‘Taylor, for the love of god. Please stop! I can’t breathe!’ Maddi cried out in between peals of laughter.
‘Say that you’re sorry and I’ll stop.’
‘For what?!’
‘For nearly killing my BlackBerry!’
‘Well, your BlackBerry seemed lonely without pings!’
‘It wouldn’t stop spazzing for twenty minutes, cheeky monkey!’ Taylor maintained the tickle fest with Maddi, who tried to crawl to the other side of the wrought iron bed.
It was four o’clock in the afternoon in Italy. Everyone had collapsed in their rooms – it looked like a room out of a Pottery Barn catalogue. Fully furnished with one loveseat, a Pottery Barn dresser and chest of drawers and a wrought iron bed - around half-past nine the previous day, the time when Rome was at its busiest during weekends.
All of us woke around midday, our bodies still recovering from jet lag as well as accustoming to different time zones. The rest of Saturday was a wet and sinister day, most of it spent indoors in Stephanie’s beach villa.
‘But we had loads planned!’ Ariel grumbled, her arms folded in front of her as she glared out at the drops of rain that slid down the windows. She was curled up in a ball in her owl pajamas on the long yet somehow comfy black futon, her hair wrapped up in a fishtail braid. She really looked forward to the shopping trip in the streets of Rome.
‘What do you want me to do? Ask Mother Nature for rain to go away and come back again another day?’ Stephanie stipulated, flicking through the channels on the huge flat screen TV. She was seated opposite her, holding a steaming cup of cocoa in her hand, the marshmallows bobbing in the chocolate liquid.
‘That would be amazing, Stephanie. While you’re at it, ask the gods if they could have revolutionary sales here in Rome,’ Ariel gushed. Stephanie gave her a withering glance before turning her attention back to the news that was broadcasting in Italian. Upstairs, a cheery, breathless laugh radiated along the hall.
‘I’m sorry – okay?! Now please – for my sake – stop tickling me or else I’ll die!’ Maddi gasped, curling in a ball on the floor.
‘Aww – I’m sorry, but you know I had no choice,’ Taylor murmured, crouching down so that he could cup Maddi’s face in his hand. She intentionally averted her eyes, giving the sort of vibe that she was pissed off at him.
‘C’mon, I know you’re not pissed off at me. I know the difference between your pissed off face and your I’m-just-playing-with-you face,' Taylor said in a coaxing voice.
After more than a few seconds of receiving the cold shoulder, Taylor sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Without warning, he lithely plucked Maddi up in his arms, her legs dangling on either side of his body. He carried her over to the bed, dropping her on the plump pillows. She tucked her legs underneath while Taylor crawled on his knees before taking her face in his hands, his fingers feeling the soft touch of her hair. He could still taste the apples that she ate for brunch. Feeling her lips mash against his, he gently pried her mouth open so that their tongues were almost touching.
‘Knock knock!’ Micah bounded into the room, Tita trailing close behind her. Both of them were wearing crop tops and short shorts underneath what seemed to be like bikinis, towels hanging off of their arms. Immediately, Maddi pushed herself out of Taylor’s lap - performing a back-roll and landing perfectly on the wooden floor - so that Micah wouldn’t tease Maddi about her nearly having sex with Taylor for the rest of her life.
‘Nice trick. Anyway, all of us are going swimming in the indoors pool - not the outdoors pool, since it’s obviously still raining outside – want to come join us?’
‘Yeah, we’ll be down in five minutes!’ Maddi said, a little too enthusiastically.
‘Okay, see you then m’loves!’ Micah blew each of them kisses before she sashayed out of the room, Tita winking at the pair of them before closing the door behind her.
‘Do we have to go swimming? I just want to stay here and cuddle with you,' Taylor pouted, flopping back on the bed.
‘Yes – I want to get some laps. Plus, you get to see more of this,' she said, gesturing to her body.
‘I’m all for swimming now!’
Rain was pelting heavily down from the heavens since seven in the morning. The wind was sweeping the trees that surrounded the beach villa, however Harry didn’t care at all.
‘Enlighten me,’ I leaned against the railing, looking out at the grey sky.
‘Well, I want to spend some time with you. I haven’t seen you since you’ve been glued to your laptop!’ he said, hugging me from the back.
‘But why out here? I want to go back and watch my DVD,’ I whined.
