Birthday Girl Ch. 06

The cliff was shaped like a crescent moon, extending forward on the left and right, and we were at the middle, on the inside. Both sides of the cliff were covered in forest and at regular intervals we could make out clearing just like ours. It looked like there were cabins all around the cliff edge but they were spaced out far enough that it was impossible to make out if the others were occupied. The forest also hid the cabins from direct view.

We had come into the clearing from behind so we walked ahead to get a better look. We passed the cabin without a second glance, all of us mesmerized by the breathtaking view in front of us. As we got closer to the edge, we saw at the bottom of the sheer three hundred foot drop was a huge lake extending to all the cliff faces, the water lapping gently at the base of each face. Beyond the lake, at the mouth of the cliff, all that could be seen was a green canopy extending till the horizon.

Right at the edge of the cliff, maybe four feet from the drop, exactly in the middle, stood one lone tree. It had a thick trunk and low hanging branches and was drooping to one side as if in old age, and since it was so close to the edge, some of its roots could be seen exposed on the cliff face. It should have looked out of place but somehow it completed the picture perfectly. This was the kind of stuff you see on a desktop wallpaper.

"Unbelievable....." Melissa whispered beside me.

She had hooked her arm in mine again, leaning into me slightly. We just stood like that for a few minutes, taking in the scene and breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the tranquility of the place. There were birds flying from one edge of the cliff to the other, following each other in a single line.

"Let's check out the cabin," Nick said, turning back.

It looked more like a one and a half story structure, it wasn't tall enough to be a two story. A small black pit a few feet from the cabin with three logs around it indicated a bonfire area. That should be fun. There was a double glass sliding door in front that opened up into a living area furnished with straw couches, a table carved out of a log of wood and a huge fireplace on one side. Directly ahead, one step lower, was the kitchen and dining area.

Two doors on either side led to two bedrooms with queen size wooden beds, the headboards once again carved from wood. There were mosquito nets over each bed and large windows that gave a lovely view of the forest around.

Another door opened up to an impressive bathroom. We might be in the woods but that didn't mean we had to shit under a tree. It was large and spacious with a Jacuzzi type tub in one corner. I would have thought they would put it outside but then again, you don't want a grizzly to sneak up on you when you're half naked and wet in the middle of the night. Pun intended.

A small steep spiral staircase in one corner of the living room led up. It was glorious. It was a loft with a low tapered roof, a low bed that covered almost the entire floor space and the wall opposite the bed was entirely glass, with a small balcony just outside, overlooking the cliff. You could just make out the far edge of the lake.

"Dibs on the loft," I said while everyone was still marveling at the view.

There was a collective groan from Nick and Bill and they tried to argue but the sacred rules of Dibs had to be upheld. I got the loft. More accurately, Melissa and I got the loft. Sweet. Maybe not so sweet. I was nervous about sharing the bed with her as I had never slept with another person in the same bed. I had a habit of moving around a lot at night and I was afraid I'd kick the snot out of Melissa by morning. I was going to have to think of a way to tie myself to the bed at night.

The guide departed after wishing us a good evening and our bags had already arrived and were waiting for us in the living area. We got our respective luggage and moved into our rooms. I almost broke my neck trying to get Melissa's bag up the steep staircase. I was just going to throw it out the balcony when we were leaving, I couldn't risk bringing it down again.

Stowing it away in a corner I turned to Melissa, who had followed me up,

"Any preference on sides?" I asked, gesturing towards the bed.

She shook her head, "I like to be on top."

She pushed me on the bed and climbed on top of me, straddling me on elbows and knees, bringing her face close to mine, "like this."

Her hair fell forward, hiding us behind the curtain, trapping us in our own private world.

"I don't mind," I said, lifting my head and kissing her nose, "You'd make a terrific blanket."

She pretended to be angry, "Is that all you can think of using me as? A blanket?"

"No, there are a few other things I can think of putting you to use for. A body warmer, mosquito repellant-"

She captured my lips and gave me a kiss that made me lose my train of thought. My hands went up under her T-shirt, up her back, raising it and exposing her skin as I went along. As I got to her shoulders, her top bunched up, and I pulled her down on me, closing the distance and squishing her breasts between us. She was now lying flat on top of me and her whole back was bare for me to explore. Deciding to be daring for once, I went for her bra, trying to find the hook.

