*Romance* Chapter 8~ Tasting the World. Thanks for the feedback, girls! -- Fictional Getdown

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Date Posted: 03:47:29 06/11/03 Wed
Author: Kira
Subject:

*Romance* Chapter 8~ Tasting the World. Thanks for the feedback, girls!

This is one of my favorite chapters. :)

Chapter 8~Tasting The World

He watched her sleep, almost longingly.

Deep breaths and splayed fingers; short legs and long arms. Her hair was still coiled and curled, perfectly coifed, rose intact. Gavrielle snored- a small nasally squeaky coming reverberated though parted lips. He smiled, clutching at the delicate fabric of her dress and smoothing it out, pulling it down over her legs, fingertips tracing over her brilliantly brown skin. Gavrielle didn�t move. She was lost in sleep.

More than anything, he wanted to climb in bed with her, share dreams and colorful things, but his mind was tittering, charged with the excitement of the night, the feel of the crowd. It was his drug, his addiction. His hands were cold, tingling bluely at the palms. He covered Gavrielle with a blanket, pressing a kiss to her cheek, then to the corner of her mouth, tasting her lips before swiping the strap of his bag and venturing onto the balcony.
The chilly air was sobering and he breathed it in, hoping to harness the boisterous thoughts in his mind. The three am sky was a rich navy blue with swirls of inky purple. The winds had turned warm and the heavy clouds that shrouded the day in darkness and rain had cleared, a sky overflowing with stars like the thoughts running through Justin�s mind. He uncapped his pen, sliding on his headphones and his world was surrounded by music, he turned up the volume, drowning out the sounds of his hands retrieving his leather bound notebook from his bag, the pen scratching against hearty paper.

The night had been one of daunting freedom. He�d stepped out from under the NSYNC banner and onto a platform of his own talent and music for the first time in his life. Justin had dreamt of this moment: how it would feel and taste on his tongue. He�d never envisioned its sweetness, the purity of his drug, the unadulterated satisfaction that would come when the beats were done and the lights were hot and the only thing that registered was the wall of sound�screams of gratitude and appreciation.

His hand worked hastily, hoping to capture every breath of the day and he leaned back against the cold brick of the hotel, pulling his legs up to balance his notebook. Justin glanced up from the book and pensively chewed on the end of his pen, gazing out in to the urban void. His chest heaved, drawing in the crisp air that reeked of summer and dripped of the impending future. He licked his lips at the taste, anticipation furling in his gut and smiled softly.

He couldn�t wait.

**

Gavrielle stirred, pressing her face into the soft blanket. Her eyes opened sluggishly and she rubbed at her face, swiping away the last embers of slumber. She surveyed the room, not quite remembering when she was dropped into such a luxurious suite with tall maroon doors and soft mauve drapes, golden doorknobs and antiquated moldings lining the glazed walls. She sat up, wincing at the tightness in the soles of her feet and suddenly she remembered. Stumbling home with Justin, feet sore, but mind so light, she didn�t need to walk. They�d spent the night laughing and drinking and dancing. Taking goofy pictures and stuffing their bellies.

She rubbed the stiffness out of her neck, looking around the suite for Justin. She noticed a leg clad plaid pajama pants stretched out on through the glass panes of the balcony doors. Untangling herself from the skirts of her dress, she climbed off the bed, her bare feet sinking in the plush eggshell carpet and padded out to the balcony. It was twilight, barely five am and she stared at the sky painted a milky lavender, with wisps of clouds fluttering across the sky like gray butterflies.

Justin was sitting up. Long, powerful legs stretched comfortably out in front of him. His eyes were closed, shockingly straight eyelashes jumbled within each other. His thin red lips were open, slowly exhaling. His hands, with ivory fingers and trimmed nails, were slack at his sides, relaxed and tensionless. Gavrielle knelt down beside him, wondering if he was asleep. His face was the picture of tranquility, silky features free of any stress.

Justin�s face was a creation, lineless and smooth, skin young and glowing. She brushed her fingers against his face, unable to stop herself, needing to indulge in his the rose-pedal softness of his alabaster cheeks. She smiled when he didn�t move. Scooting closer.

Her eyes beheld him, pouring over every freckle and follicle. Her fingers played with his ears. Rounding the curves, fingering the diamonds. She wondered how she found him. How she went from alone and dreaming about love to swellingly alive and on the brink of something passionate. Her hand glided down, over his neck and over the collar of his shirt and halted at the pounding she felt near his heart. Her hand rested there, over the life pulsating through him.

He was awake.

