Black Lace
Chapter 17
A/N: Love Me Like You Do (Acoustic) by Ellie Goulding
The beautiful city of New York, brimming with memories of her childhood. The splendor of the erect skyscrapers against the blue sky, and the bustling traffic, occasionally dotted with yellow from the taxis, made her nostalgic.
However, Alana had never seen the beauty of this large city through the window of a limousine. Her memories lay in late-night expeditions with her sister in her early teens. Sneaking out of the house late at night with Mel during the summer holidays had been one of her happiest memories. Alana had never been the type who disobeyed her parents, so to have a sister who was her complete opposite and a total rebel, it was absolutely thrilling.
Alana had not even realized when she had begun idolizing her older sister for her mutinous ways. Her adoration had grown to reverence, and Alana had often found herself justifying her sister's action when their parents allegated her for finding stashes of powder in her room.
Alana had continued to defend the sister who never truly cared about anyone but herself. Defended her partying streak, defended her poor grades, defended her inability to get into a good college and defended her promiscuous ways. So it had come as a total shock to her when she had found Mel in bed with Evan.
“You okay, babe?” She heard Louis’ voice break into her thoughts and turned to find him looking at her with what looked like concern. Alana gave him a small smile and lied, “Just enjoying the view.”
Louis’ face relaxed and he found himself smiling back, before stating, “It's beautiful, isn't it? I'll give you a tour of the entire city before we leave.”
Alana broke out in laughter at his assumption that she had never been to New York.
“What's so funny?” Louis asked in confusion, his beautiful face contorted, making him look even more adorable.
“I think I should be the one giving you the tour, love.” Alana mocked him with his own endearment. “Considering I spent almost 18 years of my life here.”
“Wait! You're a New Yorker?”
“Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn.” Alana informed, with a proud smile on her face. “I'm surprised you haven't dug that out in your little investigation on me.”
Louis froze at the remark to which Alana chuckled and assured him that she was only pulling his leg.
“Maybe I'll take you on a tour someday….but it has to be on feet.”
“You crazy? This place is like a bloody maze. Apart from Manhattan, you can't tell one block apart from the next.”
“You can if you look closely. Try looking for something distinct in each block...something which sets it apart from the next.. instead of looking at it as a whole structure.”
Louis looked out immediately, his interest made Alana's heart warm up. Alana scooted over to his side of the car seat and pointed out of the window to explain.
“Do you see the sign reading ‘Cafe Roma’? This means we're on Amsterdam Avenue. I think there's a Starbucks somewhere nearby.”
Alana turned back to Louis to find him staring at her instead of looking outside. Their eyes locked and Alana inched closer to decrease the distance between their lips. She closed her eyes just as their lips were about to touch, but instead of feeling the softness of his lips, she was met with resistance.
Alana instantly opened her eyes to find Louis holding his palm over her lips.
“Now, I know I'm irresistible and all, love. But you gotta get a hold of yourself. We're almost there.” Louis gave her a mischievous grin. Alana simply swatted his hand away and gave him a quick peck anyway, making him chuckle.
She settled in the crook of his arm and smiled happily as Louis wrapped his hand around her shoulders, bringing her closer to himself. This wouldn't be as bad as she anticipated, Alana thought to herself. As long as she stayed away from Brooklyn, she would do just fine.
“Now do you remember what I said?” Louisasked, one last time as the limousine began slowing down near the curb of the hotel.
“Hair tied, sunglasses on, hoodie cap pulled down to cover my face and fast strides.” Alana repeated like a mantra, hands turning clammy as she noticed the mob waiting outside.
“Perfect!” Louis gave her a reassuring smile and peck, before adding, “I'll go first just so that they don't have exposure to you from the front. And Preston will be behind you. Ready?”
Alana nodded and on cue the limo stopped, and someone opened Louis’ door for him. The sudden intrusion of noise, that was being muted by the windows of the limo before, made Alana even more nervous. She thought she would puke by the way her stomach kept knotting at the sight of the paparazzis.
Louis stepped out of the limo and was bombarded with all sorts of questions. Alana let out a breath before following Louis out of the limo. Instantly she was deafened by the noise and semi-blinded by the flashing lights of the camera. She hadn't anticipated that and was grateful to Louis for suggesting she wore the sunglass. She had thought he'd just wanted her to hide her face with the large frame.
“Louis, who is this?”
“Is she your new flame?”
“Louis, I love you!”
“How long before you trash this one?”
All the questions were making Alana dizzy. Did he have affairs with women as frequently as the shutterbugs were suggesting? She heard Preston screaming at the mob of people to back up and and felt his hand on her back walk faster.
Hair, sunglass, hoodie cap, fast strides. Alana was so busy maintaining her composure that she almost fell when someone from the crowd pulled her hoodie cap off, leaving her rooted on spot. The flashlights went off like crazy and Alana was met by the most distasteful questions in her life.
“Are you in the long line of women Louis is bagging?”
“Gold-fucking-digger!”
“Do you consider Eleanor Calder a threat?”
“Louis is mine, you ugly cunt!”
“Do you think Louis will keep you longer than 48 hours? His last was a 32!”
“What the fuck!” She heard Louis shout above the noise of the mob. “Back the fuck off, you twat!”
She watched Louis push the guy who had pulled her hoodie on his chest and Preston tackled the man, but Alana was too paralyzed to move. The hotel security intervened and ushered both Louis and Alana in. Louis wrapped his arms around Alana, muttering cusses under his breath and led her to the entrance.
Alana was greeted by warm air and the lessening of noise in the hotel lobby. It wasn't until she got into the elevator and opened her shades that she realized that her cheeks were soaked with tears.
