Original Sin

Running his fingers through his hair nervously one last time, Eddie just stared at the door of Sin’s apartment. This was it: the night of the benefit. Glancing down at his tuxedo, he straightened his tie as he tried to gather his courage. Slowly, he lifted his hand and forced himself to rap on the door.

“It’s unlocked, Eddie. Come in,” Sin’s muffled voice came through the wood door. As Eddie let himself inside, he saw that Sin wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “I’m just finishing up in here,” her voice carried from the bedroom, answering his unasked question. “My fucking shoes were cutting into my ankle. I’m just looking for another pair. Grab us both a beer from the fridge, will you?”

“Sure,” Eddie called back, smiling a little to himself. From the way things were going so far, tonight would be fine. Sure, they would be surrounded by some of the richest people in the fashion industry, and sure, Sin would be wearing a dress that made Eddie’s throat constrict just thinking about. But overall, it would just be he and Sin hanging out, as always.

“I refuse to do anything with my hair or to wear makeup,” Sin’s grumpy voice came from the entrance to the kitchen. “Screw it.”

Turning around from the fridge with a bottle of beer in each hand, Eddie bit his lip to stop himself from gasping at the sight of Sin. The dress fit her even better than he remembered, and her hair, free flowing and soft, tumbled over her shoulders in glossy sheets. And it amazed Eddie to know that Sin wasn’t wearing any makeup; her peach complexion was glowing, her lips looked soft and pink, and her eyes needed no adornment to appear like liquid metal.

“You changed your mind,” Sin accused Eddie immediately. “You think I look like shit. Admit it. You know what, fuck this. I’m not going. I hate this shit anyway.”

Eddie actually had to move quickly to reach Sin as she turned to head back to her bedroom. Putting both beer bottles in one hand, he grabbed her arm gently, turning her around to face him. “You are going to be the most beautiful woman there tonight,” he told her with a shy grin.

“You’re forgetting,” Sin felt good about Eddie’s words despite herself. “There are going to be tons of models walking around.”

“And as I said,” Eddie told Sin again. “You are going to be the most beautiful woman there. I’m sure of it.”

Chewing her lip a little, Sin hoped that Eddie couldn’t tell that her cheeks were heating at his words. “Well, you don’t look like hobo yourself,” she finally gave Eddie a crooked half-smile. “You might even pass for one of the privileged,” she added with a fake accent, tossing her hair over her shoulder mockingly.

This, of course, was a major understatement. Eddie looked gorgeous. The tuxedo showed off his athletic physique, and the color of his tie and vest still brought out the golden highlights in his eyes. Even his hair, a little messy, probably from his habit of running his hands through it, looked intentional and sexy. Sin couldn’t believe she actually found a guy in a tuxedo attractive. ‘And not just any guy,’ she reminded herself. ‘This is Eddie that’s making you shiver right now.’

“Here,” Eddie handed Sin a beer. “We’ll drink these, and then we’ll head out. As long as we hang out together tonight, we know we’ll have fun, right? We can make fun of people and try to force carbohydrates on models!”

Laughing, Sin walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “Thanks a lot for coming,” she told Eddie. “I hate these things. I mean, I talk to Ava and my boss when I’m at them, but for some reason, they both get along great with these annoying fucking stuck-up rich people. I never learned to do that.”

“You might try not including the word ‘fucking’ in every sentence that comes out of your mouth,” Eddie teased.

“Fuck you,” Sin shot back with a grin. “I can’t stand those fucking people.”

“Yeah,” Eddie gave Sin a wry grin. “I can’t possibly understand why you might have a hard time at these events.”

-----

“Damn,” Ava commented as she approached Eddie and Sin when they arrived at the benefit. “Look at the two of you. You guys clean up pretty well, I must say.”

“As do you, Ava,” Eddie gave the blond a smile. “You look very nice tonight.”

“Thanks,” Ava grinned at the compliment and glanced down at the simple black cocktail dress she was wearing. “Great dress, Sin. So… tonight turning out as I expected yet?” She gave an evil little giggle as she glanced between Eddie and Sin.