Gavrielle leaned forward, tracing her lips delicately over his, tongue flicking at his teeth. Her eyes closed as she sealed their lips together and slowly pulled away. Justin�s eyes were opened, shocking sapphire gleaming back at her. �Tease.�

�Faker,� she countered sharply.

�You caught me,� Justin raised his hands in surrender. �What were you doing?�

Gavrielle looked away, gazing out into the city. �Nothing.�

�Then I like nothing.�

�What were you doing?� she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

�Meditating. I was too wound up. Still am,� he adjusted, slouching down, wrapping his arms around Gavrielle�s bare arms.

�I felt it,� she snuggled against him.

�You woke up, huh?�

�Yeah. I still got the beats of Diddy�s party in my head,� she smiled. �You�re warm.�

�It�s cold out here. You have fun tonight?�

Gavrielle scoffed. �I don�t think �fun� is the right word. I had the time of my life, Justin. I like your world.�

Justin laughed. �My world?� he questioned.

She nodded against him. �Yeah, you have this life that most people don�t have and for some unknown reason you share it with me. Thank you. For tonight and California. My life back there, isn�t like this.�

Justin�s lips pressed into her hair. �What�s you world like?� he whispered.

Gavrielle thought her eyes. �Not like this. It�s just�there. I guess. I have a hard time adjusting when I come back from seeing you. It�s like, duller or something.�

�My world isn�t all you think it is, Gavrielle. You�ve only seen the fun parts- you haven�t seen the ugly parts. Hell, you haven�t seen me on two hours sleep, pissy after spending 10 minutes scrubbing make up off my face. Or me after grinning my ass off at the photographers perched outside my front gates every damn day. You haven�t seen my wonderful self after another ridiculous rumor pops up and I can�t say one damn thing about it.�

�I haven�t yet, no,� Gavrielle admitted.

Justin smiled. �Yet? You want to?�

�Of course, Justin.�

There was a buzz out near the entrance of the suite and Justin rose. �Hold that thought.�

Justin soon returned with the blanket from the bed, tossed over his shoulder and a silver platter of food. Balancing the tray on one hand, he dropped the blanket in her lap, and carefully set the tray down on the ceramic tile of the balcony in between them. Gavrielle was surprised. Justin�s six am breakfast consisted of croissants and Nutella, a fresh fruit platter with whipped cream and chai.

Gavrielle gasped. �Justin? There�s fat in this��

Justin winked at her. �Yup.�

�It�s fatty, Justin, I�ve never seen you eat anything fatty.�

�I earned it. Dig in, baby.�

Gavrielle bundled herself in the blanket and took a half of croissant slathered in the French delicacy that was Nutella. She nibbled on it and groaned at the sinful mix of chocolate and peanutbutter. �So good.�

Justin chewed voraciously and nodded. �Hell yeah.�

He grew quiet, folding his lanky body onto his knees, sitting on them, his back straight. His gaze was locked on his breakfast, red tongue flicking to the corner of his mouth, catching a glob of nutella. �You know�that I um, I just got out of a relationship, right?�

Gavrielle froze in mid-swallow, the hair on her arms standing chillingly erect. �Um�yeah, I knew that.�

Justin seemed naked, vulnerable behind his electric bravado and gleaming eyes. �Yeah�you..um��

�I�ll kill her if I see her, Justin.�

�Really?�

�Scratch her eyes out and shit.�

Justin relaxed and bit into his croissant. �She�s got some pounds on you girl.�

Gavrielle wiped her mouth. �I can take her.�

�Oh you can?�

�I got a mean left hook.� Justin chuckled dryly. But Gavrielle�s humor faded, replaced with gentle understanding. �Are you�I know you�re not in that place, Justin. Neither am I. We don�t have to�move into anything or define anything now.�

�Are you sure? I�m just a little��

�Anti-women.�

�I�m anti-heifers. I�m not anti-you.�

Gavrielle�s heart fluttered. �Cute.�

�I thought so.� Justin winked. �I do want to see you again though. I don�t know how that is gonna be since school starts soon.�

�School is school. I�ll figure something out.� Gavrielle speared a piece of pineapple with her fork, licking at the sweet citrus. She felt Justin staring at her and she looked up, plucking the pineapple off her fork. �What?�

�You were telling me about your life.�

�I was?�

�Yeah�keep going.�

Gavrielle frowned. �I wasn�t talking about my life, Justin.�

�When you gave me back my watch�you were leaving New York?�

�In June? Yes. I was leaving, going back home.�

�Why were you there?� Justin posed, plucking several black grapes from the bunch, popping one in his mouth.

