by Raven Starr
Her Smile
By
Raven Starr
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Her Smile by Raven Starr
Red Rose Publishing
Copyright© 2007 Raven Starr
ISBN: 978-1-60435-047-0
ISBN: 1-60435-047-4
Cover Artist: Rene Lyons
Editor: Terri M
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you can not trade, sell or give any ebooks away.
Red Rose Publishing
www.redrosepublishing.com
Forestport, NY 13338
Her Smile
By
Raven Starr
Dedication:
To all the people who dared to stop dreaming.
Don't ever stop believing in yourself.
Believe in love and believe you, just believe.
Without it we all stumble and fall.
I dedicate this book to my favorite supervisor, Reggie L.
Thank you for always believing me.
I want to Thank, Cheyenne, Jordan and AJ, my kids, for always believing in me and pushing me forward. Thanks guys! Love ya all
Raven Starr
Chapter One
Mark sat at the bar holding his shot glass tightly, afraid the barmaid might rip it from his grip. I can’t believe the damn bar is closing he thought, glancing up at the TV over the bar. Crossing Jordan was on. Mark scanned the empty hotel lounge, and wondered again, what the hell he was doing with his life. Here he was, thirty-five year old man, away from home in a strange city with a closing bar, regretting his choices. He especially regretted the quality of this hotel.
“Damn bar,” he muttered.
Deep inside, he knew it wasn’t the closing bar, or the quality of the hotel that truly disturbed him. It was what awaited him tomorrow night, his so-called girlfriend, Eve.
Mark shook his head and sipped his Patron. He dreaded going back home to her, to her infernal questions of where he’d been, and what or presumably who he was doing now. The constant raving about the time he arrived home and why he wasn’t loaded down with presents for her. All of her endless questions that he had no conceivable answer too. Then he would just dig into his wallet for yet another credit card for her to max out. Ungrateful bitch.
Mark put his head down and tried to focus on his main purpose at the moment, and that was getting falling down drunk. After his blistering forty-five minute set, he deserved a damned cold drink. Well maybe more than one.
“Oh man,” came an angelic voice from behind. Mark slowly raised his head, intrigued by the soft voice.
“Guess no drinks for me then, huh?”
Nonchalantly, he lifted his eyes, and in that moment, came face to face with the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Though he sat hunched over his drink, the beautiful stranger only came to his shoulders.
“Sorry,” mumbled the tired barmaid as she hastened her cleaning duties before more people showed up wanting a drink.
“It’s okay. Not your fault, right?”
The barmaid gave a weak smile and walked to the far end of the bar. “Sorry, the boss said we have to close early today. Something about changing the theme, but I told him it’s a bar in a crummy hotel why care.” The barmaid shrugged her shoulders and mumbled something else Mark couldn’t hear, nor did he want too.
“Oh well,” stated the beauty as she turned to leave Mark got a sudden urge to speak.
“No wait,” he swiveled around on the stool exposing his identity.
“Hey gorgeous,” she said and flashed him a perfect smile. At that moment, he felt all his pain and anguish diminish.
Mark returned her smile and gestured to the empty seat next to him.
“Such rudeness in the presence a beautiful lady I have forgotten my manners.”
He pushed away from the bar and stood up. Being over six feet he seemed to tower over her. If she felt intimidated, she was a master at hiding it.
“I’m Mark, nice to meet you.”
He held out his hand and hoped like hell it wasn’t sweaty. Why am I so damned nervous?
“I’m Kylie, nice to meet you, too.”
She slipped her hand into his and they fit together like two missing puzzle pieces. Touching her skin sent tiny, tingling vibrations through his hand that circulated throughout his entire body. He shivered. The feeling was so intense he gasped a little.
“You okay?” she asked getting closer to him.
Oh God, she smells so good.
Mark closed his eyes and inhaled Kylie’s sweet scent.
“You okay?” she asked again, concerned.
His eyes flashed open.
“Y-yes of course” he stuttered. “Long day, I guess.”
Kylie smiled again.
“Yea, I bet. You did a great job out there today, despite the heat and the chicks fainting, it was all good.”
“You were there?”
Mark felt honored that she stood out there in the blistering heat to watch him perform his love songs for forty-five minutes. It was the shortest set in history, he joked with his tour manager after the show.
“Well maybe just a bit.”
She measured out about an inch with her fingers on her left hand, her right hand still held his.
“I know this may sound forward, but would you like to go for a walk or something? Inside, outside, anywhere, your choice.”
Kylie furrowed her sculpted brow slightly.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” he cocked his head in a weird position and he hoped he didn’t look like a crazed parrot. Slowly a brilliant smile slid across her face.
“A walk it is then,” she stated letting go of his hands and stepping backward. He missed her closeness and touch instantly. Mark waved his arm in front of him as if clearing her path.
“After you.”
