Around This Life
Chapter Four
I was put-off by Mr. Barton?s attitude, and I wasn?t quite sure what to think of him. He seemed like a man who didn?t know his boundaries, or simply didn?t pay attention to them. But something about him seemed strange to me. Something was just?off.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew Mr. Barton wasn?t like the person he was portraying. What I couldn?t figure out was why he would present himself that way if he were really of a kind heart, and I avoided asking him.
For a while.
?Is there a particular reason why you wish to go to the video store?? Mr. Barton was asking me. We were in his car, driving around the city, while I pointed out all the highlights and historical buildings. I mentioned that we should go by the video store and he?d turned to me, eyeing me in that ?I can see all your secrets? way, but turned back to the road to and continued driving.
I used all my willpower to stop myself from fidgeting while we went. He was the driver, and I was the passenger. Being so close made me more uncomfortable than I had been since I?d met him. When he asked me why I wanted to go to the video store, I had the feeling that if I lied, he would know. So I told him a small bit of truth.
?I want to see if the video I?ve been waiting for is there.?
It was half true. I?d been waiting to see some of the new releases, but what I really wanted to see would, hopefully, already be there.
Duo.
I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought of him. My heart felt like it really was fluttering in my chest, and not in that clich?d movie way. My breath caught and my body tingled. I couldn?t wait to be near him.
And away from Mr. Barton.
?Which way?? he asked at a four-way stoplight.
I glanced up and said, ?Left,? and he proceeded to turn. I then went back to staring at my hands as I played with my fingernails, trying to keep myself busy while the car ride dragged on and on. Finally, we turned into the ?Movie Madness? parking lot and pulled into a shady spot. I was glad Mr. Barton had the common sense to park in the shade on a hot summer day.
It struck me that Duo didn?t.
When I grabbed for the handle of the door, it suddenly opened and Mr. Barton was extending his hand toward me. I hadn?t even noticed he?d gotten out of the car, and felt rude for taking my time. I thanked him for opening the door, but I ignored his hand. Instead, I pulled myself up out of the car on my own, showing him that I was still defiant when I wanted to be. I didn?t know why it was important that I show him that, but it was.
Anyway, it didn?t matter. As I looked at the double doors of the building in front of me, I knew only one thing.
Duo was in there.
I walked beside Mr. Barton through the double doors and led him to the ?drama? section. I got this strange feeling that Duo was nearby, and that he could see me. I looked around and saw him peek his head over the top of one of the rows of movie racks and wave a hand at me, winking. I smiled at him and he pointed to the left, where the adult film room was curtained off. He gave me another wink and dropped back down, and I turned to Mr. Barton and said I was going to check another section. He was reading the back of a movie box and nodded. I made a note of the fact that movies distracted him, in case I might need that information sometime. Then I turned and walked in the direction Duo had pointed.
Straight to the adult film section.
I swept the forest green curtain blocking the section from view aside with one arm and let it fall back behind me. As soon as it did, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist from behind and warm breath on my neck saying, ?That?s my favorite dress.?
I smiled and closed my eyes, leaning back into his embrace and murmuring, ?I know.?
I felt him smiling into my neck and turned around, wanting to see him. Our eyes met and I came instantly to life. I swear my heart only stopped and started for Duo.
?I love you, so much,? I whispered, running my fingers along the side of his face. He grabbed my wrist and turned his head into my palm, giving it a gentle kiss. His eyes came back up to meet with mine and I melted, utterly helpless to my feelings for him.
He tugged on my wrist and I took a step forward, resting my other hand against his chest as both his arms wrapped around me. He slowly brought his lips down to mine and I was completely lost to the feeling of contentment that filled me.
If I never left this room, left this moment, I would die happy.
I felt him start to chuckle and pulled myself away from our kiss. I looked up at him and asked, ?What?s so funny??
He gave me the broadest grin I?d ever seen and I was sure that what he had to say would be vulgar. ?I saw you out there, with Barton,? he said, ?The two of you looked like you fit together when he opened the door an? reached for your hand, but you straight up ignored him and wouldn?t let him help you. It made me think, ?God, that?s quite a woman,? and at the same time it made me think, ?God, that?s my woman.??
I blushed at the feeling of being completely and totally flattered. ?Why, Duo, that?s the nicest thing I?ve heard all day.?
