Match Met Ch. 05

"Night." He mumbled. Kiana trudged up the walkway and opened the front door. Sighing in relief and exhaustion as she closed the door behind herself. But it came back at her with full force and intense blue eyes startled her to a small screech. The sound only lasted a fraction of a second because Sawyer's lips were perfectly lining over hers. His hand was decisively wrapped around her midsection and the other moulding their pelvises into one. Kiana melted into his arms just as he pulled away, ending their kiss with three, noisy sudden pecks on her swollen lips. Kiana put some distance between them and shifted on her two feet, feeling a little light headed.

"I'll call you tomorrow." He said, stepping out the door and adjusting his pants on the way back to his car.

**

"Stretch it out." Naomi announced. Kiana took her spot on the ground and waited for her to give the announcements. She took languid steps along the length of the room.

"Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and I'm expecting all of you to visit the homeless shelter for a few hours with two pans of one dish." Naomi said, glancing everyone over for silent confirmation. Kiana had plans to spend her morning at the shelter and the rest of the day with her dad. It was the least she could do considering Naomi was letting her dance pretty much tuition free. "That's all, you're free to go."

Kiana took the bus back to her dad's house and walked up the steps, using her key to unlock the door. She put her bags in their usual spots and walked toward his room. Nicolette was sitting in the chair while he slept in bed. Kiana gave her a light smile and joined him under the quilt. She nuzzled into his side, taking in his scent and eventually fell asleep.

*

Kiana made three pans of mashed potatoes with one pot of gravy. She stood behind the cafeteria like counters in her yoga pants and dance company jacket. She served the food to each person that came by, smiling and wishing them a 'Happy Thanksgiving'.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too gorgeous." The voice hit her as familiar but as she looked for its source, she discovered it was a complete stranger. He had piercing foggy eyes paired with a Jesus facial structure hidden under long hair and a full beard peppered in greys. He was over 6"5 yet skinny in the most attractive of ways. Kiana smiled modestly.

"Thanks." She replied. He seemed to admire her for a little bit longer before he gave her a wicked grin full of obvious lust. But to her surprise, Kiana didn't feel uncomfortable under his watchful eye. She took his flirtation as a compliment more than anything else.

"Come to my table when you finish here sweetheart." He said, finally stepping away from the counter to join some other people she could only guess were his friends.

"He's pretty hot for an old homeless man." Ann, another dancer in the company said. She had snow white skin and auburn hair. She and Kiana only spoke every once in awhile, but when they did, they seemed to be the perfect match. Kiana laughed at her comment.

"I guess he is." She replied, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

*

Kiana joined the man's table after the shelter's doors closed and excluded those who didn't arrive on time. She had a cup of eggnog in her hand that she sat on the table. The man's eyes seemed to rake over her features as she took her seat he had left specifically for her.

"I'm Kiana." She introduced herself, reaching a hand over the table.

"Richard." He smiled and took her hand. He had intentions of pursuing her but now that he'd finally taken in how young and inexperienced she was, he didn't deserve her body. She was too much of a clean slate matched up to his closet of skeletons.

"Nice to meet you." She said, she brought her cup up to her lips but Richard's sour expression captured her attention. "What?" She asked.

"Here honey." He said, taking a little bottle of Jack Daniels and pouring some inside her cup. Kiana chuckled as he took a cautious look around before putting it back inside his pocket.

"Tastes like shit without it." He grumbled, continuing to eat for a little bit. Kiana watched as he scraped mashed potatoes off his plate and savoured the gravy she'd made from scratch.

"You enjoying the food?" Kiana asked. He nodded in approval.

"Probably one of the best meals I've had in awhile." They sat in silence for a little bit longer. Kiana took a sip of her now alcoholic beverage and allowed the warmness to settle comfortably in her pit.

"I don't mean any disrespect but you don't look like a dancer at all." He said, looking around the room. The dancers were now sitting at various tables, some eating, most of them just talking. Kiana was the only black woman in the adult section of the company and she was used to being the odd one out.

"I know. There aren't a lot of bla—" Richard cut her short.

"No, I'm not talking about that. You're the only one in here with some fucking meat attached to your bones." He growled in a disgusted voice, glancing around the room. Kiana chuckled.

"Well thanks I guess." She replied with a smile.

"You're welcome honey." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

"So what are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking." Kiana said, toying with her hands below the table. Christmas music played in the background now and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Richard sighed before giving her a dazzling smile as if the story was a long, hard journey he had to endure with things to surmount on the way.

"I always made bad decisions but shit, I can't do anything about it now so I'm not going to torture myself with regret. I turned some important people against me and I got mixed up in some drugs. I spent every penny I had gambling, getting high, and prostitutes— dumb shit. So now I'm a handsome man on the street." He finished, with a dazzling smile. Indeed he was handsome. His grey eyes were intense and beautiful.

"I'm sorry to hear that. No family you could turn to?" She pressed, sensing for some reason it would be alright to question him a little further.

"None that would want my ass around." He chuckled honestly, giving her a knowing look. "But it's fine. I find some comfort in knowing that they're safe and I'm the only fuck-up in the family. Hopefully I can be an example." He said waving a philosophical hand in the air.

"How many kids do you have?" Kiana asked.

"Four beautiful kids—adults I should say." He corrected, entering a daze. She could only guess he was picturing the obvious loves of his lives in his mind. She could see he loved them.

"Do you want to be in their lives?" That question had its own meaning. Did he want to be sober, get off the streets and find a job to ensure he was a stable man? He thought over it for awhile and gave her a curious look.

"I guess I do. I never really thought of it like that. It always seemed like a 'get clean' sort of situation. Seeing it as a bridge to getting to know my children better gives me a new... feel." Kiana was a little proud that she might've been changing his life by the minute.

"Well, I'm here for you if you need motivational speaking." Kiana told him honestly. She'd do what it took to help him; because it was clear he wanted a different life for himself. If he wanted to admit it to his conscious, she didn't know. Richard was trying to convince himself it was nothing he could do to change his past and not trying to change his future.

"That's nice to know love." He replied, giving her a sweet smile. "So what's going on with you—I'm talking 'bout my damn life story and you aren't saying a word." He took another deep swallow of his drink.

"I'm in school, I dance... that's all I can say really." Richard seemed unimpressed.

"No boyfriend?" Kiana thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure if that's what we're calling it." He gave a confused look and she quickly restated her sentence. "Neither of us has established if we're in a relationship or not." Were she and Sawyer dating? They were acting more and more like a couple, but dating didn't come naturally to her so she had no idea.

"He's a fucking idiot if he hasn't made it clear by now." Richard said to himself. Kiana sighed.

"He might've, I just haven't noticed." She said, defending Sawyer.

"Well, he's a lucky man. You're a beautiful young woman with her head on straight. He should kiss the ground you walk on." Kiana smiled.

"Thank you... If I got you a ticket to the Nutcracker show next month would you come?" Kiana asked.

"If you're dancing, of course." He replied with a smile.

"I will be." She said. She had some major parts in the dance which had surprised her. Considering the Swan number was meant to be portrayed by snowy skinned dancers.

"I can't wait." Richard told her. They spoke for a few more hours about nothing but then again everything. She handed him a piece of paper with her phone number so she could give him more information on the tickets. He promised he'd call a week before. She finally departed after the 3^rd hour and they both left together, going down separate ends of the block. For some reason Kiana felt strangely comfortable in his presence, as if she'd known him for awhile and they were just friends visiting again.