Yes, I know, and I'm glad."
"You'd better be!" Her attention was diverted to the embarrassed floating man. "Honestly, Chance, it's nothing to be ashamed of. So, you need a strap to help you in that department. I'm sure plenty do." Chance snorted and threw his shirt at her, which she caught.
"Whoa, little bro, stripping in the office?" Gladys clucked her tongue a couple of times, shaking her head.
"No!" Gladys received his tie.
"Sure looks like it, Chance man," Jack retorted.
Andrea seemed to have calmed down from her laughter and put an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Come on. Let him down." Jack listened, his interpretation quite different from what Andy had intended, but it worked. She smirked as she watched Chance rub his head. "And Gladys dear, get rid of the tights." She collected the tie from the other woman and began to carry the shirt and tie to Chance.
"Don't say that!" objected Chance but it was too late. He found himself in nothing but his briefs.
Darkness was soothing. It always had been so long as she could remember. Something about the way it engulfed her, capturing her in its calm, silent embrace, she supposed, or the memories of her mother singing to her as a little girl before tucking her in and giving her a tender kiss on the cheek, followed by an eskimo kiss, which had always made the younger version of herself giggle. She had always been alive at night, full of creativity, revealing itself in wild conversations between her stuffed animals as a little girl to finally the imaginative poems written as an older teenager and an adult.
At night, she could be anything she wanted so desperately to be but felt she was not—beautiful, girly, ravishing. No, with her plain brown locks that fell just past her shoulders but was usually pulled back in a bun and her run-of-the-mill blue eyes, Andrea Johnson felt she was rather plain to look at, maybe cute and certainly womanly and strong but still plain.
"Andy?" The sound of a man's voice made her jump and gasp quietly and the feeling of his cold fingers against the bare skin of her shoulder made her shiver as goosebumps erupted over her arms and legs,
but she turned her head to look at him with a tired smile. She'd nearly forgotten Thomas was here as quietly as he'd been sleeping while she'd sat on the edge of the bed silently thinking. "Can't sleep?" the man queried in a quiet voice. She shook her head as the man sat up, and she leaned back against his chest, eyes closed and a smile on her lips as she felt his arms slip around her middle. "Something on your mind?"
"Mm-hmm," she agreed, lifting her eyes as she bent her head back onto his shoulder to see him as her slender fingers came up to rest against his rounded, dimpled chin. "What a wonderful friend you are, Tom."
"And here I thought you were going to say last night was a mistake."
She smirked. "That possibility still hasn't passed, you know." At the disappointed look on the man's face, she let out a soft laugh. "I'm only joking" As he smiled, her fingers pulled his face closer to hers and met his lips in a brief kiss, pulling away as he tried to deepen it. "Easy, tiger," she cautioned with a hint of amusement. "Just because it happened once doesn't mean it will happen again."
"You sure about that?"
Andrea gasped as she felt his hand begin to travel up her thigh, knowing full well what he was aiming to do, and swatted his hand away. "Honestly now, I have to get ready for work."
"But it's only four a.m...."
"Uh-huh, and I have to be at the office by six."
"As precise as you are, Andy, I doubt if it takes you over a half hour to get ready."
"No, but you know I prefer to walk rather than apparate."
"I'll never understand you."
"No? And I certainly never thought a friend of mine offering to listen to me cry over Josh would translate to him sleeping with me. That gives a whole new definition to 'comfort.'"
"Hey, it got you to stop thinking about the bloke, didn't it?"
She laughed, pushing herself out of the bed. "Yes, but that's beside the point, darling."
"You know, you could always call in a sick day. Everyone would understand. After all, you and Josh were engaged to be married."
She chose to ignore the sadness that welled inside her at the reminder and instead smirked. "Horny bastard," she teased.
"Hey, I'm a guy. What can I say?"
"My point exactly."
"Can you blame me?"
She pretended to take a moment to think. "I suppose not. Josh never could get enough of me in bed either." They both laughed and Andrea disappeared into the bathroom.
