Starlight Key - Scene 7 Starlight Key (Aurora)

As Aurora walked around the corner she came into a garden lit with small twinkle lights in the trees as well as discreetly placed lights in the garden itself. There was a heavy floral scent, jasmines the most obvious, but also roses, mint and lemons that she’d noticed hanging on a tree near the barn. She could also hear a fountain running from somewhere off to the side, but what caught her breath was the line of seven breathtaking men all smiling at her.

They were various heights, had various hair color, many of them hair about shoulder length which she had to admit, she found sexy, but she couldn’t look at them long, it was making her dizzy.

She moved on auto pilot over near where Gabbie was standing, just as they rehearsed earlier that day. This was the part where, when they went over this before, each of the men had been represented by some of the staff and crew and though she had said before she was very appreciative of all the female faces on the crew, the line now was far more appealing than it had been in rehearsal, but also made everything all the more real.

She looked slowly down the line, hoping one would just jump out and scream; it’s me, your soul mate!

Sadly, that did not happen.

“Well, Aurora, what do you think?” Gabbie asked, smiling at her.

“It’s overwhelming.” She smiled tightly.

She probably looked like she had a stick up her ass. She needed to block out all the cameras and people standing around. It was just as Gabbie had said a few moments before, this wasn’t about any of them, it was about her and these men.

“Well, it’s about to get even more so as each man is about to come up here one at a time and say hello.” Gabbie signaled for the first man to step forward.

Aurora held her breath.

The first man came forward. Blonde hair with tanned skin, wearing a tux, and as he stepped towards her and held out his hand, she noticed he had bright green eyes.

“Hi Aurora, I’m Kai. I’ve been looking very forward to this.” He took her hand and gently squeezed.

His smile reassured her. It was almost as if he understood her nerves. His hair was short and gelled, styled in a very current fashion and his cheeks bore the faintest hint of stubble. He had very thick lashes and looked like a fashion model.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She couldn’t think of one single thing to say.

Nothing current.

Nothing fascinating.

Nothing even inane.

She started wondering again what Jules was thinking choosing her for this and feared she would end up nothing but an embarrassment to her.

“I imagine this is a lot to take in, but I’m glad I’m here and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

He took both her hands for a moment, the released her and walked around behind her, deeper into the garden all the while she was left staring with her mouth hanging open.

Gabbie reached across and squeezed her hand.

“So far so good. Ready for another?”

“Sure.”

Inwardly she cringed.

She was coming across as an illiterate dolt.

She was sure of it.

The next man strode forward. He was beautiful if ever a man could be described as such. His pale blue eyes honestly seemed to sparkle. His smile was perfect, white and even. His black hair touched his shoulders and was streaked with deep purple. He had a soul patch died purple among otherwise black stubble and he wore his tux perfectly pressed and tailored. It had a hint of a retro flare. All put together, he looked like he just stepped off a film set from the sixties and could have been flanked by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, then held it there as he looked into her eyes.

All of a sudden there was a butterfly assault on her stomach. It was all she could do not to giggle like a blithering fool.

“It is my great pleasure Miss Grant.”

Only then did he follow through with the implied promise of kissing her hand.

If she’d been unable to speak before, there was no way she was going to find words now!

Never in her life had she been in the presence of such a man and it was all she could do not to dissolve into a heap of girlish twitters.

“Thanks.” She thought she smiled, but wasn’t sure she could still feel her face. “It’s nice to meet your smile.”

He smiled. Gabbie laughed and that was when she realized what she’d said.

“Oh Romeo, living up to your name already.” Gabbie gave him a playful shove. He just continued to smile.

“Romeo?” Aurora questioned if that was really his name.

He shrugged slightly and gave her a crooked smile while he tugged at one of the diamond studs in his ears.

“Mom was a poet and a great lover of classic literature. I have a brother named, Huckleberry and a sister, Scout.”

“Seriously?” That must have been some family.

