The windy road lined with bars and nightclubs.  Music blasting from these nightlife establishments fill the streets.  The noise and the humid air from the lake add annoyance to an already irritated mind.   

LI Xunran walks until he can’t see Jyao and BJY anymore.  He looks at the dark and lonely sky and gives a long sigh. 

He did not take a taxi back to his hostel.  Instead he chooses a bar that has a lively atmosphere.  He walks up to the counter and orders another dozen beers, and sits by himself.  It doesn’t take long for a single lady to spot him and walk up to him. She offers him her phone number by stuffing a note into his s.h.i.+rt pocket.  He  laughs, retrieves the note and pa.s.ses it back to the lady.

“Are you alone?” A man who is also sitting by himself asks him.

“Yes.” They clink bottles and drink.  

—————

On a still lake.  

Jyao is sitting on a wooden chair.  She is looking out to the night lights.  She is quite distracted as BJY is sitting beside her, with his arm around the back of her chair again.

The atmosphere was charged with excitement as their pa.s.sion rose within them.

“You said earlier you are not looking for a boyfriend?” BJY asks.

Jyao does not expect him to bring this up.  She doesn’t understand what he is trying to say.  She turns around to face the window, with her back to him, and answers: “I don’t need you to introduce someone else to me.”

She hears some wood scratching noise. BJY has moved his chair so he can be closer to her.  Even though she has her back to him, she can feel him coming closer as the warmth of his body is transferred to her.

This man….

Why is he coming closer?

“Who says I am introducing someone else to you?” He whispers in his deep low voice.

She is slightly stunned,  she turns around.  

But because they are so close to each other, as she turns, their cheeks rub each other. 

Jyao freezes.

He leans further in.  There is hardly any gap between the faces.  The tip of their noses are touching.  His arms move and wrap around her to pull her toward his chest.   

They feel the heat rising.  Her cheeks and neck flaring hot.

This is just like what happened at the cinema… the same ambiguity.  

But this time, she can see his face, his thick black hair, his adam’s apple, his hands, and those electrifying eyes.

What… does he want?

This atmosphere…burns.  Jyao subconsciously leans back.  

But there’s a hand behind the back of her head, holding it in place, not allowing it to move away.   

Jyao’s heart is racing.  She hears him say: “What are you afraid of?” He smiles: “Don’t you want to kiss me?”

That moment, Jyao is so shocked that she can’t think clearly.  Her throat is also feeling a little dry.

“What about you…. you want to kiss me?”

After she speaks these words, her heart pounds like a drum inside her.  She lowers her eyelids.  She dares not to look at him.  She feels the tip of his finger lifting her chin. 

His breathing is even closer now, she can feel the warmth just above the tip of her nose.  

“Yes.” His voice is a little coa.r.s.e. “Very much so.”

She inhaled a deep breath.    Her hands tightly gripes the armrests of the wooden chair.

His soft cold lips touch hers.

It’s quiet on the lake.  There’s a faint sound of music coming from the sh.o.r.e, and the sound of a wood oar paddling through the water.  BJY is leaning on top of Jyao.  One hand cups the back of her head, while the other cradles her face, locking her in his arms.   His lips gently covering hers, licking, sucking… She breathes in his unique masculine scent. 

Jyao is s.h.i.+vering.  Her heart seems to have stopped beating.  Her chest is tightening.  She stiffens.  But the sensation from the lips… confusing but great at the same time. It’s gentle, mystical, dazzling… She lightly gasps.  She opens her eyes.   She sees a calm and focused BJY, with his eyes closed. She closes her eyes too. She relaxes and allows him to access the warmth of her mouth.

He is kissing her.

How does the kiss feel like to him? She wonders.

A woman’s scent, as sweet as he has imagined in his dreams. Actually, it’s better than what he’s imagined. When they lips touched, he feels like he is licking honey… He doesn’t want to let go of her.  When her nose tip touches his face, and her lashes brushes over his cheeks… Oh… it’s so ticklish, but pleasant. 

This kiss… is different from what he expected.

He thought he would kiss like a gentleman -  gently, softly.. that would be a perfect kiss.  But after awhile, he felt he wanted more…a more in-depth kiss. He instinctively uses his tongue to swipe across the opening of her lips.  She opens her mouth.  He can feel her s.h.i.+vering even more as he slides his tongue inside her mouth and tangles with hers…. her breathing becomes heavier.  She releases her hand from gripping the armrest to rest gently on his chest.  He is stirred by her responsiveness to his kiss.  There’s a pleasure he has never felt before in his life.  He wraps his hands around the  back of her  waist and deepens his kiss.  Even he is starting to gasp for air…

After a long time, he finally lets go of her, concluding their real first kiss.  

A pa.s.sionate french kiss.

