|
 NIGHT
VIEW,
2004,
by Sandy Chandler Shelton
inspired the
following vignette:
FIREWORKS
Olivia K. Goode
The
final sparks died in the warm night sky and Catherine leaned her head
further back against Vincent’s chest. She sighed as she watched the
ethereal haze dissipate in the languid currents of moist air over the park
beneath them. His arm tightened around her torso, a squeeze that she knew
was meant to tell her that he was feeling as content as she.
"That was wonderful, Vincent. I’ve never enjoyed the Fourth of July so
much."
"I haven’t watched very many pyrotechnic shows from ground level," his
voice rasped soft and sweet in her ear, "but I’ve always found looking up
at them to be a poor point of view. So much more pleasant to sit up here
like this and look them eye to eye, as it were."
Under the guise of holding on to him - for safety’s sake only, of course -
she toyed with the fur on the back of his hand. Rarely did she have such
an excuse to indulge in this kind of delightful intimacy.
"I’ll forever be a convert to the bird’s eye school of firework watching,"
she said as she turned her head over her shoulder so she could look him in
the eye.
A sudden stiff breeze rustled across them, blowing his hair so it whirled
and danced, its tendrils caressing her face. Catherine heard the sound of
a glass shattering and instinctively tried to turn in the direction of the
noise, even though of course she could see nothing of the roof from their
current position.
"I believe one of your champagne flutes was just knocked over and broke,"
Vincent whispered.
"Well, we’ll just have to share the other one, then, when we go back to
finish our picnic."
"I don’t believe there was very much left in the bottle anyway, Catherine."
"I’m so glad you liked it."
"I’ve never dreamed of a nighttime rooftop picnic before, Catherine. It
was the best holiday surprise you could have devised. Thank you, again."
"Thank you for suggesting this vista for watching the fireworks."
Her face was so close to his, his arms so tight around her. She couldn’t
help but gaze down at his mouth, the full bottom lip that moved so
enticingly as he spoke. His lips were still perfumed with the scent of the
fresh strawberries and cream. How she’d loved watching him eat them, one
after the other, licking her own lips as she watched him savor each bite.
His concentration was now focused on her mouth, she noticed, and she began
to wonder what path his thoughts were following.
She saw him reaching toward her cheek, felt a spark as his fingers
caressed her skin, watched his lips draw closer to hers...
And that’s
when the fireworks started.
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