“No.” He smiled and his eyes sparkled with humor. “But it was a good story, right?”

She finally giggled, then thought better of it. She covered her mouth and felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment.

He reached up and took both her hands in his.

“You have a fabulous giggle. It’s sexy and I hope I hear it often.”

Gabbie started fanning herself.

“Okay Romeo, time for you to move it along.”

Aurora was so glad that Gabbie was there to orchestrate. If it had been up to her, she may very well have just declared herself done and Romeo the winner.

Both she and Gabbie watched Romeo disappear behind the hedge into the garden.

“Oooh boy howdy.” Gabbie took a second to compose herself then announced, “Next up we have Kieren.”

Aurora was thinking it simply wasn’t fair to make anyone follow Romeo, but she’d be fair to each of them. She pushed thoughts of Romeo aside and looked at Kieren as he stepped forward. He had hair as pale as his skin, blonde hair, short and spiked in a careless fashion. He was the only one not wearing a tux jacket, but instead, an embroidered vest and a western style tie. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow and as he got very close, she saw bright blue eyes and a natural ease in his smile.

“Hi sweetheart.” He took her hand, leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’m Kieren.”

“You’re Irish.” She smiled liking the sound of his accent right away as it brought her many wonderful memories of growing up. “My mother’s side of the family is from Ireland. My grandparents moved here when my mom was young, but they didn’t leave the culture behind.”

“We’re kin. Lovely.”

“Well hopefully not literally!” Gabbie exclaimed making both Aurora and Kieren laugh, albeit stiffly.

“One would hope not.” Kieren spoke as he continued to hold her hand.

She noticed of all the men, he seemed the most relaxed. He stood closer to her and he didn’t have the aura of trying to impress her. He was just being himself and that was nice.

He put his arm around her and started to walk.

“Come on, Aurora, I know a great Irish pub near here…”

Gabbie laughed and grabbed his arm stopping their departure.

“Wait a minute there Casanova, you haven’t won yet!”

 “Logistics.” He winked at Aurora and pulled her closer.

“I like him!” She surprised herself with her declaration.

“See!” He pleaded his case to Gabbie, who then swatted his arm and pulled him away from Aurora.

“Get your bony ass into the back with the others. Good grief.”

He and Aurora were still laughing. He winked at her and started walking away, holding her hand until their arms no longer stretched further.

“I’ll be waiting for you, Love.”

Aurora was delighted, but Gabbie rolled her eyes.

“Watch out for that one.” She teased.

Aurora liked him and was looking forward to seeing him again, but she wasn’t blind to the possible notion that he had player written on his forehead in invisible ink.

“I will, but then, I thought that’s why I had you.” She gave Gabbie a wicked grin.

“Oh, I’m your keeper now?” Gabbie laughed as she signaled the next man.

As he stepped forward, Aurora took in his dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes and deemed him dreamy!

The producers had definitely gotten her notes on hair length because this was yet another man long hair, only his was done up in intricate, neat dreadlocks that hung all the way down his back and he was gorgeous. His bowtie was a sapphire blue that matched his eyes perfectly and when he smiled at her, his goatee left most of his face bare.

She was in love.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aurora. I’m Rhys and I feel like I’ve waited an eternity for tonight.” He had a soft accent, British maybe. His words were genuine and his heart showed in his expression. “I think I was the first of the men cast, so I’ve known about this almost as long as you. I don’t know how you survived waiting for it to finally begin.”

She cocked her head to the side, considering his words.

“I guess I didn’t really think about it. I think for the longest time, it didn’t even seem real. Then it became a roller coaster and it was hang-on or fly off!”

He laughed, but it was true. It was strange how life just flew on whether you were agonizing every moment or flying along with it. She hoped Rhys hadn’t been agonizing, but at the same time, it would give her a sense of kindredness with him because had the situation been reversed… oh yeah, she’d have agonized every single moment.

“I don’t know how I would have handled being on your side. Honestly.”

