Let There Be Peace

Chapter 9

"Alright, class dismissed. Make sure you take your bags with you. I don't want to keep finding bags left in here," she warned. All the girls dutifully grabbed their bags and bowed to her as they said goodbye.

"They're really cute," Soul said as he stood to face Paz.

"Well, they're a hot mess, but they're my hot mess," she replied. "Why are you here?" she asked pointedly, trying not to sound angry. She had spent much of the weekend in bed with the cover over her head, but Monday bid her rise from her bed of despair and do her job. But she wouldn't let Soul know that. She had determined that she was not about to make the first move.

"I came rushing over here because Keeho and I had a talk," Soul began, trying to catch her gaze, but Paz remained unmoved.

"Uh-huh," she replied dryly.

"So, I wanted to make things right with you," Soul continued.

"So, you think we should just go back to the way we were just like that, then?" she asked, unable to keep the edge of anger from her voice. "I spent the weekend crying until I puked," Paz informed him. "Then, I cried some more."

"I'm sorry," Soul apologized. "Do you want me to get on my knees?" he asked.

"I don't know what I want," Paz admitted. "I just want my weekend back. How are you going to pay me back for my wasted weekend?" she demanded. Paz knew that forgiveness didn't always work like that. Most of the time, we have to let people off the hook even with no restitution, but still her sense of justice had been awakened. And she just couldn't bring herself to reconcile without some acknowledgement on his part of how much he had hurt her.

Soul was silent for a moment. He had hoped that just showing up and saying he had been wrong would be enough for them to make peace, but Paz was still not ready to drop her bitterness. He realized he would have to go a step further.

"Okay, how about this?" Soul began. "What if I give you one of my weekends in exchange for the one you lost?" he suggested.

Paz looked at him, intrigued. "How would that work?" she asked.

"Well, we could go on a trip, and besides eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, I would be at your disposal all weekend. We'd do only what you want to do, eat what you want to eat, go where you want to go," he explained. "I would be all yours for a whole weekend."

"And I could do whatever I want with you for a whole weekend?" she confirmed again.

"Whatever you want," Soul assured her.

"Mm, well, you'd better pack a flashlight, a Sharpie, and a scuba mask," Paz said enigmatically.

"What on Earth are you planning?" Soul laughed.

"Just never you mind," Paz answered. "You said you'd be mine all weekend. So, you'd better be prepared because I'm taking you up on that," she warned.

"So, does that mean you'll forgive me?" Soul asked.

"Mm, I think I just might," Paz replied as she pulled him to her. When she kissed him, Soul finally felt free to offer himself unreservedly. He no longer feared that anyone could split them up.

He wound his fingers through her dark auburn hair and deepened the kiss. He pressed her against the wall as she pulled his hips against hers. He moved against her, and she could feel his urgency.

"Oh, my god," she moaned. "This is why I can't stay mad at you. Do you see what you do?"

"What do I do to you?" he whispered in her ear.

"You turn my brain to mush, and then I can't even remember why I was mad," she admitted. He continued to press himself against her leg.

With almost superhuman effort, Paz pushed him back. "You have to save something for my weekend," she told him. "Hold that thought. We have a competition to win, and after that, we'll go on our trip," she assured him.

"But until then, I need you to channel all of your urges into winning," she instructed.

Soul sighed exaggeratedly. "But how am I supposed to go out in public like this?" he asked, looking down at his erection.

"Wrap your jacket around your waist. You'll be fine," Paz teased him.

"So, this is my real punishment, isn't it?" he asked. Without letting her answer, he said, 'Okay. Okay. I accept my penance," he added. In that moment, he began to run laps around the studio.

"What are you doing?" Paz laughed.

"I'm running off my urges," he answered. As he ran, he repeated over and over, "Channeling, channeling, channeling...".