A lone lover

Chapter One.

Aurora's POV*

I hurriedly applied the finishing touches to my almost-perfected makeup and took a long stare at my reflection in the mirror. The person that stared right back at me was all shades of beauty and perfection, unlike the person on the other side of the mirror.

I took out my phone and was about to dial a number when I heard a loud horn just outside my window. I quickly took my purse from my bedside table and walked majestically down the stairs, and over to the door, opened it slowly, and stood transfixed on the spot.

Right in front of me was a long shiny spotless black limousine, and a handsome man with a perfectly tailored black suit standing beside it. His lips were moving but I was too busy checking him out to listen to whatever he had to say.

He smiled patiently and said it again, this time a little bit louder than before.

"Miss Richards?" he asked with a brief flicker of the eyelid.

"Oh my God, did he just flirt with me?" my senses came back that instant. “composure girl” I muttered to myself.

"Yes, please can I help you?" The change in tone surprised me as well as him.

"Your boyfriend, Pete Clarkson requested that I bring you to the date tonight." My knees became jelly soft and I almost could no longer hold myself up.

"I am not aware of that arrangement Mr?"

"David Malone" He replied still smiling. "This was meant to be a surprise, I'm guessing that's why you didn't know about it"

"Okay, I'll just call him to confirm." He shrugged his shoulders and focused on looking around his environment, trying to get used to the place probably.

"Hi, baby" that birdlike voice that was always sending chills down my spine came over.

"Hi boo, hmm did you send someone to pick me up?"

"You mean a never stop smiling dude with a limo? Yes I did" I almost laughed out loud

"But babe you shouldn't have gone through this whole trouble, I was fine with you picking me up actually. Not that I don't like the fancy limo anyway" I said with a smile

“Just go with the flow, okay?”

“Alright then, see you soon.” The call dropped before I could complete my sentence, and that was when I realized that I had been keeping the smiling man standing all this while.

“Okay, sorry about that”

“No probs ma’am”. He replied still smiling as he opened the car door for me.

Something about that gesture brought butterflies to my belly. Nobody has ever opened the car door for me, Absolutely no one!

The drive was smooth, fast, and quiet. My heart was racing all through, and my head was filled with lots of disturbing thoughts.

We were a few months away from graduation, and Pete will be moving over to Chicago for work immediately after. I didn’t know where we stood after everything, because I was head over heels in love with him. I couldn’t do distant relationships either, I hated the idea of it.

“Oh Lord, I blurted out, and suddenly needed some air.

The car suddenly came to a halt, and I found myself right in front of the most beautiful place I’d ever been to in my entire life.

Mr. Smiling face came over and opened the car door for me.

“Thank you,” I said as I stepped out and surveyed my surroundings. The whole place was beautiful, and I didn’t quite believe that such a place existed in this city where I’d lived for four years, without me discovering it.

I was about to pick up my cell phone to call him when another gentleman walked close to me.

“Miss Richards?” He asked suggestively.

“Yup, that would be me”. I replied almost immediately. He gave a brief smile before saying “come with me, please.”

I walked fast to keep up with my escort's pace, and in a short while, I was standing in front of the most beautiful view I have ever seen in my twenty-two years of existence.

I suddenly found myself walking through a narrow path lined with flowers on each side. I could see a well-decorated table with some mouth-watering delicacies occupying the far end of the space and then, there was my man. He stepped right out and stood majestically at the end of the aisle wearing that insanely hot smile I loved.

“Hi”. My voice was shaky at first, “I wasn’t expecting this, it’s so beautiful”. I told him sincerely, and his smile widened.

“You like it?” he asked, holding out his hand, and caressing my face softly while looking deeply into

my eyes.

“Oh babe, I love it”. My words came out as whispers.

We were both looking deeply into eyes of each other. He held my face with his two hands, and I leaned in for an inevitable kiss. We kissed slowly, his hands roaming around my back, and then, he pinned me closer to his body until there was practically no space between us. His tongue circled my earlobes, nibbed and sucked it hard, while holding my neck tight, and caressing my jaw with his thumb. One last kiss and then we pulled apart, slowly.

“I love you, babe”. He said, his hands squeezing my butt right after the confession.

“I love you right back”. I responded with a smile.

“Let's go eat something now, shall we? I’m starving”. He said still with his smile, and pulled me gently towards the table I saw earlier, and my mouth watered at the sight of it; probably because I was a devoted foodie, and was always turned on at the very sight of food.

He pulled out a seat for me and smiled at me. Returning his smile with one of my own, I sat on the already drawn-out seat, and he reached out and kissed me again. This one was brief, more like a peck on the mouth than an actual kiss, but it still had a lot of unspoken words trapped in it. He went over and sat down on his seat, and began scratching his jaw, something he does only when he’s nervous.

“hmm… are you okay babe?” I asked in concern, and he let out a deep sigh and then said:

“For now, no but I guess I’ll be soon... Probably.”

I didn’t hide my confusion and was about to ask another question when he cut me short.

“Let’s just eat, Ok?”. He said with a smile.

“Sure”. I replied, anything for my stomach.

There was soft music playing in the background, I think I just noticed, probably because the song that was playing now was my favorite. ‘Breathless' by Shane Ward. Who could have asked for a better dining experience?

