Lost Highway - Chapter 14

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WithoutSpeaking

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Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
304
Title: Lost Highway
Authors:1screamingangel & wo_speaking
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer:1screamingangel is not Mel, no matter how much I wish...none of this is true, it is all a figment of our collective imagination.

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Paul was kissing her ear, softly. Not like last night. He was wondering if she was awake. Mel didn’t want to open her eyes yet. That would mean she was one step closer to walking away from this man who she was pretty sure she was totally in love with at this moment in time.

The phone rang and interrupted her thoughts, her eyes stayed closed.

“Aye, love, I’m awake, just got up” he answered the person on the other end of the phone. He lowered his voice but the rooms at the converted saloon weren’t very large.

There were several long pauses as he listened and added a few “aye’s”. It was obvious to Mel he did not want her to hear his conversation.

She hoped it wasn’t a wife. At the commune, most of the couples had open relationships, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to live life like that and knew she didn’t want to be the ‘other woman’. He didn’t wear a wedding ring, she hoped that meant he wasn’t married. She hadn’t thought to even ask.

A girlfriend she could deal with. After all, if Paul were her man, she wouldn’t let him out of her sight, even if that meant following him to the other side of the world.

So, if he had a girl back home or something to that effect, it would be her fault for letting him go anywhere by himself. That was how Mel laid there and justified being naked in his bed anyway.

Mel continued to listen and keep her eyes closed. Paul didn’t say too much except that an “I miss you too” was thrown in the conversation and a “love you” was added to the end before he hung up.

He didn’t come back to bed and she continued to pretend to be oblivious to noise in the room and drifted back to sleep. She didn’t know how much time had passed since the phone rang and now, but she knew Paul was not lying next to her.

Mel rolled over and opened her eyes and searched the room for the man who she wanted to come back into the bed with her and stay for the rest of the day. She found him sitting on the chair by the window still holding the phone. He didn’t realize she was starring at him and that allowed her to take him in.

His profile was lit from a reflection of the sun off a car window down on the street and he was lost in thought. Finally, he looked over at her and although she was searching his eyes, he didn’t seem to really see her for a minute.

She didn’t want to break his intensity. He was intense with everything he did it seems and very passionate in many ways. Mel was just a little worried that the call would ruin the rest of their day.

Paul then seemed to shrug his shoulders and smile at Mel. What could he do right now? He was a person who lived in the moment and could convince and lie to himself about anything. Mel was here, she wasn’t.

Mel was an amazing woman and they had spent a nice couple of days together, not to mention last night. He wasn’t going to let this day’s opportunities get away from him.

Mel smiled back at him, picked her head up and rested it on her hand and preceded to bluntly ask in the most casual way she could, “Girlfriend?” hoping it wasn’t “wife”.

“Aye”, he shrugged again. “This is my alone time to figure some things out. We’ve been together for awhile now.” Might as well be honest.

“Not married are you Paul?” he just starred at her

“Nope, not married. You’re not married are you Mel?” He asked right back as he smiled, walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. She laughed at his question.

“Let’s see what there is to do. What do ya’ suppose our friends are up to? Or do we not want to know?” he was partially successful in changing the mood in the room, he usually was.

Mel didn’t feel like laughing as she thought about the person on the phone, Sam, and all the other things she was supposed to be doing, except this thing – falling for some guy who owns a bar in Bridgeport, California.

Paul looked into her eyes brushed the hair out of Mel’s face with such tenderness she wanted to cry. How she would ever find another one like this, she wondered. She found him by chance in this small backwater place as she was running to find something else. What were the chances she would ever find a man like this again? She knew she had some years of running to find things ahead of her and hoped she would come across another man like him. Otherwise, she would regret driving away from Paul for the rest of her life. He gave her forehead a lingering kiss, letting his lips rest there. Mel could feel those lips and they sent a stirring throughout her body.

“Want some coffee or food, love? I can run downstairs and get some from the kitchen.” He offered.

Mel didn’t want him to leave, but the spell had already been broken for the time being.

“Sure” she answered. He pulled on his jeans and a black faded concert shirt and left the room.

Mel immediately got up and searched for her panties and bra. Her dress was lying on the floor in the same spot Paul had thrown it when they came into the room last night. Mel sighed deeply and walked over and looked out the window, wondering what Sam had gotten herself into last night.

As she looked around the room, she came across some papers on the table with what looked like scratches on it. On further examination though she realized she was looking at a poem or something like that. There were two right on top and as much as she wanted to see what was in the pile, she did not want him to catch her snooping when he walked back into his room.

Mel had to satisfy her curiosity by just trying to read the two in plain view. The first one was harder to read due to words crossed out and changed. Something about a desert sky, rivers run dry, we need new dreams tonight. Mel had to remember that line. Who the hell didn’t need new dreams?

The other one was easier to read, like the author had a clear vision of where they were headed. She scanned the writing, and now saw that it was a song.

Through the storm, we reach the shore
You gave it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you

With or without you
With or without you.
I can't live with or without you.

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give, and you give
And you give yourself away

Mel was astounded at how achingly beautiful those words were and she couldn’t decide if it was a sad song or a love song. She read over it again and was finishing her second read through when Paul walked into the room with coffee and some toast.

“I didn’t mean to snoop Paul but just came over and this was sitting on top. It is really beautiful.” She told him quietly.

“Far be it from you to look at things you shouldn’t?” reminding her of her snooping at Dave’s yesterday.

“Guilty, but I only saw what was on top here, I promise.” Mel smiled sheepishly, “thanks for the coffee.”

“It is just a little song I am trying to put together. I write the words and then Dave puts the music to it. Glad you like it, maybe when I get the music for it down I will play a little of it for you.”

“I would like that very much.” Yes, Mel thought to herself, this guy was going to be very difficult to walk away from.

“Do you have a man in your life Mel?” Paul asked as he sat down to drink his coffee.

“Right now, no. I had a boyfriend for a little over a year and we broke up a couple of months ago, so I have been laying low in the dating department. Giving myself a chance to recover, you know? He wanted to get married, but I am not ready for that yet. Besides, I was pretty sure he wasn’t the one.”

And they settled back into the comfortable talk that seemed more like they were old friends than new lovers. The honestly with which Paul talked to Mel amazed him and he wasn’t sure where it came from. But, being Paul, he just went with the feeling of the moment. He told her so much about himself that at one point he stopped and just looked at her, wondering who she was that made him so open. Mel was equally surprised with how much she shared with Paul. Although she had no idea why it was a bigger deal for him to be so candid than it was for her. The coffee got cold as they sat and talked.

Mel hoped he was past the phone call so they could get back to the physical aspect of their sharing. She decided to go back to her room and freshen up and give him some space.

“All right Mel. I will see you in a bit, come back, I will be here waiting for you. Maybe we can go take a ride out to the brick house, see what our friends got up to last night?”

Mel walked over to Paul and took his face in her hands tracing the perfection of his lips with her thumbs, then ran her fingers through his shoulder length hair. “Most definitely I will be back. Last night was a dream and I want more. Hope you do too.”

Paul gave a smile back to Mel and gave a kiss to her that answered that question. He wanted more too.
 
Bawwwwwwww :) I love Paul!

In God's Country was a good inclusion...I think they should play WOWY though...

I was just watching some interviews of U2 on YouTube and now everything he's saying has the most delicious accent...
 
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