Lost Voices (Chapter 16)
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Marco’s Outfit: Shirt, Jeans, Shoes, Sunglasses.
Scarlett’s Outfit: Dress, Shoes, Bag.
MARCO’S POV
“Well it's obviously someone.” Vivi bounced her eyebrows when I sat next to her again after taking my go.
I chuckled and shook my head. “How did I know that would be on your mind?” I raised my eyebrow and stared at her.
She shrugged and pouted her lips. “It's just on my mind that's all.” Acting her innocent self. “You seemed very...happy texting whoever it was,” She then stopped and gasped. “Is it a girl!?” I knew that was coming and just rolled my eyes. “It's a girl isn't it?” She tapped my knee. “Guys, tell me, is it a girl?” Vivi yelled, including Marcel and Robin in the conversation now.
Marcel and Robin both looked taken back and stuttered over there words as they looked between themselves and then at me. I clenched my jaw and quickly shook my head so that Vivi wouldn't see. I didn't want Vivi to know about Scarlett, not because I think she would react badly, but because what me and Scarlett had was nothing more than a friendship at the moment and well, I didn't know what was going to happen in the future. Vivi might be my best friend but some things, have be kept a secret.
“U-h, uh, I mean, there's Swantje, but she's married.” Robin smirked in a panic, coming out with some of the most ridiculous comments if ever heard.
“What he means is no.” Marcel interjected and slapped Robin’s chest.
Vivi shook her head, telling the two to get on. “Before I beat your asses,” She winked, knowing how good she was at bowling. “Okay, so not a girl otherwise Rob wouldn't blabbed by now, then who?”
I rolled my eyes. “Does it really matter that much to you?” She nodded profoundly with ejecting eyeballs. “It was Auba.”
“Really?” She squeaked, closing one of her eyes. “All of that teenage girl giggling for Auba?” I nodded again. “What, are you planning a dinner date or a new celebration.”
She had me and Auba down to a tee. “Planning a celebration.” I pouted in a grumble making Vivi laugh.
She clapped her hands and giggled, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “So what celebration you two planning? Batman and Robin 2.0, emoji’s? Or something new?”
“Now that, is a secret.” I told her with a poke of her knows. She sighed and rolled her eyes, sipping her mock tail. “You'll have to wait and see.”
Vivi stared at me, a hard look on her face as she got up to take her shot. “I'll find out Reus, I always do.” She smirked teasingly, going to grab a bowling ball.
I sighed, muttering to myself that, that's what I was afraid of. Marcel gave me a worrying look and I just played it down, sipping my beer.
* * * * * * *
It was my second time of meeting Scarlett like this; a date..type thing. I didn't know if you could officially call it a date more than two “acquaintances” meeting up for lunch, at dusk. I guess that sounded close to a date more than an informal term of the word but you get me, I hope. This was more formal, anything is more formal at night, or dusk in my case. I'd opted for a more formal shirt and jeans rather than just a plain t-shirt, while Scarlett had gone for a pale blue off the shoulder dress with a pair of wedges. The blonde was a tall girl anyway, 5”8 her profile had said, so with the wedges she challenged me on height, a fact I think she liked.
“You look uh very beautiful this evening Scarlett.” I threw her a compliment while drinking the wine we'd ordered, my mouth feeling quite dry.
Scarlett smiled. “You know, I was waiting for you to say that because it was taking you a long time to pick your jaw off the floor.” She giggled, ticking her hair behind her ear.
I blushed and awkwardly laughed along with my obviousness. “W-was it that obvious?”
“Well when you're looking at me like this-” Scarlett dropped her jaw and widened her eyes. “Then yeah, it's pretty obvious.” She giggled more and took a bit of her rare steak.
“Stop exaggerating it.” I played it down, sipping the wine more to hide my flushing cheeks, which were probably the same colour of the win we were drinking. “I was not like that,” I pointed her out. “If anything, it's you who did that when you saw me.” Winking, I lent back on my chair, giving her a wink.
Scarlett sighed and shook her head disappointingly. “See, I do find you attractive in that shirt but I'm not giving it you now because of that arrogant comment.” Smirking proudly.
I raised my eyebrow. “So you do find me attractive eh.”
Having caught her out on what she'd admitted, Scarlett was quick to add; “The ginger hair is quite an off put in itself…” Pulling a face while looking down at her plate.
