Thread: Hugs And Killers (McD & darkangel76)

Cecilee practiced her pieces in the quiet solitude of the recital hall. It was nice having no students or meeting to interrupt her and the sound of the music as it reverberated off the wall of the vast room were rich and warm and lovely. It sent jolts of excitement along her skin, causing her to shiver each time she took pause. Oh how she loved to play, but mainly to an empty room. She pushed up her glasses, her blue eyes scanning the empty seats and she let out a tiny sigh of relief seeing that each seat held no one in them. It would be different next weekend... Biting down on her lip, Cecilee knew she'd get over her nerves. Somehow, she always did. But, it wasn't something she could do on a daily basis or, hell, even a frequent one. It was why she was pursuing teaching in the first place. Performance always frightened her, but she knew it was essential, at least on some level. And right now the studio she worked at needed her to be able to do so. It was just one concert and she had to pull herself together. Right, Cecilee mumbled to herself, her body shaking just a bit as she thought about the upcoming performance. She looked down at her hands, resting gently on the black and white keysslender fingers ready to play at any moment. Immediately, she thought on the dress waiting for her back home, that lovely frock she'd received in the mail. Just then, she couldn't help but smile, her cheeks reddening at the thought of wearing it. Cecilee wondered if H.A.J. would come to see her play, if she'd be able to pick him out in the crowd if he did. She giggled to herself just then. Oh, what was she doing? Fantasizing over someone who'd sent her a present! Someone she didn't know, never saw! Yet... he watched her. She knew he did. Cecilee thought about her open window, the one she planned to leave open from now on. After Cecilee finished up at the recital hall, she gathered up her things, put on her red pea coat and hat and began the trek back home. The weather was still just as cold as it had been earlier on. She shuddered and let out a tiny sound as she clutched her bag closer, her face turning up toward the sky. She squinted a little and smiled as a few sprinkles kissed her face. When Cecilee opened the door of her apartment, she removed her shoes and hung up her coat. She then headed into her bedroom so that she could set down her bag and perhaps rest a moment before meeting up with Trisha later on. Her friend meant well and had a notion that she didn't get out enough. Though she really didn't want to go through with this little outing, she felt badly and decided to oblige her. As Cecilee went into her room, she suddenly halted, her bag dropping from her grip and landing upon the floor with a soft thud. There on her bed she saw an entire outfit laid out for her. Immediately, her heart began to race and her mouth went bone dry. Without hesitation she turned to look at her window and headed toward it. Upon reaching it she noticed that the thing was unlocked and completely undamaged. Her cheeks felt warm and she raised a hand to touch one with her fingers. Backing away slowly, she moved back toward her bed and looked at what had been laid out. The outfit was beautiful, well thought out and something she'd be comfortable wearing. Cecilee glanced around and noticed her planner on her desk. It was lying just a bit differently than how she'd left it last. Biting down on her lip, she slowly moved toward it, daring to pick it up. There was something stuck in the pages so she opened it and there was a matchbook. 'The Regent'? Cecilee said aloud as she took the matchbook out and looked at it quizzically. There was writing on it, her blue eyes widening at the sight of it and it matched the scrawl of the letter from the previous note she'd gotten from H.A.J. Her planner forgotten, she dropped it onto her bed and sat down looking at the matchbook, reading over the words again and again and again. H.A.J. was going to be there. He was going to be there! Cecilee knew what it meant and she just nodded to no one, her hands clutching the matchbook tightly. The next couple hours seemed horrendously long as Cecilee did things about her apartment. She cleaned and spruced up the place to help pass the time, sipped some tea, read some more of her book... She even tried to take a nap. But none of that worked. Finally, it was getting close to the time she'd be meeting up with Trisha. Licking her lips, she glanced over at her open window and smiled, her cheeks flushed as she gathered up the clothes, panties and braeven the lipstickand headed into her bathroom. Cecilee carefully laid everything out and turned on the shower, adjust the water to just the right temperature. Once satisfied, she undressed herself and let her clothes from the day fall into a heap on the floor and slowly stepped inside. She washed her hair thoroughly, working a thick lather into her dark hair. After rinsing that out, she took the time to condition her hair as well. She then washed her face, followed by her body. The soap smelled nice and felt good as she scrubbed it all over her pale skin. She took the time to shave, grooming herself even though there wasn't anyone special in her life, though she couldn't help but think of H.A.J. and his messages, her face burning with embarrassment as she pushed that out of her head for being so silly. Or was it? Oh, Cecilee hardly knew. But entertaining the notion of someone even remotely showing interest, even a little...was nice. She knew Trisha would hardly approve! As Cecilee rinsed the soap from her body, her hands moving over each part with great care, she took one last rinse and turned off the water. She stepped out and shivered as the cold air hit her skin, quickly toweled dry, wrapping up her hair as she made to dress herself in the outfit picked out by H.A.J. Once dressedpanties and allshe put on the lipstick and then did her hair. After everything was as she wanted it, she left her bathroom and grabbed her flats, slipping them on. She walked over to her mirror and peered at herself, wondering if H.A.J. would approve. The thought made her blush, avert her eyes as she pushed up her glasses in a shy motion. At that, Cecilee left her bedroom, bag in hand, and went to get her coatthe red oneand went outside to wait for Trisha, knowing she'd be by any moment to get her so that they could go and get their drinks.