Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Dimitri
The lights dimmed, indicating the beginning of the play.
" Quiet, it's starting," I whispered, kissing her temple.
" One summer night, in a forest, four young lovers meet and miss each other: Lisandro loves Hermia who loves Lisandro and is loved by Demetrius, who is loved by Helena " The gentleman who welcomed us started walking among the tables and seats scattered around the hall declaring loudly and clearly.
Soon afterwards a couple came on the scene, a young woman and a gentleman.
" Father, please don't make me. I love Lisandro!”
" Hemia, I know what's best for you," the man declared, "at least try to enjoy your engagement party, Demetrius is a good man.”
" This is a nightmare," Blair groaned beside me.
" Pay attention," I scolded.
For a few minutes it worked, Blair remained silent while Lisandro and Hermia planned their daring escape.
" Helena, you must help me," Hermia approached Blair, holding her hands, "You must distract Demetrius during this party.”
" Ohh I... " Blair looked in my direction for help as I held back my laughter.
" She needs you, Helena," I winked at the girl, who glared at me.
" Come on Helena," the actress pulled her into the middle of the set, while Blair stared at me with an expression of pure desperation, "Go talk to Demetrius while I run off with Lisandro.”
" Me?”
" Come on, we have no time to lose," she pushed Blair towards the actor.
" Helena, you've come to congratulate me on my engagement.”
" Oh, yes. Congratulations," Blair returned, "may I sit down now?”
OK, I'm pretty sure that's not how it happened, but Blair hurried to sit next to me, crossing her arms afterwards before looking in my direction.
" You're laughing at me," she muttered.
" Blair, I'm certainly not crying," I winked at her.
" I hate you," she murmured, "you have…”
Our little dialogue was interrupted when Hermia sat on my lap, causing me to stare at her in surprise and Blair to widen her eyes.
" What the hell…”
" Hermia, I hope you feel better now that you're sitting in a chair.”
Great, that had to be left to me. They were constantly using people as objects in the play, a few moments ago a young man became a table and spent some minutes holding the actors' cups, and now this.”
" I definitely feel much better, Lisandro," Thermia declared.
" Good, let's get away before it reaches us " he held her hand and stood her up.
The woman, however, did not seem so willing, as she sat down again.
" On second thought, I think I need another moment," she declared, before throwing me a quick glance over her shoulder.
That gesture did not go unnoticed by Blair, who seemed to be enjoying the play less and less.
" Hermia, you'd better hurry before I tell Demetrius where you are.” Blair rested her hand on the young woman's back, giving her a gentle push to get her up.
" I saw what you did," I whispered to her.
" Quiet, I want to watch," she murmured, making me laugh.
We remained silent for a few minutes until everyone was lost in the woods, both of us seemed to have been forgotten by the cast and were enjoying it.
" Lisandro, Lisandro, where are you? " Hermia called out.
" This story doesn't make any sense," Blair complained.
" I am so tired of looking for you through this fog!”
Then without warning she sat back down on my lap.
" Fog? That happens in the summer? " Blair murmured, "As a matter of fact.”
But before she could finish her thought, a boy dressed in what I assumed was a leprechaun costume approached, blowing a handful of glitter in Blair's face.
" But…”
Demetrius and Lisandro soon looked in the young woman's direction, rushing to kneel before her.
" Helena, accept this flower as a token of my love," Demetrius declared.
" An apple is much better than a flower," Lisandro retorted.
Hermia was forced away by one of the elves as the two squabbled over Blair's attention, showering her with gifts.
" Lisandro, I don't understand, we should get married! " Hermia returned, settling on my lap once more, attracting the attention of the two actors.
" I love Helen now, I'm sorry," he frowned, "and why are you sitting in the chair again?”
" I'm exhausted.”
" Maybe you are sick, Hermia," Demetrio declared, "you shouldn't have the need to sit in a chair so often in a normal situation.”
" Has anyone ever stopped to think why this chair is in the middle of the woods? If you're tired you should sit on the ground! " Blair pushed Hermia off my lap again.
The play went on for another thirty minutes, and to my amusement Blair seemed increasingly annoyed, but at least no one decided to use me as a chair anymore.
We ended up losing our dinner reservation.
" It's going to take me a century to get all this glitter off my clothes," she groaned, watching her gloves as we walked back to the hotel.
" I like it," I decided to tease her.
Blair stopped walking, giving me an incredulous look.
" You can't be serious. It was horrible!”
" It might have been for you, I had fun," I winked at her before walking back.
I backed away a few feet before she ran to catch up with me.
" You're kidding, there was nothing fun about it. you spent the whole night annoying me and that girl was sitting on top of you!"
" And where's the bad part? " I returned, forcing myself not to laugh at her indignant expression.
Blair stared at me dumbfounded for a few seconds, before she stomped off, tightening her stride in an attempt to get away.
" Blair," I followed without difficulty.
" I don't believe it, you're all the same! There can't be one beautiful woman who comes along and…”
I stopped walking, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward me, not giving her time to react before kissing her.
I let go of her hand and moved to her waist, clasping her body around mine while my other hand was on the back of her neck. Blair kissed back enthusiastically, and with great effort I remembered that we were in a public place, pulling away as the intensity of the kiss began to build.
" You have to fly out early tomorrow, don't you? " she sighed, still not moving away.
" Yes, but in twelve days we'll have two full days in London," I returned before kissing her cheek and running my lips along hers.
" I can't wait," she declared with her mouth still pressed against mine.
I stole a few more kisses from her, but my mind was still on how she reacted before
" Were you jealous? " I questioned, still wrapping my arm around her waist.
" What? No," she disengaged herself from me, "that's not what happened.”
" Really? Because that's what it looked like," I teased her.
" It wasn't. I'm not jealous of you," she returned, "it wouldn't make sense.”
" It wouldn't? " I insisted on the subject.
" We're friends," she looked away, "friends don't feel jealous.”
That again. I felt as if she had thrown a bucket of ice water over me with that answer.
" You don't feel jealous of me, do you? " she gave me a quick look.
Was I? I was bothered the day she answered the delivery guy wearing only pajamas, I guess she didn't even think how sexy she looked wearing them. But was it jealousy? Maybe.
" No, of course I don't," I decided to play along with her at last.
" You see. No one is jealous of anyone," she sighed, not looking that satisfied with my answer, "why don't we go to dinner and forget about it?”
I nodded before guiding her toward a restaurant across the street. She was right, we should both enjoy the moment and not waste time in this kind of discussion.
I would force myself to understand that.