“You’re kind.” He took her hands in his and squeezed.

She noticed how soft they were and how big. Hers were engulfed. She looked down at the juxtaposition of light and dark, large and small.

What a perfect blending.

It made her smile. She felt safe with him and when she looked back up into his eyes, he was smiling back at her.

He stepped forward and kissed her cheek. She felt the swishing of butterflies again. Before he pulled away, he whispered beside her ear. “I’m glad I waited for this.”

There was a moment, it shocked her, but she wanted to kiss him… or more, she wanted him to kiss her. She bit her lower lip and hoped he couldn’t read her thoughts.

“We’ll see you a little later in the garden Rhys.” Gabbie interjected.

Her voice hit Aurora like a bucket of cold water. For a half second, she’d forgotten the cameras, the weirdness, all of it. For a half second, it had been just her and Rhys and she liked that.

Gabbie leaned in again as Aurora watched Rhys walk away.

“I’ll take that one and the one with the hair at the end of the line when you’re finished with them.”

Aurora gasped then laughed.

The two of them giggled conspiratorially.

“See, its fun, right?” Gabbie asked.

She did not want to admit it, but, “Yeah. It’s fun!”

She could hardly believe it. Right then she felt nothing but grateful for the journey that had brought her to that exact moment in time.

“I’m so glad you’ve lightened up girl.” Gabbie nudged her, shoulder to shoulder. “Take a deep breath and plug your nose and dive in, because here comes the rest of the guys!”

That moment of relieved lightheartedness was fleeting and the knots tried to stage a coup against the butterflies.

The next man came towards her not giving her any time to revel in her newfound attitude, but when he gave her a crooked bad boy smile, she felt her stomach flip.

“I’m Aiden. Are you having a good time yet?” He asked as he hugged her.

Warmth surrounded her. She liked the way she felt in his arms, but it didn’t last long enough.

His hair was a reddish brown, he too wore it long, but the style was a bit more haphazard than any of the other men. His eyes were brown and they spoke of humor and intelligence. She noticed a gold hoop in his left lobe, a shark’s tooth around his neck and an intricate silver band around his thumb. The bowtie on his tux was undone and the top few buttons of his shirt left open. He wore full stubble and she caught the hint of a dimple in his right cheek as he smiled. He was also the first she noticed wearing cologne, a warm spiced scent with notes of lavender, oakmoss and tobacco. It was very sexy.

“I think I am… Having a good time.” Her nerves were dying away and she was starting to get a bit of a buzz from the excitement. All of that was surprising, but welcome.

“I’ve been watching you handle the men, you seem to know how to hold your own. You’ve impressed me.” He spoke somewhat formally, but there was playfulness in his tone.

She was slightly taken aback at his comment and blinked, trying to clear a myriad of thoughts and feelings.

“I’ve impressed you?” She half smiled, like the way that sounded.

“You have indeed.” He gave her a wicked grin in return that made her think she’d like to impress him some more.

“I know we’ll get a chance to talk more later, but I just wanted you to know, that I’m honestly excited about this process and I hope you and I make a real connection over the next few weeks.”

He hugged her again, and again she soaked in his warmth and his scent.

It was Aiden so far, above the others, who had made her relax. She very much appreciated that, but more, she felt something… it was like an innate sense of safety with him, like he’d slay dragons for her and in return, she’d be devoted to him.

She’d never considered herself to have psychic visions before that moment, but the sense of that image was so strong, she’d almost classify it as that.

“Do you believe in past lives?” The words were out of her mouth before she realized she even planned to say them and she wondered if she believed in past lives.

“I’m not sure.” He narrowed his gaze for a moment. “Maybe it’s something we can explore in some of our alone time.”

Why on earth did something so innocent sound so very risqué when he said it?

“I’d like that.” She bit the corner of her lip and noticed his gaze zeroed right in on the action.

She gasped and without meaning to, bit the entire bottom lip.

“Oh Miss Grant, we have much to talk about. I can tell this will be a great adventure for sure.”