He smiled brightly and hugged me to him, resting his chin on the crown of my head. ?No kidding? Gosh, you must be so gullible today. Say?is there any chance I can convince you to kick Barton in the nuts?? I swatted his chest and he chuckled. ?Hey, hey! Careful now, or we might end up in one of these movies,? I turned my head to see him holding up a film called, ?Dark Ploys and Fun Toys.?
I frowned and reached for the film. ?Duo, put that down. That is the last thing you need on your mind right now.?
He set it back on the shelf and said, ?I know, I?ve got you to think about.?
I looked up at him again and he looked away, glancing here and there in mock innocence. I laughed at him and pulled his head down for another kiss, offering my apology as I explained that I should get back. He groaned and gave me a pinch to the rear, causing me to gasp and blush furiously as I walked out from behind the curtain. I looked around for Mr. Barton and saw him still standing in the drama section, eyeing another film. I remembered that I?d said I?d come here for a movie and glanced about quickly for one I could tolerate. All the movies I wanted to see were in the drama section, and if I went over there to get one, Mr. Barton might question why I didn?t already have one.
Stupid, insufferable Mr. Barton.
I ignored my own criticism at childishly insulting him and grabbed an old horror film called ?Hannibal,? then headed over to where he was standing. I intended to wait until he was finished reading the back of the movie he was holding until I saw the title on the side.
?Pride and Prejudice.?
My head spun with all the analogies.
?Did you find what you were looking for?? he asked, without looking up.
I glared down at the movie and said, as calmly as I could, ?No, but this will do.?
He looked up at me and then down at the movie I was holding. His raised his eyebrow. ??Hannibal?? I didn?t know you liked such things.?
I ignored his comment. ?Do you find movies such as that interesting?? I asked, motioning towards the one in his hand.
He looked back at it and answered, ?No, but I thought you might.?
I bit down solidly on my tongue. That was one of my favorite movies.
He set it back on the rack and turned back to me. ?Shall we continue the tour now??
I glanced at my watch. ?It?s only three-thirty. What do you want to see before dinner??
?Whatever you think is important,? he said, walking by me toward the checkout counter. I was confused at his meaning but followed anyway.
As I walked, I felt a familiar pair of eyes on my back and smiled. I wanted to see him again. Tonight.
I reached around behind me, juggling the movie between my hands, and unclasped my watch. I listened to the jingle of the silver band collapsing onto itself when it hit the floor, and the jingle of it being picked up soon after.
Hurry and bring it back, I said in my mind.
* * *
We took a corner table, which unnerved me. After driving around for three hours, having little conversation other than the topic of our surroundings, I?d grown hungry and restless and in great need of an air-conditioned building. I didn?t like the idea of being alone with Mr. Barton, especially in the back of my favorite restaurant, but I kept quiet. I wondered if he knew this was my favorite place to eat, and if he did, how?
We?d placed our orders and were waiting for them to arrive. While I was looking around, admiring the lavish decorating and swaying candle flames, Mr. Barton stared at me. Stared. No talking. No questions. Just staring. I felt myself beginning to flush just from being gazed at so intensely, and I tried to focus on the setting around me.
The walls were a dark russet color, matching the ceiling and floor. The tables were round instead of square, and the cloths draped across them were white with beautiful designs sewn into them. In the dress I was wearing, I almost matched the design, except the roses on my dress were in color, and quite a bit larger.
I was idly running a small section of the cloth between my fingers when I heard Mr. Barton sigh. I looked up and noticed his eyes were closed, but a second later they opened and I felt a sort of jolt the moment our eyes met.
Again, they locked, and again, I couldn?t look away.
I was trying to focus my mind on other things and hopefully break eye contact with him when he said suddenly, ?I?m sorry, Relena, for my behavior towards you.?
?I was stunned.
I definitely didn?t see that coming.
He continued to stare at me, and when I made no remark, he went on, ?The things I said were merely observations, and I said them only so I could observe your reactions.? He stopped again. He was very calm and spoke very clearly. I didn?t know what to say, or what to think. He?d been observing me?
I didn?t know how that made me feel.
Suspicious, I had to ask, ?I wonder, Mr. Barton, if you are merely saying this to observe my reaction to it, and are really a liar??
His face didn?t change, his eyes still so calm. ?And what would I be lying about??
My throat chose to constrict at that moment, and I had to swallow before saying, ?That you?re sorry.?
