The Kissing Thief.

I was beyond happy. I was jovial. In high spirits. On cloud nine. Actually, I was draped across the leather sofa with my legs on Aaron’s lap, and empty wine bottles littering the floor. Valerie and Charlie had been making out like two rabid carnivores fighting for their lives. I shooed them out of the living room, and plopped myself on the couch. Aaron stared at me with watery eyes, pink cheeks, and curled hair. He absent-mindedly lit up a cigarette, and began to rub his bottom lip with his thumb. I pulled my legs up to my chest and buried my face in the sofa, suppressing a smile and my blushing cheeks. My heart fluttered to and fro, and my stomach developed a mild case of butterflies. I closed my eyes in order to shield them from Aaron’s stare, and to make him think I was sleepy. But in all actuality, I was wide awake, and suffering an attraction to him I hadn’t thought possible.

“What’s the matter?” Aaron asked quietly.

“You’re ridiculous.” I countered, grinning like a fool. I opened one eye to peek out at him. He was shaking with silent laughter.

“What do you mean?” He sat up straight and leaned toward me. I copied his actions and leaned in to his face.

“What is a man like you, doing with a woman like her?” I asked, furrowing my brow. I took in every inch of his face, frightened that I would never get this close to him again.

“Sam? I love her.” I will admit it. The sound of his voice saying that about Sam made me want to cry, but I held my ground and stared at him throughout a long pause. He stubbed his cigarette out in an ashtray on the coffee table, and leaned in toward my face.

“I love her.” He repeated, as if confirming it to himself.

“How? Surely you can’t have much in common with her. She’s lived her life. You’re still young.”

“Who would you rather I be with then? You?” I blushed and retreated in to my corner of the couch. He laughed whole-heartedly, while I fought the urge to spill tears. I stood up from the couch after a few minutes, and took a half-empty wine bottle from the floor beside the couch.

“I’m goin’ to bed.” I muttered, and stumbled out of the living room. I felt the cold marble floor of the foyer under my feet as I walked toward Valerie’s door, marked with a large brass number three. I heard Aaron’s footsteps from behind me, but I toned them out without difficulty.

“Juniper!” Aaron whispered loudly. I ignored him and took a swig of my wine. “Joon, please wait!” I stopped, and spun around on the palm of my foot. Aaron approached me quickly and grabbed my face between his large hands. Curiosity burned in his eyes when I looked in to them. He leaned in, filling the void between us, and brought our lips together. I could taste the cigarette smoke lingering on his breath as he kissed me, and I felt his thin body press against my own. I dropped the wine bottle in my hand and flinched when it smashed on the cold floor. I let my fingers entangle themselves in his curly hair. Aaron pulled me toward him tightly, but when I stepped, my foot slipped on the red wine. I fell to the floor, laughing at my clumsiness, still holding on to Aaron as I stumbled to get up.

“Are you alright?” He asked in his British accent. He helped me to my feet, but didn’t let go of me.

“A bit, I suppose.” I replied. My breathing was shallow and my knees were shaking. My lips felt tender from the kiss, and the taste of wine and cigarettes haunted my mouth. “Why did you do that?”

“Why did I do what?” A smirk grew on Aaron’s lips.

“Kiss me like that!” I yelled, but I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop myself from yelling again. Aaron pulled my hands away and placed another kiss on my lips.

“You’re lucky. I was saving that for Sam.” He said, before leaving me in the hallway, lit only by candles and oil lamps.