‘What is so interesting about The Social Network?’
‘I have a weakness for box office hits,’ I responded, taking in the sounds of the drizzle pattering against the villa. ‘So what are we doing tomorrow?’
‘How does lunch in the city sound?’ He kept raveling and unraveling a lock of my hair around his ring finger. I was pretending to process this, but in my mind I had already made my mind up.
'But I want to stay at home and just sleep.'
'Oh, come on. You can't stay in for the rest of the trip,' he said, prodding me in the ribs.
'Well, you can convince me,' I said, winking at him.
I closed my eyes as Harry craned his neck. His soft lips pressed on mine, as he delved in deeper. I felt my heart thumping rapidly in my chest. I arched my back, hungrily pulling his face closer to mine. My body melted, softening in his grip as I sat up, our lips locked to each other. His tongue brushed against mine. As if on cue, I opened my mouth a little wider. His hand on my back pulled me closer to him, my knees on the side of his legs aching already as his fingers crept up my spine. I didn’t ever want this moment to end. I felt myself tingling with pleasure. It was as if this imaginary magnet was drawing me towards him for every second I felt his lips.
‘Hi guys… So whatcha doin’?’ My eyes flicked open. I suddenly felt hot and aware that there were other people in the villa.
‘Um – having a conversation,’ I mumbled, springing up from Harry’s lap and tugging my blouse down. I looked down at the tiles on the floor, too embarrassed to look at one of my best friends in the eye. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Harry running a hand through his disheveled hair.
‘With your tongues?’ Micah asked.
‘You betcha,' Harry gleefully replied.
‘What do you want?’ I sighed.
‘Swimming pool, wanna come with?’
‘Sure,’ I said, bustling past her into the bedroom. I could feel her curious eyes on my back. Trying to ignore her, I headed to the chest of drawers and looked for my bikini. I heard the balcony door slam shut, followed by Harry stalking past me to his suitcase that he had neglectedly dumped on the other chest of drawers last night.
‘Okay, be down in the indoors pool in five,’ she said, sensing the tension in the air as she quickly headed out of the room. As soon as the door closed, I let out a deep breath.
‘Next time - on the bed with the door closed,' I instructed to Harry, a thoughtful expression on his face and a pair of board shorts in each hand.
Ariel trotted upstairs, grateful to do some swimming other than sit on the couch having a McConaughy marathon all day. Stretching, she turned the brass doorknob to find a very untidy mess that would make the housekeeper on Monday fume; MAC cosmetics, hair products and other items were scattered on the dresser, the duvet was in a twisted heap on the floor and clothes were hanging on the wroughts of the bed. She sighed, she knew she would have to clean it at some point.
Plucking her red and blue coloured bikini, she headed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She observed her reflection in the mirror. Oh my god, I really need to go out more. Her skin looked like it needed a desperate tanning session. Her eyes suggested jet lag. Sighing, she stripped off her pyjamas, fingering the lace of her Victoria’s Secret.
‘I think you’re really beautiful.’
Ariel screamed, jumping up and hitting her hip on the edge of the counter, groaning as she doubled over. Zayn chuckled. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Do I look okay?’ Ariel gasped, wincing as she pressed her finger on her right hipbone. ‘You scared the turd out of me!’ she yelled, glaring up at Zayn.
‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured, a playful smile hinting at the corner of his lips.
‘Just for punishment - no kissing for the rest of the day.’
‘Aw, but baby I didn’t do anything wrong,’ he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
‘I think there’s a bruise, Zayn,’ she replied scathingly. He frowned and tugged the corner of her black lace underwear down to see a purple bruise smarting. His heart quickened, as he tenderly prodded at it. He was hypnotized by it, by her body. The way the curve of her stomach met with her hips, curving down to her upper thigh just before leading down to her knees and her calves. Her neck looked so slender, like a swan’s that he wanted to kiss it right now.
‘You’ll live,’ he said, gently stroking his finger on it.
‘Oh really, because you’re a doctor?’ she demanded.
‘I’ll be anything you want me to be.’ He said, diving in for a kiss that turned into something more than but a kiss.
‘Mmm… everythin’ smells so good!’ Micah gushed, closing her eyes in delight as she inhaled the sweet aroma of spaghetti bolognese that had just entered the room.