Gavrielle shuttered, closing her eyes and gazing out into the dully-lit morning. �I just�I get itchy sometimes. Itchy in my own skin and I didn�t know what to do. I was taking some summer class and working and I just got tired of doing that everyday,� Gavrielle bent her knee against her body, scratching at the fabric of her dress, studying it as she spoke.
�Putting away as much money as I could, which was nothing�I just needed to live a little. Marta was studying in Spain for the summer. So I decided to come to New York. I�ve always wanted to come here and I never got the chance. I came for a long weekend. Hoping and praying something miraculous would happen and I could stay here.�

�Did it?�

Gavrielle turned her head out into the city again, calmed by the swirling with pinks and purples. �Yeah�I think so.�

Justin scooted next to her and Gavrielle wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and they sat, huddled together, watching the sun ascend to the heavens.

**

Gavrielle pushed the rectangular plastic key into the lock of her hotel room, but the door whipped open and Darren backed out of the room, putting his black beanie over his head. Gavrielle stumbled backwards, startled by his presence. �Um�Da-Darren, hi.�

�Hey, Gavrielle. Um, I was just�yeah, I�m late for work.�

�Yeah�of course. Thanks again for the tickets. I�ll call you,� she called to the retreating figure, nervously pushing the down button on the elevator.

Gavrielle pushed through the open door and into their small hotel room. She sat down her bed, unmade by the window and ran her fingers through her hair, wavy from the night before. She was still wearing the dress from last night, although she�d taken her shoes off as soon as she stepped in the lobby. Her feet were blistered and sore. She waited, her legs curled up against her, for Marta to emerge from the bathroom.

She eyed the other bed, sheets messy, comforter tossed to the floor and shook her head, flopping back on the bed, curling up on her side. She dozed, slipping sublimely in and out of dreams, soothing by the splashing water echoing from the small bathroom.

Gavrielle woke up to Marta�s hands on her shoulder, shaking her gently. �Hey, sleepyhead.�

She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. �Hey yourself.�

�You�re just getting in?� Marta asked, her wet hair dripping onto the towel tautly wrapped around her body.

�Yes. JC told me that you left, so I stayed with Justin. We didn�t get in til like threeish anyway.�

�Damn. Since when are you a party girl?� Marta asked, combing out her hair in the full-length mirror on the back of the closet door.

Gavrielle yawned yet again and wiped her watering eyes. �I�m not��

�You look like you had fun. The dress is gorgeous.�

�Thank you��

�So�um, can I ask you something? It�s kind of important.�

Gavrielle turned over, facing Marta, tucking her hands under her chin. �You don�t have to ask if you can ask me something, Marta.�

�I know, but�um, I was just�um, wondering if like, we could stay here a few more days. I mean I know you don�t start work or school until Tuesday. So, maybe�like, we could stay until Sunday afternoon or something?�

�Marta, it�s fine with me. Justin will be here for a few more days, so it�s more than fine. I wasn�t too excited about leaving tonight anyway,� Gavrielle licked her lips and scratched her chin. �This wouldn�t have anything to do with Darren, now would it?� she questioned, raising her eyebrows. Her eyes dancing from Marta to the disheveled bed.

Marta rolled her eyes and finished combing out her hair. �I�m not answering that.�

�Um, we ran into each other when he was leaving, Marta. You can�t get around it. Especially now that you want to stay,� she sat up, rubbing the back of her neck. �When you were all grumpy about being here in the first place.�

�He called me and wanted to talk. Well, um, we were�never good at the talkin� thing.�

�Y�all were better at the arguing thing and the making up thing. Are you guys back together?� Gavrielle asked hesitantly.

�I don�t know. I�m not ready to think about anything. I just want to ride this out, ya know?�

�Okay, then I�ll ignore the condom wrappers in the garbage,� Gavrielle replied devilishly.

�What?�

�Trojans, ribbed for her pleasure?� Gavrielle peered in the trashcan.

�Oh my God. Stop that. You�re so, like��

�I�m the sex slooth.�

�That�s only because you�ve never had any.�

Gavrielle rolled her eyes. �I�m not in a hurry,� she muttered, standing up, rifling through her sloppily packed bag.

�From how I saw you eyeing Justin yesterday, you�re in a big ole hurry.� Gavrielle�s face flushed with heat and she rubbed her forehead. �I�ve never seen you not breathe over a man before. You were just standing there watching him and not breathing at all. I had to slap you a few times, girl.�

�Oh shut up. You didn�t SLAP me, Marta.�

�I did too,� Marta paused from applying her foundation and unzipped the small pocket of her large make-up bag. She tossed a few condoms at Gavrielle. �Just in case, sweetie.�

**

The rest of the trip passed in an instant of stolen moments and late night conversations. Marta had spent a lot of time with Darren, going out to movies and going bowling and being simply adorable. She was elated for Marta, overjoyed to see her best friend so happy again. Her eyes glimmered with a lovesick sparkle that Gavrielle hadn�t seen since Darren left Chicago.