Eddie watched with a perplexed expression as Sin shot Ava a hard look. “Things are going fine,” she said between clenched teeth. “But I hear that being unemployed can be a hard life. Ever think about that?”

“Never,” Ava smiled even wider. “Why should I worry? I have my job working for you!”

“We’ll see about that on Monday,” Sin grumbled under her breath. “Oh, there’s Diane,” a genuine smile crossed Sin’s face as she turned to Eddie and pointed across the room at an elegant looking older woman. “That’s my boss that you helped me make the collage for. I really want you to meet her.”

“I’d love to,” Eddie said. “And I guess I’ll see you later, Ava?”

“I’ll save you a dance,” Ava told Eddie. “Unless his dance card is full by that time,” she raised her eyebrows at a seething Sin before turning and flouncing away.

“She is an odd one,” Eddie smirked at Sin once Ava had walked away. “What was all that about between the two of you?”

“Oh, nothing,” Sin couldn’t look at Eddie while she lied to him, so she pretended to focus on looking at the guests dancing in the middle of the intricately decorated ballroom that the benefit was being held in. “She’s probably just drunk or something.”

“Same reason she hit on me at that party,” Eddie joked.

“Why else would anyone hit on you?” Sin teased, eliciting a frown from Eddie. “Okay, enough. Let me introduce you to Diane.”

Following Sin through the crowd, Eddie realized that he recognized many of the people around him. There were dozens of models whose names he didn’t know, but he recognized them from the covers of magazines. He also saw an MTV VJ and the mayor. “Hey,” he whispered to Sin as they were walking. “Is that one of the ‘Queer Eye’ guys?”

“I should have known,” Sin smirked over her shoulder. “I should have know that you were the type of guy to watch ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’.”

“Fuck you,” Eddie joked, making Sin laugh.

Eddie rarely cursed to begin with, and Sin was pretty sure she had never heard him use her favorite vulgar statement before. ‘I guess I’m rubbing off on him,’ she mused to herself as she made her way towards her boss. ‘I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for him, though.’

“Sin,” Diane noticed her as soon as she approached, and gave her employee a welcoming smile. “Oh, I’m so glad you made it tonight; I never know with you. And, look, you brought a guest. Lovely. Introduce us, won’t you?”

“Diane, this is my friend Eddie,” Sin watched as Eddie took the woman’s hand and smiled charmingly. “Eddie, this is my boss and my favorite person at the whole magazine, Diane. You know, the one I said was abandoning me to the wolves by retiring next month?”

“Please, Sin,” Diane rolled her eyes. “I am far more worried about leaving you without my direct supervision because of what you are going to do to the other people on staff rather than what they are likely to do to you. Knowing Sin, don’t you think I am right in my fear, Eddie?”

“Absolutely,” Eddie grinned at Diane. He could tell that he liked this woman already, and he could also tell how much affection existed between Sin and Diane. Eddie was pretty sure he had never seen Sin look at someone with as much admiration and fondness as she was doing at the moment.

“So what is it you do, Eddie?” Diane asked. Her voice was filled with sincere interest, unlike the few people Eddie had met as soon as he and Sin had entered the ballroom, who had obviously been feigning interest in the man before them once they figured out that he had no power in the fashion industry.

“I’m a graduate student,” Eddie told Diane. “I’m studying childhood psychologist.”

“I always told you that you should see a psychologist, Sin,” Diane teased her protégé. “Although I had meant more on a professional level than on a personal one.”

“Ha, ha,” Sin replied sarcastically. “When was it again you said you will finally be gone for good?”

“Silly girl,” Diane smiled at Sin. “No matter what you say, I know deep down how much you will miss me.” She gave Sin a fond look. “And I you. But for now, take your poor handsome friend here away from the boring conversation of an over-the-hill fashion editor, for goodness sake. He must be bored out of his mind.”

“Not at all,” Eddie insisted to Diane. “Although, I am a little parched. I think I’ll go get something to drink.”

“I’ll come with you,” Sin told Eddie.

“Could we get you anything?” Eddie asked Diane politely.

