Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - Printable Version
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Contemporary (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+--- Forum: Miscellaneous (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=87)
+--- Thread: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=698)
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Contemporary (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+--- Forum: Miscellaneous (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=87)
+--- Thread: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=698)
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 12-31-2017
Owen gazed sympathetically at her hands as her fingers twisted up together. He petted at her hair as she made somewhat shy demands for hot chocolate. His hand froze at the other thing she asked for.“A what? A cro - what?” His face screwed up as he tried to repeat whatever she had asked for. He hadn’t even heard the word before. His hand fell away from her hair and waved lazily around. “Is that some kind of ? Like dessert?”
She must have thought her questioning commentary about his imminent jail time was real clever because she made a cute little sassy smile at him. He pursed his lips at her.
“We both know you’d come visit me.” His voice was low as if asking her to lean into what he’d say next. But he leaned towards her instead putting his mouth right up to the shell of her ear. “Because we both know that I’m the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to you. And you’d be too damn curious to stay away from me. Even if I go to jail.”
He breathed the words at her as if they were some kind of sacred truth before moving away to gauge her reaction.
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 01-05-2018
“A cronut,” she repeated before she giggled. Obviously pleased that she had stumped him with her request. She used both of her hands to form a circle with her fingers, by connecting index and thumbs. “It’s a donut made with croissant dough.” Her hands fell apart and she brought one to tap thoughtfully against her bottom lip. “Or maybe it’s a croissant made with donut dough.” Her brow furrowed and for a moment she was quiet with solemn contemplation. “Either way! It’s buttery and flaky and covered in sticky glaze and it’s delicious. They sell them at that kitschy bakery downtown.” He had gotten close to her again while she was going on about the pastry, turning her face back to him put him very close again. She fell into the spell that his tone put on her, as if his words had been beckoning her closer. Julianna leaned into Owen, her eyes falling briefly to his mouth, following it out of her line of sight when he dipped his head and spoke directly against her ear.
Julianna was entirely mesmerized. She stared off into the space over his shoulder. Breath tickled and voice buzzed against her skin until she shivered involuntarily. She pulled away from him then and used her hands to rub away with goosebumps that had appeared on her arms. “You have a very high opinion of yourself,” she said in a monotone, turning her face away from him. “You don’t know anything about me, and you’re not that interesting.”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 01-07-2018
The sound of her giggling forced an involuntary smile out of him. “A cronut,” he repeated after her carefully like a student learning a new word for the first time. His face flattened out into the more smug expression he wore as she fumbled over the description of the thing she wanted. “Are you even sure this pastry exists? You sound a bit confused about it.”He let her scold him over his arrogant attitude before he pushed himself up from the couch. “You might be right.” He offered her his hand to help her up. “Or you might be in denial. You came right to me that morning I went into your bank like a house fly into a lamp. At any rate, I suppose we’ll see how this all turns out eventually. I’d like to think I was nice enough to you to earn just one visit from a pretty girl in prison.”
Even though they had built some sort of scaffolding resembling a friendly rapport with one another that didn’t mean that Owen had any reason to trust Julianna. She had tried to escape just last night. “Get ready to go.” He told her before wandering off in search of something.
When he found what he was looking for he stuffed it down into the pocket of his jeans. Owen dressed against the winter weather with layers. A sweater over his t-shirt and a wool coat over that. He found a scarf to drape around his neck which made him look somewhat professorial. He milled around his makeshift work station while he waited for Julianna to indicate she was ready to go.
"There's going to be a couple of ground rules." He warned her from across the room. "And you might not like them."
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 01-07-2018
Julianna took his hand and used it to pull herself away from the couch. She didn’t fight him about the existence of the dessert or whether or not she would visit him in prison. Her mood continued to fluctuate. Shifting between remembering she was actually being held against her will and pretending it was all some stupid dream. She went very quiet as she gently pulled her hand from him and let it drop to her side. “Maybe one visit,” she conceded, rolling her eyes upward to look at him. “I think you should be more concerned with not going to prison.” Her tone was no longer joking and she looked away from him again. The brief silence felt tense before he told her to get ready. He went in one direction and she went in another. Back towards the bathroom and that duffle bag he had shoved full of clothing for her. She knew she still had her coat, since she’d been wearing it when he’d taken her, so she hoped he had grabbed something suiting the weather. The shorts and flowery top she had thrown on earlier wouldn’t do her a damn bit of good outside of the warehouse, which was thankfully warm.