She reached behind and took hold of my hands, pulling them away and stretching them up and pinning them to the mattress above my head.

"Not so fast cowboy," she said against my lips, biting the lower one, "someone might come up."

"Sorry, got carried away," I said, and welcomed her tongue back.

She was right of course, and no sooner had we started mashing lips again, we heard the stairs creak and footsteps coming up.

"Melissa, do you want to use the shower? I'll finish the water if I go first," Jenna called out as she came up.

We hastily got off each other, Lissy pulling her T-shirt down, but not before I got a flash of a lacy blue bra. Damn you Jenna.

Jenna's head appeared just as Melissa plopped down on the bed beside me, looking all flushed and re-arranging her hair. Jenna took one look at us and immediately got a sly smile on her face,

"Did I interrupt anything?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes. We were devising secret military strategies on how to infiltrate Gotham City. Now get lost." I replied, not so sweetly.

"Brian, be nice," Melissa warned, then turned to Jen as she got up, "As a matter of fact, yes I would like to use the shower, I'm all sticky and sweaty after the hike. Let's go."

She rummaged through her bag and picked out a few clothes and a towel, then headed downstairs, hands around each other's waists, Lissy swinging her hips more than necessary.

"You're going to shower together?" I asked their retreating backs.

No reply.

"Can I watch?"

Silence.

I flopped back down on the bed, hands covering my face, a tent in my jeans, cursing the universe. Eventually I was decent enough below the waist and changed into some sweatpants before heading downstairs, only to find it deserted. Both bedroom doors were shut and the shower was running, leaving me in the middle of the living area wondering what to do.

I could barge in on Nick and Jenna as revenge but I didn't feel like it at the moment. The view from the sliding glass doors told me what I should be doing. Stepping out I found an old rocking chair on the small porch and relaxed into it, putting my hands behind my head and my feet up on the railing.

Dusk was setting in, evening birds could be heard fluttering about and two crickets had started their racket somewhere close-by. The whole atmosphere gave me the urge to do something I hadn't done in a long time. Rushing in briefly, I returned with a paper and a pen and resumed my position, sticking the pen in my mouth and gazing at my surroundings.

It was so calm and serene, the greens of the leaves on the trees dustier in the waning light and the air heavy after a long day. Even through all this I could only think of one thing. Taking the pen out of my mouth, I started writing. The words just seemed to pour onto the paper seemingly all on their own. I probably could have even stopped paying attention and I would have continued writing. In addition to the birds and the crickets, there was now the scratching of the pen to add to the list of noises around.

After completing it, I read and reread it a few times, my smile growing bigger each time. It may not be polished or overly poetic but it was how I felt and for that, I liked it. The door slid open behind me and I reflexively turned around to check who it was.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you," Melissa said as she stepped out, dressed in a white sleeveless top and green shorts. Her damp hair hung loosely down on her shoulders in strands and she had that fresh, squeaky clean look. There was something about wet hair on a girl that drove me nuts. It was just so sensual.

"What's that?" she nodded towards the paper in my hand.

Instantaneously I crumpled it into a little ball without looking at it or even giving it a second thought, "Nothing."

I would have loved to say she shrugged it off, left it at that, and we went on merrily with our lives. No such luck. Crumpling it may have been the worst thing to do, I should have torn it into little pieces and swallowed them all.

She held out her hand, "Give." It was a demand.

"Oh look, it's getting dark. Are you hungry? I'm hungry. Let's go look for the others, I bet they're worried sick about us by now. I heard that worry is the root of all diseases, we should definitely not let them worry about us, they're our friends after all, aren't they? Speaking of friends, yours are really cool. I mean Bill, what a guy huh? Amazing. And Sally. Sally's a riot. I have a sudden urge to pee." I said as I got up and edged around her, trying to get away into the cabin.

Her gaze narrowed as it followed me, her stance turning to one ready to pounce.

"Brian, give me the paper, now."

