The First Touch

The First Touch

By Alice Sweet

Copyright 2012Alice Schneider

Smashwords Edition

Discover other titles by Alice Sweet at http://www.Smashwords.com or http://www.alicesweet.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-Book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

The First

Follow Me

Wake Up

New Eyes

Silent Bond

Voices

Home

Guests

Grief

Possibilities

Second Vessel

Kiss

The Change

First

Next

The Next Step

Eat

The Boat

Response

Run

Catch

Practice

Back Again

New Developments

Test Two

More

Challenges

Attack

New Eyes

Twin Waterfalls

Test Three

The Beginning …Again

Run Away

New Plan

Frightful End

Home at Last

No Worries

I would like to dedicate this book to Nancy Schneider. Your encouragement made this book possible, thank you for being so awesome!

The First

Autumn stepped out of the overgrown jungle, to where the sky opened up, greeting her with the white sandy beach of her dreams. She came out to watch the sun set, as it almost always did, when she found herself here. The feeling of familiarity flooding her senses, as the light warmed her skin, and the sand danced on the tops of her feet, ticking her toes with scratchy delight. This was a special spot for her, this place where light and dark danced together, unseen by so many others, making her feel at once, home.

Unexpectedly though, anxiety crept in, as she spotted a large black shape in the watery distance, interrupting her temporary reprieve. She tried to push it from her mind, and enjoy the fleeting moment in front of her, even turned away from the blight in the water, hoping to return her sense of calm. Her mind however, would not listen, stubbornly drifting back to the approaching vessel.

The sun, meanwhile set, sending out its final warning, night approaches, as it filled the skies with amber light. Tonight, she knew she should be listening, but she needed to see something….Ultimately, the precious light disappeared over the horizon, leaving nothing but the beginnings of starlight to sooth her nerves.

Autumn frowned then; turning her attention to the ever darkening waters and noted that the black shape on the horizon was getting closer now. Her chest tightened, as her anxiety grew, forcing her off the beach and back to the safety of the dense vegetation behind her.

When she stepped backward though, she bumped into a solid figure, which seemingly appeared out of thin air. Somehow though, she was not surprised, or alarmed by the appearance of her newest visitor. He was a tall sturdy looking male with a commanding presence, and even though he did not even glance at her, she knew he was a good man.

Autumn blinked, and instantly four more silhouettes came out to join him on the sand. They, like him, seemed completely focused on the boat that was heading towards their shores. She looked out at the water again and found that it was much closer than she thought possible, given the short passage of time. Immediately, she turned back to see if her companions had noticed the same discrepancy, they had.

At least she thought so, they had changed, their eyes, black pits of loathing, and their skin…cold. She knew the last bit, because she felt it as well, and suspected that her eyes might be like theirs, except that she was straining in the ever dimming light. They however seemed comforted, by this limiting factor, as if it was a more natural state for them, lightless wonderment, easing their shinning black orbs.

Her hands felt tight now and she looked down at them, flexing them cautiously before looking up again to find a line of rowboats, amazingly, already moored on the shores in front of her. Cloaked figures stepped out at once, moving swiftly towards the group on the beach, unnaturally so in her eyes. The growls that escaped the lips of her companions echoed her own misgivings about these visitors. They were uninvited, unwelcome by the people who lived here. Autumn felt compelled to step closer and investigate further but she was frightened since she was unsure of her eyes appearance at the moment, a valuable piece of information. Important to her alone because she knew that it could mean the difference between life and death… in this place.

Hesitantly, she stepped forward, and cringed as a stick under her foot snapped, sending all eyes to her. Hisses instantly rose up from the cloaked figures. Autumn turned sprinting from the beach, while horrifying images, pounded her skull as she fled.

The next thing she knew, she was zooming through the brush, her exposed skin, stinging as it struck every vine, branch, and thorny patch that she passed in her rush to flee. Most importantly, leaving blood sign on everything that she touched, sending a wave of panic through her. What would they do to her when they found her? She zigzagged frantically, feeling them at her heels, her heart racing in her chest all the while. Desperation hit her then; she could not outrun them, not them.