Jyao’s face is burning.  Her dreamy eyes are gleaming like the stars. 

BJY’shand is still cradling her around her shoulders.  He looks at her.  Even his face, which is usually pale, has a touch of red on his cheeks.

“That’s was great.  Don’t you think?”  He says in a low voice.

Jyao’s face couldn’t get any redder than this.  But her heart is filled with joy.  She asks softly: “Why did you kiss me?”

BJY: “What’s wrong with kissing my girlfriend?”

Jyao’s lips curl into a smile: “When did I agree to be your girlfriend?”

BJY looks at her.  The hand that is resting on her shoulder starts to twirl and play with her hair.

“Then you can think about it now.”

Neither of them speaks for a while.  Then he says: “Jyao.  I like you.  No matter which angle you look from, we are a perfect match.  In the past, we’ve obviously positioned our relations.h.i.+p incorrectly.”

Then he continues in his low voice: “We are attracted to each other.  We suit each other.  I don’t think you need to even think  about it.  Our kiss, it says it all.  You, and me.  We have feelings for each other.  I want you, Jyao, as my woman, my lover.”

Jyao is speechless.  He said ‘he likes her!

He also said ‘they have incorrectly positioned their relations.h.i.+p’ - what utter rubbis.h.!.+   Only HE had the wrong idea.

And, “he wants her?”??

The cabin is quiet other than the sound of the water beneath them.  Jyao leans into his arms.  After a while, he turns to look at her: “So, what’s your decision?”

Jyao tries not to laugh: “It’s just been a few minutes.”

He sweeps her a look: “Ok, take your time.”  Then he points at his face with his finger: “Kiss me.  I initiated the kiss earlier.  Now it’s your turn.”

Jyao laughs: “….what?”  That’s BJY’s logic for you.

He stops urging.  But he doesn’t move.  He is waiting.  Jyao’s heart is beating faster again.  She leans over and kisses him softy on his cheeks.

He turns around and looks straight into her eyes.

“That was perfect!”  He mutters.

Before she has time to respond, he tightens his arms to pull her even closer towards him. Not giving her a chance to object, he kisses her again. 

————

By the time they leave the boat, her lips are a little swollen.  

So is his.  A twenty two year woman and a twenty six years old man, acting like teenagers that experience love for the first time.  

The streets are still filled with people having a good time at the bars and nightclubs.  BJY has his arm around her waist.  They are walking to the carpark together.

He is in a fantastic mood.  Everything seems to be beautiful and lovely.  Even when the carpark warden greeted BJY, he did something he’s never done before.  He responded.  

————-

As they leave the nightlife district, there’s less cars on the road.  They drive through the city lights.

BJY has his hand on the steeling wheel.  He can’t stop smiling.  Jyao is sitting beside him.  Her heart is filled with a happiness that she can’t even start to describe.

Perhaps it’s because they kissed too much?  Both of them are feeling thirsty.  Jyao takes out a bottle of mineral water on the side.  She drinks a few mouthful and is about to put the lid back on.  BJY reaches his hands out to take it from her.

Jyao tells him: “There’s another bottle.  Do you want me to get it for you?”

BJY smiles at her:” I am drinking yours.”  He starts drinking.  

He is so natural with actions like these… it’s so sweet that it’s almost reached the point of being sickening…  But she loves it.

After driving for a while, he turns to look at her.

“Yao Yao, do you want me?” He asks.

Jyao just about chokes on the mouthful of water she is sipping. 

Though his choice of word is suggestive, she is sure the word ‘want’ means ‘belong to’ in this context.

She coughs and then answers softly: “You are already my boyfriend.”

- After that pa.s.sionate kiss, you are still asking if I want you?

BJY pauses for a while and says: “I mean… my body.”

Jyao coughs more.  This time, her face is red too.

“No… not now.” she answers immediately.

- Come on, the thought has never crossed her mind.

But then she thought about her answer.  Not now?  Why didn’t she simply say no?

They stop at the traffic lights.  He looks on to the road ahead.  Then he says: “It will be very beautiful.”

It took a while for Jyao to understand what he was referring to. 

Her face burns again.

This guy…

She used to think to herself.  If one day, he decides to like her too, she will probably have to initiate a lot of things in the relations.h.i.+p, since his love EQ is so low.  He has no experiences with relating to girls.  But she is willing to guide him.  Step by step, they will create a future today.  Because, even though she has not been in a relations.h.i.+p before either, she is the one with the higher EQ.

But perhaps she is wrong.

After the ‘awakening’, even though his EQ is still lacking… he is a man with no shame!    And his narcissistic personality means he will just ask for what he wants, when he wants it.  So, he is already thinking about…

All this while, she has been quietly waiting for him to respond.  Carefully, they will build their relations.h.i.+p slowly.  One step at a time.