Gavrielle trotted up the stairs of the small studio in Times Square where Justin was recording with Timbaland. She walked into the lobby and leaned against the counter, where the secretary was filing her nails. �May I help you?� the busty blonde questioned dully.

Gavrielle ran her fingers through her wavy hair, frizzed from the humidity. �Yes, I�m here to see Justin Timberlake. He�s expecting me.�

The receptionist�s head shot up and she scowled, flipping through the large bound desk planner. She dialed the number on the speakerphone, carefully pressing the buttons with her precious nails. �Sup?�

�There�s a��

�Gavrielle Simone��

�Gabrielle Simone here to see Mr. Timberlake.�

�Ga-Vrielle,� she corrected with a glare. �V as in Victor.�

There was a long pause and muffled voices over the line. �Sure thang, send up her, we�re in studio G.�

�Take elevator B to the fourth floor, make a right, left, left then right. Have a nice day�� Gavrielle rolled her eyes at the monotone directions and ascended to the fourth floor.

She navigated the labyrinth of confusing corridors all brightly colored and decorated with outlandish art. She turned left and walked past a window, she saw a stocky man leaning back in a leather chair, hands clasped over his round paunch. Gavrielle recognized him immediately and stood in front of the window, not knowing whether to just enter or wait. She knew Justin was recording and didn�t want to mess anything up. Timbaland noticed her standing by the window and jerked his head sluggishly to the direction of the door. Gavrielle took that as a sign to come inside. Peeking her head through the door, she closed it softly behind her, smiling as she saw Justin sitting on the stool in a glass encased room, headphones over his ears.

�Hi, Timbaland.�

�Hey, Ms. Thang�� his voice was gruff but calm. He leaned over the sea of buttons and tiny levers and pushed one, leaning into the speaker. �Michael, yo woman� here�get yo ass outta there��

Justin hung the thick headphones on the music stand and jogged out of the booth. He looked comfortable in a pair of white mesh basketball shorts and hooded sweatshirt. A cap was thrown over his curls, brim facing the back. �Hey gorgeous.�

�Hey beautiful,� Gavrielle countered with a smile. �He called you Michael?�

Justin rolled his eyes and nodded. �My lovely new nickname apparently.�

Timbaland laughed from behind him. His hands were clasped behind his head. His laugh was like frozen molasses, slow and unbearably thick. �Yeah, yeah, you, Michael��

�If you weren�t a genius, I�d whoop yo ass, man. What�s with him?� Justin feigned anger, but a smile tugged at his lips.

�Yeah, well...�

�What? You got something to say to me, woman?� Justin puffed out his chest.

Gavrielle coughed and averted her eyes. �The hat was�um, kinda pushin� it, Justin.�

�Oh come on now, not you too?� Justin groaned.

�It looked sexy on you though.�

�Shut up,� Justin waved her off and checked the clock on the wall. �You leaving?�

She nodded. �Yeah. I need to leave, like an hour ago to get back to have enough time to get ready for school.�

Justin pouted, and leaned his hip against the counter next to the door. �You could stay tonight and I�d fly you home,� he negotiated.

�Justin�� Gavrielle whined, sliding between his legs. �Marta�s car is here and I can�t let her drive back alone.�

�But but��

�But but nothing. I gotta go,� she leaned her head against his chest. �You�re always so warm,� she made herself comfortable against him.

�You�re always freezing,� Justin wrapped her up in his arms, running his large hands up and down her back.

�Kiss me goodbye,� she tipped her head upwards, staring into his silvery blue eyes.

�No,� Justin rolled his lips into his mouth.

�Fine. I gotta go,� she pulled out of his arms and headed over to Timbaland to pick up her backpack. �Bye. Timbaland.�

�See ya, hun,� he smiled sluggishly as she hugged him loosely.

Justin stood in front of the door, frowning adorably. �I don� think so.�

�Justin��

�I know, I know,� he conceded. He leaned down, pressing a series of kisses along her forehead and eyes, across her nose and then settled on her mouth, licking slowly at her satiny lips.

Timbaland cleared his throat and coughed in his hand.

Gavrielle sealed their goodbye with one final peck and embraced him tightly. �I�ll see you soon.�

�Yeah,� Justin swallowed. �Call me when you get you�re done with classes or whatever.�

�Sure,� Gavrielle backed away reluctantly, already missing Justin�s warmth.

Her body felt cold and almost wrong as she waved at them both and crossed the threshold closing the door behind him.

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