It was hard to say what her true feelings on the matter were. Sometimes she felt relieved, other times deeply saddened beyond the point of motivation. Then there were the moments of silent anger where she'd sit brooding, remembering the break-up quite vividly, his many excuses, the way he still had tried to make love to her—"for old time's sake," he'd argued before he'd found himself pushed into the dresser, crushing most of her rarely used, decorative perfume bottles.
Stupid ass. Seemed the battle only four nights ago had scared him away. "I can't stand to worry like that again, snuggles."
"Don't call me that. Don't, if you're going to do this."
Josh had approached her swiftly, taking her chin in his fingers delicately, saying huskily, "But I still love you," before leaning in for a kiss, a kiss that never made it to his mark as Andy had turned her head away. "For old time's sake...."
"Pig!" she'd exclaimed, anger flashing through her eyes as she'd forcefully pushed him into her dresser and pulled out her gun as he made an advance towards her. She might be a witch, but she was also muggle born. "Get out!" He'd stared at her wide-eyed, not moving. "One...two...th—" He'd bolted.
And now she was all alone, back in the broad, never-ending ocean of single people, only this time it would be harder to get out because of her age—not that it particularly mattered. She was determined to be single the rest of her life. Well, at least she wouldn't actively look for a man, but if he came to her? She'd have to see. Men seemed to always be after one thing, even Tommy, and it was sickening to her at the moment, which was why she had left for work without so much as saying a word to her "friend." Was he really? or had he just had ullterior motives this time? It was so hard to tell, just made her want to pull out her hair for being such a fool.
"Hey, boss lady." It was Chance Winslow up to his usual antics, but at least he was honest and straightforward and didn't pretend. Besides, he was perfectly harmless. It was all just a charade with most women. The blond was surprised to find his boss' arms around his neck.
"Don't ever change, Chancy Wancy."
"Oh, look, Jack! Our little bro's dream come true!"
"Do you hear bells, sis?"
"Bells?"
"Yes, Gladys...wedding bells..."
Her thick, dark brows arched as her lips formed an O before she smiled and shook her head before taking her younger brother's arm and beginning to skip through the office with him, loudly humming Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Andrea pulled away from the embrace but left an arm around Chance's shoulders, laughing at the sight. "What do you say, Winslow?" she asked, her hand coming down and playfully swatting his butt.
"Sexual harrassment!" the man declared.
"Oh, grow up!" she exclaimed with a laugh.
"Chance? Grow up?" It was Gladys, she and Jack having ceased their jubilant skipping and singing.
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, haven't you heard? He's bloody Peter Pan!"
"No joke!" Chance threw in, striking a pose with his head up and to the side, arms akimbo, and his legs spread. Gladys found it all too tempting to transfigure her brother's black pants into green tights while Jack began to levitate him. "Hey!" Chance exclaimed, his hands moving to cover himself.
Gladys laughed. "Oh, grow up, dear little brother! None of us are looking at that."
"Yeah, not impressive, baby bro. I'm sure the ladies have seen bigger."
"Oh yeah..." said Andrea just for kicks. Chance's reaction was priceless. He looked like a rejected little kid.
"You should see your face, Chance."
"Oh shut up, miss flat chest."
Gladys gasped, picking up a rubber band and slinging it at him, forcing her younger brother to raise his hands to protect his face. "You did not just go there!"
"Oh look! It really is small!"
"Told you."
"If I wasn't personal friends with your wife, Jack, you know you wouldn't be getting off so easily."
"Yes, I know, and I'm glad."
"You'd better be!" Her attention was diverted to the embarrassed floating man. "Honestly, Chance, it's nothing to be ashamed of. So, you need a strap to help you in that department. I'm sure plenty do." Chance snorted and threw his shirt at her, which she caught.
"Whoa, little bro, stripping in the office?" Gladys clucked her tongue a couple of times, shaking her head.
"No!" Gladys received his tie.
"Sure looks like it, Chance man," Jack retorted.
Andrea seemed to have calmed down from her laughter and put an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Come on. Let him down." Jack listened, his interpretation quite different from what Andy had intended, but it worked. She smirked as she watched Chance rub his head. "And Gladys dear, get rid of the tights." She collected the tie from the other woman and began to carry the shirt and tie to Chance.
"Don't say that!" objected Chance but it was too late. He found himself in nothing but his briefs.