When she made it into a small clearing ahead, she stopped turning to face them, screaming into the darkness, maddeningly swinging behind closed lids, hoping to bring on a quick death. When she struck nothing, she squeezed her eyes tighter, tensing in preparation for a deadly response. Instead though, moments of troubling quiet passed, waiting for her, she guessed, to unfurl…and then…nothing happened.

She slowly opened her eyes, peeking out from behind her lashes to see the reason for the delay, but found none. It was a miracle. No one was standing there, not a soul.

She tilted her head in disbelief, and certain that they must be just out of view, and began to back away again, instinctually knowing that this was not over. They would lull her into a false sense of calm and then rip her to shreds when she expected it the least… that was the kind of creatures that they were. Even in her muddled state, she knew danger when she felt it and this was the worst kind.

When, as if on cue, she heard a ruffling in the brush, beginning in the direction that she had just come from, assuring her that she was in fact not alone. Then before she could turn and run, the rustling sounded all around her. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest, waiting for the end to come…just for her.

Then without warning, a cloaked figure jumped out of the canopy and landed on all fours next to her. As he stood, he asked in a raspy voice, Why are you here?

Autumn stepped backwards, raising her hands defensively, I just want to go home.

He matched her step, pursuing her relentlessly, undeterred by her response, Wake up.

She asked confused then, What?

The figure leapt upon her, knocking her to the ground, snarling, Wake up.

Autumn closed her eyes and whispered desperately to herself, Wake up. Then she felt the hot breath on her neck as she tried to pull herself out of the nightmare with no avail.

She opened her lids again and watched as the figure pulled its hood off revealing itself to Autumn, and she gasped seeing the creature for the first time. It was Autumn, well a darker version of herself, shinny black eyes and effervescently pale skin. Once the creature noticed her gaze, she went dreadfully calm, and began to bleed from her mouth. Disgustingly, her double began to wet her lips lustfully with the blood that she was shedding, her eyes twinkling delightfully. Then without warning she exploded, her eyes wild and her face distorted, shaking, and screaming, sending out a boom, which sent the ground trembling underneath them, Wake up!

***

Autumn sat up in her bed, the sounds of car alarms going off outside in the alley. Another quake must have hit, she thought, as she reached over and flicked on the lamp, finding her sheets soaking wet again. She slid over and pulled out her journal, tucked under the empty pillow next to her, and began scribbling. Every detail that she could remember from her dream, flooding out of her on to the stark white pages as her hands shook from the adrenaline that still coursed through her.

Once finished, she stripped the sheets off her bed, from her nightly mental marathon, and replaced them with crisp clean ones. This was near pointless, knowing that she would likely have to do it again in the morning, but she could not stand the clingy feeling of them on her skin. She huffed and lay back down staring up at the sliver of moonlight that streamed in from the doorway, as the sharp metallic taste in the back of her throat lingered, vexingly. She waited patiently for sleep to take her back under again, as the whispers began, yet another of her nightly eccentricities.

Her life was not always this way; this path had begun, unexpectedly, when a loss so great that she never spoke of it again, struck her. It wiped her clean, gut wrenching and shocking as it was, death had come knocking and left something in its wake that she never could have expected. She was unable to move pass it, no matter how many years she put between her and it. The darkness, it appeared, had come to stay, and no matter how hard that she tried, it seemed she could not hold it back any longer.

It started as these dreams, following a final change, which no one else could see, but that she felt from that night on. In that first one, the night before her loss, she stood in front of an ancient mirror in a familiar stone room and watched as vivid colored liquid filled her eyes… all the way to the brim. It was soothing and it cooled them, in an unexpected way. She watched, in awe, as it changed the world around her forever.

