l♥️ve takes time

quiet with no one in the parlour or corridor even as we walked quietly to enter her room.

"So..." I chuckled in cluelessness as I sat on her bed; rubbing both palms on my thighs with my eyes still fixed on Nora who stood in front of me.

"I hope it isn't late for a drink?" She teased, folding her arms with a smile on her face. Her hip was tilted to the side as she waited for my response.

"Um... Maybe" I nodded.

"Ok... give me a sec." She said and turned around.

I exhaled sharply the moment she left the room before removing the phone from my pocket to check the time. It was now 8:30pm -- and by this time I should have been in my room and on my bed sleeping!

'pffff, I'll only spend 20 minutes and then I'll be gone' I told myself inaudibly and returned the phone back to my pocket; rubbing my palms nervously as I waited for Nora to return. Then I stood up from the bed and walked forward to stand in front of a framed photo hanging on her room wall. It was a high school photo of her wearing a cheerleader outfit in a football field.

"Don't laugh... But that was one of my last days in school." Nora's amused voice drew my attention as she returned, walking towards me with two glasses of wine in both hands.

"No... I -- I actually like the photo" I smiled, turning to face her. Then I added as I collected the glass of wine she handed to me. "Thank you"

"So... How is it?" She teased with a warm smile, looking at me as I took a sip of the wine.

I swallowed gently and looked straight into her eyes before saying in a low voice that sounded almost like a tease. "It's... It's Beautiful"

Nora giggled, looking away to hide the blush on her face; almost as if she knew I was using the wine as a means to compliment her good looks. "I prefer wine to soft drink or fruit juice." Her voice broke out softly as she returned her gaze at me.

"Even when it's alcoholic?" I raised my glass to study the dark reddish colour of the wine.

"Yep!" She laughed and took a sip of her wine before asking. "And you, don't you like it -- I mean when it has a little of alcohol in it?"

"Alcohol?" I scoffed in a rhetorical tone and walked back to sit on the bed. Then I turned my head to look at Nora who also lowered herself to sit by my side. "My mom and dad... They'd never allow me taste anything that's alcoholic -- never"

"So like uh... This is your first time?" She asked with her lips broadening into a grin.

"Mm-hmm" I hummed shyly; removing my eyes from hers to lower it on my glass of wine.

"Gosh, am such a bad influence" she shook her head with a surprised chuckle.

"Why will you say that?" I giggled immediately, raising my head to study her face. In a way, I found her words a bit amusing and somewhat confusing at the same time. She was no bad influence to me, at least for now -- I mean, she was a true definition of the word 'Fun.'

So she turned her head slowly to face me and parted her lips in response, saying "Well... Because I'm making you break so many rules your parents wouldn't want you to -- like causing you to stay out late and..."

"No no, that's on me... I snuck out because I wanted to" I countered quickly, looking at Nora who sat mute with a soft smile on her face. "And as for tasting alcohol... Am not sorry I broke that rule" I chuckled and took another sip of my wine.

"Mmm, you're sweet" she teased in a faint giggle and raised her glass to drink.

We sat for some few minutes, sipping at our wine in silence with so many amusing thoughts filling my head. My eyes became a bit drowsy, my skin was flushed and I felt unusually excited -- smiling to myself for nothing. Then it dawned on me...

"Uh, you're tipsy aren't you?" Nora mocked as she caught me smiling to myself.

"Pfff... Am not" I shrugged my shoulders in denial before downing the last of my wine. She didn't believe any word I'd just said; and why should she, when she was actually right -- I was drunk! But I wasn't willing to admit it to her face.

"Trust me, I know when someone is tipsy and not" Nora laughed and collected the empty glass of wine from my hand; leveling it on the floor beside her left leg before returning her gaze back at me.

She was about parting her lips to speak when my hearty voice broke out to hush hers.

"Something tells me... you purposely wanted me drunk" I teased halfway in my amused laugh.

Nora gave a sharp gasp of surprise and covered her mouth to muffle her giggle before giving me a light punch on my left shoulder which I barely felt. Her behaviour also hinted that she was tipsy, but not all that visible as mine.

"And why will I want to get you drunk, huh?" She teased back.

"I dunno... you tell me" I chuckled with a shrug and fell mute, staring into her eyes with the smile on my face fading into a purposeful look.

"What?" She inquired in a quiet voice as she studied the look on my face.

"You-- you're so beautiful" I blurted in a flirtatious tone that expressed my feelings; making her a bit shy as she lowered her gaze and lifted her right hand to rub the back of her neck.