Kylie winked and gracefully walked past him. He watched her walk a few paces ahead, he took this time to totally check her out. She wore a red tank top that made her dark skin shimmer and come alive. The dark blue low riders accented her firm rear perfectly. Her black hair tied up in a ponytail accented her slender throat. She’s perfect.
“Am I walking alone?” her sultry echoed softly in his ears.
“No…no, of course not.”
Mark jogged over to her and opened the door that lead outside. The sun was in its beginning stages of setting. Purple and pink hues mixed creating a whimsical vision of heaven.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered once he stood at her side. He leaned down, his nose mere inches from her hair.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
He had to suppress his dire need to stroke her. Something inside him screamed out for this woman. The flutters in his stomach reminded him of his first time on stage, how scared he had been, how scared he was of this intense feeling for this beautiful woman passing in the night.
Mark opened his eyes as she raised her head to stare at him.
“Your smile causes me to catch my breath, to realize that miracles can happen. Your smile makes me feel...”
He stopped afraid of what craziness would spring from his lips next, pushing them together tightly, almost pressing them into a stern line.
What the hell am I saying? I mean damnit I’m going home tomorrow. He would forget her face like all the countless other faces merged in his overly crowded memory warehouse. He would forget staring into thos
e huge baby brown eyes, forget that wonderfully perfect smile, and forget the sweet way she smells when she’s close to him. Yea, who the hell am I kidding? I could never forget her smile.
The cool night breeze blew gently against their hot skin, giving them the slightest relief from the days scorching heat.
“Come on.”
Mark nodded to the entrance of Rock Woods Park.
They crossed the busy street and entered the park. White and deep purple pansies dotted the broken asphalt trail that led inside. They walked side by side in silence taking in what the park had to offer.
Mark watched Kylie as she stopped and stared at the strangest looking tree he had ever seen. The trunk was twisted and looked like it could be in agony. It was huge, but not nearly as tall as the others, plus it was off to the side. Its branches drooped over, nearly touching the ground, and the pungent sweet smell of the pink and white blossoms was overpowering.
“What a beautiful tree,” Kylie said.
Mark gave her an inquisitive look.
“You think this monstrosity is beautiful?”
He shook his head.
“It’s odd to say the least but far from being beautiful.”
Mark saw the hurt look on Kylie’s face and felt a pang of guilt knowing that he caused her sadness. Her soulful brown eyes cut into his soul.
“That’s why it is beautiful. It stands apart from the others; daring to be different, despite all the ridicule and prejudge it might receive. Looking at something and judging it from appearance alone is wrong, don’t ya think?”
Judging by appearances is how he lived his life, past and unfortunately present. Deciding on which fan to sleep with came with added skill. The girl had to be just right or at least look just right at the time. Or maybe it all depended on how much he had to drink before he even saw the girl in question. Damn, am I really shallow or just horny?
Mark stared at the tree again as another gentle breeze made the long branches swaying, like arms waving happily in the wind. Suddenly, he realized that because it was odd, it could still be inspiring and in its own way, that makes it beautiful.
“It is beautiful,” his voice came out in hushed tones.
“I didn’t see before but I see it now.”
“Good. I’m glad. It’s amazing to be able to see past one’s image to look within their soul. That’s where our journey begins.”
The happiness returned to Kylie face, restoring his faith in himself for making her happy. A few paces ahead Mark stopped to see Kylie unfastening her shoes. What on earth? Eyeing the plush green grass Mark fought his own urge to tear off his Armani shoes and let the grass tickle his size ten feet. Without reservations Kylie kicked off her shoes and pranced in the grass. Mark smiled.
They continued down the trail. Mark was very conscious that she didn’t have on any shoes and he wanted to make damn sure she didn’t hurt herself.
Cattails sprang up, reaching high over the other plants so they could lap up the fading sunlight. Minnows swam freely in the brook, darting and dodging the shadows cast on the surface of the water from passing park goers.
Before them lay a vast pond that covered the middle of the park, on one side a family of small brown ducks paddled away from the sprinklers that shot recycled water in a pretty pattern. With the fading sun, the droplets looked like diamonds falling to the earth.
Mark frowned as the realization set in, the sight of trash littering the sides of the bank made him grimace. They stood together, side by side in the shade of the grand trees while the scent of pine wafted to their noses. Mark inhaled deeply. The sound of Kylie’s sweet giggle caressed his ear. He turned his head in her direction to witness a fat squirrel scramble up the trunk of a nearby tree, a big nut tucked tightly in its grip. He couldn’t help chuckling. Just being close to her, he felt like a totally different man, a better man. His heart pounded so hard, he glanced over to see if she could hear it; if she did, he couldn’t tell.
“Let’s walk around pond. Okay?” Mark nudged Kylie playfully.
“Okay,” she locked her arm around his as he graciously led the way.
The conversation flowed casually as if they were friends just reunited once more.
“So, you live around here?” Mark asked.
“Nope, just came to enjoy the festival and see the show.”
