‹ Prequel: One Life To Live
Status: Going slow because I am busy with other works but will try to update ASAP!

Two Lives As One

Christmas Hysterics

My eye scrutinized the article of clothing, mulling over whether or not I could picture Lance walking around in my dorm wearing it. It was mahogany, long-sleeved, and had a slight V-neck at the top. Was it his style? I bit my lip, and thought about what Lance’s wardrobe consisted of. He liked plain white t-shirts, I mused. He wore a lot of dark wash jeans. He was casual and sexy at the same time. I smiled to myself. He made ordinary clothes look like they were designer. I sighed, letting my thoughts go shamelessly in the unproductive direction. His chest. His muscles. His smile.

“Melly! Hell-ooo?” came an insistent voice in my ear.

I shook away my ogling thoughts and turned my head. Bethany Lynn was standing there, an arm on her hip, and piles of clothes dangling from her arm. “Whatcha got there, doll?” She asked, pointing to the cashmere shirt I had in my hands.

“Oh,” I said, flushing, “it’s a Christmas present.” I was being purposefully elusive – Bethany Lynn wasn’t too keen on the idea of Lance being my boyfriend, yet. She caught us in the apartment together kissing a week after Lance got out of the hospital, and let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant surprise for her. She hadn’t been in on the good things Lance had done for me – she just saw the lying, cheating façade of Lance that wasn’t really him.

She grinned. “For Freddie? I love it! It’s just his style.”

My lips puffed in disdain. Now I was going to think about Freddie wearing the shirt and not Lance. It’s not that I don’t care for Freddie – I love the guy – but I’d rather buy a gift that makes me immediately think: Lance. If I could find a gift like that, I would have bought it straight away. I just wasn’t having any luck. I folded the shirt and put it back on the shelf where it’d been lying. “Now that I think of it, I have a better gift in mind for Freddie,” I lied.

“Really? ‘Cause I was thinkin’ about these ones,” she gestured toward her pile of outfits and shrugged. I envied her. It took me thirty minutes alone just to find the mahogany shirt I liked. Bethany Lynn was experienced in buying Christmas presents for guys. I really wanted to ask her for help buying for Lance, but would she want to? He wasn’t her favorite person these days.

“What do ya think of this one, Melly?” She asked with a smile, holding up a Caribbean Joe shirt decorated with Hawaiian palm trees. I had to laugh. Ever since we’d been friends with Freddie, we felt the need to remind him that he indeed came from California and that he’d always be a “surfer bra” in our hearts.

“I love it, girl.” I grinned. “You’re definitely getting that one.”

She giggled. “I knew you’d approve.”

We filtered through her choices on clothes – from jeans, to shirts, to even underwear. And yes, the terrible g-string kind. Bethany Lynn just sat daintily on an expensive leather chair in her power shopping suit, pink heels, and equally pink-painted fingernails grinning from ear to ear and telling me he’d look hot in it. I shook my head trying to contain my horror when she held up the red g-string bottoms, wiggling them around. I did not want to picture Freddie, my best friend, in g-string underwear. Never.

After too much underwear heinousness for one day, Bethany Lynn bought a stack of clothes for Freddie, telling me that she’d feel them out and see which ones became better presents than the others. She unfolded her wallet and there were multiple Visa credit cards ready to be swiped. She plucked a gold card out and handed it to the cashier who most likely spent a lot of time shopping for skinny jeans and beanies. He gave her a toothy smile and charged the card without a second thought.

She drummed her fingers against the checkout counter and gazed at me tiredly. “You think that’s enough shopping for one day, Melly, darlin’?”

I was surprised. Normally Bethany Lynn would spend a good six hours shopping and not think twice about hitting the next store she could get her manicured hands on. This was totally out of character for her. Curious, I analyzed her. Her eyes were half-lidded and there was a faint purple shadow under each of them. She leaned most of her weight on the side of the counter, and her shoulders were hunching over. I paused, and asked, “Bethany, are you feeling okay?”

She shrugged, flipping a tendril of her long, brunette hair off her neck. “I’ve been feeling worn down these last few days. Maybe I’m goin’ a little too ho-hog on the Christmas shopping.” She gave me a smile.

I still wasn’t convinced that it was because of an over abundance of shopping. I crossed my arms, speculating. “I think it would be best if you took some of the Theraflu I have in the bathroom, and get a lot of rest tonight. You do that, and you’ll be feeling much better by morning.”

She sighed, “Well I can’t suppose I could argue with a doctor-in-trainin’ now can I?”