I sighed dramatically, sagged my shoulders in a defeated gesture and hung my head, "Fine."

I made as if to lift my hand to give her the prize and as soon as she relaxed I bolted like The Roadrunner back into the house. I swear the only thing missing was a white cloud of smoke and the 'Beep Beep'.

She was on me like white on rice. Damn that girl could move. Fast. We ran around the living area, jumping over the straw couches and wooden tables like we were doing parkour, almost tripping and falling numerous times. I couldn't let her get hold of the paper, no way in hell. I barely dodged her for the sixth time and zipped up the stairs, two at a time, to the loft.

I froze as I reached the top and took in the area. This was a bad idea. There was no door to lock behind me. She took her sweet time, making sure I heard each step as she came up leisurely, very aware of the fact that I was a trapped mouse. On my end I was like a hamster on cocaine, running around the little room, desperately trying to find an exit. Houston, we have a problem.

Finally she got to the landing, standing with her feet apart and arms crossed, an evil smile on her face.

"Where you gonna run now, little piggy?"

I pointed behind her head and shouted, "Monkey!"

She ducked and whirled around to inspect the space behind her and I ran out onto the small balcony and slid the glass door closed. Sadly there was no lock on the outside so I had to hold it closed with my hands. Even sadder was that there was no handle on the outside so I just had my palms pressed on the glass, pushing it closed, and one palm was in a fist since I was still holding the paper. At this point one might think, why doesn't he just throw it away? I would, but then she'd just go back down and retrieve it and I'd be screwed. Or even worse, Jenna might find it. I shuddered.

She stomped to the door, mildly pissed, though I think it was at herself for falling for such an obvious trick. Unfortunately she had a handle on her side and she pulled the door open with almost no effort at all. I backed up, my butt against the railing, and hid my hands behind my back.

She came forward until she was inches away from me, leaving me no room to maneuver, "Hand it over."

"Why do you want to see it so bad?"

"Why do you want to hide it so bad?"

"Because it's nothing, just random scribbling."

"In that case there's nothing to worry about is there?"

"Lissy, let it go?"

"No."

"You're really stubborn, you know that?"

"Yes I've been told," she mimicked me, "Repeatedly."

I slumped for real this time, debating the matter. Should I give her the paper? She'd just laugh at me and call me names again. Even worse, she'd think I was a weirdo, or a creep. Ok so she probably already thought I was weird, so maybe weirder was more accurate. If I didn't give her though, she might doubt what was in the paper and it might create friction between us. And not the good kind of friction either.

"Hey," she said softly, "why are you so afraid to show it to me?"

"You'll probably laugh after reading it."

She cupped one side of my face with her hand, "I won't. Promise," she said genuinely.

Against my better judgment I handed her the piece of paper and watched as she walked back into the room, unfolding it carefully. I should have just eaten it. I saw her eyes following the lines left to right, going lower and lower, almost to the end.

You're probably wondering what I'd written as well right? Fine, I'll show you, but if you laugh, then may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your ass crack and may your hands be too short to scratch it.

Here's what it read:

