The Bridge Partner

"And she will always be... I'm just hoping to be her man."

She patted his hand and stood beside him. As both were hearing footsteps upstairs, she quickly whispered. "I'm rooting for you."

"Mummy, are you trying to steal away my date?" That was Annitah's voice, all tender and playful. Belinda and Gabriel both looked up to the stairs; both of them gasped; Gabriel was completely transfixed and, inwardly, he was pinching himself.

(Hoooolyyyyy!)

Annitah stayed still at the top of the stairs, fully taking advantage of the sensation her apparition was causing... and quite obviously enjoying it.

She was dressed in a very simple but exquisite two-piece ivory cocktail dress. Her top was relatively high cut, from bosom to collar, and sleeveless. Her skirt was knee-high but with a side slit and Annitah was starting her descent of the stairs using slow, deliberate sidesteps so that her audience would have the most stunning view of her long legs and her arms. She had also put on white stilettos and gold bracelets, necklaces and ankle chains. Her makeup was a parade of golden and reddish hues, she wore long golden earrings that brushed her shoulders and she had added a touch of sparkle to her hair. Her lips were a deep cherry-red that practically matched Gabriel's jacket lapel and the roses of his bouquet.

The scene was a curious meld of two teenagers stepping out to the prom and a groom awaiting his bride. Gabriel was completely befuddled by the devastating aura of her figure, concealed and highlighted at the same time, and the contrast of her ebony skin and the speckless white of both her dress and her smile that made her an angelic figure of blazing glory.

She was finally at the base of the stairs.

"Good evening, Gabe."

"Good evening, Anni. You are the living incarnation of beauty itself."

"And you clean up very nicely yourself, mister." Both were so nervous that they fidgeted and fiddled around, afraid to dampen or ruin this so important moment. As in the beginning, Belinda came to their rescue.

"You two make a most adorable couple! Have a nice evening and... Gabriel..." she chocked up.

"I will... I promise." He returned her kiss on the cheek. Both understood one another perfectly.

"Joseph!!! The children are about to go out!" And after heartfelt goodbyes, parental blessings and words of encouragement, Gabriel and Annitah were finally by themselves outside of the house. Neither were in hurry to go anywhere, though.

"Anni, I..."

"Gabe..." both chuckled shyly.

"You first, Anni."

"I don't think I have ever had such a dashing escort. Gabe, you look stunning! And that car! Is there a secret side to Gabriel I do not know about?"

"Unfortunately, no... what you see is just a dressed-up version of plain old me. Both the diner jacket and the car are rented for the occasion and, Sunday night, the part-time Prince becomes a full-time frog again." He then realized he still held his bouquet of roses. "Oh! Silly me! Here... these are for you."

"Thank you. Gabe, may I kiss you now, or must I wait until you become a frog again?"

He did not need to answer that. Gabriel stepped closer to her and she could see him shiver from the distance. At the last moment before he closed his eyes, Annitah was mesmerized by the intensity of their sparkle. He raised himself on his toes and gently took her in his arms, while she palmed his cheek with her free hand, and their lips finally met. From that heavenly and moist contact, an exponential rise in arousal was quickly felt between them. It started as a chaste introduction between their lips, gorged, moist and warm; it was almost immediately followed by playful mingling of their tongues; by then Gabriel was completely charmed and he hugged her so tightly that she could feel his chest gently crush her breasts, the bulge in his pants hump her panties and his hands map all the forms and patterns of her nape and back. The moan he let out in their kiss had a desperate, begging and grateful tone... Gabriel was crawling out of the desert and diving into her well.

Annitah was not naive and knew very well, by now, the hold she had on him and yet she was overwhelmed by his passion and his raw need of her. Was it vanity for her own attractiveness or reciprocal love finally expressing itself? She barely got a second to ponder on her feelings: whatever the reason, she could not resist such passion and certainly did not want to. She was completely subdued by Gabriel, moaned in appreciation and dove in the kiss herself, playing in his brown hair with her fingers and partaking in their humping. Only when the pressure of her loins was being felt in her panties did she end it.

"Wow! Gabe baby, that was some kiss! If you keep that up we won't make it to the car! Where is all that coming from?"