I smiled at her, relieved she’d do as I said. That stuff worked wonders even if you didn’t have the flu. The cashier bagged up her clothes, and the total came to $150.34. Whoa. I had to take a moment to compose myself, though that wasn’t the highest I saw Bethany paying for clothes. Not even close. Bethany Lynn snatched the bags and thanked the cashier before she strung her arm through mine and we exited the department store.

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With full pockets, and tired feet, I turned on my mini radio and drew off my clothes. My shoulders sagged and my eyes, no doubt, had bags under them. I was definitely looking forward to the two weeks of winter break Bethany Lynn and I would get after the end of this week. Pressure was on for me to find a present for Lance, and I desperately hoped I’d get inspiration soon. Without a thought, I cranked the water to searing hot as the steaming water vapors soaked into my pores. Nothing was better than a soothing shower after a day of Christmas shopping.

I pushed it to a long, relieving fifteen minutes in the shower, and then stepped out, foot by foot. I pulled on a new pair of pink Victoria’s Secret panties – a pre-Christmas gift from Bethany Lynn – and my black lace bra. With my hair still in a towel, I opened the door, feeling cold air wafting through the warm. My radio had just turned on to Naughty Girl by Beyoncé and I turned it up mildly loud, but not loud enough that Bethany Lynn would wake up hearing it. And I knew I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shimmying and singing to the song with gusto. It was an automatic reaction to any of her incredible music. I bent over and scrubbed at my wet scalp with the towel and flipped my hair back, the strands reaching halfway down my back. The chorus came on and I sung as high pitch as I could. I was a little proud of myself – it had been a long while since I last had choir class, and my voice still was able to read a soprano high.

I spun around; mimicking Beyoncé’s dance moves for I don’t know how long, and stopped short when I saw a pair of highly amused and wickedly pleased green eyes looking straight at me. I gasped, my eyes widening. “What the—”

Lance grinned devilishly, rubbing his chin which had a bit of dark stubble there. “Question, darling, is this what you do when I’m not here?”

I sputtered unhelpfully for a moment, but managed to get out, “What are you doing here?”

“Are you not happy to see me, sweetheart?” He paused, a twinkle in his eye. When I didn’t respond, he said, “I knocked, and when you didn’t answer I used the key you gave me. I was going to drop these off.” He lifted a bouquet of red roses, gesturing toward them.

My head quirked to the side, a slow smile spreading on my face. “You didn’t have to get me anything. Christmas is not for a week, yet y’know.”

He shrugged, not caring. He bent, and slid smoothly from the couch to join me in the kitchen. I had the immense pleasure of watching his long, hard body walk in my direction. He looked amazing, as usual. Even though he said he wanted to drop them off, you could tell he was expecting that I was going to be in my dorm. He had on dark jeans and a long sleeved brown shirt that fit snugly against his chest. When he was less than a half a foot away, he extended the bouquet to me, and I grasped them in my hand inwardly realizing that I was still in my underwear and bra.

I bit my lip. “I should probably go change.”

He grinned at my hesitant declaration. He came even closer, and ran his finger down over my bra strap. A smile of approval eased out of his grin. “I’d, of course, prefer you didn’t.”

I blushed, my skin turning blotchy red up and down my neck. “And make a fool out of myself? I don’t think so.”

“Why would you make a fool out of yourself?” He said, his voice husky. His eyes smoldered into mine, his forehead touching mine. “I’d be more worried for me with you looking like that.”

I swallowed, my throat going dry. His hands came down on my shoulders, and he pressed his mouth softly to mine. I matched his intensity, and slid effortlessly into his arms. He opened his mouth under mine and silenced any nervous qualms I had. My hands moved up his neck and into his hair, while his own traveled the length of my spine, finally resting low on my bare hips. His touch was magic. Unconsciously, I leaned against him, my hips on his hips, and my chest on his chest. He groaned, and pressed me tighter against him – skin to skin. His lips were perfection. I could never get tired of the way he kissed me.

He changed the angle of the kiss, and I compensated in return, my fingers sliding through his thick hair. Before I knew it, I felt the cabinet door on my back. I braced myself, my hands leaving his hair as I planted them on the counter top. His mouth found mine again, and my brain completely distracted, I accidently hit something with my hand, causing what sounded like a cereal box fall to the floor. I immediately jerked back, extracting myself from him, more embarrassed than I’ve ever been.

“Oh God,” my breath came out in a whoosh. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding it for that long. “See? Look. Fool out of myself. I am going to put my pajamas on. Now.”

Lance’s breathing was rugged, his smile upturned at the corners watching my hysterical behavior. He caught my hand as I was making my way to leave, and kissed the top of it. “Don’t be long.”
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New story :D Picks up a few weeks or so after it left off. Like it?
Yep, Mel hasn't changed much. What a clutz!
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Love ya,
Lauren.