“Your boyfriend lets you go traveling around alone?”
Kylie turned to gaze at him.
“That’s smooth. Why don’t ya just ask me what you wanna know?”
Mark’s face flushed red.
“Busted, sorry, Ok…ok, do you have a boyfriend?”
“Nope,” she replied.
“Wow, you’re kidding, right?” He tried to conceal his delight.
“No, I’m not kidding. You don’t believe me?” she shot him a sideways glance. Mark pointed his finger at her.
“You got me again. Why are you single?”
“I don’t know. I’m a lot like that tree back there. I’m different so I guess that makes it harder to understand me.” Kylie shrugged.
“Different?” Mark slowed down just a tad. “Like Michael Jackson, Thriller, different?”
He bulged out his eyes and screwed up his face, trying to imitate a zombie.
Kylie snickered.
“No, silly, I believe in love, strong and true. I believe that somewhere is my soul mate, my other half. The one man that will understand me who loves respects me and will grow with me. Love is a very strong emotion. I’ve never truly felt it but I’ve seen it, especially on the faces of my father and his wife. They showed me what love looks like.”
Mark heard the sadness creep into her voice as she spoke of her father. “But who knows, maybe what I thought was love might have been gas pains.”
Mark laughed at her attempt to lighten the conversation. Kylie’s giggled blended in so well it gave Mark inspiration for a new song.
“I love hearing you laugh.” She nuzzled her face against his arm.
“Ditto,” Mark whispered his voice barely audible. Mark plastered a smile on his face, because he knew he didn’t laugh at home or even smile. This moment is the happiest I’ve ever been. In the time, spent with this beauty he had found something he swore he’d lost. He found himself, his happiness, this was his moment. As the sun finally set, the air took on a slight chill. Gallantly, Mark stripped off his blazer and wrapped it around her exposed shoulders.
“Thank you,” she smiled and batted her long eyelashes at him.
He could look into her luscious brown eyes forever. Mark shook the ‘forever’ thought out of his head. In real life, he had Eve.
A morose feeling came over him; it was as if a dark ominous cloud of dread landed heavily on his shoulders at the vague thought of returning home. The touch of Kylie’s soft hand against his face snapped him back.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Kylie flashed him a sideways smile. “Maybe we should be getting back?”
“Yeah maybe,” Mark put his arm around Kylie and started walking back to the hotel.
His mind raced in many different ways to smooth talk this woman to his room. He knew it could work, because he had used the same lines with other women before in his past; but Kylie was different. There was something unmistakable about her. She had a way of captivating his heart and his head at the same time. Both heads were intrigued, the one on his shoulders and the one in his pants. Of course being the man that he was, he wanted to see her naked, he wanted to know all of her intimate spots, but he didn’t want them like this. In the lobby, they stood staring at each other.
“Well I guess this is goodbye.” Mark tried to hide the sadness in his voice. “I don’t want it to be, but what I want…”
He couldn’t continue, it was just too hard.
“It doesn’t have to goodbye: goodbye means forever. We could leave it at see ya later and maybe our paths will cross again.”
Before he had a chance to object, Kylie kissed the side of his lips, flashed he
r winning smile, and disappeared down the hall leaving him standing in the empty lobby touching the spot she kissed on his face.
Kylie was gone.
Mark walked to his hotel room, the plastic key card heavy in his hand.
Once inside the dismal room, he undressed tossing his clothes onto the shabby chair that held his overnight bag. Bare assed, he walked into the bathroom, yearning for a hot shower. Being on the road often had made him a hotel connoisseur. In the shower, as the hot water pounded on his back, he tried to purge Kylie’s lovely face from his thoughts but instead all he could see was her smile. Her beautiful and innocent smile.
Out of the shower, he draped himself over the full size bed. Mark had trouble falling asleep. He tossed and turned as images of Eve’s greedy face popped into his head soon to be replaced by Kylie’s smile and joyous laughter. Two women, so totally opposite from each other, consumed his mind. When the annoying alarm buzzed, Mark arose exhausted, as if he’d been on tour for weeks with no sleep. He threw the covers back, sat up, and placed his feet flat on floor. His brown eyes burned and when he rubbed them, it only made matters worse. He glanced out the window to see a dreary, dank day.
Ominous grey clouds covered the skies. Great, it’s gonna rain. With that notion floating through his mind, he got out of bed to start the day.
Mark dressed quicker than he thought as he donned his chic black sunglasses, trying to conceal his red, puffy eyes; it looked as if tears had coursed from his eyes all night. I’m a man and men don’t cry. Since New Jersey wasn’t far from his own home in Boston, he decided to drive. Mark opened his hotel room door and found a single red rose with a note attached to the metal doorknob. Confused he looked up and down the hallway to see if someone had placed it there by mistake. Who would give me a rose? Seeing no one, he grabbed the flower and held it to his nose, reading the note hanging from the stem: May your journeys bring you to me again. See ya later.