The silence slowly became frustrating, and even though I was enjoying the food, I couldn’t help but notice the tense atmosphere. I knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what exactly it was.

Maybe he was worried about “after graduation” like I was too. I sighed deeply but continued eating. We will certainly resolve whatever it is once I am done satisfying my belle.

Babe! He called out suddenly, and I paused eating to look at him, waiting for him to say whatever it was that he had intended to say.

‘Uhmmm… I don’t know if this is bad timing but I need to let it out.' He moved uneasily in his seat and thoughts began racing through my head again. Is this it? The point where he says ‘it's over between us' I dreaded this moment heavily. But then, there was no way he would break up with me, certainly not after this romantic display.

‘Aurora, you’ve brought nothing but peace and joy into my life. You’ve made my world a beautiful place to live in and with you by my side, I can do anything. I’ve seen deep into your pure heart and I’ve learned the language of your lips. I know your heart longs for me and mine does the same.

Aurora, I love you so much that I can’t imagine living life without you. I want you in my life, not just for a short while, but forever.’

My face was flushed and the tears were roaming down my face now. At this point, I didn’t care about my makeup which was already ruined. He was standing now and my sobs became louder. Slowly, he got down on one knee and brought out a beautiful diamond ring, the type I see only in movies.

‘Aurora darling, will you do me the favour, and say yes to being my wife?’

‘Yes!’ I blurted out. ‘I will be your wife, Pete.’ He smiled, put the ring on my fourth finger, stood up slowly, and then, we kissed. I wasn’t bothered by how my face looked after the festival of tears. Neither was I perturbed about the cameramen that suddenly rounded us up and captured our moments including the remains of my once-upon-a-time beautiful makeover.

We parted for a while, Pete's gaze fixed on my lips. I knew he wanted to kiss me again, I wanted it too. I was about to reach out to kiss him again when he smiled, cupped my face in his hands, stared deeply into my eyes, and said: ‘I love you Aurora and I can’t wait to call you mine, officially.’

‘I love you, Pete, now and forever.’ I was about to reach out to kiss him again when……

I didn’t know how but It all happened so fast.

Someone was sprinkling something watery on me and shouting my name repeatedly. My eyes opened gradually and I jerked up from the bed quickly when I saw the face behind the voice.

‘Oh no!’ I covered my face with my two hands, not wanting to believe what happened.

‘What the hell, girl! I’ve been shouting your name for 'God knows how long.’ I looked up to meet the fiery eyes of Catherine, my roommate. She was furious but I was too busy wishing that everything I had encountered some minutes ago was real. I looked at my left finger and discovered that there was no ring.

‘Remind me again why you are acting all weird this early morning.' Catherine asked, with her two hands placed firmly on her hips.

‘Cath, there was a ring right here' I sobbed slowly while pointing down at my left ring finger.

‘What are you talking about Aurora? What ring?’ she asked, her facial expression became more serious and if not for my present ordeal, I would have laughed so hard.

‘Pete asked me to marry him and I said yes, then he put a ring on my finger

‘Wait! what?’ Catherine cut me off even before I could say more. She looked a bit confused ‘when did that happen cause I was with you all through the night and what happened to the supposed ring he gave you?’ Catherine asked again with serious confusion written all over her face.

‘No shit! You were dreaming again, weren’t you? Oh, my poor girl.’

I started crying again, maybe because I was scared to admit that when I finally got what I’d always wanted, it turned out to be a dream.

Catherine walked over and sat down beside me. I was crying now, so loud that my head ached badly. She bent me over, placed my head on her shoulders, and rubbed my back slowly.

‘Everything's going to be fine pumpkin. One day, you’ll get all those things you’ve dreamt of, certainly, but for now, we have a test in forty-five minutes and we can’t afford to miss it over some absurd dream of yours.’ She let out a very loud contagious laugh and I couldn’t help but join her. We both stood up slowly and hugged each other.

‘I’ll just have a quick shower and get ready' I said while moving to the bathroom.

‘Don’t take long. Oh my God, can’t believe we are going to be this late today of all days. There was a bang, and I knew she must have left the room. I let out a deep sigh and turned on the shower.

I dressed up with the speed of lightning. Black baggy pants, a loose black top, and my favorite pair of boots and I was good to go. I grabbed my bag and rolled my hair into a bun. There was absolutely no time to style it says the least. I ran out to meet Catherine already down and looking flawless as usual. I secretly admired her and wished I knew how to dress well just like her, but I couldn’t wear her type of dress. I was sure I would never look half as good in them as she does.

‘Good to go?' she asked with a smile. I didn’t feel as though I was good to go, but I eventually nodded in agreement and shot her a smile too.

I took a deep breath and opened the door only to gaze into the eyes of my boyfriend.

‘Well, hello there' he said with a smile that faded as soon as he took a good look at me.

‘Uhmmm Hi Pete, what are you doing here? I asked. Pete was not the kind of guy that would knock on my door early hours of the morning for vanities. There was a reason for this uncalled visit.

‘Well someone said they needed a ride' he responded while shrugging his shoulders.

‘My car didn’t start so I called him. We are too late to try catching a bus you know' Catherine chipped in.

‘Okay. Let’s just go then.’ I said and walked down to the car. Catherine disliked Pete, so if there was a reason to call him, it had to be a very good one.