EPISODE ELEVEN
After several minutes of internal conversation, Marabel was able to settle back into the soft leather of the seat. It was a beautiful night out, but Coran had the windows closed with the AC blaring. Men tended to do things like that instead of enjoying the delicious simplicity of the night air. She shuttered from her near chill and in the same moment the cool air stopped assaulting her skin. Marabel heard the shifting sound of the windows becoming ajar letting in the distinct smell of an approaching autumn. Marabel couldn’t help but smile. It was as if Coran was reading her mind. She nestled further into the seat while she fingered the stem of her white rose.
When they were kids, Coran was always the loud, boisterous character. That was a good description for him … he was a character. Very popular with all the boys gravitating to him like a magnet while all the girls swooned over his light skin and good looks. Back then, light complected guys were the dreamy catches that all the girls wanted. But currently, the novelty had worn off. Light, caramel, dark, pink, purple … it’s all the same.
Marabel, on the other hand, just wanted to be left alone. She was the friendly loner. Someone who wouldn’t seek out the crowd, but had enjoyed the few connections made. She and Coran were from two different worlds. Two different galaxies. He was the spotlight and she the shadow. Now those worlds, galaxies—planets and all—had collided. And there they were, driving somewhere, late at night, looking and smelling good. Leh sigh, Marabel thought, at least we have that. We are cute tonight.
Soon after, the vehicle pulled to a stop. Of course, Marabel, blindfolded and all, did not have a clue where they were. They could’ve been somewhere in North or South County for all she knew. Maybe even on the East Side. She listened intently as Coran got out then moments later he opened her door.
“Do I get to take this thing off now?” She whined.
“Nah, you have to wait until I tell you.”
Marabel huffed then she melted when he touched her waist. The enhancement of all other senses when one was loss was definitely happening for her. Since she wasn’t able to see, his touch, his scent, his voice all took on a different meaning. It was like she was experiencing Coran in 3D.
He helped her down from the vehicle then he closed the door. Coran was careful to guide her slowly in the short distance that they walked. Marabel heard the creaking of a possible heavy metal door so she deduced that they were at some type of building structure.
“Okay, Belle, we are about to walk up about two flights of steps.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m not walking up stairs blindfolded and in these heels,” Marabel protested with a near stomp of her feet. She was downright insolent when it came to anything Coran. He made her feel so youthful. Juvenile. He took her back in time and that alone unnerved her.
“Okay, so you don’t want to walk up the stairs?”
“Nope.”
“Well, this is important … so …”
Marabel let out a loud yelp when Coran scooped her up into his arms. He was lifting her like she was nothing. A piece of paper. While he was composed like a statue, Marabel was shaking like a leaf.
“Coran! What the fuck are you doing?”
“I told you this is important so stop wiggling or I’m going to drop you and all of that ass on the ground.” Coran pinched her upper thigh causing Marabel to yelp again. Well, it was more of a whimper. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck for good measure. The last thing she needed was his legs giving out and the two of them taking a tragic tumble.
Coran clenched her tighter when they entered the building. She used her sense of smell to guide her to the nape of his neck. The part where men typically concentrate their cologne. When she hit pay dirt, she was in heaven. Her mind was gone. Inhibitions out of the door. If he wanted to carry her up a million flights, he could. Hell, Coran Stone, could do whatever he wanted to her if he continued to smell like a new dream.
He made quick work of the stairs because it wasn’t long before Coran was setting her back on her feet. Loneliness swept over her when he let go of her but she quickly pushed the feeling to back of her mind. Her curiosity was getting to her. Marabel heard another creak of a door. This one must’ve been heavier maybe in need of maintenance because it groaned and whined with the movement.
Marabel felt a breeze when Coran guided her through the door. They were outside again. On a roof.
As they stood outside, Marabel felt his heat behind her. His warm breath down the back of her neck. He was melting her insides from the nearness. Coran untied her scarf and she had to adjust her eyesight for a moment. They definitely were on a roof. A possible one or two story building. From what Marabel could tell, it was rehabbed like many of the buildings she had frequented lately.
“We’re still downtown?” Marabel whispered more as a statement to herself rather than a question to Coran.
“Yep,” Coran murmured as he took her hand and led her to the waist-high ledge.
Saint Louis was not as grand as New York or Chicago at night but it had its own mystique. Its own quiet beauty. The building structures were built to last for ages. Light posts with soft lighting were illuminated so the city could sleep at night. Her city was like an old, classic piece of literature. The spine worn from bending, pages not as white as they should be yet it remains the same great story. One that you would want to read over and over.
“So you brought me up here to fall in love with my city all over again?” Marabel asked as she stared off in the distance. Only the tip of the Arch was visible due to the taller buildings shielding it but it shined in the night. It truly was a fine piece of jewelry for their small metropolitan area.
“I wouldn’t say I brought you here to fall in love. If that’s a result … well … I can’t argue with that.”
Marabel felt that there was a deeper meaning to that statement but she wasn’t going to analyze it further. If his goal was to set some type of mood, Coran had succeeded. She started to take in her environment as they both spied upon downtown Saint Louis. Maybe about a block down, she spotted a building that looked familiar.
“Hey, is that—”
Coran turned Marabel to face him. “Hey,” he whispered, catching her attention. Yes, he is beautiful. His eyes were like liquid gold. God, help me.
“I brought you here because of our conversation earlier. You asked about my business figures. Right?”
Marabel nodded.
“Well, here they are. Do you know where we are?”
“No,” she said with a bit more breath than she wanted to release.