He sat completely still, eyeing me like he?d done almost twenty-four hours before. Now that I knew he had developed a hobby of observing me, I schooled my face and hid what I was feeling.
Hopefully he hadn?t seen my feelings for Duo while he was observing me.
When the waiter approached and served us our orders, Mr. Barton said, ?You?re right. I?m not sorry.? He paused to whisper something to the waiter, but I didn?t hear. The waiter left and he continued, ?You?re a marvel to watch. I?m most definitely not sorry that I was able to see it, but I?m still not sure why you changed. Was it for your mother? Did she demand that you be more proper??
Keeping the feeling of utter nakedness out of my eyes was challenging enough, but now I had to find a way around his question. A part of my mind was saying, ?I?m being proper so I can get rid of you!? and the other side was saying, ?I was raised proper, I just stopped seeing the point in it.?
I picked the one that was least harmful to the situation. ?I was raised proper, Mr. Barton.?
?Trowa.?
I blinked. ?What was that??
?Trowa. My name. It?s Trowa.?
?I realize that, Mr. Barton-?
?Trowa.?
I searched his face, looking for some meaning behind all this. If he was the kind of person my mother approved of, then why would he have me call him by his first name?
And why did he want to ?observe? me?
?Mr. Barton,? I tried again, but was interrupted with another, ?Trowa.? I didn?t hide my confusion and he answered it with, ?I understand that you?re confused by my manners, but it seemed to me that you enjoyed the challenge I presented to you. You started off surprised and curious, but then you became defensive, calculating, as though you were threatened.?
The lettuce on my plate suddenly held all my interest. I stared at it and poked at it with my fork, wishing I could erase the truth in what he?d just said.
Enjoyed the challenge.
How the hell would he know that?
Even I didn?t know that?until he?d said it.
?What do you want?? I asked.
?To help you.?
My head shot up. ?Help me??
The look in his eyes instantly threw me off guard. ?Yes. I told you I admired your spirit, and now I want to see more of it.?
Completely absorbed by his words, I forgot the situation between us and focused on the truth he?d now convinced me he knew. I wanted that knowledge, those secrets about me that he?d seen with a glance. Was that why he stared at me? Was he studying my secrets?
Why did he want to know? ?Why do you want to see more of me, Mr. Trowa? Why do you want to know me??
At my question he looked almost amused. ?I would be a fool to not take the opportunity of knowing you. And I told you, my name is Trowa. Not ?Mr. Trowa.??
I felt myself starting to blush again. Why did I feel so embarrassed? Damn him and his ?knowing? me.
?Well, Trowa,? I said, emphasizing his name, ?If you wish to know me, it would be wise not to criticize me for my decisions anymore.?
The amusement didn?t leave his eyes. ?So you admit that you made a decision to change??
My jaw dropped. I could not believe this man! Didn?t he ever give up?
He must have sensed my irritation because he stopped just before taking a drink of his wine. He glanced at me and the first thing I noticed was that his eyes (well, his one visible eye,) had gone back to looking temperate and serene. Briefly, very, very briefly, I wondered what it would be like to lose myself in eyes like that. But only briefly.
?Do you take some sort of pleasure from all this?? I asked him, practically forcing out every word. Irritation had made me almost unwilling to be civil.
He took a sip of wine and stared at the glass, turning it slowly in his hand. ?Not ?some sort? of pleasure. I find your company and mannerisms to be the light of my day so far, even though you are a mystery to me.?
I scoffed at him. ?A mystery to you? I don?t remember staring at you through the entire course of the evening.?
He glanced over at me, then back at the glass in his hand. ?You never voiced any discomfort.?
?I-? I stopped. There wasn?t a comeback for that. He was right. Damn it. Damn him.
?Aren?t you going to eat?? he asked.
I stared down at my plate. It was completely full, save for one ripped up piece of lettuce.
?No,? I murmured, ?I?m not hungry.?
I could feel his eyes on me again. ?You should probably eat anyway, if for no other reason than to avoid your mother tonight.?
I nodded. It made sense. Besides, I had other things planned for the evening ahead.
Hopefully, he would arrive at the time I?d set on my watch.
\\\\\You're all lucky that I'm in such a good mood, or this would be filled with angst. Filled. And boy am I tempted...
/////
I'm just happy to see another part to this fic, hope to see more soon.
Patiently waiting for more.
)