She could barely breathe by the time he walked away into the garden.

There were five down, only two left, but much to her frustration, they stopped camera.

Lizzy, the make-up girl swept in and powdered her face.

“This is so surreal.” She spoke around Lizzy’s ministrations.

“What, having your make-up done or all these dreamy men?” Gabbie gushed as she stared at the remaining men.

“All of it.”

Lizzy finished and walked away without a word.

“Well, how are you feeling? I like them all, but God did you just die from Romeo or what?” Gabbie spoke in a staged whisper as she leaned in close.

Aurora giggled again. She could see trouble in her future if every time she was confronted with the man she fell into giggles.

“I’m sort of stuck on Aiden at the moment.” She chewed her lip again and relived the heated gaze he’d given her in response.

“Just remember to give them all a chance. After we’re done here, you’ll go into the garden, there’s food and drinks and places for privacy so take your time and get acquainted.”

She ran her hand over her stomach as her nerves swept back in.

“Yeah, yeah… Acquainted.”

Gabbie gave a playful slap to her shoulder.

“Not like that!” She looked genuinely surprised.

“I’m not thinking like that… exactly.”

She was, sort of, a little, how could she not be?

“Girl, I’m serious, you don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.” Gabbie stared her dead in the eye.

“I know. I do.”

The complexities of handling all of them, what if she hurt someone, or offend someone? What if she kissed one and the others saw? What if she went further than that and the guy talked?

“Gabbie, I think I’m in way over my head.”

“Take it one step at a time. That’s all you can do.” Gabbie rubbed her back. “You let me know when you’re ready to go, we’ll wait on you.”

She closed her eyes for a second and tried to focus. After she caught her breath, she pushed fear and uncertainty aside. Though she feared every shot of film done of her tonight would have her looking green and seasick, she would get through this night.

She gave Gabbie the thumbs up and as the next man came forward, she determined to handle this one like the professional competent woman she usually was.

Short dark hair that was gelled and neat, his tux was classic, his bow tie plaid. He tugged on one cuff of his shirt as he came close. As he stood right in front of her, she noticed he hadn’t smiled, nor made eye contact yet. He looked as nervous as she was so she went ahead and reached out to him, taking one of his hands in both of hers.

“Hi, I’m Aurora.”

For the first time all night, she felt a hint of balance.

He smiled then, but it was tense and did not reach his eyes.

“Reggie. I don’t always make the best first impressions.” He laughed nervously.

Funny enough, his nerves made hers vanish. She smiled openly and warmly and leaned in closer to whisper to him, “Me either, but I think you’re doing really great.”

He seemed relieved and hugged her.

“I’ll leave it there. Maybe you’ll think I’m smoother than I am.” He laughed, but this time it was more natural and at ease.

“Okay. I’ll see you in the garden.”

She waved over her shoulder as he left and was still smiling as she watched him disappear beneath the wooden arbor into the garden.

Gabbie leaned in and bumped shoulders with her.

“Hey, that went really well.”

Aurora squinched her nose and smiled, “I know, right?”

Too bad he couldn’t have been first. Perhaps this whole thing would have gone differently. She clapped her hands together in front of her and for the first time thought that maybe she’d not only survive the night, but possibly even find some enjoyment in it as well.

“Okay, here comes the last one… ready?” Gabbie looked enthused.

Aurora drew a deep breath and accidentally made eye contact with the last man still standing the farthest away from her at the end of the hedge. Despite the distance between them, she felt a bolt of electric energy sweep through her and it made her feel strong.

“I am.” She nodded.

She was more than ready. She was so ready, she nearly went to him.

Gabbie signaled him and he started walking closer. His tux jacket was white, his dark hair was pushed away from his face, but hung loose just past his shoulders. When he got close, she saw he had very blue eyes that were quite intense, but… it was too cliché to say it, but they looked like pools she just wanted to fall into.

Something about him… he made her feel ethereal.