“Hey!” I pouted my lip out at her and ran a hand through my hair. “My hair is not ginger it's a fair brown-” She snickered at me reference to my hair of “light brown.”
“/That/ is not fair brown, that's definitely ginger, a dark ginger but it's definitely ginger.” She added, biting into her food. Defeated, I blew out hair and tucked into my own food. “Didn't you used to dye it blonde though? Or have blonde highlights in it?”
I was quick in playing that down with a scoff of my own. “No, I'm not that sad.”
Scarlett pointed her fork at me. “Yeah you did! I swear I've seen you in magazines before with blonde hair in a quiff.” She giggled. “I remember thinking, he looks quite tasty.” She winked.
When I first met Scarlett, even if it was while she was having her hair done by Victoria, I took her for the shy kind. Even when she was at the club and approached me, I guessed that it was the alcohol talking. But she was quite forthright and confident with me. It was refreshing to see, not that I'd not seen many confident women with me, but the way that Scarlett held herself was no only confident but well educated too. I was intrigued and wanted to know so much more than I already knew about her. Though, Scarlett mainly liked to keep the conversation on me.
All I knew about her was that she was a full time model, has a sister and is from Hagen/ Dusseldorf.
I'd yet to find out more about this mysterious blonde but I was craving to and was hoping that tonight was the might that that would happen.
“Are you a natural blonde or?” I asked intrigued.
Scarlett shook her head, running a hand consciously through her blonde locks. “I'm naturally a brunette but I've always wanted to be a blonde so.” She shrugged and scrunched her nose which I had to admit was completely adorable. “You're a blonde man eh?” She challenged with a saucy wink.
I chuckled. “You could say that.” Biting my risotto just as saucily.
“Then I guess dying my hair blonde was a good idea.”
“I guess it was.” Bouncing my eyebrows and making Scarlett giggle, I chuckled myself, busting myself with my meal soon after so that it didn't go cold.
Scarlett and I were chatting so much and getting along so well that honestly, I felt amazing. It felt amazing to sit here, in this more formal setting, more romantic I must say, and just chat about everything and anything with Scarlett. I felt like I connected on so many levels with her and although I was yet to meet the refined details of Scarlett's personality, the Scarlett I was seeing right now was, well, fantastic.
“What happened to our little pink cafe though?” Scarlett pondered aloud and tilted her head to the side with a curious pout.
I chuckled and put my cutlery to the side of my plate. “Now, I've taken you there once, I'd be spoiling you if I took you there again.” I warned jokingly.
Scarlett pouted. “Aws but Marco I really loved that shop, it suited your personality perfectly.” She mischievously put it.
“And it so did yours too!” I said in a feminine with one of those girly roll of the eyes and flip of my “long” hair. Scarlett giggled and watched me amused. “Anyway, I know a place that does late night gelato, so I was thinking, we could get that and sit in the plaza?” I suggested casually.
Scarlett smiled. “Well it is a hot evening and I do like gelato…” She drifted off suggestively agreeing. “As long as they have weird flavours; I think I'm in.” She nodded in agreement, finishing off her main.
“Great.” I smiled happily, looking down at my plate.
After we'd finished the meal and I had been the gentleman I am and paid the bill of this evenings dinner, Scarlett and I linked arms and slowly took the to street, walking the short distance to the gal to store I knew was open.
We chatted and laughed as we ordered our gelato. Scarlett ordered a double scooped cone of Italian nougat while I opted for the more unusual tub of cappuccino and chocolate chips.
Deciding to sit on a nearby bench that looked over the artificially lot plaza we both tucked into our chosen gelato. I decided that it was time to find out more about Scarlett. “So,” I began with a lick of my spoon. “You know about the one and only me, but what about you?”
“What about me?” Scarlett shrugged and licked her gelato seeming to enjoy it.
I shrugged. “Well all I know about you, I'd where you're from, what you do and that you have a sister.” I chuckled. “You know what time of day I was born, my sisters husbands brothers name and occupation, and who my best friends is.” Innocently bumping her shoulder.
I hadn't actually told Vivi that I was going out to see Scarlett, let alone a woman. As far as Vivi was concerned, Scarlett didn't exist and for now I'd like to keep it that way. Scarlett was my own little secret and until or if things got serious between us, I'd tell Vivi but for now, Scarlett was just my agency that I'd had a meeting arranged for for a while and had to have it rescheduled for tonight because of “business reasons”.
