ICanBeAnyone

Lottery Winner

SHe laughed again as he lifted her up, her arms wrapping around his neck as her legs wrapped lightly around his waist. "mmm Oh I am certain I can do better than an oversized tub and shaky chair." She told him.

She smiled into the kiss as his lips met hers again. His inexperience wasn't immediately obvious, he did a great job reading the signals she was giving off. She lightly trailed her fingers across his jaw line as he pulled back.

He kissed her forehead and she sighed softly before leaning her head forward to rest her forehead lightly against his. She drew a deep shaky breath before whispering. "Morning is a long time from now."

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Aliyah loved listening to him talk. It was like there was no off switch for his brain if it was a thought that occurred to him, he vocalized it. She waited until he was finished and smiled. "Breathe... To answer your question both asked and implied. A rosary is a very long redunant prayer. It is counted out on what looks like a beaded necklace with a crucafix. You start with the Apostles Creed, the Glory Be and the Our Father, then it is a repetition of ten Hail Marys followed by an Our Father. There are mysteries or miracles that we focus on during the prayer. Each set of ten is called a decade, and there are five decades. A full Rosary is saying all the mysteries, which is 15 decades. I usually only say 5. As for confession, there are a lot of things Catholics are told we should confess. I would have to confess that I havent attended mass regularly, I am supposed to go every Sunday and every holy day of obligation. I would also have to confess times I lost my temper, or acted in a way that was not Christ like."

Aliyah laughed as he explained to the Sister that the money that was being donated was the remainder of his date budget. She was very proud of him. He had managed quite well, and until the church quiet under budget. She walked out to the limo her arm wrapped around Duncan. She slid into the limo as he offered to make sure she could get to mass. Her eyes went wide as a thought occurred to her. "Really? " She asked. "Maybe we could make it to Mass in Rome." She said wide eyed. It had never really been something she thought about before, it wasn't like she was a devout Catholic, but that was an experience she would probably really enjoy.

She kept her arm around his hips as they walked through the lobby of the casino to the private elevator. She was quite relaxed, and her body language showed it. They got back to his Villa and he mentioned needing to use the whirlpool for his hip. She nodded in sympathy. She was used to the walking these days, as she spent most of her life on her feet.

He mentioned needing only the spa and the massage chair to help him sleep like a baby. She turned to him and took a few steps, closing the distance between them. "Really?" She said quietly. "and here I was hoping that maybe I had given you enough to think about to keep you up at night." She said as she pulled him down toward her to kiss his lips softly. "Maybe I should try harder." She teased in a whisper pulling her lips away from his only enough to speak.

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"I grew up Catholic, so this feels like home to me. Although I haven't been to mass in a very long time." She said quietly. "Mostly it is because after Grandma died, there was no one to make sure I went, and now I work Sunday mornings, and Saturday evenings I am usually too tired to make it." She smiled and rested her head lightly against Duncan's arm. "If I were to go to confession now it would probably take HOURS" she said.

She had gone to a Baptist church with a friend in highschool, it was very different for her. She liked the routine of mass. She wasn't a fan of what felt like improv to her.

She nodded slowly as he mentioned ending the evening so she had plenty of time to get sleep. "I do have to swing back by the Hotel and grab my bag quick." She told him. "But I have had a really great time." She laughed quietly as he mentioned not getting enough sleep, and then asked about impure thoughts. She turned bright red as they drew the attention of the nun.

She bowed her head and muttered "Sorry Sister." She turned her attention back toward Duncan and smiled. "We should probably go before that old Catholic guilt sets in and I feel the need to say a rosary." She teased. "That would have us stuck here forever."

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Aliyah smiled and blushed when he mentioned that there would be other dates. It wasn't something she was familiar with, for her dating was not something she did a lot, and when she did it was more to see if she and the guy hit it off enough to be able to hang out for a few hours before sleeping together.

She wasn't big on the whole relationship thing, it was likely because her mother jumped from one to another so quickly. They finished dinner and headed out to the limo. Aliyah raised an eyebrow as Gary looked at Duncan strangely when the address weas given. She didn't say anything though just settled into the seat for the drive.

She grabbed Duncan's hand as she slid from the limo her eyes widening at the chapel in front of her, but relaxed when he told them their destination was around the corner. Aliyah's arm slid around Duncan's waist again as they started their walk. She let out a breath of relaxation when he pointed out the mission and that was his destination and laughed. "Nope. I'm good. No wedding tonight." She said with a laugh.

She had never given much thought to marriage, it wasn't something she had any good examples for. She raised an eyebrow as he joked about it being a few dates in the future. She was certainly in no hurry for that. She slid her arm around his waist again as they headed inside.