Gabriel seemed on the verge of panic and he speed-talked while still panting. "It comes from my heart holding out all this time for you! And from my soul who's thanking all the powers in the Universe for entering you in my life... Anni I am so HAPPY right now and I love you SO MUCH!!! Part of me just can't wait to share this evening with you, part of me fears I will be cursed and punished for my hubris, because I really feel like a mortal daring to touch a goddess and part of me..." he paused, unwilling to continue.

"Part of you what, honey?"

He turned his eyes away from her gaze and mumbled, embarrassed. "Part of me wants to explore your splendor from head to toe and let you ravage me until you collapse from exhaustion... I'm sorry... you just dazzle me so much!"

She gasped, stunned by both the intensity of his feelings for her and by the obvious realization that he was completely earnest about them. "Gabe... do you really mean all that?"

Still uneasy, Gabriel reverted to banter. "Cross my heart and hope to die! Each and every word!" He also hugged her close and snuggled to her.

She followed his lead. "Mister, you are winning me over in a very big way! Let's go to your place right now!"

"Thank you so much, Anni darling... but no. We are not trading our first date for a booty call in a one-bedroom bachelor. You are everything to me, Anni... and that's a hell of a lot more than a spectacular penis with a sensational cardiologist attached to it. So, I will worship your stunning elegance, I will enjoy every single sound of that song you have planned for me and, after that, if I am so lucky that you still crave for me..." he paused, lowered his voice to a whisper and raised his lips to her ear "... I have cleansed my rectum with an enema!"

Now she was flabbergasted. "Slow down, Gabriel, you're making me spin! You're serious?"

"Yes."

"And at the Hospital... that... was really your first time?"

"Yes."

"How? I mean, are you a sexual superman or something? That can't all be me!"

"Personally, I think it is, but I don't know and I don't care. And you might find that, as far as endowments and sexual prowess are concerned, I will pale in your presence. No matter... all of me, body and soul, is yours Anni; I love you and, to properly start the evening, I need to ask you something."

"Anything, Gabe."

"Will you go out steady with me, Annitah Kamau?"

"Ha! You're cute! Of course I will, Gabriel Jensen! Kiss me and let's go!" That kiss was a playful and chaste kiss of kids channeling puppy love. Gabriel then opened the passenger door and, once Annitah was comfortably seated and fastened in the Audi R-8 convertible, he took the wheel and they slowly rolled along Flamingo road.

The temperature was in the mid-eighties and the night sky was cloudless. Gabriel could see how comfortable was Annitah without a roof and they both held hands. He was driving his Quattro-designed sports car like a limousine and was the very picture of joy. That fact pleased her even more.

They made it to club Flair and, after Gabriel opened the door for Annitah, closed the roof and locked the car, he wished her "... have a nice evening, sweetheart!"

"I already am, baby! All this... this is wonderful!"

They walked, hand-in-hand, and the club was not only lively, its very atmosphere seemed happy to see them together. Owing to his inexperience at clubbing, he asked that she take the lead for the evening. She ordered her usual Negroni and he ordered a lemon-flavored Perrier bottle for himself, pleading "...designated driver." He did ask for a sip of her drink and complimented its taste.

As soon as they sat down, close to the stage, Gabriel took in the scene and spontaneously offered "... I like it here! And, of course, the present company helps by leaps and bounds!"

"Thank you, baby... but tell me now, for real, before I prove to you just how bad a singer I am: can we really do this?"

"Do you love me?"

"Yes I do... and you know I do."

"Then we can do this and I WANT to do this!"

"But... what you said about your values: the kissing, the flirting, the commitment, the raising a family... that's not for us if we do this. Can you turn your back on that for me? And even if you do, I am I to live with myself knowing I caused this?"

"I have not sidestepped a single one of my values: we have been going out steady for almost an hour and I enjoy immensely kissing you! The commitment, for my part, is yours for the asking already. We can certainly raise a family, in the future, if we wish. Granted, a lot of HOW we would live and love will be unconventional but that's not raising a single hair on my head... and I have had the chance to ponder that question for a long time, so I am not bluffing or showing off. Now, I should return the question to you."

"Tell me you love me instead, please..."

"I love you Anni. And I know now, whatever happens tonight or later, that I will love you to the very end of my days."

"Again, please."

"I love you Anni. You are the most beautiful person in the whole wide world and I am the luckiest man alive to be here with you."

