• Title: Her Little Hands
    © Christina Cabral

    He graciously walked her home to a black iron gate and low concrete stairs. They looked a lopsided match as her 5 foot frame had to trot along side his lanky 6 foot tall strides. It was the first time they had ever been alone and he was nervous, looking down at her through dyed ebony hair.

    "Hey thanks for walking with me." She said stopping on the top step of her apartment building.

    He gawked at her dumbfounded, hands at his sides. He watched her search in her bag for the door keys, scrunching her face digging in frustration.

    "Damn! I must have lost my keys at the studio." She said stomping her foot, "Can you give me a lift?"

    He continued to look at her blankly.

    "Giovanni!" She snapped, "Lift me up to the window so I can get in!"

    Giovanni began to blush as he walked over to her side. She reached out her arms to grab hold of the windowsill. Little strands of acid green hair fell away from her loose bun, tickling his nose. It smelled of apple strawberry shampoo.

    "Karla, you could have just knocked." Said a voice from the door way below. She had pink curlers in her ash blond hair and an avocado mask.

    "I didn't know you were still awake, Claud." Replied Karla tapping her human cherry picker on the head, "Let's go in."

    They walked into the narrow apartment that was cluttered with magazines, fabric reams and books. It was a tight fit as the pair made their way to a more roomy area near the kitchen.

    "Do you want anything to drink, Giovanni?" She asked rummaging through the cupboards below the sink.

    "Maybe I should get going. It's 10:30 and I'm opening tomorrow." He said turning awkwardly in the tiny kitchen.

    He knocked over an empty sauce pot and it fell to the floor with a dull clang. Just as he was about to reach out for it the door swung open flinging him and Karla into a wall. Her face was pressed against his stomach while her arms were pinned to the wall by the rest of him.

    "Sorry. Just needed a paper towel. G'night!" Said Claud leaving them alone again.

    They looked at each other stunned. Giovanni's heart pounded at humming bird speed. Karla felt so small beneath him, like a butterfly cupped between his palms. She placed her tiny warm hands against his chest and he shivered.

    "I have to go." Giovanni sputtered backing away quickly.

    "Ok." Karla said walking him toward the kitchen door.

    He stopped at the door turning to face her. She bumped into his stomach once more and looked up into his dark brown eyes. He starred at her with a small frown grasping the doorway in his hands. Karla frowned at him as well, her doe eyes surprisingly cute from his angle.

    "What?" She asked impatiently.

    Their breath became shallow and Giovanni felt himself gravitating toward her. All the noise in the apartment was dulled and the room became a Disneyland tea cup ride. He felt warmer and warmer as their aura's seemed to intersect. They were now face to face, Giovanni had to lean over considerably.

    "Gio-" Karla began feeling the heat from her voice.

    Giovanni took her face into his hands and kissed her with a passion that forced her on tip toe. She gasped on to his long sleeves for balance as they fell backwards into the wall. He felt as if they were being sucked into a black hole.

    "This is amazing!" He thought tangling his fingers in her hair. He could feel every finger tip dig into his spine by her little hands. They danced along the edge of his slim frame, down to where she grasped at his belt.

    They parted finally but he still held her face close. She liked her lips biting the lower one.

    "Gio, You have to open tomorrow." She sighed grasping his shirt front tightly in her fingers. The black buttons clicking under her nails.

    "I know." He breathed pulling her closer, fingers still intertwined in the mass of green hair.

    "I'll see you at shift change, ok." Karla said kissing him on the neck. He melted in her hands pulling her closer again.

    "All right, see you tomorrow then." Giovanni said tearing himself away from her warmth.

    Giovanni lingered at the front door a moment but he knew if he went back in he wouldn't be able to let her go. Tomorrow seemed like forever.