From then on, the nights were suddenly hotter and the days were shorter, and soon her dreams became all-consuming. They were now a series of events that played out in her head each night, creatures hiding in the gloom, swallowing her whole and spitting her out again each morning. This night was much like the others, except that it would be the last for her. Autumn closed her eyes and listened to the voices that lulled her into dreamland once more...Three vessels, how could that be possible…

***

It shifted somehow....out of the dark, a sensation began prickling his neck that caused him to stop in his tracks. He circled around, back towards the group of females that slowly filtered past him, each one of them watching him with ardent eyes. He blinked taking in all of their mouths, searching for the lips from his memories, none matched. The ladies had just come from the stop light on the corner, its digital display glowing, a familiar neon green. It slowly began its count down, blinking, seconds ticking, as more bodies scurried across the black lanes, to the relative safety of the sidewalks, slick as they were this evening.

It was cold out now, though he barely registered the sensation on his never changing pale skin. He did note that there was a thin dusting of snow covering everything in a white haze of iciness, which melted glazing shinny metals and formed icicles under ledges. The inconvenient weather caused the warm bodies to slip and slide on the dark patches of ice that formed periodically on sidewalks and thoroughfares, providing a bit of comical relief via Mother Nature.

Tonight, the walkways were flooded in light from the twinkling shops selling their wears for the holidays, and it appeared the occasion must be soon, as the majority of patrons had sacks filled with brightly colored packages. Another sign of change, a feeling that he was no longer connected to, and a celestial concept that was as meaningless as its traditions were to his ancient eyes.

He stood still as the feeling ebbed and another group of pedestrians passed by him, none of whom were female. Then just as he was about to turn and walk away, his neck gave him a pull again. The wind suddenly changing and he felt cold, unnaturally connecting him to the moment again. He had always been able to disconnect from the present, until today. This place was not his; he was merely a visitor here in this city filled with humans.

Suddenly his hearing became shaper and the feeling of excitement grew stronger, until it gave him prickles under his skin. He slid his sleeve up revealing his muscular forearm and watched as his arm hairs began to stand on end. He frowned, reaching down and pulled on his gloves absent-mindedly covering his skin again, and sniffing the air out of habit. His eyes darted around the streets looking for any signs of danger, feeling absurd as he thought, why did I come out tonight?

He knew why, it had felt good, almost exhilarating to walk this street. All because of an inane dream that he had had months ago, a kiss from soft lips that had caused him to shoot straight out of bed. The only dream he had ever had as a vessel and he was certain that this was the place that he would meet her, someday. The feeling pushed him forward until he stopped in front of this same coffee shop on this corner night after night, for a month. However, tonight it had been different, A trap perhaps…or a rival clans attempt at manipulation? Suddenly he felt foolish and turned to leave, bumping into a female who was attempting to pass him.

He vaguely remembered her appearance on the sidewalk, a few moments ago, as she had rounded the corner. Her pace curiously dragging and as a larger group of people crossed the corner behind her and flooded in around her, passing her swiftly in their rush. Meanwhile, she made her way towards him, steadily scribbling in a notebook; her hair hanging wildly, obscuring her face. She was obviously not aware of her surroundings barely missing a bit of black ice on the sidewalk, by sheer luck it seemed. His first thought was, clueless, and he even made a mental note to avoid the oddity.

Which was why when he heard her grunt and bump backwards; he was actually amazed by his inability to avoid knocking into the little thing. It was a distinct sound that came out of the small female, surprisingly sensual sounding in fact. She wobbled upon impact, on the verge of toppling over, though obviously trying hard not to fall onto the icy sidewalk. It however, did not go well, and he watched as she lost the fight, her feet sliding out from under her.

Instinctively, her hands flailed out, preparing to catch the brunt of the impending impact, when he took pity upon her, and decided to aid the woman. He reached out and caught her bird like ribcage, in the nook of his arm, with ease. To his astonishment, she reached her hand out, contorting unnaturally, and gripped the front of his shirt, not trusting his grasp. He was unexpectedly rattled by the creature’s apparent alarm, and watched as she dropped her things in the process. He could have snatched them, but he did not want to alarm her further feeling her heart jumping so violently he was frightened that he had some how injured her.