Vivi bought it but like any woman, she questioned what those “business reasons” we're and panicked that id be moving from Dortmund.
“I guess you're right.” Scarlett giggled, and sighed. “What do you want to know?”
I thought for a moment, what did I want to know? I wasn't actually quiet sure. “Just anything you want to tell me; your childhood, where you went to school, what life was like growing up with your sister etc.”
She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, staring out at the plaza area. “If I was with some guy I'd hardly know and didn't really want to tell him much, I'd say, I grew up with my mum and dad in Hagen until I was ten until we moved to Dusseldorf and that we were one of those typical families who had their fair share of fights, loving moment and family holidays that always had funny stories behind them.” She glanced at me after a mouthful of gelato.
“A-and to someone you knew well and trusted? Like me?” I winked and bumped her shoulder.
The blonde just cracked a small smile. “I'd say that my childhood was hell for me and my sister. We didn't really have any one apart from ourselves. Our dad died when we were young and mother was in jail for crimes that are just indescribable. Me and my sister moved from foster home to foster home until we were adopted by our mami and Papi who are honestly the best people in the world…” She drifted off and gave a small sad smile.
As she looked at me, I looked in her eyes and saw that hurt dullness to them that I could only ever imagine. “I...I don't know what to say...I-I'm so sorry.”
“Don't be.” Scarlett was quick to play down with a wave. “I wouldn't change a thing right now, my foster parents are the best thing that happened to me and my sister, I couldn't imagine what state we'd be in right now if it wasn't for them.”
I smiled as she did. “Well to see you happy, makes me happy too. Never be afraid of your past.” Scarlett nodded in agreement. “May I ask how your dad died?” I variously approached.
Scarlett licked her gelato and gave me a curious look. “Drug overdose...addicted to the strong stuff, so was my mother.”
“Oh.” I simply said, not able to find the right words.
Scarlett didn't seem to be that bothered by my reaction though. “We all don't have the upbringing like you've had Marco, but right now, where I am, I wouldn't change for the world. Those past experiences are what have made these days so precious and special. It's not an upbringing that defines people but how people use negative situations to shape their own lives.” She smiled again, always smiling even if she had that hurt look about her eyes. “Me and my sister easily could've gone down the road of our parents; drink, drugs, all the gritty, dirty things in life but we never, we learnt that that wasn't good for us and even though we were in care, we strived to be better people and I think we've done that.”
“I think you have too.” I started, taking a spoon full of my cappuccino gelato. “People who have been in the care system get a bad wrap and are stereotyped into being these people who are condemned by a life of crime because they've never had an emotional connection with a caregiver before.” Scarlett raised her eyebrow at my words and smirked, allowing me to continued. “When I first met you, well the second time because we hardly talked be first time...anyway, that time, I would've never guessed that was your background because you're so well educated, well kept, very smart and very beautiful too.”
“You're not half bad yourself Mr Reus.” Scarlett giggled. “But thank you, that means a lot coming from such a handsome guy like you.” She giggled again, a laugh that was infectious and I found myself chuckling along too.
I gave her a wink and bumped her shoulder again, leaning in to softly kiss her cheek. But Scarlett didn't allow me to as she turned her head into mine and leaned in. Our lips brushed against each other, pressing lightly. I could taste her gelato on her lips and it was an added sweeten to her already sweet plump lips.
Air was hard to come by as we kissed, making sure our gelato wasn't melt on each other, the kiss was innocent. Not too hard but not to soft, the right amount of force was in it. We didn't move and it was only a single kiss, too long to call it a peck but too innocent to call it a snog.
And soon we were pulling away, gulping and panting a little. I cleared my throat, and blushed while Scarlett smiled and looked down at her ice cream. I didn't quite know where to go from here and y the looks of things, neither did Scarlett.
This, I took the opportunity to pluck something randomly from out of nowhere. “So uh, what does your Italian nougat gelato taste like?” Awkwardly smiling.
Scarlett seemed thankful for the change in direction, the pair of us trying to figure out our feelings on the kiss. “Why don't you tell me?” She raised her eyebrow and held out her ice cream cone for me to do so.