"One more time... you know what they say: third time's a charm."

"I love you Anni. You make me hard, you make me wet and you warp my fantasies in beautiful and mysterious ways."

"All right... I'm good to go! Wish me luck!" She shot straight up from her chair, kissed him on his forehead and walked nervously towards the karaoke host at the side of the stage.

Gabriel waited nervously for her performance; he was in no mood to dance and remained seated, all the while emptying her Negroni and ordering another. Fortunately for his nerves, he only had to wait a couple of minutes.

"Hey everyone! This is Eric, hosting your karaoke night at Flair, and we have a new offering, from a lovely patron that has been coming here for a while and yet has never graced us with her voice before. So, Anni, what prompted you to sing for us tonight?"

"Well... it so happens that I promised a serenade to my date."

"Then, if I may say so, your date is a very lucky person. So please give a hand for Anni's rendition of Beautiful Stranger... go girl, make Madonna proud!"

Annitah was nervous throughout her rendition and she slightly missed the timing of some lyrics, but she soldiered through it. She also motioned Gabriel to get up and stand close to her, near the stage.

- You're some kind of beautiful stranger

- You could be good for me

- I've had the taste for danger

Gabriel was enraptured. Her eyes had such intensity as she sang him her love that, remembering the video, he started mimicking Austin Power's dance and mimed "Behave, baby!"

- To know you is to love you

- You're everywhere I go

- And everybody knows

- To love you is to be part of you

From that point on, the club was phased out of existence. Annitah was indeed serenading her number one groupie. She sang, he danced as if her ghost image was in his arms, complete with blown kisses.

Annitah surrendered the microphone at the end of her song, under enthusiastic applause, and immediately dashed to her darling who was waiting for her at the stage exit. She had her hands and a kiss ready for him.

"Hmmm... Gabe, I love you. Did you like it? I'm still shaking like a leaf! Ooooh, I was so nervous!"

He took her hand and placed it on his heart. "It's all yours, sweetheart... but can you heal it? Because it's trying to burst out of my chest right now!"

"I suppose I couuuuld, but I don't want to! Hooo, that was so great!!!" She kept her hand right where he had placed it and kissed him with such hunger that she couldn't resist gently biting his lip and his tongue.

When they were seated back in their seat, it was Gabriel's turn to surprise her. "Anni honey, do you need something else for now, before I go?"

She was unsettled. "W... Where are you going, baby?"

"Well, my amazingly beautiful declarant, you very well know that for a partner to accept your contract, he needs to pass!"

"And... you're about to pass?"

"Oh yes, you could even say that I will make a pass! In fact, wish me courage, honey, because I will probably make an ass of myself before I offer it to you!" He kissed her quickly, his lips channeling nervous playfulness.

She remained speechless, wondering what had she done to her Gabriel.

It was a good thing that Gabriel had her Negroni refilled because there was a delay before his reappearance. In fact, other singers had time to do their number and several of Annitah's usual club mates had joined her to enquire about his whereabouts. To add to the intrigue, suddenly Eric was heard loudly chuckling at the console.

"Hold the phone, people, hmmpf! This will be a blast! It seems we have a couple's karaoke duel and our next singer, none other than our own Gabriel, has really thrown the gauntlet. Maestro, could we dim the stage light to a single follow spot, please? Excellent... now, ladies and gentlemen, please give your all and warm up your dancing shoes for Gabriel, who is about to strut on an old Rod Stewart gem... and Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

In direct response to the question, there were applause and wolf whistles. And in cue to the music, people only saw a cow-boy boot swinging in the light, followed by a fully costumed Gabriel. He was already possessed by the song, swinging his t-shirt in the air and singing the intro "Sugar, sugar" looking directly at Annitah's table.

She could not resist laughing hysterically. He was clad in his cow-boy leather boots, clip-on polyester pants, a dummy mustache and a huge Stetson on his head. She recognized the UNLV Rebel instantly, having seen it several times on his clothing logos. And now she had to think fast to catch the incoming flying t-shirt.

He had obviously rehearsed: his singing was spot-on and his dancing was both lewd and devilish. This stripper version of Rod Stewart had the crowd to its feet at the very first verse. For the first chorus, he threw Annitah his hat and sang straight to her, to the top of his lungs:

- If you want my body and you think I'm sexy

- come on sugar let me know.