But the response she is getting seems very different from her expectations.  She is like a little rabbit who is hopping into a wolf’s den, ready to be devoured!

No.  It can’t be this way!

———————

They are back at the apartment block.  They stand in front of BJY’s front door. 

Jyao: “I’m going back.  Goodnight.”

BJY smiles.  His arm is still around her waist: “I will send you up.”

Jyao is still thinking about his ‘want’ statement.  She stiffens a bit.  But he’s already pressed the b.u.t.ton for the elevator.  

That should be fine.  Jyao thinks to herself.  I won’t allow anything to happen tonight.  Not possible!  

They are standing outside Jyao’s door.  And Chen Mo is there, cuddled up in the corner.

Jyao asks curiously: “Chen Mo?  Why are you here?”

BJY looks at the empty sh.e.l.l.  The flower is gone.  Anyone could have taken it.  Kids, the cleaner, security… Oh well, never mind, he’s got the woman.  

Jyao is about to pick him up.  BJY stops her: “Just leave him here.  I will bring him down afterwards.”

Jyao: “Well, at least, take him with us.”

BJY gives her a glance: “Do you liked to be watched by a turtle while you are kissing your boyfriend?”

Jyao: “……”

So, he intends to kiss her again when they get inside?

She unlocks the door with her key, and says to him at the same time: “It’s getting late.  You should get going.  We have to go to the station tomorrow.” 

There’s a click sound.  BJY pushes the door open and walks in.  

Jyao follows behind.  She closes the door.

Jyao left a side lamp on.  It is not a very bright light, helps to create a lovely ambiance.  

He takes off his jacket, then turns around to look at her.  

She feels a bit uneasy and walks to the kitchenette: “Would you like some water?” she asks.

He has walked up to her.  She turns around.  He puts his hands on her shoulders.  He looks at her with a smile. 

Before she has time to think, he has pushed her all the way to her bed.  

“What are you doing?” She puts her hand in front of his chest to block him from coming any closer.  But before she knows it, she is pushed onto the bed, with him lying on top of her.  

His lips are always covering hers, he replies fuzzily: “Kiss you, of course.  Now, close your eyes.”

This kiss is even more pa.s.sionate than the ones on the boat.  Jyao feels his weight on top of hers.  She is feeling breathless.  One of his hands gliding over her hair, the other holding one of her hands.  He deepens the kiss…

Both of their breathing quickens.  BJY ’s lips have left her face, it’s moving down the curves of her neckline… downwards.  He is just following his primitive instincts.

Jyao never felt this way before…. the tinkling sensation.  She feels like she is melting under his lips…

Suddenly, she feels coolness in her chest.  She looks down.  He’s left her neck.  His hand is unb.u.t.toning her s.h.i.+rt, and his mouth is resting on her soft plump skin… 

Jyao pushes him away: “Stop!  Not there.”

BJY lifts up his head.  His face is red.  He looks at her.  Then she sees him licking his lips, as if he wants more.  But he decides to let go of her.  

They sit side by side on the bed.  Though the long kiss is over, the atmosphere is still hot and steamy.  Jyao carefully b.u.t.tons up her top, pulls her clothes and uses her fingers to brush her messy hair.  Then BJY takes her hand and places it inside his. 

He slips his hand around her waist and holds her.  He looks at her.  His voice is still coa.r.s.e: “To reciprocate the favour… don’t you want to kiss my neck?”

Jyao’s heart starts pounding again.  

Why is it so hard to resist him? 

She puts her hands on his shoulder.  Then she leans over and gently presses her lips on his neck.  His scent wafting around her and into her nostrils.  His hands gently caressing her cheeks, her hair, her ears….

After a while, she looks up.  They stare into each other eyes.  

“You are so s.e.xy…”  He says softly.

Jyao’s face is burning with embarra.s.sment.   

He leans over to kiss her again.  She pushes him away with whatever strength is left inside her: “You should go.”

—————

Reluctantly, BJY returns to his apartment.  The first day of invasion stops at the neck.

Jyao lies in bed.  His masculine smell lingers in her studio.  She covers her face with the duvet. 

What is she going to do?  She is crazy about him, but he is moving so fast. How many times will she be able to stop his advancements? 

——————

BJY puts Chen Mo to the corner.  He takes a shower, then goes to bed. 

At night, he dreamt again.  In his dream, Jyao didn’t stop him when he was kissing her breast.  Then… the pa.s.sion continued…

Suddenly, BJY wakes up.  He sits on the bed for a few seconds.   He changes the bed linen and his pyjamas.  He throws them into the was.h.i.+ng machine.  Then he goes back to bed. 

……

Oh!  Tonight is so satisfying, and yet dissatisfying.