The beautiful city of New York, brimming with memories of her childhood. The splendor of the erect skyscrapers against the blue sky, and the bustling traffic, occasionally dotted with yellow from the taxis, made her nostalgic.
However, Alana had never seen the beauty of this large city through the window of a limousine. Her memories lay in late-night expeditions with her sister in her early teens. Sneaking out of the house late at night with Mel during the summer holidays had been one of her happiest memories. Alana had never been the type who disobeyed her parents, so to have a sister who was her complete opposite and a total rebel, it was absolutely thrilling.
Alana had not even realized when she had begun idolizing her older sister for her mutinous ways. Her adoration had grown to reverence, and Alana had often found herself justifying her sister's action when their parents allegated her for finding stashes of powder in her room.
Alana had continued to defend the sister who never truly cared about anyone but herself. Defended her partying streak, defended her poor grades, defended her inability to get into a good college and defended her promiscuous ways. So it had come as a total shock to her when she had found Mel in bed with Evan.
“You okay, babe?” She heard Louis’ voice break into her thoughts and turned to find him looking at her with what looked like concern. Alana gave him a small smile and lied, “Just enjoying the view.”
Louis’ face relaxed and he found himself smiling back, before stating, “It's beautiful, isn't it? I'll give you a tour of the entire city before we leave.”
Alana broke out in laughter at his assumption that she had never been to New York.
“What's so funny?” Louis asked in confusion, his beautiful face contorted, making him look even more adorable.
“I think I should be the one giving you the tour, love.” Alana mocked him with his own endearment. “Considering I spent almost 18 years of my life here.”
“Wait! You're a New Yorker?”
“Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn.” Alana informed, with a proud smile on her face. “I'm surprised you haven't dug that out in your little investigation on me.”
Louis froze at the remark to which Alana chuckled and assured him that she was only pulling his leg.
“Maybe I'll take you on a tour someday….but it has to be on feet.”
“You crazy? This place is like a bloody maze. Apart from Manhattan, you can't tell one block apart from the next.”
“You can if you look closely. Try looking for something distinct in each block...something which sets it apart from the next.. instead of looking at it as a whole structure.”
Louis looked out immediately, his interest made Alana's heart warm up. Alana scooted over to his side of the car seat and pointed out of the window to explain.
“Do you see the sign reading ‘Cafe Roma’? This means we're on Amsterdam Avenue. I think there's a Starbucks somewhere nearby.”
Alana turned back to Louis to find him staring at her instead of looking outside. Their eyes locked and Alana inched closer to decrease the distance between their lips. She closed her eyes just as their lips were about to touch, but instead of feeling the softness of his lips, she was met with resistance.
Alana instantly opened her eyes to find Louis holding his palm over her lips.
“Now, I know I'm irresistible and all, love. But you gotta get a hold of yourself. We're almost there.” Louis gave her a mischievous grin. Alana simply swatted his hand away and gave him a quick peck anyway, making him chuckle.
She settled in the crook of his arm and smiled happily as Louis wrapped his hand around her shoulders, bringing her closer to himself. This wouldn't be as bad as she anticipated, Alana thought to herself. As long as she stayed away from Brooklyn, she would do just fine.
“Now do you remember what I said?” Louisasked, one last time as the limousine began slowing down near the curb of the hotel.
“Hair tied, sunglasses on, hoodie cap pulled down to cover my face and fast strides.” Alana repeated like a mantra, hands turning clammy as she noticed the mob waiting outside.
“Perfect!” Louis gave her a reassuring smile and peck, before adding, “I'll go first just so that they don't have exposure to you from the front. And Preston will be behind you. Ready?”
Alana nodded and on cue the limo stopped, and someone opened Louis’ door for him. The sudden intrusion of noise, that was being muted by the windows of the limo before, made Alana even more nervous. She thought she would puke by the way her stomach kept knotting at the sight of the paparazzis.
Louis stepped out of the limo and was bombarded with all sorts of questions. Alana let out a breath before following Louis out of the limo. Instantly she was deafened by the noise and semi-blinded by the flashing lights of the camera. She hadn't anticipated that and was grateful to Louis for suggesting she wore the sunglass. She had thought he'd just wanted her to hide her face with the large frame.
“Louis, who is this?”
“Is she your new flame?”
“Louis, I love you!”
“How long before you trash this one?”
All the questions were making Alana dizzy. Did he have affairs with women as frequently as the shutterbugs were suggesting? She heard Preston screaming at the mob of people to back up and and felt his hand on her back walk faster.
Hair, sunglass, hoodie cap, fast strides. Alana was so busy maintaining her composure that she almost fell when someone from the crowd pulled her hoodie cap off, leaving her rooted on spot. The flashlights went off like crazy and Alana was met by the most distasteful questions in her life.
“Are you in the long line of women Louis is bagging?”
“Gold-fucking-digger!”
“Do you consider Eleanor Calder a threat?”
“Louis is mine, you ugly cunt!”
“Do you think Louis will keep you longer than 48 hours? His last was a 32!”
“What the fuck!” She heard Louis shout above the noise of the mob. “Back the fuck off, you twat!”
She watched Louis push the guy who had pulled her hoodie on his chest and Preston tackled the man, but Alana was too paralyzed to move. The hotel security intervened and ushered both Louis and Alana in. Louis wrapped his arms around Alana, muttering cusses under his breath and led her to the entrance.
Alana was greeted by warm air and the lessening of noise in the hotel lobby. It wasn't until she got into the elevator and opened her shades that she realized that her cheeks were soaked with tears.
Notes
Alana's OutfitA/N: I had truly forgotten how it felt to write and get such lovely feedback. :) Thank you to everyone enjoying the story. <3 Trying my best to update as frequently as possible.
please update soon
9/25/16