- If you really need me just reach out and touch me

- come on honey tell me so

She was laughing to tears and throwing him kisses. But Gabriel was only getting started. At the second chorus, he unclipped the pants and discarded them on the floor. The howl in the room said it all: at this point, he was wearing nothing but his boots, mustache and a minuscule, but ridiculously stuffed, green g-string. And he gyrated his body for all its worth.

During the musical disco bridge that followed, he pushed it even further, replacing his dance moves by a simulated doggie-style for a couple of seconds. Then, still facing the crowd, he lifted his g-string to remove all the Kleenex stuffing it, to playful cheers and jeers. He blew a kiss to Annitah before jumping up in a about face, presenting her his derriere... but not just his derriere: the tip of a red butt-plug was under the g-string for all to see, to universal acclaim.

As if this signaled the calm after the storm, for the final verse Gabriel also discarded his mustache and simply sang to his beloved.

- They wake at dawn 'cos all the birds are singing

- Two total strangers but that ain't what they're thinking

- Outside it's cold, misty and it's raining

- They got each other neither one's complaining

And then he went into full disco dancing mode for the song's coda. Afterwards, Gabriel was picking up all his discarded items under his second standing ovation in two weeks. He wanted to take the stage exit but Annitah would have none of it and demanded he come straight to her in his current stage of undress. They kissed very publicly under the follow spot.

"Heyyyy people! What did I tell you? You know what? My heart really goes for that cute couple and right now, I'm feeling mellow. I hope the club can forgive me for putting a ballad on tonight. Come on people, grab your loved one, your date or you neighbor at the bar and let's all slow-dance Truly, Madly, Deeply."

Although the contrast in dress was outlandish, both of them complied in good grace and thus danced their first slow. He was reluctant to snuggle her because he was still panting but Annitah practically grappled him to her. They danced and she nibbled his ears.

"Baby, that pass was even better than your redoubled grand slam. Where do you draw the strength and courage to do that?"

"A lot of swimming and true love, honey." He was whispering. "It's all for you, Anni. And only you."

"Sugar?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Do you think we could cut this part of the date a little short? Because I do think you're sexy and I would like very much to claim that body of yours you keep on offering me."

"My darling Anni, you have just made me the happiest man on Earth. Just let me go change, please."

"Then you better hurry if you don't want me to rape you in the loo!" He cringed... she looked serious!

---

"Gabe, I thought your apartment was near Flamingo East..."

"It is, honey... but, as you can see, we're not going to my claustrophobic yet cozy apartment. I have reserved the honeymoon suite of a nice hotel outside the strip... I hope you don't mind."

"Houuuu, naughty boy! Should I call mummy to tell her I'm not coming home?" Annitah looked positively angelic, slouched sideways on her seat and looking at him with goo-goo eyes. Gabriel focused on the road with great difficulty.

"I would never be so presumptuous. Maybe you could withhold judgment on that. It's our first date, Anni, it doesn't have to end up in a grand slam, you know... we could just make game."

"Oh, but I have faith in us... and I am quite game indeed!" She dialed. Gabriel did not hear what she whispered, but he did hear the distant clamor at the end of the line. Annitah was laughing and quite moved.

---

"Anni honey, would you hold this, please?" Gabriel had just opened the suite door and handed all the complimentary material the concierge at the Thunderbird Hotel had just handed him, alongside the keycards and abundant compliments on their couple.

"Sure thing, babyyYYYY!!!" He had just scooped her in his arms to carry her over the threshold.

"I love you, Annitah Kamau, with all my heart... I hope this will be worthy of you!" He had such hope in his eyes, and was obviously relieved at having passed and closed the doorway without a surreptitious bump.

"My Gabe, my sweet Gabe... please stop this rubbish... you are literally sweeping me off my feet!"

"I can't help it... you're so beautiful, I can still hardly believe it's coming true..."

"And we are just beginning... take me to bed honey, please."

Gabriel did so by the quickest route and set her down softly on the mattress. He paused to faithfully record in his memory the sight of her lying on the bed, all clad in white and gold, inviting him to her with a smile that was brighter than the room's fireplace. "I will never forget this sight of you, Anni... you are simply too magnificent for words."