Her head flew up and the dangling hair parted, just enough to get a look at her eyes. Her look of astonishment was followed closely by embarrassment, assuring him that she was in fact unharmed. She quickly averted her gaze and apologized profusely as he righted her, and then watched as she flexed her hand, rotating her wrist mumbling, Strong.

Then she began to search frantically for her dropped items, as the light turned green behind them again, and another wave of bodies made their way towards the two. He scooped up her pencil and watched as she picked up the notebook, just in time. Suddenly he felt an overwhelming urge building up; a burst of energy that caught his breath, as a thought struck him, was this the one? He graciously held the pencil out to her, just to be certain, smiling politely in a practiced way, trying very hard not to look as anxious as he felt as he gazed at her lips. Unknowingly though, she nervously bit her lower lip at that very moment, prolonging his agony.

The completely forgettable moment was about to be over, when the crosswalk behind them started its countdown, perfectly timed to intervene on his behalf. It began with a man, a few steps behind them, noticing the count down. Then the time on his watch and suddenly he began pushing his way through the crowded sidewalk looking for the fastest route to cross. In his rush, he rudely shoved the disquieted woman, just as she reached out for her lost pencil.

The look on her face changed from distress to anger, in a flash. She cursed as her hand smacked down on the pencil sending it flying, which he snatched easily this time. While her second hand landed on the bare flesh of his other wrist and she squeezed it in an attempted not to loose her balance again.

She succeeded in staying on her feet but watched in horror as her companion toppled over as if he had just been shot, dropping her pencil in the process. His pale face grimaced as he cursed and fell backwards holding his wrist. She watched aghast at the turn of events, her heart rate tripling as she watched his stunned look of panic.

Clearly troubled by the turn of events she asked with genuine concern in her voice, Are you alright? He looked at his arm, and then turned to look up at her, his eyes still wide. She stepped closer and knelt down to inspect his wrist, which he now held clutched to his chest, staring at her unblinking now. Sheepishly, she repeated her question with a distinct gentleness to her voice, Did I hurt you? He was trying to hold back the feeling of power that now stirred inside of him, as he nodded slowly.

She reached her hand out to grab it, for a closer inspection, disbelieving his response, and he flinched. She halted her invasion, snapped her hand back, and took a knee, scooting back a bit, giving him some additional space. Anxiously she began rambling; attempting to explain the events, leading up to his fall, in hopes of providing him with some sort of comfort, and explaining that she meant no harm. To her dissatisfaction though, he did not seem to be listening as he stared at her blankly for a long moment, so she let the words fall off and stared at him uncomfortably.

He was completely flabbergasted, his mind racing as he watched her looking terribly uncomfortable. Her eyes searching his face for some sign of how to proceed, but he could not get himself together. Suddenly she looked about anxiously, as if someone else might come to take him away, and help her to escape the uncomfortable situation.

With the fear of her possible disappearance surfacing, his instinct for self preservation finally kicked in and he flashed a glorious smile. Rubbing his wrist and then shaking it off theatrically, he explained, I am sorry, I am fine, just twisted it as I fell. Are you alright?

She smiled and nearly choked with the relief in her voice as she replied, Yeah I am fine! I thought that I had broken you.

He smiled his eyes still a little wild and replied unconvincingly, I am fine… You…have quite a grip.

Sorry. Blushing, she offered her hand to him.

As if reaffirming his original suggestion, he shook his head, adding, I can do it, then he rose to his feet unassisted wiping the dust from his hands and pants.

She looked at him in disbelief; before shaking her head, and looked around again to see if anyone else was with him once more. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, cautiously, hoping that he had not scared her off, while she seemed satisfied with their continued lack of audience. Then she began absent-mindedly dusting her pants off at the knees, appearing in better spirits, now that he was behaving properly again.

Autumn thought, not funny, and then looked up at the sky and scowled at it for sending her this gift, wondering what she had done to deserve this special torture. Then she snuck another quick glance at him, it must be really bad to put something like this in her path.