“No, dear boy, thank you,” Diane smiled. “But you could offer to show an old lady around the dance floor later this evening. Nothing makes a woman feel younger than being on the arm of a handsome young man.”

“I would love to,” Eddie told Diane. “I’ll be sure to find you later. It really was a pleasure meeting you.”

“You too,” Diane replied. As Eddie turned and Sin was about to follow him, Diane grabbed her hand. “That is a very nice young man,” Diane said, her eyes gleaming with excitement for Sin as she looked in Eddie’s direction again. “I know he’s not the type you usually spend time with, but I hope you make an exception this time – for your own benefit.”

“You really do like sticking your nose in other people’s business, don’t you?” Sin smirked at Diane. “Between you and Ava, I’m surprised wedding invitations haven’t been sent out already.”

“Well, Ava’s a smart girl,” Diane smiled. “Now you go be a smart girl and have a wonderful evening with that enchanting fellow.”

“Okay,” Sin finally smiled genuinely at Diane. “And thanks. I am going to miss you so much when you are gone.”

“So you’ll invite me to the wedding,” Diane teased.

“Funny,” Sin told her flatly, but a smile was still playing on her lips. “I’ll talk to you some more later,” she looked once more at the woman who had made Sin’s lifelong dream of being a photographer come true just a few years earlier. She would always be grateful to Diane for her support and advise, which, until now, Sin had always taken to heart.

‘And Diane’s advice has never failed me before,’ Sin reminded herself as she walked over to where Eddie was waiting for her. ‘So maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to let Eddie know what I’ve been thinking about lately in regards to the two of us.’ Seeing him smile as she finally approached him, Sin’s stomach tied in a small knot. It would take courage, but Sin knew she had to tell Eddie about her growing feelings.

And she had to do it tonight.

-----

“You’ve been on the dance floor a few times already,” Ava commented to Eddie as she led them into the crowd in the center of the ballroom later that night. “Did Diane keep you out here for more than one song?”

“She did, but I enjoyed it. She’s a wonderful woman. What I did not enjoy, however,” Eddie smirked. “Was when that copy editor grabbed my hand to drag me out here, and then proceeded to touch my ass during the entirety of the song… Anyway, how are things going for you, Ava? How have you been adjusting to New York so far?”

“To be honest,” Ava took Eddie’s hand as they started to dance. “I’ve been getting homesick a lot, but I guess that’s to be expected. I mean, my whole family and everything I know is back in Australia. But every day, I feel a little better. Not to mention what a help Sin has been; she’s introduced me to a lot of people.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Eddie smiled. “Sin said that she took you to a sleepover or something at Lianna’s apartment, and that Madison was there, too. So what did you think of those two?”

“Lianna’s really sweet, and Madison’s hysterical. I had a lot of fun that night. But really, if I didn’t have Sin here as a friend, I would have high-tailed it out of here after the first week here. Or maybe after the first time I tried kissing a handsome American, and he rebuffed me.” At Eddie’s blush, Ava shook her head. “I’m just teasing. Besides, I can understand that you already had feelings for someone else by the time I came along.” Looking over Eddie’s shoulder at where Sin stood – seeming miserable as she was forced to talk to one of the column writers for the magazine – Ava looked back up at Eddie. “So… not to be too nosy or anything, but how is that going? Things between you and Sin, I mean?”

Shrugging, Eddie looked at Ava’s kind face, full of hope for him and Sin. “I still feel it,” he admitted. “More than before. And sometimes… sometimes I think she might, too. I’m just nervous about ruining what we have as friends.”

“Take some advice from me,” Ava said seriously. “And ruin it. Ruin it, Eddie, damn it. That’s the only way you guys can have something even better.”

Looking curiously at Ava, Eddie bit his lip. “Are you saying you think Sin…?”

“What I’m saying,” Ava gave Eddie a grin, knowing she couldn’t say outright what she knew about Sin’s feelings without betraying her friend, but also knowing she could skirt around that problem. “What I’m saying is that you’ve taken long enough. Now is the time to act, Eddie. NOW. As in right away; as in immediately; as in tonight.”