The way Aiden had made her feel like a damsel rescued by a brave knight, this man made her feel like a goddess on a hillside awaiting the arrival of her one true love. Her skin tingled and energy buzzed all through her. It wasn’t butterflies, not like with the others. This was more intense, more... just more.

He reached out and took both her hands. She had to catch her breath at his touch. There was electricity in it. She gasped and looked into his eyes, wondering if he’d just felt what she had. It wasn’t a spark exactly, it was more of a… a knowing?

She dropped her head to the side and stared at him as if she already knew what he was about to say, but couldn’t quite pull the memory free.

“I feel like we’ve met before.” She hadn’t meant to speak first, and she certainly hadn’t meant to say that, but those were the words that fell out of her mouth all the same, intention or not.

“I get that a lot.” His accent was thickly Australian. “People always think they know me, or that their grandmother knows me.” His forehead furrowed and he smiled a bit sheepishly.

She giggled.

“Well, my grandmother’s dead, so if she knew you, there’s no way to find out. It’s nice though… I mean this—” She moved her hand back and forth between them in some attempt to signify the familiarity she was feeling with him. “—not my grandmother being dead.”

She rolled her eyes at herself.

“Well, good. Unless this—” He made the same motion. “—is the equivalent of friend zoning me.” He looked at her almost as if scolding her.

She laughed and chewed her lower lip.

“No. Definitely not.”

He was… she couldn’t even decide. He wasn’t dreamy like Rhys, or smooth and charismatic like Romeo, but oh god, there was a real serious pull. She only wished she understood what exactly it was.

“I don’t mean to interrupt this… whatever it is you two have going.” Gabbie disrupted the conversation. “But you haven’t told her who you are yet.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I’m Malcolm.” He recovered with a beautiful smile. “And though I’m sure every other man here said this already, it’s daunting to go last, but you look beautiful Aurora, and I’m so pleased to meet you.”

His accent was sexy and he just stared at her, beckoning her to fall. Now that she thought about it, the brief moments with each man had not been filled with compliments, sincere or otherwise and she was happy about that. Still, girl got an updo for this thing and was wearing a gown that cost more than her rent, so it was nice to hear it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Thank you Malcolm, it’s really nice to meet you too.” She found herself lost in his eyes as if the secret to where she knew him was in there.

“Well, that’s it Aurora.” Gabbie said joyfully. “And Mal, if you’d like to escort the lady of the hour to the back, you may have the honor.”

He smiled and took her arm.

“I thank you. Maybe going last has its perks after all.” He bowed his head to Gabbie.

Aurora rested her hand on his arm and that strange electric sensation made her fingers nearly go numb. They moved in the direction of the arbor, but when they got there, she stopped on a gasp as an awareness swept through her entire body, lighting it from head to foot.

“You okay?” He stopped and turned to look at her.

She shivered and shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling.

“Just a weird energy surge.”

She looked up into his eyes and smiled.

God, there’s something in those eyes.

She had to forcefully remind herself that she did not know this man and though right in that moment all she wanted to do was curl up somewhere and talk with him until the sun came up, that wasn’t the plan for the evening.

“Do you need to sit down or anything?” He placed both his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs gently touching her cheeks.

She giggled in a rather sexy fashion, completely unintentionally.

“No, but you’d probably be best not to touch me like that right now.” She teased.

His touch was completely innocent, but it made her feel drunk and horny. She bit her lip and drew a deep breath as comprehension dawned on him and his eyes darkened.

“Oh.” He smiled, clearly pleased, but removed his hands.

“Onto the garden then? He asked as he held out his arm again.

She bit her lip and drew another steadying breath then she giggled again.

If the people she worked with could see her right then, they wouldn’t recognize her… then she remembered in a few months, they would see her right this moment.

“Onto the garden.” She smiled passed the realization of people watching.

This truly was going to be an adventure, an adventure she hoped she’d be able to appreciate and enjoy.