He was handsome, and truthfully, completely taken aback by his uniquely rugged appeal, she was in awe. He had thick brown hair that made his dark blue eyes pop, paired with his flawless features high cheek bones and a strong jaw line. Perfectly proportionate to his broad square shoulders and obviously muscular physic, she was assured that he would look even better without his thick wool jacket on. She felt her stomach suddenly tighten as her mind took it further imagining him without his shirt on, and she raised her brow in appreciation. She shook her head clearing it and then chastised herself silently; there will be plenty of time for that later.

He watched her lingering unnecessarily, an encouraging sign for him but his mind struggled to take hold of a plan of action. He was not ready for this; she was not it. Was she? This was wrong some how, too soon. The kiss from his dream had been so sweet…This could not be her… surely, this could not be right. Look at her she was…was… was not right. If she would simply hold still and let him get a look at her…There had to be a catch, was there someone else? He looked around the sidewalk, and up at the windows above them. No one else was there. Then he grabbed his wrist again, it was burning from her touch. It was overwhelming even he could not deny it.

The kiss, that was all he needed, he was not going to die over a kiss. He shook his head, trying to get it to clear while he tried to focus on the goal. Nevertheless, his mind would not comply, the kiss was just the antidote for the first touches secretions, he thought logically. He just needed to secure the kiss so she could begin her transformation and he could stop his own demise. He could help her find her proper mate in another clan afterwards.

He watched the female seeming satisfied by her work on her pants, as he thought, it had happened before, the scrolls had told of it, there where a couple of stories about vessels accidentally being exposed to others intended mates. Once the transformation was complete, they would naturally be drawn together and then all would be well.

Her attention finally turned from her pants in search o her pencil again. He found it instantly and swiped it up, offering it up to her with a slight bow, this time, a sparkle returning to his eyes. She smiled surprised at his change of temperament, Thank you kind sir.

He grinned, replying with a flourish of his dusty hand, You are welcome my lady. Her smile widened as their eyes met again for another half second and she blushed.

As usual, she averted them quickly and replied, Let me guess you’re an actor?

He frowned, slightly alarmed, though he hid it well, No.

She frowned mumbling to herself, Interesting. She looked down at her pants one last time, before adding, Well then since you are alright, she gestured to his standing figure, I won’t take any more of your time.

She turned on her heels and without a moment’s hesitation she headed down the sidewalk. He smiled and nodded his head politely, but instantly realized that he had just severed their connection. His calm demeanor quickly turned to desperation, as he darted after her.

Follow me

The stutter step that followed her as she made her way down the sidewalk was a little encouraging and unnerving. Her head was still swimming from the close proximity to the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in real life… and now… he was following her. He spoke softly, sounding as if he were right in her ear, I am sorry, I didn’t get your name. She slowed her pace and slowly turned expecting to find him right next to her. Only to find that he was not as close as she had first thought, her momentum sending her into a full turn. He closed the distance between them eagerly enough though.

He asked again, So, what is your name? She shook her head and looked back at him and then answered distracted by her train of though, Autumn, my name is Autumn. She turned away from him and began walking again a little more slowly now, her heart still pitter-pattering.

He grinned, not seeming to notice her preoccupation and matched her pace, falling in step instantly, repeating, Autumn, that is a lovely name. His charm returning as his mind struggled to get into the game.

She frowned, returning to the present, and reciprocated absent mindedly, What’s your name?

He replied, Ivan, and she stopped short, suddenly wide-eyed.

He swallowed hard at her sudden change, his heart pounding now at the constant readjustments that he was having to respond to, Ivan? He nodded his head and she continued breaking into a wide smile, Ivan, perfect, though she made it sound anything but that. She finally caught his expression of confusion, and she added disbelievingly, I have always liked that name. It’s Russian right?

