Tabitha Levin: Stranger Delight

“How could you not feel a spark with him? He’s smoking hot!” They both nodded their heads in agreement.

“I know. It’s just…” Claire looked out of the window.

“It’s just he’s not Luke,” said Samantha.

Claire looked back at Samantha. “I know he only sees me as a friend.”

Samantha laughed. “Oh boy, you two are pathetic. He’s been in love with you for months. He said if he ever got a chance to be with you that he’d make sure you would never forget it. He… oh no!”

“Oh no what?” asked Claire.

“I told him that you were dating Joel. He kind of got angry and said that he’d had enough of trying to get you to notice him. He said it was time he got you out of his system once and for all.”

Claire felt a lump appear in her throat. “What does that mean? Out of his system?”

Sam looked at her friend and shrugged.

Claire’s hands shook as she held her drink. It was him all along. It was her sweet Luke that made her feel alive.

“Invite him to the gallery opening for me,” said Claire. “I’m going to try and get him back.”

The art gallery was full of people when Claire arrived. She smoothed down the front of her dress nervously hoping it wasn’t clinging to her body too much. She stood in the foyer, took a breath and looked around for her friends.

She saw Joel talking to Samantha and Paul who were holding hands. He was pointing out something in one of the paintings on the far wall. It was a large canvas with lots of colours merging into a chaotic mess in the middle. It looked oddly passionate and calm at the same time and Claire immediately fell in love with it. She wondered how much paintings cost here or if they were even for sale at all. Sam motioned her over to the group.

“There she is. Sweet Claire,” said Joel, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. He was wearing a dark shirt that matched his hair. He looked breathtaking as usual. “A round of champagne for everyone?” He snapped his fingers for one of the waiters carrying trays of drinks to come over to their group.

Claire picked up one of the tall champagne flutes and took a sip feeling the bubbles tickle her nose. She tried to look sophisticated even though all she wanted to do was giggle at the sensation. She looked around for Luke, but couldn’t see him and felt a knot in her stomach at the thought he might not be coming after all.

“Let me introduce you around my darling,” said Joel, whisking her away from the group, his hand on her back leading the way.

It was then that Claire saw Luke enter and join her friends; they were laughing and looked like they were having a great time. But he wasn’t alone. On his arm was a striking brunette wearing a sexy red dress that clung to her curvy body. Claire bit her lip.

“Pleased to meet you,” said Joel’s artist friend. “I’m so glad you could come to enjoy my showing.” He held his hand out for her to shake, which she did.

“I love the exquisitely dark theme you’ve done with your collection,” said Joel. “It’s reminiscent of the early work of Jean-Michel Basquiat I think?”

“Yes, he is an influence of my work,” said the artist.

Claire couldn’t concentrate on the conversation. All she could think about was Luke and the woman he had brought to the gallery. She looked over to him and saw him place his hand on the woman’s back sliding it lower towards her bottom. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.

“Excuse me, I’m just going to have a look around and get some air,” said Claire to Joel and his friend. She stepped out into the courtyard at the side of the gallery and steadied herself as she tripped on a dead potted plant, holding the railing for support.

Joel followed her out with a glass of champagne in his hand. “Are you okay?” he asked handing her the glass.

Claire turned to him and saw that Luke was watching them from the room inside. He looked angry, and he turned around and walked away.

“I’m so sorry Joel. I can’t do this. It’s just that I think I’m in love with someone else.” Claire watched for his reaction expecting him to yell at her, scream anything.

“Oh that’s quite alright dear. You really aren’t my type anyway. I prefer woman much skinnier than you.”

Claire stared at him in disbelief. Did he really just say that? She threw the contents of her glass at him saturating him in champagne.

“You fucking little bitch,” he said slapping her hard in the face before storming off.

Claire’s lip quivered but she was determined not to cry. The sting on her cheek hurt, but not as much as the pain at seeing Luke storm off did. She ran inside scanning the room trying to see where he had gone.

Samantha came over and saw the red mark on the side of her face. “That asshole, I’ll kill him.”

“No, leave it. It’s ok.” Claire couldn’t see Luke anywhere. “Where did he go?”

“Who Joel?”

Claire pushed past Samantha but he wasn’t to be seen. “Has he left? Did he go?” She turned back to her friend and grabbed her arms. “We have to find him. I need to talk to him.”

“You mean Luke. He’s getting a cab for his date. He should be outside I think?”

Claire grabbed a brochure of the art gallery from a nearby table and scribbled something on it before folding it and handing it to Samantha. “Give him this,” she said. Samantha nodded and headed outside.

Claire turned towards an empty side office and entered the room. She cleared everything off a desk in one sweep so that she’d have a nice flat surface. Her fingers trembled as she undid the zipper of her dress and let it slip to the floor before sitting up on the desk as seductively as she could.

Her heart beat loudly and she wondered if he’d be able to hear it if he came into the room. Staring at the door handle she waited. Oh please Luke, please open the door.

A shiver of excitement tingled through her body as she heard someone on the other side knock lightly.

“Claire? Claire, are you in there?” Luke opened the door and stepped into the room. He stopped suddenly when he saw her there, half undressed, sitting on the desk smiling at him.

“You came back.” Claire breathed a sigh of relief and reached out for him, but he didn’t move toward her like she expected he would, his hand still on the door handle. “Luke is everything alright?”

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought you were with Joel?”

Claire shook her head. “No. I just told him it was over. I told him I was in love with someone else. Someone, I think, who had given me the best sex of my life?”

Luke stepped into the room away from the door, and towards where Claire was sitting. “How did you know it was me?”

Claire smiled and grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Luke, who else would know me so well as to give me what I really wanted?” She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him gently. “Although I will have to punish you for tricking me at Samantha’s party like that. Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”

Luke kissed her back, smiling his familiar goofy grin. “Oh Claire, I figured you’d be able to tell it was me. When you didn’t, and you started dating Joel I thought I’d lost you. How could I tell you after that?”

He moved his lips down her neck to the nape of her shoulder and gently used his teeth to pull at her bra strap making it slip down.

Claire groaned and threw her head back. “Samantha’s right. We are pathetic.” She grabbed his head and ran her fingers through his hair as he unclipped her bra from the back, letting it slip to the ground.

He sighed at the sight of her firm breasts and rosy pink nipples, and hungrily put one in his mouth masterfully swirling his tongue around the tip. A sudden rush of warmth filled her body and she pulled him closer again.