She ended up having to upturn the entire bag just to find an old pair of skinny jeans and a knitted sweater. Julianna figured she would have to complain to him about that at some point. After changing, she shoved everything back inside and walked back into the main area. “Rules?” She echoed him as she moved to the piles of dresses, still on the floor, and her coat. “What kind of rules?”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 01-09-2018
Owen ignored her commentary about his avoiding prison. He had a hard time believing that she truly cared whether he went to prison or not. In fact, he would bet on her being happy if he got caught. All his earlier talk about her supposed interest in him was talk. Owen looked up from his computer when he heard Julianna respond to him with a question. He closed his laptop slowly and walked over to meet her. Standing close in front of her, he shoved his hand down into his pocket before he pulled out a maroon colored silk scarf. That he had this feminine article didn’t phase him. He held it before her from his fingertips.
“Rule one. Blindfold to be worn from her until we get close to downtown. And then you have to wear it when we come back.”
He held up two fingers on his free hand. “Rule two. You have to hold onto my hand or my arm at all times after you get out of the vehicle.” He let his hand fall back to his side before adding. “These rules are non-negotiable but you may voice any and all complaints now.”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 01-14-2018
Julianna didn’t move away when he approached her. Her moment of apprehension having already drifted away like a summer storm. She didn’t look at him, however. Her gaze remained level with the hollow between his collar bones. She hummed. A noise that vibrated in her throat to indicate that she was listening. Her eyes dropped to the scarf he held. From his vantage point it likely looked as if she had closed her eyes completely. A fringe of dark lashes across her cheeks. She knew what the fabric was for before he explained it to her. She sighed sharply through her nose, and shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat.
Her stomach felt like it was in her throat. This outing suddenly didn’t seem like it was going to be fun. She swallowed thickly and scolded herself for being so optimistic. She was still a prisoner. Even if she had fucked the warden. “That’s fine.” She pushed the words past the lump in her throat. Non-negotiable, he had said, so why complain? Wouldn’t do anything but annoy him. Julianna cleared her throat and met his eyes for the first time, before shrugging her compliance.
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 01-22-2018
Owen didn’t know whether to feel guilty in the face of her acquiescence or whether to admire her resignation to cooperate with the demeaning request he made of her. It certainly wasn’t appropriate to notice the attractive flare of eye lashes as she gazed down at her hands. Or the way her cheekbones looked more prominent when she was looking down and he was standing over her. He didn’t say anything, just put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face the door. A bit of pressure from his hand indicated she should walk with him. When they reached the door he stopped her and began arranging the scarf with his hands to make a proper blindfold. “Just for a little bit.” He promised her as he settled the scarf over her eyes and wrapped it around the back of her head. He tied it tight enough so that he could be reasonably sure she couldn’t peak and even if she did she wouldn’t be able to see much.
The door gave that familiar squeaking when he pulled it open. Owen ushered Julianna out into the cold, leading her with his arm around her shoulders. “Step down.” He said not knowing whether she remembered from her escape attempt the one step that led from the warehouse doors onto the sidewalk. He led her to his car and helped her into the passenger’s seat.
Owen turned the radio on to the pop station so that Julianna wouldn’t feel any more disoriented and cut off than she had to be considering the blindfold. He took several unnecessary turns and even back tracked some just so she couldn’t make any kind of mental maps of where they were coming from. Once they got closer to the city center he spoke up. “Alright, you can take it off now.”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 01-30-2018
With Owen’s permission, Julianna removed the scarf less gently than it had been applied. She hadn’t pouted as she rode next to him, not bothering to decipher which ways they had gone, but there was a tenseness in her posture that advertised her displeasure. Her chin tilted upwards and the back of her head rested firmly against the seat. Her knees were locked together and her hands held one another in her lap. The sharp exhale through her nose was the first audible indication of her annoyance. Her hand, and the scarf, returned to her lap and she turned her face away from him to look out the window. Julianna surveyed the passing scenery. “Are we going downtown?” She didn’t sound hopeful when asked. Her tone was mostly bland. She didn’t expect him to honor her request for a fancy donut. Her head swiveled to watch him in profile as he drove. Her fingers tapped an impatient rhythm against her knee in time with the popular song that drifted from the speakers.