"Thanks.." she said, almost in a whisper and lifted her gaze back. Then without waiting for me to say another word, she added in a somewhat playful chuckle. "But i guess that's the alcohol talking"

With my eyes still glued on hers, I countered almost in a soft whisper. "No, that's me talking"

Nora said nothing at this moment but sat still with her eyelids blinking in yearning desire. Then she drew closer and slowly placed her right hand on the side of my neck to cup it before whispering almost close to my lips.

"I know you'll be going home soon"

"Yeah, I know" my voice sounded faint and lustful. Then I leaned my lips closer and kissed hers.

But she withdrew slowly from my kiss and whispered to my face with the warmth of her breath caressing my lower lip as she spoke. "Henry, we -- we shouldn't do anything our head is telling us to -- plus, we're a little drunk"

"I know we shouldn't" I admitted in a hushed whisper, but wasn't completely honest. Deep down inside me, I was against her advice -- I wanted to make every second of my time with her a memorable one. And what better way to make it memorable if not having a romantic moment with her!

"But a part of me just wants to listen to my head right now" I whispered again in a romantic tease; smiling sheepishly at Nora who smiled back. Then as if engulfed by a sudden wave of desire, she wrapped both hands around my neck and pulled me to a passionate kiss -- roving her hands behind my head as our lips remained locked, caressing each other with soft moans fizzling out from our...

"Did you hear that?" I pulled away instantly from our intense kissing with my voice sounding almost breathless.

"Hear what?" She whispered to my face with a confused look.

"Listen.." I urged her to remain silent. Then we listened for a minute or so before we heard the repeated knock on their parlour door -- so loud we could hear it inside her room.

Nora jumped up from the bed and adjusted her top over her shoulders in a nervous manner.

"Are you guys expecting anyone tonight?" I asked, looking at her as she hurriedly carried the empty wine glasses on floor and set them on the cabinet beside her bed.

"No" she replied bluntly and walked back to stand beside me.

"What about your boyfriend?" I asked, even though the question sounded very stupid in my ears.

"Jake?.. he knows too well not to ever visit me at night or stay till midnight... My mom would literally kill me if she found out" She replied in a hasty voice with her hands swaying in the air as she spoke. Then she lowered her voice and said in a very serious tone "just wait here while I go check who's at the palour door -- and please, don't make any sound. The last thing I want is for my parents finding out that I snuck a guy into my room at night"

"Okay" I nodded my head, feeling a bit tensed and nervous. I began to feel regrets; what was I thinking coming over to spend time with her -- and at night for that matter! Or wasn't I thinking at all?!

Then just as Nora was about turning to leave her room, a frightening thought entered my head; causing my eyes to widen in horror.

"Wait!" I halted her immediately.

"What?" She sounded a bit frustrated with a frown as she turned to face me.

"What if it's my mom, or dad at the door?" I asked, sounding a bit worried. Even my uneasy composure suggested to her that I wasn't comfortable.

"Well, what then should I say to them if they're the ones?" She threw the question back at me with her left leg wiggling in impatience.

"Uh, errm... errm..." I slurred in confusion, roving my eyes on the floor as I thought of the right response to give to her. Then I lifted my gaze again and said "Just tell them am not here"

"Fine" Nora sighed and turned to leave.

But was that the right thing to say -- telling her to lie to my parents about my whereabouts? I sincerely doubt that! And what if they later found out that I was actually present in Nora's house, how will they perceive me? These thoughts boggled my mind, causing me to question my previous response to Nora.

'no, she should just tell them the truth instead' I chorused in my mind and quickly lifted my head to tell Nora. But it was too late for me now because she'd left the room even before I could notice. And as I sat stiff on her bed, I could hear footsteps in their corridor as it faded towards their parlour with sounds of room doors squeaking open and close which only meant one thing -- the whole house was now awake, probably woken by the visitor's persistent knocking!

My only prayer and hope now was that it shouldn't be my mom or dad at their door... I begged the Lord that it shouldn't.

'How do I leave now that her whole family is awake' I groaned under my breath; feeling very much uneasy and impatient. Then I stood up from the bed and tiptoed towards her room door; leaning my left ears on it in a bid to listen to the voices coming from the palour -- but they were too low for me to hear, and I couldn't conclude if my parents were actually the visitors or not!

"Please God, God, God...just don't let it be them" I exhaled from my mouth in a frustrative breath and slowly retreated my staggering steps from Nora's door when I heard the fast approaching footsteps of someone coming towards her room.

I froze, holding my breath as i stood still with my palms becoming itchy and sweaty in fear while looking at the room door handle. It clicked and turned before the door finally swung open before my eyes.