Trance (10 page)

I opened my eyes as I swung back toward the platform. I couldn’t see him at this angle until I swung back out.

“Reach for me,” he said.

I took another deep breath as the trapeze swung back toward him.

We swung closer and closer to each other.

I reached out.

He was going to miss me.

His hands came into view and I stretched out as far as I could toward him.

He reached out for me.

Strong hands wrapped around my wrists and pulled me off my swing with a jerk, and we both sailed through the tent, swinging together.

I looked up. “You caught me.”

He grinned. “Didn’t I tell you I would?”

Back in my regular clothes, I looked up at the aerialists performing tricks that made my pulse race. They’d twirl and spin in mid air. Pierre and the two trapeze instructors bowed low to us. I gave them all a hug, even Pierre, to say thank you for the lesson.

Jason took my hand leading me outside.

“That was really fun,” I said.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Are you hungry?”

“Am I ever.” I was famished. Flying through the air makes a girl, or at least this one, ravenous. “What’s on the menu?”

“Follow me, you’ll find out.”

We walked back to his car hand in hand. While we had been inside the tent, the sky had darkened. A million tiny stars and one large moon had appeared out of nowhere. I opened the car door and got into my seat, pulling the belt across me.

Jason opened the car boot and then slammed it shut. It caused the car to jump. He walked around to my side and rapped on my window. “Are you coming?”

He was holding a blanket and a large cane basket.

“We aren’t driving anywhere?”

“Where could we go that would beat this view?”

I didn’t know what he was talking about. We were out in a field, in the middle of nowhere.

“Come on,” he said.

I got back out of the car and followed behind him.

He walked toward a large tree and at first, I thought he was going to stop there so we could have a picnic underneath it, but he continued further past it.

When he did finally stop, my mouth hung open. We were up high. It didn’t seem like it, but he’d led me to the edge of the field, so high it sat above our city. I could see it all from here. The buildings, the houses. Even the fairground that lay on the outskirts of town.

“Wow, I’ve never been here. I didn’t even know it existed.”

“I think the owner would probably like to keep it that way, too. He’s not a huge fan of people trespassing on his property.”

“We’re here illegally?”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

I looked around. I couldn’t see a house, which meant if we couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see us. That was the hope anyway.

Jason smoothed the picnic rug on the grass, far enough away from the edge that we wouldn’t tumble over, but still close enough that we could see the city and the way the lights from the buildings seemed to merge into the stars in the sky. If this is what fairy land looked like, I wouldn’t be surprised.

“Champagne?” He popped the cork with a quick snap and poured the frothy liquid into two glasses. I took a sip of mine, the bubbles tickling my nose. He placed his glass down and spread the rest of the food out. Baby hamburgers, salad with strawberries, gooey cheese and crackers.

“I’m impressed. I don’t think anyone has gone to so much trouble for me like this.”

“No? Then they are all idiots.”

“Absolutely, I’ll drink to that.” He lifted his glass and we chinked them together.

“How did you find this place? Or is it your usual date venue and I’m just one of a string of girls that you bring up here to sweep them off their feet?”

“I’ve never bought anyone here. I only come here myself when I need to think. It gives me perspective, like I’m just a small part of something bigger and that no one will notice me unless I go out and tell them I’m here. I’ve never been here at night, I knew it’d be pretty magical.”

“You believe in magic?”

“I do now.”

I smiled and took another sip.

While I knew that hours had passed, it felt like we had only arrived at our secret picnic spot mere minutes ago. I felt comfortable enough to call it ‘our’ spot, even though it wasn’t mine, it was Jason’s. He was right. It was magical up here.

The conversation flowed freely and every so
often, I’d notice him looking at me intently. It sent a thrill through me, in a good way. It had been a long time since I’d felt this way about someone. The spark that could zing through you with just a look, the way your breath would catch when he said something romantic or your eyes grazed a part of his body that you really shouldn’t be staring at.

The most surprising part is that I was still here, letting myself feel this way. Letting myself be charmed by him. It’s difficult to trust when you’ve been hurt in the past. I looked back over the view trying to shake the past from my thoughts. This was different. I didn’t need to dwell on it anymore, I’d moved past it now. I’d grown.

He packed away the plates and poured another glass of champagne for both of us. He came and sat beside me, our sides touching. Whether it was from the champagne buzzing around my head, or the view in front of us, I reached over and entwined my fingers in his. I didn’t say anything, just did it, while still looking straight out in front of me.

“I hope you had a good time,” he said. “I wanted to give you a piece of me, so you felt you knew me better.”

“Eeew, you are giving me a piece of yourself? Do I have to keep it in the freezer?”

He laughed. “No, I mean, letting you see this place.”

I nodded. “It’s lovely. I mean that. Thank you.” I rested my head on his shoulder. It was soft but firm. “I didn’t know what to expect tonight. I’ve been nervous all day trying to figure out where you were going to take me.”

“You were nervous?”

“Of course. Weren’t you?”

“I’ve learned to manage my nerves. It’s the only way I can get through my performance.”

I lifted my head. “Oh yeah? How do you do that?”

“Self hypnosis. Or positive thinking. Whatever you want to call it.”

I wrinkled by brow. “You mean like saying positive affirmations in the mirror?”

“No. Deep breathing, calming yourself. You must do that too, before you go on stage?”

“Usually I just embrace the butterflies and try and channel them into my performance.”

“Well it’s sort of like that.”

“Show me.”

“You want me to
hypnotize you?”

“Sure, if you can.”

“I can.”

“Prove it.”