‘Thanks, since the maid’s off – I thought I’d cook.’ Ariel said, putting the glass bowl in the centre of the table so that everyone could help themselves. The clatter of forks, plates and glasses rang out across the enormous dining room. We all sat at the grand oak table, the lights off and the long, slender wax candles standing proudly in the vintage looking candelabras.
‘We don’t really have a choice, the power’s gone out because of the lightning storm outside, it’s a wonder how the trees haven’t fallen down yet. It’s a good thing no one went outside or else they wouldn’t be here.’ Zayn explained to a curious Louis.
I hoped no one could see I was flushing with embarrassment. My body went all hot and itchy, yet I was feeling cold and tired. My thin tank top and cardigan didn’t help at all as drops of water dripped down onto my ripped skinnies. My stomach rumbled hungrily, realizing that it hadn’t had food for almost a day. Sipping my glass of water, I picked up my fork and was about to twirl the noodles around it before…
‘Ow!’ Ariel cried out in pain, wincing as she sat down. All of us looked at her with worried expressions.
‘Are you all right?’ Zayn asked, setting his napkin down. He looked worried and guilty at the same time. Ariel wanly smiled at him, trying to hide her discomfort.
‘I’ll live,’ Ariel and Zayn sat at the opposite ends of the table, shooting each other awkward looks now and then.
The room was silent for the majority of the meal except the sound of occasional slurps of someone sucking up their noodles and the scratching of the forks against the plates. Wax was dripping down the sides of the candles, melting in the heat of the flickering fire that glinted off of the glasses on the tables and the mirrors hanging on the walls. The Persian rug on the floor felt nice and the high backed chairs supported my back. However the chandelier above was creaking ominously and the rumbling of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning scared me.
‘Pass the cheese, please,’ Niall said incoherently, his cheeks bulging with spaghetti that he looked similar to a hamster.
‘I don’t know whether to decide if your etiquette manners or your politeness makes you a gentlemen,’ Tita pondered, tilting her head to the right.
‘Trust me, Tita – you haven’t seen his room. He’s definitely not a gentleman, and he probably never will be if he never learns to control his farts around people,’ Liam replied, flinching away from the fork that was poking him in the arm.
‘Liam, you’re not exactly living with a civil person either,’ pointed out Stephanie, inclining her glass towards Micah, who was shoveling forkfuls of spaghetti in her mouth.
‘I haven’t had any food for a day, so excuse me if I’m starving!’ Micah snapped, gulping down her water.
‘I’m hot, can someone turn on the air conditioner?’ panted Maddi. She was sitting next to me yet I didn’t feel a thing.
‘Maybe it’s because I’m in the room,' Taylor teased, planting a kiss on her cheek as he got up to turn it on. Stifling a laugh, I picked up my fork and scooped up some spaghetti, piercing a meatball along the way. Just as I was about to place it in my awaiting mouth, I felt someone’s shoe brush up against my left shin. I exhaled noisily, trying to show how exasperated I was. I liked Harry, but sometimes he got on my nerves – just for the sheer amusement of it.
‘Do you mind? I’m trying to eat here!’ I hissed.
‘But I want you baby, right here… Right now,’ he whispered, rubbing his hand up and down my thigh.
‘You already did, an hour ago,’ I mentioned, slapping his hand in the process. Both of us knew he was just playing, that this devious act was all a joke – a joke that we enjoyed. He knew I found this funny, deep down inside, but there were some places that just didn’t require a flirt fest.
To some people, our relationship wasn’t exactly the ones you saw on the television between Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling’s in The Notebook. Several might say it was less of the idealistic lovey-dovey connection and more of the interesting and passionate spark, the kinds that start with a flirtatious look or a playful text, that kept me engrossed with Blair and Chuck’s relationship on Gossip Girl.
After a few more minutes, everyone was done with their food and collected their plates, one by one heading to the kitchen. Ariel and Zayn stayed behind after everyone had gone upstairs to get ready for bed.
‘How are you feeling?’ Zayn asked, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head.
‘Pretty good actually… I’m surprised I’m not worn out from that,’ she said, hugging him.
‘So what are you implying?’
‘It wouldn’t hurt to do it again,’ Ariel shrugged. Chuckling, he planted kisses on her neck, soon leading down to her shoulder. He brushed the strap of her dress away, looking at her eyes fixedly as she leaned up and pressed her lips on his.