The song ended at precisely that moment, and Ava and Eddie separated to clap politely for the band. Looking over his shoulder, Eddie saw Sin standing alone now near the edge of the dance floor; she looked so beautiful in the dimmed light of the room. Glancing back at Ava, he saw her give him an encouraging smile. Nodding a little, Eddie smiled appreciatively back and headed towards where Sin stood.

“You must be getting sick of being dragged out there to dance,” Sin told Eddie with a grin when he approached her. “You know, we’ve been here long enough to have made the ‘proper professional statement’. We can head out of here, if you want to.”

“I think I would,” Eddie smiled. “But only after I get one more dance. With you this time.”

“No, I don’t dance, Eddie. Not to this shit.”

“You will dance to this shit for me,” Eddie took her hand and smirked as he led her to the dance floor. “You owe me, remember? Coming to this thing was a favor. The least you can do is let me dance with the most beautiful woman in the room once before we leave.”

Sin was about to make a snide remark about how ‘the most beautiful woman in the room’ had just gone to the ladies’ room when she felt him place his hands on her hips and pull her close to him. Without saying anything, Sin wrapped her arms around Eddie’s neck loosely and let him start leading her in the dance.

Eddie looked down at Sin as he held her and moved with her. She looked so amazing just then, like an angel – even though ninety-nine percent of the time she acted nothing like one. “Tonight wasn’t too bad,” Eddie finally told Sin, looking into her eyes as they danced. “I actually had a wonderful time with you. Not that I don’t usually, but tonight… it felt different.”

“It did,” Sin agreed, looking up at Eddie. If ever there was an opportunity for Sin to tell him how she felt, this was it… “But it was great. Thank you so much for coming with me; I always have a good time when we hang out, whether it’s in my apartment, or at the movies, or at some lame stuffy benefit.”

“Listen, Sin,” Eddie’s voice had gotten a little lower, and Sin could feel her pulse rate increasing. “I, um, I know things have been a little strange between us lately. And I really think we should talk about it. I mean, I think you’ve probably figured out why I’ve been acting weird.” He paused then, waiting for her response.

Looking into Eddie’s warm eyes, Sin wanted so badly to kiss him. ‘Just do it,’ Sin yelled at herself in her head. ‘Shit, you were able to have sex with Zip in the janitor’s closet of a tiny club, knowing everyone could probably hear you, but you can’t get up the nerve to kiss Eddie? What the fuck is wrong with you?’ Sin’s eyes ran from Eddie’s eyes, down to his lips, and back up. She wanted it so badly, but she just couldn’t seem to find the nerve…

Suddenly, Sin had no decision to make. In one swift move, Eddie had lowered his head and captured her lips with his own. The contact was so intense that Sin let out a little whimper as she closed her eyes. Eddie kissed her tenderly, but with the eagerness of someone who had been waiting for this moment forever. As his hands slid further around her waist, pulling her body flush against his, Sin felt like she was in heaven.

Eddie had never made such an impulsive decision before, but watching Sin standing there, contemplating his words, he knew he couldn’t have waited any longer. He had to know what her lips felt like, how they tasted, if they fit against his the way he had dreamed that they would.

And they did. As the kiss intensified, neither person could remember that they were in the middle of a stuffy party with a bunch of stuck-up rich people. Sin’s lips parted, and Eddie took the opportunity to pull her lower lip between his teeth gently. As his tongue reached out to trace the skin, he felt Sin slide one hand into the hair at the nape of his neck and pull him closer. He released her lower lip, only to feel her tongue immediately enter his mouth.

Sin kissed just as Eddie had always thought she would. Her lips were soft but firm; her tongue explored his mouth gently, tracing the inside of his lips and the edges of his teeth before finally meeting with his tongue, running along it in a way that made Eddie feel like he was on fire. This was, without a doubt, the greatest kiss Eddie had ever experienced, and he hated to have to break it, but he knew that eventually they would need to.