You run your tongue slowly over your lower lip,
Seduction with a hint of nervousness that makes my heart skip,
I smile and move forward a bit,
My lips are almost touching your nose's tip,
You tilt your head ever so slightly to the side,
And your lips open just a little more wide,
At this point I would have been happy to oblige,
But the opportunity was too perfect for me to let it slide,
My lips turn up into a teasing smile,
And I let you linger there for just a little while,
Finally I lean in, but then you back away,
Looking into your eyes I see that you too know how to play,
You arch an eyebrow and smile with mischief,
Seems like I've met my match in this chick,
You bite your lip suggestively and blink real slow,
Suddenly I don't wanna play games anymore,
We both lean in at the same time,
You stop a fraction of a second before your lips touch mine,
A sudden gust of wind and your hair blows into my face,
Feels like we've been transported to some whole other place,
You reach up and place your hand softly on my cheek,
How could this simple gesture make my knees go weak?
Our lips graze each other's ever so lightly,
I can feel you hesitate ever so slightly,
I understood because I felt it too,
When our lips touched it was almost too good to be true,
I press forward and our lips come together again,
Everything around me disappears, I think I'm going insane,
I'm getting lost in your soft lips,
Subconsciously I place my hands on your hips,
You part your lips and deepen the kiss,
The feel of your tongue is pure unadulterated bliss,
I can't get enough and put my arms around you,
Can't thank my lucky stars enough that I actually found you,
I get a whiff of the subtle perfume that you wear,
You feel so good pressed up against me it's not even fair,
You run your hands up and start playing with my hair,
No other feeling in the world can even begin to compare,
You bite my lower lip and gently pull it,
Release it and run your tongue over it as if to soothe it,
I realize you're the lead here and I'm just the pawn,
As innocent as you look, you sure as hell know how to turn a guy on,
I finally break the kiss as I'm short of breath,
I swear another kiss like that could be the cause of my death,
As we gulp in air we rest our foreheads on the other,
All we can do is smile and stare and one another,
As we look into each other eyes its quite plain,
We both know things between us will never be the same again,
I wink at you playfully and you let out a tiny laugh,
I know at that moment that I've found my better half.......................

She finished reading and looked up at me, her face unreadable. I fidgeted, growing anxious by the second, not knowing what to expect.

"I swear if you call me something like Slim Shady, I'll launch you off this balcony," I joked lamely, just to fill in the silence.

"Better half?" she asked, not even registering what I'd said.

I looked down and shrugged, rubbing the back of my head, "Yeah, I........ Yeah."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if she was upset or happy or anything. She read the paper again, more slowly this time, then looked at me with the same expression as when I had given her the picture of us on the rollercoaster, only more intense.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked her.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"I don't know. I do things and people get mad, I've never really understood it."

"How.............?" she asked, holding up the paper.

"I used to have a habit of writing down things. As you must have noticed, speech is not my strong point so I used to prefer writing, but I haven't done it for a while now. Today when I sat out there, the only thing I could think about was you, and all I wanted to do was to put it down on paper."

"This is how you see me?" she asked, reading the last few lines again, "your better half?"

"Yeah. Hell, personally I think you're my better three-quarter."

She strode to me and slammed into me forcefully, pinning me between her and the rail, giving me the most intense kiss we shared yet. It was like she couldn't get enough of me, her hands were everywhere, trying to feel as much of me as she could. Her right hand ended up at the back of my head and she pulled me even deeper, her tongue almost reaching the back of my throat. I was loving it.

"Someone's going to get so lucky tonight," she said between kisses.

"Does that mean-"

"I swear if you bring up that lucky/unlucky joke right now, I will knee you in the balls."

Was I that predictable?

"No, what I wanted to say was, we'll have to be a little quiet, we're not alone and these rooms aren't exactly sound-proof."

As if to prove my point, we could hear noises downstairs and the loud clang of a pan falling on the floor.

"We should go downstairs before Jenna brings down the house," I said, stealing small kisses from her.

"Alright, but tonight you're mine," she said giving me one last steaming kiss and running a finger down my chest.

"Promises, promises....." I said as she let me off the rail and walked way, leaving me to follow with the after-effects of the kissing session.

We found Nick and Jenna in the kitchen with Bill, arguing over what to prepare. The shower was still running so I guessed Sally was in there. We were all too tired to cook anything fancy so it was a choice between canned beans or hotdogs.

"Canned beans," Jenna said.

"Hot dogs," Nick countered.

"Canned beans,"

"Hot dogs,"

"Canned beans are easy to make Nick, we just need to heat them up and serve them with bread."

"Yes, and we need a world class chef to boil hot dogs and put them in a bun, and a certified nutritionist to add the mustard and mayo."

Jenna turned on Bill, stomping her foot and pointing the frying pan at him, "What do you want?"

He looked like he wanted no part of it. "I'm fine with anything," he said diplomatically.

"Hot dogs," I said as we walked in.

"Yeah of course you're going to side with your friend," she sneered at me, "Melissa what do you want?" she asked expectantly.

Melissa was caught in a bad place. I could tell from her face she didn't want canned beans, but at the same time she didn't have the heart to refuse Jenna.