Rekindling the Flame [Open to 1 male]

[temptationsx]

Taking one final sip of her glass of champagne, just one of many that night, Lauren pushed her self away from the satin-covered table. The night was coming to a close, as she had spent the past nearly twelve hours as a bridesmaid for a good friend's wedding; a role that left her with nothing but a feeling of loneliness and sore feet. Kicking off her two-sizes-too-small heels and picking them up from off the floor, Lauren made her way over to the last few wedding guests, bidding her farewells before sauntering out of the reception room and towards the elevator of the hotel that hosted the reception itself, as well as where a good majority of the wedding party would be staying due to the infamous open bar that, without a doubt, had gotten out of hand. Lauren could think of nothing but what her friend, the blushing bride, and her new husband were doing in the penthouse suite on the very top floor of the hotel, considering they had left the reception nearly an hour ago. It pained her to think of her friend, so happy with someone who she would, hopefully, be spending the rest of her life with.

Subconsciously, Lauren had made her way into the elevator and somehow managed to press the correct floor number to take her to her room. As it began to rise, the brunette rested her head back against the mirrored wall of the elevator, letting out a heavy breath and finally beginning to feel the exhaustion set in. She stood back up right as the elevator sounded, although it had only risen a couple floors; Lauren still had quite a few floors to go. Assuming that others were soon to board, she positioned herself in the corner of the elevator, sure that she emanated with a scent of champagne, old perfume, and sweat from dancing all night. Her gaze fell to the floor as a man stepped inside, her eyes focusing on his classy business-type shoes before making their way up to his face.

As their eyes met, Lauren froze where she was, barely even breathing. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man standing before her; a long-time ex, who she had spent nearly five years with before things had unfortunately taken a turn for the worst. It had gotten to the point that she thought he would be the one she would marry, until she saw a side of him she'd hope to never see. She continued to stare at the man, clearly stunned by his presence, as she was unable to form even a single syllable.

 

[Pix]

Clint Dockerty had finally hit it big that night. He had met with the partners at Wousnam, Lowell, and Dahl for golf and dinner this weekend and knocked it out of the park. Clint had been a corporate attorney for the past several years in a different city. He kept getting stymied at his current firm every time he started to climb the ladder, and the relatively young but noteworthy firm of Wousnam had recognized the talent in Clint. Dahl had worked at Clint's old firm and had faced similar frustration, but now he was a big shot and gave Clint an opportunity. Clint seized the opportunity and flew out to his old hometown to audition for the job, which he got.

The old hometown was a site for many wondrous times in Clint's life, but a few painful memories still lingered. Clint's best friend had turned his back on him the night after Clint graduated from college. Clint's dad had finally stopped breathing after a lengthy battle with lung cancer when Clint had just finished his first year of law school. However, the most painful of those memories was when he and Lauren had finally called it quits. The week after, Clint had flown halfway across the country to take the job he had just given up earlier in the evening.

Clint was wearing his best suit that night as he walked from his car into the hotel lobby. He had undone his shirt and left his tie absently mindedly on the passenger seat of the rental car. He was half drunk and on cloud nine facing his life's new challenge back home working for his new firm. Everything was perfect, although he was a bit tired. He waited for the elevator door to open with his head down. He thought about how he would have to break it off with Carolyn. They had only been dating for a few weeks, and regardless, Clint didn't think it had potential to go anywhere. He had a few loose ends to tie up, but he'd be back home in two weeks time. A short turnaround to find a place to live, but he'd move into his sister's house for a little bit if he had to.

The elevator ding snapped Clint out of his train of thought as he walked into the elevator. He rose his head and couldn't believe what he saw. The woman he once thought he would spend the rest of his life with, Lauren, in a bridesmaid dress, looking dead to the world exhuasted, but her eyes were alert as she saw Clint too.

"Lauren?" Clint asked dumbly. There was no reason to ask, she still haunted his dreams sometime, and there she was in the flesh.

 

[temptationsx]

Lauren continued to stare at the man in his disheveled appearance, no doubt she looked just as unkept. Regardless of the numerous glasses of champagne that seemed to produce a foggy sheen over her ability to think straight, she still managed to feel the rush of past emotions that she thought she had brushed off of her shoulders for good, many a time ago. Yet there he stood, in all his pretentious glory, the dazed look of surprise written across his face, more than likely imitating her own.

The sound of her name coming from that familiar voice was enough to bring her back to earth, situating herself uncomfortably as not to appear too overwhelmed with the situation she was unwillingly thrown into. Silence rang through her ears as the elevator door shut, leaving her with a feeling of entrapment. Swallowing hard to compose her, Lauren caught sight of those eyes that she had engrained in her memory for what she knew would be forever. "Clint.." The single syllable slipped past her lips, playing it safe.

 

[Pix]

Clint didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to rehash old fights. Another part of him wanted to hug her. However, his logical part prevailed and he just stood quietly. The elevator doors shut behind him, and it just those two on a short ride through the hotel. Clint saw that she had been part of the wedding party he had heard when he entered the lobby. It sounded rowdy and loud, it was no wonder Lauren looked as tired as she did. Tired, yet she still looked beautiful to Clint.

At that moment, Clint wished his 6'2", 210 pound frame wasn't draped in the suit he wore to impress his new bosses. It made him look like he walked around normally dressed in gaudy, tailored suits. He dressed nicely, but not usually so costly. He also knew Lauren probably didn't want to be in her bridesmaid dress either, she always hated everyone she ever had to wear.

