Kiss From a Rose

Waking up the next morning Matt got up and showered. Getting dressed he walked to the kitchen and looked in the fridge to find it almost empty.

"Looks like I'm going grocery shopping today." He said closing it.

Val had always done the shopping and the cooking so he had always depended on her to make sure the kitchen was stocked up. Now he had to make sure of got stocked up himself.

As he went through his drawer looking for one of his sleeveless shirts the petal caught his eye.

Matt picked it up rubbing it between his fingers. When he got home he had placed it in a small box where he kept his dog tags at.

Most of his sleep was spent wondering what had happened to Ember and where she had gone.

"Doesn't matter Sanders." He told himself putting a cap on. "You're never gonna see her again."

Matt pushed the buggy the canned good aisle looking through his aviators he grabbed four cans of tomato sauce. As he walked down another aisle grabbing a bag of Lay's potato chips.

As he walked to the end of the aisle he grinned remembering how Valary would fuss at him for grabbing the salty chips.

He was so caught up in this memory he didn't notice until the buggy jerked back that he had bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry." He said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine maybe if you took those glasses off you'd be able to see better." A voice said.

Matt looked up to see Ember with that smile she had given him when they first met.

"Ember?" He said lifting his glasses up.

"Looks like it doesn't it?" She said with a laugh.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"A girl's gotta eat to hon." She said.

"I guess so." Matt said with a chuckle.

"What's got your mind so occupied you couldn't pay attention to other people coming round a corner?" She asked.

"Oh just thinking bout something." He said.

"You're thinking bout her aren't you?" She asked.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Your demeanor just gives you away." She said pushing her cart. "You coming?"

Matt followed her walking by her side down the store. "So Ember what happened to you last night?" He asked.

"I pulled the disappearing act on you." She said.

"Obviously but why did you?" He asked.

"I had to go somewhere at that moment." Ember said.

"Why didn't you just tell me that then?" Matt asked.

She stopped and faced him. "Cause I knew we would meet again soon."

"What made you so sure we would?" He asked.

She grinned. "I just do." She said and pushed her cart to a check out. "So what are you doing today?"

"Probably just chill at the house." He said.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna go home and spend it alone?" "And after you were wondering where I went?"

"Maybe I want to be alone." He said with a grin. "Just like you do."

"Well right now I don't want to be alone." She said. "And I'm sure you don't either so do you want to spend the day together?"

"Together?" He said.

"Neither of us want to be alone consider us each other's medicine for today." She said. "What do you say?"

"I don't know I brought ice cream." He said gesturing.

"You're gonna pass up the cure for your loneliness all because of melted frozen milk?" She asked. "You can easily put it in the fridge later." "Matt spend the day with me so you won't be lonely."

Matt thought about her offer then found himself staring into her eyes. They were an icy blue color surrounded by just the right amount of shadow and eyeliner.

Her lips were a dark purple. Hair was in a curly ponytail surrounded by roses. She was wearing a red and black laced shirt with black heels. Her shirt was black but sheer giving him a good view of her lacy black bra and her cleavage.

She noticed him looking and grinned slowly. "So what do you say?"

He sighed. "Okay." He said.

"Where are we going exactly?" Matt asked as she gave him directions.

"To a coffee shop." She said. "It's one of my favorite spots."

"Okay." He said as he continued driving.

Out the corner of his eye he watched as Ember look her ponytail down and shook her hair. It fell in curls down her neck but the roses remained intact. He glanced down and noticed what looked like a tattoo of a balancer on her side.

She grinned. "You might want to watch the road instead of me Matt."

He quickly looked back at the road until they got to the coffee shop. Getting out and walking in Matt was created by the smell of all kinds of coffees. The place was lit by purple and red lights.

"Let's sit here." Ember said sitting near a window.

Matt sat down and looked around. "So you come here alot?"

She nodded. "Another place where I center my thoughts it's also a poetry shop." "They always have open mic you can go up either say a poem or sing."

Matt nodded and looked up as a man came to take their orders. "What will you have?"

"Get me my usual Dominick and get him the doomed expresso." Ember said.

He nodded and went away. "What's a doomed expresso?" Matt asked.

"It's a coffee but it has hits of dark chocolate, devil's food sweetener...

"Sounds like it contains everything black and bitter." He said.

"It does but it's really good." She said as Dominick returned with their orders.

Matt looked at the steaming beverage in front of him. The smell of burned walnuts hit his nostrils. He picked it up and after blowing it took a sip.

He wrinkled his face. "It's very bitter but good."

She nodded. "Here." She said pouring some creamer in. "Now try it."

"Alot better now." He said. "What are you drinking?"

"The Devil's Wine." She said. "Want a taste?"

"What does it have in it?" He asked.

She grinned. "Just try it."

Matt took her cup and looked into the foaming reddish brownish drink. He took a sip.

"Tastes like peppermint, red velvet came, a hint of cinnamon, and something else I can't make out." He said. "What is it?"

"That's a secret." She said taking her cup back. "Nice tats." She said her eyes roaming his arms.

"Thanks you've got one too on your side." He said. "What made you get a tattoo of a balancer?"

"I'm a Libra born on October 19th." She said. "Which is odd cause I'm far from a Libra."

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Cause Libras epitomize balance, harmony, and fair play." She said. "Things I'm far from."

"There will never be balance and harmony in the world cause its so fucked up." She said looking out the window. "All the pain, death, suffering prevents that."

"What makes you so sure that it will never happen?" He asked.

"When you've been through some things it makes the world seem dark and hopeless." She said sipping her coffee.

Matt wondered what had she been through to give her such a pessimistic view about life.

"So what is your sign?" She asked turning to face him.

"I'm a Leo." He said. "Born on July 31st."

"I had a feeling you were." She said. "You look like a Leo and come across like one."

"How do I?" He asked.

"You seem ambitious." She said. "You want to and don't stop till you succeed at something."

He chuckled. "That's me."

"I can also sense warmness and enthusiasm coming from you." She said. "You also seem like you have a little of a temper."

"I do not." He said.

She giggled. "See just right now you're defensive." "But it figures cause Leo's element is fire."

"What is a Libras element?" He asked.

"Air which means reaching higher." She said. "I guess that's one thing I have in common with my sign sense I like to communicate my thoughts to others."

"Only those who interest you though." He said.

She nodded. "There's something else about my sign that fits me."

"What's that?" He asked.

"Libras feel most complete when they're with a partner." She said. "A lover forever."

Matt's heart starting beating fast at her words. When she said that he couldn't help but think she was referring to him as a lover.

"So do you have any other tattoos?" He asked.

"Yes but they're in places you're not allowed to see." She said sedcutively.

He coughed on his coffee and she laughed a little. "So where do you want to go now?"

"How bout somewhere a little more quiet?" She asked.

"Like where?" Matt asked.

"You'll see." She said getting up and walking out.