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 02-19-2018
Owen glanced at her while she pulled the scarf from her eyes. He nodded when she asked about his intended destination. “Yes. Do you still want to get a...thingy? Whatever that was called.” Consistent with his promise, Owen guided the car steadily closer to downtown. Traffic became heavier the closer they came to the city center. “I’ll keep my end of the deal, if you keep yours.” He meant his rules of engagement for the outing and figured she knew what he was referring to.
“Just remember this, when I’m in prison. How nice I was to you.” He harkened back to their earlier discussion of his probably imminent capture as he pulled into a parking garage and selected a spot. Owen got out of the car and waited for her to do the same. He held his hand out when she came to his side.
“So where to, ma’am?” He asked as he led her towards the stairs that would lead them back down to street level. It was almost like they were on some kind of date.
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 03-11-2018
“A cronut,” she corrected, but she no longer sounded happy about it. She rubbed the material of the scarf between his fingers and for a moment she found herself wondering where it had come from. It seemed a little feminine to be something of his. Had a girlfriend forgotten? Had he had girlfriends? Did terrorists fall in love? She cleared her throat and pushed the thoughts out of her mind, pressing her head against the back of the passenger seat. “I dont have much of a choice,” she muttered, suddenly petulant as she looked out the window again. She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it unless he happened to be looking at her reflection in the window, which she realized was an oddly specific circumstance.
“I’ll consider it,” she said with a sigh because she no longer found the prison joke funny. As they came to a stop she wondered if he intentionally chose a parking garage instead of somewhere on the street. Julianna now found herself wondering about too many things when it came to Owen. He got out and she followed suit, rounding to this side of the car immediately to show that she was willing to follow the rules.
She took his hand. It felt nice, but she tried not to think about that. “I think it’s just a couple blocks over. I wasn’t paying attention to where we are. The shop is on Edwards.”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 03-13-2018
It was easy enough to tell without having seen her little eye roll that Julianna was not particularly enthusiastic about their outing. Owen chose to ignore it. To let it go unaddressed. He felt she would cheer up when they were around other people, when she had her little pastry and a hot chocolate. Simple pleasures could go a long way in turning a mood around. “Edwards alright.” He was oriented to their whereabouts and pulled her in the direction of the street she named when they emerged onto the street from the garage.
“Your hand is freezing.” He complained with a squeeze of his hand around hers. Her hand felt small in his and her fingers were noticeably cold. He brought their hands up to his mouth and breathed into the cup their hands made to warm her fingers up.
He gave her an accusatorial look. “Are you one of those habitually cold people?”
Owen realized how he was treating her. How they must have looked to the other pedestrians who trickled past: like a couple. He told himself he was just trying to cheer her up. It was better to keep her in good spirits. She would be compliant and less likely to maybe betray him down the line when he left the country. That was increasingly looking like his only option.
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 03-25-2018
“I guess you should have packed me gloves,” she mumbled as he complained about her hands. She wasn’t sure if she could be heard of the sounds of the city around them, but that was fine. Julianna didn’t care if Owen heard her or not. Something about this outing was insofar, having the opposite effect of his intentions. She was moody and disinterested in the scene around them. It wasn’t just her hands that were cold. She never would have left her house in less than a woolly sweater and boots and thick socks had she had the choice but she just had her coat and jeans and a pair of flat shoes he’d probably grabbed from beside the door while kidnapping her. Julianna didn’t look at him as he tried to bring some warmth to her hands. It was a welcome reprieve from the frozen feeling, but she didn’t show any gratitude. “I’m small.” She complained, eyes locked to the ground, watching shoes and briefcases pass them by. She assumed this complaint was enough of an explanation. It usually worked for her in the past, even though there wasn’t any specific science being the correlation.