The elevator started moving, Clint was on six, several floors below Lauren who was on ten. He was grateful for that so he wouldn't have to hear the rowdy wedding goers when they got back to their rooms. However, it was a relatively short amount of time to see the one that got away for the first time in years. He knew he had to say something.

"So, you're with the wedding I heard down in the lobby, huh?" was all Clint could muster out.

 

[temptationsx]

Lauren's thoughts drifted in all directions, leaving her with a cluster of jumbled emotions that she hadn't the slightest clue how to manage. The man's mere presence beside her sent anger, longing, and exhilaration coursing through her; she feared that if she opened her mouth to speak, she would be forced to release the resentment that had been bottled inside her for far too long. Their separation had been brought about by such a spontaneous act of outrage that neither one of them knew of a way to sustain the relationship that had been on the rocks to begin with. All contact between them had perished without a single warning sign.

Glancing upward to watch the lighted numbers illuminate one by one as the elevator began its climb, Lauren rocked uncomfortably from one foot to the other, immediately being reminded of her aching feet as a result of the damn shoes she still held in her hand, her fingers hooked in their silver straps. She was vaguely aware of her eyes shifting to glance over Clint's appearance once again before returning her gaze to his once he spoke.

Lauren nodded her head sheepishly in response to his obvious question, a weak smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Bridesmaid for an old friend. Never thought I'd see the day." She couldn't help but chuckle at her own words, coincidentally relating them to her own love life. If things hadn't wrongfully settled the way that they did, Lauren assumed Clint would be the one she would some day marry.

 

[Pix]

Clint had to smile when he heard the sweet chuckle emanate from his former lover's mouth. Any resentment he had felt from that one part of him had began to subside. It is a hell of a thing to be so close to another human in this lifetime and one day later and from then on never speak or even see that person, Clint knew that. Just hearing Lauren chuckle in that elevator had seemingly restored an old, forgotten yet essential piece of Clint as a whole. He was enjoying that feeling.

"I saw," Clint began, "that Mary Swanson was getting married. Coincidence that I happened to check in to the same hotel."

Clint laughed, but he silently reflected on what he just said. Had it been a mere coincidence that they were in the same hotel that Saturday night. It seemed too perfect. Clint came home and got a dream job and at the end of the night saw the woman he had spent so many happy times with. True, she had caused a great deal of pain, but Clint always thought all the pain in the world had been worth it, even if it didn't continue on.

The elevator had dinged. The doors opened to the sixth floor and Clint didn't know what to do. He couldn't see Lauren after all this time and just make small talk. Even if he ran into her around town in the future, this lackluster encounter would probably set a precedent. He needed to keep talking to her, if only for ten or fifteen minutes. Just to catch up, nothing more.

"Lauren," Clint took the chance as he held the door open button, "I'd really just like to catch up if only for a few more minutes. Would you want to go down to the hotel bar, or maybe just in my room and talk for a few minutes? I could make coffee or something."

 

[temptationsx]

Of course Clint was also acquainted with the blushing bride; it took some time for her to face the fact that they had quite an extensive history together. At one point, her friends had been his friends, her belongings his belongings. Though things were entirely different at this point, they still shared many of the same friendships.

"Coincidence.. yeah.." Lauren laughed softly to cover up her apprehension. Was it a coincidence really, or a inevitable act of fate? Whichever it was, she knew that it would leave a lasting impression.

Her gaze held Clint's for a lingering moment as she scrutinized his features; he was entirely how she remembered, recalling the face that was perfectly instilled in her memory. The deep, dark-rimmed eyes, straight nose, and sculpted jawline that her lips had traced oh, so many times.

The 'ding' sounding from the elevator caused her to jump slightly, pulling her out of her bout of reminiscence. She knew they had arrived at his departure point, and her heart unwillingly raced at the thought of seeing him walk out of her sight, once again. She could sense he felt the same, and wasn't the least bit surprised at the sound of his invitation.

"Uhm.." Lauren began, looking down at her watch as not to appear eager. Though she couldn't fool herself, that was exactly what she was feeling. The time was nearing two am, yet her exhaustion had somehow managed to begin to subside. "I suppose a few minutes couldn't hurt." She spoke with a shrug of her slender shoulders, stepping out of the elevator to signal she was willing to tag along to his hotel room.

 

[Pix]

Clint was nervous. He was nervous he was leading the woman who had broken his heart into his hotel room. He was nervous that she had even been in the same hotel at all. He was nervous about the seemingly dodgy prank that god was putting on to mock him, but mostly...he was nervous that he was coming off as hollow. Clint was worried that Lauren would see him as nothing but a d-bag trying to cover his tracks.

It wasn't the case for Clint. He had genuinely felt pain and anguish over many nights thinking about Lauren. At one point in his life, he was sure he had loved her. It was a little different at that moment, exiting the elevator. She had seemed so different. She seemed open to him. That differed from their time together where she had been so controlling... Clint began to reflect.

As Clint thought back on their time together, as he clumsily kept trying to open the door by scanning the keycard the wrong way, and smiled. They had been a pretty good team for awhile. They held each other's interests at different social gatherings when tey were bored to death by the hosts and guests. They had backed each other up when one of them had been called out for an argument with friends...and maybe most importantly of all...they had surrendered their bodies and souls to each other to reach a blissful state.

Clint tried to block out those memories as he opened the door to his hotel room. He held it open as Lauren walked in. He truly just wanted to know how she was doing and how she got to that state.

"I've been gone for awhile," Clint said as he walked to the counter. On the counter, a bottle of whisky sat unopened. Clint poured a glass and gestured to his former lover. "Fill me in on, you, our old friends...everything."

Clint examined the liquor bottle and asked, "Can I pour you one?"