He nodded, wondering if he should have given her another name as his appeared to disagree with her somehow. She let the name roll around in her mouth as she mumbled, Ivan, Ivan, as he watched ever so closely. If she had had enough courage to look at him again she would have seen that his intensity was beginning to show. His eyes began dilating waiting for any encouraging sign from her.

When she realized that the eyes that she felt were from him, she glanced over at him and misunderstanding his intensity, her blush deepened. You’re staring, and she shot him a look of disapproval, although she was secretly thrilled.

He promptly dropped his gaze and stared at his dusty shoes, wishing that her hair was not hanging in such a way to obstruct his view of her face. His anxiety level was through the roof, and her discomfort was only making it worse. He knew what he must accomplish in the next twenty-four hours, but his frustration with the obvious non-compatibility of the two of them, made him struggle against it, in spite of the evidence to the contrary.

He looked up again and realized that the silence was beginning to stretch and a lump formed in his throat as he feared that she might try to flee again, so he spoke hastily his voice catching as he offered, Well Autumn… I… think we passed a coffee shop about a block ago would you like to get a cup of coffee? She smiled awkwardly at him and looked up at his face for a sign of his intentions.

He tried to look sincere but he felt awkward instead, exposed, though he guessed that it did not show on his face because, she smiled brightly and replied sweetly, Yeah sure why not. She smirked at him, offering, But I know a better one a few blocks up.

He smiled back; unnaturally chipper as he tried to keep the conversation light in hopes of keeping her comfortable, Excellent. He gestured for her to lead the way, and they walked in silence for a few blocks until she pointed at a smaller coffee shop across the street.

They crossed at the corner and he opened the door for her smiling politely, and she mumbled a, Thank you, brushing past him, giving him his first treat. A whiff of her scent, which he made a mental note of in case they were separated, this needed to go off without a hitch. His life depended upon the decisions of a fickle female tonight and he would take no chances.

She headed straight for the back corner of the dimly lit coffee shop and sat at one of tables that had small tea candles glowing on it. He followed her without hesitation, smiling happily with every blush and coy smile, feeling slightly more confident, with his task. As he sat, the waitress walked up eyeing Ivan and Autumn searching for the connection between the odd pair, as Autumn seconded her look of confusion as she took off her coat. He answered swiftly, hoping to be left alone with his newest dilemma, Two black coffees please.

He watched her in the dim light of the coffee shop, and realized that her posture had changed entirely. She was now more comfortable, her eyes were keenly aware of her surroundings, and she definitely did not like who ever was walking up behind him.

He turned to see the waitress returning with their drinks, eyeing Autumn curiously again as she did, and she shrugged. While Ivan slid the sugar over to her, in hope of regaining her attention, as the coffees steamed sent the aromas of the roast seeds wafting up into the air. Autumn did not meet his gaze though; busing herself by taking off her hat and scarf instead.

Then taking a hair tie from her pocket, she pulled her hair up out of her face. He watched her graceful well-practiced moves pulling each strand into a perfect twist and tucking it up on to the top of her head, pinning it down perfectly. Ivan absently stirred his cup, waiting for the reveal. The change was instantaneous and Ivan gasped involuntarily, realizing just how much he had missed. Autumn asked, half joking, That bad, huh?

He stared at her unflinching for a few moments, before replying, No. He hoped that his intention was not lost on her. He guessed that it was not, as she began to blush once more. She stared at the drink in front of her, awkwardly waiting for him to begin conversing. Grasping at straws, he asked benignantly, So what do you do for a living?

She looked up at him and replied, I’m a blood Tech. Ivan smiled at the irony, but did not comment. Autumn added hopefully, How about you? What do you do? Adding a bit quieter, Modeling of some sort I am guessing.

No, I am an antiquities dealer. He lied.

Really that sounds like an interesting job, she replied brightening.

He shrugged and replied with disinterest in hopes of steering the conversation back towards her life, It is not.

She took it in stride though her mood remaining cheerful, Well then what should we talk about?

He stared at her for a moment before asking, Where were you born?

Down south, though I have lived in the city for most of my life, my family moved here when I was a little girl.