She, too, was aware of how the could have looked together. Her gaze flickered from the ground to his face and she gently pulled her hands away from the warmth of his mouth. She hoped the blush the rose to her cheeks could be explained by the cold. To show she was still behaving she held his hand again. “The shop is a few more blocks, and I love to be inside.”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 04-02-2018
Owen felt kind of like a slowly deflating balloon. He wasn’t sure why he kept on with the cheer-her-up bit. Maybe she would feel better if he outright treated her horribly. Maybe that would make more sense than whatever else they were doing. Faking being a couple for his godfather and holding hands in the city. What was he thinking? It was dumb to think they could make nice under the circumstances.
Even so, what was the color that came to her face? Was she blushing? Over him?
“None of that now.” He warned her with a sharp point of the index finger of his free hand. “Do not fall for me, Julianna.” He delivered his warning with a straight face but the inflection of his voice suggested it was a joke. It was funny because it would be stupid for her to fall for him. Sure, that’s how he meant it.
He tucked her hand neatly into his pocket and pulled her along the street at a quicker pace to get her inside all the sooner. When they found the little bakery, he opened the door and escorted her inside like a good boyfriend would do. The worker behind the counter greeted them warmly.
“Hi.” Owen replied before he pushed Julianna forward. “She wants...a ...thing? A crumpet? What was it?”
The worker frowned inquisitively before turning attention to Julianna. “Your boyfriend here has no idea what you want, does he?” She asked with a sitcom-esque twinkle in her eye.
Owen rolled his eyes. "Guilty as charged."
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - megs - 05-17-2018
Julianna frowned at him, focusing hard on the index finger he thrust in her direction to further emphasize his point. “I won’t,” she snapped back. Her tone was more matter of fact and seemed harsh when he had done so well of sounding like it was all in good fun. But her face still burned, and it didn’t help matters when he tucked her hand into his pocket and led her off and towards the bakery. Her hand remained snug and warm in his coat until they entered the bakery. She immediately pulled her hand out of his clothing, but to show she was still following the rules, she laced her fingers with his properly and held his hand as they approached the counter. Even when he pushed her forward she held onto him, which gave her the look of someone more timid. An introvert whose charming boyfriend had dragged her into a public space.
Julianna’s attitude changed almost immediately to the cafe waitress turning her attention to her. Suddenly, she was smiling. Bright and warm, and if not a bit too reminiscent of her customer service smile. She managed a cheerful laugh as her ‘boyfriend’ bantered with the friendly employee. “Do they ever?” she joked, with playfully exasperated tone. “I’d like a cronut, plain with cinnamon butter on the side, and a large hot chocolate.”
RE: Dangerous Attraction [Closed] - saronym - 05-22-2018
Owen gave Julianna a look of mock disgust at her commentary with the waitress. “Hey what I lack in brains I make up for in beauty.” He responded with a slow blink to the cashier. The woman laughed politely and turned to handle the order. “Make that two cronuts.” Owen tried the word out in his mouth suspiciously. “I’m curious.” He explained on the side to Julianna as if he had to justify partaking in a pastry with her.
He eyed her as he pulled his wallet from his pocket. The way she was with the waitress reminded him of the way she had approached him at the bank that first time. With a practiced smile. He wondered how much effort it took to force that smile and pretend to be having a normal date.
He was careless in taking money from his wallet, revealing more cash folded away there than he wanted Julianna to think he had. The whole night was careless, thoughtless, risky. He passed money to the cashier who presented them with pastries and the beverage they ordered.
“Do you want to walk or sit?” Owen asked as he waited for change.
“Have you seen the tree yet?” The well-meaning waitress asked as she banged shut the register. “The lights are amazing and there’s ice skating too.”
Owen looked at Julianna to take the lead in their farce. Had they seen the tree and lights and ice skaters yet? Did she still want to see all that with him under the circumstances?