“You’ll need to relax first and you have to believe it will work, otherwise it won’t.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Oh right. Now I get it. That’s what you have to say, when it doesn’t work. You blame the person for not believing enough.”

He pulled his hand away from mine. “You don’t believe in what I do?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Nothing. Just what you do, it’s not real hypnotism, is it? You tell people what to do, and because they are on stage with everyone staring at them, they are too scared to do anything else.”

His brow furrowed. “I could take that as an insult.”

“Take it however you want. I meant it as a joke.” Crap, I needed to shut my mouth.

“I don’t get you sometimes, Scarlett. One minute you act as if you like me, and then next you pull away or say something to push me away. You’re hard to read.”

“You’re trying to read me now? Is this part of your act, to get me to trust you?” Is this why he was looking me up online? I could feel my cheeks getting warm.

“No. That’s not what I meant.” He rubbed his face like he was trying to wash it, and looked back at me. “I just meant every time I think we are getting closer, you’ll make a joke or run away. Like when we kissed the other night. You practically rushed right out after that. I thought you didn’t want me to kiss you, and then you agree to a date.”

I paused. I absolutely wanted him to kiss me again. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Admit that I like you?”

“It’s a start.”

I bit my lip. “Of course I do. That’s why I’m here.”

“I know. God, this is hard.”

“It’s not hard at all.”

“See there.” He pointed at me. “You keep challenging everything I say.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to, if you were nicer to me.”

“You’re the one that keeps making digs at me. I am being nice. I’m doing everything I can to treat you like you deserve to be treated.”

“Then I don’t want to know what being snarky to me is like.” I folded my arms across my chest.

“Okay. Okay. Wait. This isn’t going how I planned.”

“You planned that I’d be in your arms by now? Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Again. That’s not what I meant. You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“As a hypnotist, I would think you’d be putting words in my mouth.”

“I’m not trying to trick you or do anything. Goddamn. I’m trying to get to know you better. Like a normal date would.”

I was doing it again. Panicking. Trying to start an argument. Just when things start to look romantic and sweet, I freak out. I took a breath, pushing away the thoughts.
Relax, Scarlett, just relax.

“I know. I’m sorry.” I said. “I just don’t know how to act around you sometimes.”

“Why?”

“I’ve just met you. I don’t know you. But you seem to know things about me.”

“Only what I’ve read online.”

A cold shiver went through me.

“Come on, you haven’t googled me?” he asked. “I thought everyone who wanted to date me, googled me first.”

“I don’t go online too often. It’s not healthy.”

“I don’t spend all day online or anything. I’ve got work to do most of the time.”

“I mean, you can’t believe everything you read online.”

“So you’re not really the granddaughter of Thomas Tinks?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course I am. I mean the gossip and lies that people say behind the privacy of a computer screen. You can’t believe all of that.”

He looked at me as if I was mad. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Never mind.”

“You have to tell me now.”

I paused. “Why? None of it is true. Why would you care about it if it wasn’t true?”

“I get it.”

“What?”

“You’ve been hurt. That’s why you have all these walls up, to prevent people getting close to you. It’s understandable, given your situation.”

I almost stood up. “I don’t have a situation.”

“I mean with your mother.”

“This has nothing to do with my mother.” Not really. This time I did stand up. He did too.

“Christ, Scarlett, I wanted this night to be special. What the hell is wrong with me? That’s not what I meant.” He grabbed my hand. “I just wanted to…” he paused, searching my face. “You’re shaking.”

He stopped talking, and instead pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me.

“It’s not you. You’ve been wonderful. It’s been a rough week.” I said. “I don’t want to talk about it, but just know that I very much do want to be here with you on this date right now.”

If I haven’t scared you away for life, that is. I gulped once, and then twice. Soon I was sobbing into his shirt, tear stains streaking the fabric in silvery trails. He caressed my back as I continued to cry into his chest. This was the worse date ever. He lifted my chin with his fingers and bent down to kiss away my pain. Or the best date ever, I still wasn’t sure. I kissed him back. Tentatively at first, and then more urgent.

His mouth slow and gentle, mine hungry for more.

A desire I hadn’t felt in a long time, erupted within me. Suddenly I wanted him, all of him, right this instant.

My hands tugged and pulled at his shirt. I wanted it off. I wanted to feel his skin against mine. I was starved and he was the only one who could nourish me.

His hands glided over the back of my top, playing with the silky fabric that was tucked into my skirt. Yes, take it off, rip it away from my flesh.

He was going too slow. I wanted to be naked and writhing in pleasure already. We had only just started kissing, but I was ravenous for him. I didn’t know where this built up longing had come from, all I knew is that I couldn’t hold out for much longer. I had to have him. I had to let him have me.

My lips parted his with a soft smacking sound, as I pulled away momentarily so I could remove my top. The fabric slid off easily, and his gaze drank me in, my stomach, my breasts still encased in the lacy white bra that Lacey had picked out for me. It wasn’t white sweet though like I’d asked for, it was every bit as hot as I felt inside right now.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

I nodded and kissed him again. My hands urging him to undress as my fingers slipped down the sides of his pants, over his smooth hips and around to his chiseled stomach. They only had to slip a bit lower and I’d touch…

I gasped. Jason’s own passion and desire took over and he unzipped my skirt, lifting my legs off the ground so it would glide away from me. He lay me down onto the picnic rug, as he continued to strip.

The lights of the town below illuminated his body, as he removed everything. Everything.

He fell softly next to me on the rug, running his fingers around the white lace of my underwear. “Don’t move,” he said.