He replied sounding interested, Oh really, where at down south? She stared at the candle lit in the center of the table and answered his question absentmindedly and then she began rambling on about her life, as she poured sugar into her drink.

He swallowed hard and tried not to believe his eyes, how had he missed that. Her skin was soft porcelain, with olive eyes and dark brown hair. He noticed now, when the candle light hit her hair, hints of auburn shown in her hair and eyes. His fingers stretched involuntarily as he thought of what it would be like to touch her. Her heart shaped lips were full and deep and realized then that he was longing to kiss her though the longer he stared the less he cared if she was the one from his dream or not, he simply wanted to taste her. A hidden beauty, he smiled at that thought. A question flew from his lips before he could stop himself, cutting Autumn off abruptly, Why do you cover your face up?

She stopped talking and picked up her drink, sipping her drink uncomfortably and looked at him puzzled. He clarified suddenly feeling strangely awkward, Your hair when we first met you had it half covering your face. It suites you better to wear it how it is now.

She blushed at his remark and then replied, We live in a city full of bad people, she shrugged, If they don’t see you then they don’t harass you as much.

If you do not like it then why do you live here?

She smiled and stared at her coffee, then returned, I like the convenience of living in the city, the theaters, the museums, and the combination of cultures. Just then an Indian couple passed by, as she looked lost in thought for a moment before continuing, Well it is worth the headache for now anyways. She smiled mumbled to herself, I imagine after a few more years, a smaller town might seem more appealing. Maybe even living abroad... She let her words fade off as she smiled a little smile to herself into her cup as she stirred it absent-mindedly.

Then she shifted her weight, grabbed a pencil from the pocket of her coat, and pulled a napkin from the pile on the table. She did not even look up while she scribbled something onto it and hastily shoved them both back into her jacket pocket. He leaned forward and smiled his eyes looking at her with renewed interest. She shifted in her seat obviously uncomfortable with his sudden apparent interest in her scribbling, while he continued to stare at her unblinking. Autumn asked, adding creamer to her coffee finally, How about you?

Ivan responded dully, I go where I am told.

There was a long stretch of silence, and Autumn cleared her throat, excusing herself and headed toward the bathroom. His eyes wondered over to the jacket and in a flash, he swiped the napkin from the pocket, just as she stepped out of site, spreading it out and read the words that she had printed, Hungry eyes. He flinched, folded it back up, and returned it to the pocket. Now he was nervous, perhaps this was going to be harder than he thought, she had seemed so wrong but now....

He cursed under his breath and focused his ears, listening to the sounds of the room. The waitress was talking about how rude a large muscular gentleman had been when he had ordered, while the couple sitting at the front of the shop snickering together as they unscrewed the sugar lids on their table.

Back in the bathroom only five feet away, he listened as Autumn washed her hands, for a very long time. Meanwhile, her heart was pounding in her chest and she was humming a soothing melody to herself. After a few minutes, the water shut off and she emerged from the room with a sweet smile on her face.

His own heart began to beat faster as he watched her approach the table and take her place again. His skin felt suddenly warm, though he was sure it was not, as he watched her reach into the pocket of her jacket and pull the napkin out again. Then, just as before she scribbled on it and quickly returned it to the safety of the jacket pocket. He asked, What are you writing?

She blushed deeply, and she replied, Oh, that, that’s nothing, just ideas that popped into my head. I like to write them down so that I won’t forget them.

He looked at her skeptically and asked, What kind of ideas? He continued staring at her; head tilted imitating her expression from earlier though his eyes were unwavering.

Autumn smiled again and replied, It is nothing interesting really, just a little rattle, gesturing towards her head. It is easier for me to move on with my day if I write it down. Otherwise I dwell on it, and get side tracked.

He did not seem convinced, as he asked, May I? Autumn looked slightly taken aback by his suggestion but she fished the napkin back out and reluctantly handed it to him anyways.

She was blushing a deep crimson color when she added, "They are just random thoughts that pop into my