She pulled away to dip her fingers into the holy water and cross herself. She hadn't been to mass in many many hears, not since her grandmother died. It was strange for her to be in a Catholic church with her head uncovered. Her grandmother was devoutly Catholic, and had refused to accept many of the new teachings handed down with Vatican II.

One thing she always did like about the Catholic church was that charity was one of their strong beliefs. She gave Duncan a smile. "I think this is the perfect way to use the rest of the budget." She told him slipping her hand in his.

"Not Part of the Plan"

Kat loved listening to Paul talk, there was a soothing quality in his voice. She would occasionally glance up to watch his face as he spoke while they walked together. She was truly relaxed for the first time in a long time. There were no emergencies, no crisis to deal with, it was just them, and lots of quiet.

She laughed and shook her head as he joked about topless beach babes, and bottomless drinks, but she could sympathize with the less than glamourous parts of what otherwise seemed like a nice gig. When she first started working for The Society, all she saw was the glitz and the glamour of the parties and fundraisers. Truthfully that was the smallest part of her job. She spent her days filling out paperwork or in meetings justifying every paperclip. Then there were her field days when she sat with women in shelters, or vets who needed medications listening to them tell her exactly where the system had failed them over and over again.

She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear as he stepped closer, she knew what was going to happen, and she welcomed it. She reached her hands up to wrap around his neck pulling him closer as she tilted her face upwards toward him.

She felt his lips gently press against hers, his hands tightening around her hips as he pulled her closer. She slid her hand up the back of his neck to run through his hair. Her lips parting under the soft teasing pressure of his tongue. She backed up a step pressing her back against the rail again, trapping her body against his as she pulled him closer.

She had no idea how long they stayed like that, it could have been seconds, or hours. It seemed like time had ceased to pass from the very minute their lips touched. She finally managed to pull away. Her lips were swollen and her breathing was heavy as she blinked to clear her head.

She closed her eyes and ran her teeth over her lower lip trying to take slow deep breaths. She rested her hands on the rail beside her and managed a smile at Paul. "Wow" She said breathlessly. "Just wow." She was normally a much better conversationalist, it was her job after all, but that kiss... That kiss had stolen her ability to do any thinking, so talking was certainly beyond her abilities right now.

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She just shook her head as he talked about his family having it easier than hers. That was debatable, well sort of. When he told her his alcoholic father abandoned them she nodded sympathetically. "Trust me, he did you a favor. My Mom was an addict, drugs, alcohol, pills. It didn't matter to her. That would be why when I left at 17 I was on stepfather uh..." She stopped to think and then shrugged again. "I have no idea actually. I don't think she actually legally married any of them, but ya know I don't think it would have mattered."

"Consider yourself lucky you never started smoking. I have been trying for years to quit." What she didn't say is that she started smoking young because smoking surpresses appetite. When you smoke you aren't as hungry.

She shook her head again when he talked about the boat sinking. "Yeah Darlin, not a great story to tell me when suggesting we GET on a boat." She teased. Her redheaded self was going to have to invest in gallons of sunscreen. "But traveling around the states sounds like fun. There are a lot of things we could see."

She smiled and picked at her food a little more as he offered suggestions for their next date. She tucked her hair behind her ear again giving him a smile. "I think dinner and a movie in sounds like a great idea." She said shyly. Oh she had other ideas too, but that sounded like it could lead to very interesting things. She wasn't shy about sex, she quite enjoyed it actually, but she was normally a friends with benefits kind of girl. She liked Duncan, he was engaging, open, and all around a calming presence. She was approaching this very slowly though so as not to scare him off.

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Aliyah loved spending time with him, she wanted to listen to everything he had to say. His life had been hard, but much more interesting than hers that was for sure. She took his warning about spices, she wasn't picky about what she ate, but the last thing she wanted to do was burn her taste buds.

She watched him remove his glove, he seemed uncomfortable showing the scar. She reached across the table and grabbed his left wrist gently as he told her the story behind it. She very gently trailed her finger over the scar as he talked, and when he finished his story she lifted his hand and placed a soft kiss on his palm. "You were very lucky to have such good friends." She told him letting go of his hand.

She let him change the subject back to food and she shrugged. "I don't have any known allergies, and I guess I never really thought about likes and dislikes. When I was a kid, we were what politicians call 'food insecure' aka we never knew when or where the next meal was coming, so I ate anything I could. Now, I work so much I don't pay much attention to what I eat. I wolf down something and keep going." She told him honestly. She thought for a minute taking a sip of water.

"Although, I do absolutely hate eggs." She said with a smile. "They are cheap, and so we ate a ton of them growing up, so I don't eat them now when given a choice." She chewed her bottom lip. "I would have to say Turkish is good, but wouldn't make my top ten list of places to go. This,however, might just move to the top of my favorites." She admitted.