As they finally pulled apart, breathless and reluctant, Sin ran her tongue over her lower lip and blinked a few times before looking up into Eddie’s eyes. What she saw there made her stomach flip; Sin didn’t think she had ever seen anyone look at her with the kindness and caring that Eddie was looking at her with.

“Sorry,” Eddie finally broke the silence, grinning a little as he blushed. “But you were taking too long answering my question.”

Laughing, Sin shook her head. “Well, your answer was every bit as good as mine would have been,” she told Eddie. “Actually, I’m really glad you did that. I’ve been thinking about that for so long…”

A look of bemused surprise crossed over Eddie’s face. “In that case, I wish I had done something sooner,” he told Sin as he reached over and pushed some hair behind her ear, leaving his hand there to caress her cheek for a moment. “Because I’ve also been thinking about that for months.”

Sin was about to add something when the song suddenly finished, and the crowd began clapping for the band. Looking around, Sin could see that several people were giving her and Eddie disapproving glances, obviously for their behavior on the dance floor. But Sin didn’t care. ‘Neither does Diane,’ Sin thought with amusement as her eyes fell on her boss, who gave Sin an approving nod. And to say that Ava wasn’t disapproving would be an incredible understatement; in fact, Sin started laughing when she saw the gigantic grin plastered on the face of her assistant.

“We should probably get going,” Sin said finally, looking back up at Eddie. “I’m fairly sure we’ve ruined the night for a lot of people with our lewd conduct just now.”

Laughing, Eddie nodded. “Yes, I suppose we are a menace. Come on, I’ll get your coat from coat check while you say your goodbyes. And don’t let anyone say anything disapproving,” Eddie dropped his head until his forehead rested against Sin’s. “Don’t let them ruin one of the best fucking moments of my life.”

-----

“So,” Eddie said as he and Sin walked outside the hotel and onto the bustling nightlife of the city street. “That was, um, quite a night.”

“It was,” Sin looked over at Eddie and smiled. “That was the best stuffy-crappy-boring benefit I’ve ever gone to.”

Eddie then stood silently for a moment, chewing his lip as he thought. “So Sin… what, um… what’s going on between us now?”

Smirking, Sin shrugged. “The fuck if I know.”

Laughing, Eddie shook his head and put his arm around Sin’s waist, turning her to face him. “Well, whatever it is, I want you to know how happy I am about it.”

“Me too,” Sin agreed, putting her arms around Eddie’s neck. “I don’t remember the last time I was this happy…” Looking down for a moment, Sin took a deep breath, keeping her eyes averted from Eddie’s. “I’m also a little scared, although I fucking hate admitting that. It’s just… your friendship has meant so much to me over the past few months. And you know shit about me that no one else knows. So it makes it kind of scary for me… I feel like I’m completely weak around you.”

When Eddie didn’t reply for a moment, Sin finally looked up into his waiting eyes. “I told you this before,” he said softly. “You’re the strongest person I know. And the more I learn about you, the more I think this. God, Sin, I can’t believe how lucky I feel to have you here right now.”

Swallowing hard, Sin gave Eddie a grateful smile. “Well, what do we do now?” Sin asked. “I mean, in the immediate sense… What do we do tonight?”

Eddie leaned down to kiss Sin’s forehead softly before pulling back to look into her eyes again and respond. “Tonight, I am going to put you in a cab, and then I’m going to get one for myself. And we’re both going back to our own apartments. And, at least for me, I know I’m going to spend the whole night awake in bed with a dumb smile on my face, thinking about how wonderful every moment of tonight was, and especially that kiss.”

Frowning a little, Sin was disappointed. “So we’re going home separately?” she asked, feeling embarrassed about the question and its implications. “I mean, you could come back to my place, if you wanted to…”

“Tonight has been perfect as it is,” Eddie explained. “And I want to remember every detail. I also want to make sure we have the opportunity to have more perfect nights together. So, yeah, I think we should go home separately.”

“Are you going to at least call me tomorrow?” Sin asked, hating the feeling of hope and nervousness that was building in her stomach. These were feelings that had betrayed her in the past, and she didn’t want to feel that kind of pain ever again – especially regarding someone as special as Eddie.

