LOVING A MANNEQUIN

Chapter 23: Dirty Dream

*BARBIE HEAVENWARD*

Melanie acted like a strict mother to us. Her gaze was interrogative as she sat us together on a couch. She also occupied the opposite couch, not even blinking her eyes and crossed legs. She also crossed her arms over chest. "Say it. What is the relationship of the two of you?"

-"A friend!" I and Angelo replied in unison. After they glanced at each other and smiled. 

"Just a friend?" Melanie curved her brow. 

"Yes." I shyly answered.

Melanie moved forward and stared at me intently. "Barbie, you are lying."

"I am not. I am telling the truth. We are just normal friends."

"Look at yourself in the mirror." Melanie held my chin and scanned my face. "This glow in your eyes and this sweet smile on your lips, telling me something is up. The first time I met you, I had never seen one of these." Melanie sat back on the couch. "Barbie, no one else here understands you so well. You can refute it by your mouth but you can't hide it with your eyes."

I went on my feet and sat next to her. I whispered to her ear, "Melanie, can you not make me embarrassed in front of him. Please."

I took a sideways glance at Angelo, I wasn't sure but I seemed I saw him smile. 

Melanie tapped my hands. "I am not making you embarrassed. I am afraid, someone may take advantage of you."

"It's not that. He is not that kind of person. He is a good man."

"Good man? Is staying at home with a girl alone a good man does?" 

I looked at Angelo to see his reactions but he seemed unaffected. He was still calm. 

"You really misunderstood him. I sprained my ankle so he offered to walk me home. It's only because of the rain so he can't go back yet. Look at him, I tore his clothes. You tell me, how is he going to leave like that?" 

"Don't worry Miss Smith, I had no ill intentions for Barbie. The relationship between us is pure friendship." Angelo interjected. 

Melanie pouted. "Hope so." Melanie braced her elbow on her lap and rested her chin on her palm, suddenly her investigative eyes transferred to Angelo. She tilted her head, "Mr. - - what is your name?" 

"Angelo."

"Your name is Angelo too? What a coincidence. How about your surname?" Melanie asked. 

"My surname is something not special. Just forget about it." Angelo smiled. 

"Your answer only made me feel suspicious of you. Anyway, did we meet before? You seem familiar to me."

"Nope. This is the first time."

"How about Barbie? How long did you know each other?"

"This--" Angelo looked at me. He was hesitant to say. 

"A week ago." I answered on behalf of him. 

"Two Weeks ago." Angelo said. 

"Who from the two of you is telling the truth? When is it really? A week ago or two weeks ago?" Melanie said.

"Maybe- perhaps, Ah Melanie. I forgot when exactly it was. Right, maybe it was two weeks ago. Just like what Angelo said. You know it, my memory is bad. I easily forget things." I interjected. 

"Alright." Melanie stood up. "I will go to my room. I want to rest. I am worn out these past days. I need to replenish my strength."

***************

2AM in the morning, I woke up from my sound slumber as I felt that someone was sitting next to my bed and fondling my face. 

When I opened my eyes, I saw Angelo affectionately staring at me, to be precise, watching me sleep. 

"Barbie, I like you. Be my girlfriend, okay?" He said right as he opened his mouth. 

My body tensed up as Angelo gradually bent forward and drew his face on me. Due to too much excitement, I was unable to hear anything except the thumping of my heart. It was too loud, like the sound of a drum. 

I clenched my hands on the blanket as I closed my eyes and  waited for his warm lips to touch mine. After five minutes of waiting, I wondered why we still hadn't kissed. I thought he got shy or probably wanted me to initiate the kiss so I moved forward instead, forward and forward. 

But I still couldn't reach his lips. 

He laughed. "Barbie, come and kiss me."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He no longer sat on my bed but instead stood next to it. He was grinning beautifully with his palm extending at me, asking me to reach it and move closer to him.

"Come and kiss me." He repeated and then he slouched as he pouted his lips on me. 

Staring at his sexy, moist and naturally glossy pink lips, I couldn't help but lick my own lips and gulp. My throat was starting to dry due with the effect of intense desire to own his lips.

Hence, I propped my palm on the bed and slowly raised my upper body to reach his lips. As I was only an inch away from his face, I forgot that I was at the edge of the bed, my hand slipped and I fell down head first, creating a loud thud.

Only by that moment I realised, it was just a dream. 

I picked myself up and quickly ran towards the window and leaned my forehead on it, hoping that the fume of the windowpane brought by the cold rain could lessen the sultriness I felt. 

I covered my palms on my face and giggled. "This is embarrassing. How could I dream such a dirty dream. God."

Even if I was embarrassed by the dream, I couldn't stop to feel thrilled, because there's so many possible things to dream about why him? And it was a bit obscene.

I jumped and screeched when suddenly a sharp lightning along with a thunder drew and assailed close to my window. Not only that, all the lights in the house also suddenly turned off. 

I couldn't stop screaming as I ran towards the outside of my room without thinking that I might hurt myself if I would hit myself to the wall, tripped my legs to the object inside or might fall from the stairways.

I didn't know why I first thought to go in the living room instead of Melanie's room. Presumably, that was what my consciousness wanted since I was aware that Angelo was in there. 

"Angelo! Angelo!" I already started to cry, taking long steps at the stairways. 

The lightning and thunder occurred in the sky again, making me twitch and cover my ears. 

In a hurry and thinking that I was already on the first floor, I jumped only to find out there were still a few risers. I shrieked even more as I realised I jumped on an invisible floor. 

"Angelo!" I was about to stumble on the riser when suddenly when I was on the midway of falling, a sturdy powerful warm body caught my body with our lips kissed at each other. 

I glued pinning on top of him and was feeling drunk from the happy sensation brought by the surprise kiss.

We stayed in the same position for quite a long time because we both seemed to be frozen by the second accidental kiss. Even our breathing and our hearts beat fast in rhythm and synchronise to each other. 

The lights suddenly turned on again. Both of us raised our hands to shade our faces from the bright light. 

"You are doing that again?" Melanie yelled from the stairways with her eyes popping big and wide. "Don't tell me that is an accident again?" 

I and Angelo quickly got up. 

I ran up and hugged Melanie, "Melanie, I am so scared."

Melanie shook her arms gently, "Afraid? How could you be afraid while kissing a man?"

"Melanie, whether you believe it or not, it was really an accident. If Angelo didn't appear, I may already be disfigured now." I softly cried. 

Melanie sighed as she turned and hugged me, "Alright. I believe you."