As Coran mysteriously produced another single white rose, he said, “This is my baby.” Marabel gulped as their hands touched. Coran drank her in with his eyes. “I put my soul into this. And you have witnessed my success.”
Marabel retrieved the rose from his hand but he held on to her wrist. She couldn’t even blink.
“I loved it for so long. Been in love with it. But it was always out of my grasp until now. My crush.”
When they were kids, Coran was always the loud, boisterous character. That was a good description for him … he was a character. Very popular with all the boys gravitating to him like a magnet while all the girls swooned over his light skin and good looks. Back then, light complected guys were the dreamy catches that all the girls wanted. But currently, the novelty had worn off. Light, caramel, dark, pink, purple … it’s all the same.
Marabel, on the other hand, just wanted to be left alone. She was the friendly loner. Someone who wouldn’t seek out the crowd, but had enjoyed the few connections made. She and Coran were from two different worlds. Two different galaxies. He was the spotlight and she the shadow. Now those worlds, galaxies—planets and all—had collided. And there they were, driving somewhere, late at night, looking and smelling good. Leh sigh, Marabel thought, at least we have that. We are cute tonight.
Soon after, the vehicle pulled to a stop. Of course, Marabel, blindfolded and all, did not have a clue where they were. They could’ve been somewhere in North or South County for all she knew. Maybe even on the East Side. She listened intently as Coran got out then moments later he opened her door.
“Do I get to take this thing off now?” She whined.
“Nah, you have to wait until I tell you.”
Marabel huffed then she melted when he touched her waist. The enhancement of all other senses when one was loss was definitely happening for her. Since she wasn’t able to see, his touch, his scent, his voice all took on a different meaning. It was like she was experiencing Coran in 3D.
He helped her down from the vehicle then he closed the door. Coran was careful to guide her slowly in the short distance that they walked. Marabel heard the creaking of a possible heavy metal door so she deduced that they were at some type of building structure.
“Okay, Belle, we are about to walk up about two flights of steps.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m not walking up stairs blindfolded and in these heels,” Marabel protested with a near stomp of her feet. She was downright insolent when it came to anything Coran. He made her feel so youthful. Juvenile. He took her back in time and that alone unnerved her.
“Okay, so you don’t want to walk up the stairs?”
“Nope.”
“Well, this is important … so …”
Marabel let out a loud yelp when Coran scooped her up into his arms. He was lifting her like she was nothing. A piece of paper. While he was composed like a statue, Marabel was shaking like a leaf.
“Coran! What the fuck are you doing?”
“I told you this is important so stop wiggling or I’m going to drop you and all of that ass on the ground.” Coran pinched her upper thigh causing Marabel to yelp again. Well, it was more of a whimper. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck for good measure. The last thing she needed was his legs giving out and the two of them taking a tragic tumble.
Coran clenched her tighter when they entered the building. She used her sense of smell to guide her to the nape of his neck. The part where men typically concentrate their cologne. When she hit pay dirt, she was in heaven. Her mind was gone. Inhibitions out of the door. If he wanted to carry her up a million flights, he could. Hell, Coran Stone, could do whatever he wanted to her if he continued to smell like a new dream.
He made quick work of the stairs because it wasn’t long before Coran was setting her back on her feet. Loneliness swept over her when he let go of her but she quickly pushed the feeling to back of her mind. Her curiosity was getting to her. Marabel heard another creak of a door. This one must’ve been heavier maybe in need of maintenance because it groaned and whined with the movement.
Marabel felt a breeze when Coran guided her through the door. They were outside again. On a roof.
As they stood outside, Marabel felt his heat behind her. His warm breath down the back of her neck. He was melting her insides from the nearness. Coran untied her scarf and she had to adjust her eyesight for a moment. They definitely were on a roof. A possible one or two story building. From what Marabel could tell, it was rehabbed like many of the buildings she had frequented lately.
“We’re still downtown?” Marabel whispered more as a statement to herself rather than a question to Coran.
“Yep,” Coran murmured as he took her hand and led her to the waist-high ledge.
Saint Louis was not as grand as New York or Chicago at night but it had its own mystique. Its own quiet beauty. The building structures were built to last for ages. Light posts with soft lighting were illuminated so the city could sleep at night. Her city was like an old, classic piece of literature. The spine worn from bending, pages not as white as they should be yet it remains the same great story. One that you would want to read over and over.
“So you brought me up here to fall in love with my city all over again?” Marabel asked as she stared off in the distance. Only the tip of the Arch was visible due to the taller buildings shielding it but it shined in the night. It truly was a fine piece of jewelry for their small metropolitan area.
“I wouldn’t say I brought you here to fall in love. If that’s a result … well … I can’t argue with that.”
Marabel felt that there was a deeper meaning to that statement but she wasn’t going to analyze it further. If his goal was to set some type of mood, Coran had succeeded. She started to take in her environment as they both spied upon downtown Saint Louis. Maybe about a block down, she spotted a building that looked familiar.
“Hey, is that—”
Coran turned Marabel to face him. “Hey,” he whispered, catching her attention. Yes, he is beautiful. His eyes were like liquid gold. God, help me.
“I brought you here because of our conversation earlier. You asked about my business figures. Right?”
Marabel nodded.
“Well, here they are. Do you know where we are?”
“No,” she said with a bit more breath than she wanted to release.
As Coran mysteriously produced another single white rose, he said, “This is my baby.” Marabel gulped as their hands touched. Coran drank her in with his eyes. “I put my soul into this. And you have witnessed my success.”
Marabel retrieved the rose from his hand but he held on to her wrist. She couldn’t even blink.
“I loved it for so long. Been in love with it. But it was always out of my grasp until now. My crush.”