“I am going to call you first thing tomorrow,” Eddie promised, eliciting a small grin from Sin. “And I want to spend the day with you, if you’d like that. I’m so excited to see where this is going, Sin, and I want to savor every minute of it.”

“You are a real dork, you know that, right?” Sin teased.

“I know,” Eddie nodded solemnly before lowering his head to kiss Sin once more. Once again, the kiss quickly turned deeper, and Eddie forced himself to pull back. “Okay, now, I’m going to have to put you in a cab this minute if I’m going to be able to follow through on my plan of not going home with you.”

“Okay,” Sin grinned, stepping back from Eddie.

Eddie was able to hail a cab in very little time, and when it pulled over, he opened the door for Sin. As she slipped in, he leaned forward to kiss her lips gently once more. “Tomorrow morning?”

Nodding, Sin smiled. “I’ll talk to you then, Slugger.”

As he closed the door to the taxi and watched it pull away from the curb, Eddie felt a bolt of excitement go through him. He couldn’t believe it had finally happened; he couldn’t believe that he had finally gotten to kiss Sin.

But what Eddie really couldn’t believe that Sin seemed to want him every bit as much as he wanted her.

-----

Sin felt like she was floating on air as she walked into the lobby of her apartment building. Tonight had been perfect; Eddie had been wonderful; and Sin couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

Despite this, the sight that hit her eyes as she walked towards her apartment door was not the sort of exhilarating surprise Sin was looking for at the moment. “Zip, what the hell are you doing here?”

From his position on the floor next to Sin’s door, Zip had been resting his head back against the wall with his eyes closed. At Sin’s voice, though, his eyes opened and a smile crept across his face. “I came to see you,” he told her as he stood up. “We have a few days off, so I flew into town earlier today. I actually would have told you on the phone this week, if you had ever bothered to answer any of my messages. What are you wearing, by the way?”

Looking down at her dress, Sin had almost forgotten the entire night for a moment. “An evening dress,” she replied coldly. “I had a work function tonight.”

“Well, it’s not what I’m used to seeing you wear, but you do look damn hot,” Zip smiled at Sin. “So, aren’t you going to be a good host and invite me inside your apartment? I have been waiting out here for over an hour.”

“I can’t…” Sin felt completely at a loss, unsure how to tell Zip what she knew she had to tell him – that she had found someone else. “I mean, you can’t come in Zip.”

“Why, baby?” Zip took a step towards Sin but paused when he saw her take a step back. “What’s the matter?” he asked with concern. “You look completely freaked out. I didn’t come here to upset you. What’s going on?”

“Things are just…” Sin looked down and then back up into Zip’s dark worried eyes. “Things are different now.”

“So, let me come inside and you can tell me what’s changed,” Zip gave Sin an encouraging smile. “Come on, babe. You can at least give me an explanation of what you’re talking about, can’t you?”

-----

I KNOW, I KNOW! FINALLY! SOMETHING! AND THEN THE CLIFFHANGER! I’M JUST EVIL, AREN’T I?

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ AND REVIEWED. SORRY IF THIS STORY HAS DRAGGED A LITTLE; I DIDN’T MEAN FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. BUT THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS SHOULD ALL HAVE SOME EXCITING STUFF HAPPENING. NOW A FEW WORDS FOR REVIEWERS:

CJ: LOOKS LIKE YOU CALLED IT! AND THANKS FOR REVIEWING.

WOLF: GUESS YOU CAN’T HIT ME JUST YET. MAYBE AFTER THE NEXT CHAPTER? (AND YES, I LOVE TORTURING YOU)

IOTC247, MIZTIKAL_DRAGON, AND CU-KID: SOMETHING HAPPENED! SOMETHING HAPPENED! AND AS I SAID ABOVE, WAY MORE IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

YING: YOU MAY GET YOUR WISH FOR AN AVA STORY… I HAVEN’T DECIDED YET.

THANK YOU ALSO TO SESSHY_LOVER AND MEMORY CHASE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. YEAH, YOU GUYS!