"So, I did a little research last night before bed. Are we planning on traveling to Sub-Saharan Africa, or Tropical South America?" She asked. She wasn't a huge fan of the idea of getting a ton of vaccines, so she decided to go with only the ones required, and the CDC only requires yellow fever if traveling to those two places.

She was being careful, and trying to show her interest in him without being too forward, in some ways he reminded her of a very frightened deer. If she moved too fast, he could bolt. "If we are, I will make an appointment for the Yellow Fever vaccine, if not, then I am good on that front. It is just a matter of making time to go apply for my passport."

She pushed her plate aside, having eaten quite a bit more than she usually does. She lightly rested her hand on his. "I was thinking about what you said earlier, about our next date..." She said with a smile. "I have absolutely NO idea where to take you. I really don't do a whole lot." She laughed "A big day out for me is a trip to the fabric store, and I highly doubt THAT holds any interest for you." She said jokingly.

"Not Part of the Plan"

Kat took his hand and smiled. "I think I would like that." She said quietly as they both stood. She allowed him to help her into her coat, and escort her out into the evening. She felt his hand on the small of her back and leaned into him a little her arm wrapping around his waist as they walked.

"So, tell me more about you Paul?" She asked. "How did you end up here in Boston?" She turned her head to look at him when she spoke, but her attention was taken up with the beautiful evening. It was cool, but not cold. Just right to be spending an evening together outside.

Occasionally as they walked a cool breeze would blow off the water giving her a chill. She would press closer to Paul to ward it off. They paused at a railing and she leaned forward looking out over the water. "Thank you for tonight Paul. I have really enjoyed it." She said quietly. She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously as she turned around pressing her back against the railing so she could look at him easier.

"I am really looking forward to doing this again." She admitted looking up to him. Her hands itched to reach out and pull him closer to her, but she wasn't sure how well it would be received.

She didn't date much because most men were more interested in what she could do for them rather than interested in her. She had no idea what it was she was supposed to do now. Her last real date had been a very long time ago. She normally had what you could call dates, but more for the purpose of having someone with her at various functions.

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Aliyah was mildly uncomfortable with the attention she and Duncan received from the hotel staff. It wasn't anything over the top, but it was noticeable. She was very glad to finally get into the limo with Duncan. She smiled at Gary and murmured her thanks. She wasn't too nervous today because Duncan had promised a fairly casual day. If they had been staying at the casino or doing something upscale she would have been far more uptight.

She was excited that he had chosen a museum to visit. She had actually never been to this one. The subject didn't interest her much, but she was interested in seeing things HE was interested in. She loved watching the excitement on his face as they moved through the museum. She couldn't tell you what they were looking at, because she was watching him, not the exhibits.

She laughed as he mentioned a second and third date. Oh she was game alright, she was having fun. But shortly after he mentioned that they were moving through the museum, and she spotted a perfect opportunity. She slipped her hand in his and tugged him aside out of the flow of traffic. She pressed her back against the wall and ran her hands up his arms until she was resting them on his shoulders standing on her tip toes. She gently tugged him down toward her so she could kiss his lips softly. She pulled back letting her hands slide off his shoulders down his arms to hold his hands. "Thank you. I am having a wonderful time." She said.

She stood there with him for a minute just holding his hands enjoying the time they were spending together. She soon wrapped her arm around his waist again. "Let's go check out the Area 51 exhibit." she said enthusiastically.

They toured the rest of the museum finishing with the Area 51 exhibit. She loved the experience, and was already wracking her brain to come up with something great for them to do when it was her turn to plan.

They arrived at the restaurant and she looked at Duncan and squeezed his hand gently. "I suggest we do the buffet. I have never had Indian, so this way you can help me try lots of new things."

"Not Part of the Plan"

Kat smiled when he asked about how the money would be used. He had hit on one of her passions. She loved sharing how donations would make a difference. "Sarah's House is a small shelter, they take only women and women with children. The money your benefactor gave will make a huge difference, it allows us to provide child care, and I am actually working with one of the culinary schools to get some of their students in to teach basic kitchen skills. I want to get someone in to teach financial management and budgeting. Basic skills these women lack. A lot of them have barely finished the 7th or 8th grade." She told him, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she talked about the things that were now possible.

She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly as he started to talk about something he wanted to ask her about. She listened though without interrupting. She smiled when he quickly assured her he would rather have a second date than the interviews. "Tell you what..." She started, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Call me tomorrow at the office during business hours, and I would be glad to help you, but for tonight," She lightly drew her fingers over the back of his hand where it rested on the table. "Tonight I would just like to enjoy the first date I have had in a very long time."