Sweet Cravings: Chapter One

Darkness. What is the darkness that lingers upon the city's streets, clings to the air like the hungry beast that it is? Most people are afraid of it, fear it, loath it. I didn't. I craved the cold caress of the night wind, took pleasure in all the unveiled beauties the dark had to offer.

A chill wind crept past me as I made my way across the desolate street and to the sidewalk. I normally don't wear high-heels, but tonight was a special occasion, the exception. Straight ahead of me was a tall, dull brick building, complete with flashing neon lights that glowed the color of fresh blood. There was no sign, simply a dark, mahogany door that stood slightly ajar.

I stepped through the entrance, the pale light of the outside melting away from my eyes to be replaced by an overpowering darkness. Dim, ceiling lights were the only things keeping the interior from complete and total dark. The loud chatter of people saturated the air, a blissful laughter encompassing the room in a warm spirit. Wine bottles clattered, silverware clanged, and loud ,bass-pumping music shook the floor. This was it. A night-club.

Jess had promised to meet me here at ten, grab a glass of wine, reminisce, dance a little, go. It sounded so simple. Why does stuff always sound better, and then when it happens, it's worse?

I searched around for Jess's bright red hair, but all I could make out were the flowing bodies of the dancers, the quick scurrying of the hostesses as they hurried to find vacant tables. I pushed past the crowd of people standing in the isle, and stumbled out onto a black carpet in a clear area in the back.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around to see Jess's smiling face.

"Haha. Scared ya." she laughed quietly. Her long red hair that far exceeded her mid-back was crammed gorgeously in a gleaming crimson bun. Apparently, she chose to wear a short, green satin dress with a petty little red rose pinned to the collar and black high-heels. Geez, it looked way better than the casual blue jeans, turquoise blouse, and black spikes I wore.

"What took ya so damn long?" I asked blandly.

Jess's bright emerald eyes sparkled briefly. "Well, Alex got off of work early, came to my house, we talked... Ya know the drift."

I shrugged. "I guess."

"How long you been waitin'?" Jess gestured to the sea of dancing people, a loose strand of her silky hair falling over a cheek.

"Hm...about five minutes."

"That's all!" she gasped, appalled. "You look like you've been waitin' here forever!"

"I'm just dizzy from all the noise and people. I didn't know it would be this crowded."

"That's cuz you've never had the nerve to get out of the house, Lily!" she exclaimed.

Sigh. "So, wanna find a table and snatch a waitress to bring us some drinks?"

Jess glanced around, ignoring me. She grinned, and started toward the stage. "I'll be back. Give me five mins, tops."

"Why?"

"There's Chad from work! Oh, I have to go see him!"

And she vanished in the swelling flood of people.

Great.

Just great. Go and abandon your best friend, it's not like she cares.

Ri-ight.

I threw my head back and groaned in frustration. All the noise was getting to my head. It thrummed, slammed into my ears one rolling wave after another. Everything slowed down. The lights grew paler, the sounds faded into muteness. I let my arms fall limp and relaxed. Let myself fall into that serene void I went to whenever I felt overwhelmed.

A smooth voice broke the silence, shattered me into the club's loud din. My vision focused, and I peered to my right to see a man beside me. He was tall and slim, a handsome figure with dark, long, wavy amber hair and kind, rich chocolate eyes. A tight black t-shirt covered with a tailored trench coat fit his upper-half perfectly. A matching pair of dress-pants coursed down to his calf-high leather boots. I drank in his delicate features carefully, trying hard not to just throw myself at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, for the tenth time I figured.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright." I replied nonchalantly, staring at the hidden muscles of his chest and abs. He seemed to just stand out, stand out from everything around him. He was like a diamond in an ocean of quartz, dazzling and attractive, not like the dull glint of the quartz.

"May I buy you a drink?" my eyes fluttered at the sound of his voice. So soft, so caring, peaceful.

"No. I'm fine." my mouth responded automatically.

He ran a hand through those thick waves of deep, deep chocolate and glanced toward the dance-floor. "Would you like to dance?"

I nodded. The man curled his icy fingers around mine and lead me away from the back of the room.

We stopped in the middle of the stage, people muttering to themselves as they drifted away from us. The man smiled, and in an instant, the music shifted to a fast, elegant orchestra. He let go of my hand and started to sway his body, weaved across the stage like some graceful bird, feet seeming to glide effortlessly to the melody of the music.

I swallowed hard when he came back to me, grasped my hand gently in his, and swept me into the dance. I was a complete failure when it came to dancing. No talent whatsoever. He guided me, though. Guided me with those tender eyes and steady feet. I was soon washed into the music, drowning in the dance that complemented it so perfectly. We stepped as if walking on the clouds, bent like the stream that flowed so pleasingly in the forest.

The music reached a climax. It rose and rose, and as it ascended, we quickened our pace, danced masterfully as one with the music. He stopped, and I chorused, and he pressed me into him, leaned closer to me, until I could feel his icy breath crawling down the line of my jaw and onto my neck.

We kissed.

I didn't know him, never knew him, and yet, and yet despite being complete strangers, we kissed so intimately, so passionately that a hot fire burned between us. A wonderful, amazing feeling exploded inside of me, surged throughout me in a scolding sensation of heat and desire. I deepened the kiss, explored him briefly, until the need, the pure sweetness between us, burst into something more, something tempting. He pulled back from me and I gasped. We stared into each other's eyes, relishing the pleasant taste that still remained on our lips.

This was heaven. This was definitely heaven, and I was standing right in the core of it.

Next is when my hell began.