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Chapter 6: Crossed Wires

Holly's foot carefully circled around the top of the bathwater before taking her first step into the bath. She took her second step into the warm, soothing water and slowly lowered herself in with a content sigh. Her head fell slowly backwards to a waiting towel as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. The previous night had worn her out more so than she had imagined. Holly was suppose to leave earlier that morning, but due to her fatigue, she asked to add another night onto her bill for the hotel so she could have a little more time to recover.

The warmth of the water soaked through Holly's fur, enveloping her in a calming and soothing cocoon. In Holly's mind, the warmth surrounding her was Erik holding her close to him. She wrapped her arms around herself and giggled at the events unfolding in her daydream. She could feel his every touch and hear his every whisper in her ear. His name escaped her with a sigh as her mind delved further into her fantasy world. She wished inside that everything seen could be real; it all was just too perfect to her. So much so, that she didn't want to acknowledge her cell phone ringing on her bed. Reluctantly, she got out of the bath, wrapped a towel around her and went over to see who it was. To her surprise, Erik's name came up on the front screen. Holly hastily opened her phone, almost dropping it in the process.

"Hello?" she asked quickly. "Erik, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he answered. "Did I catch you in the middle of something? You seem rather flustered."

Holly blushed on her end at his question and laughed nervously. "No no, you're not calling at a bad time. I was just taking a bath and lost track of time. I was just worried that I wouldn't get to the phone in time." She paused and took a deep breath. "So, what's the occasion, Cooper? You must have some reason for calling me of all people."

"Come on now, Holly," Erik laughed. "Can't friends check up on one another?"

There was that word again: friends. That was the last word Holly wanted to hear, especially for the second time in less than 24 hours. The doe looked off to the side, dejected after being snapped back into reality. There was silence on both ends for an extended time. Erik started to worry. "Holly? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," she finally said. "My towel fell off. I'd rather not be accidentally walked in on while I'm naked in my hotel room." She faked a laugh. "Luckily, the blinds to the windows are closed, so no problems there at least."

"Oh...that would do it," Erik replied. "Wait, you're still at the hotel? I thought you'd be home by now."

"I was too drowsy when I woke up. I didn't want to risk falling asleep at the wheel." She sat down on the bed. "Looks as though I had a little too much fun last night, eh, Cooper?"

"Perhaps, but you're right. It's better to be safe than sorry," Erik said. "So, that means that you're here 'til tomorrow, right?"

"That's right."

"Are you doing anything tonight?" he asked.

Holly's eyes widened in pure delight at the question. "Not at all!" she answered quickly. "What did you have in mind?"

"There's a club outside of town. I figured we could go there and have a little non Phantom of the Opera related fun." He laughed at his little jab. "So, what do you say?"

"Do you honestly have to ask me if I would want to go?" Holly responded. "Of course I would!" She wriggled around in joy. "When should I expect to see you to pick me up?"

Erik looked over at the clock which showed 4:30pm. He though for a few seconds. "I should be over there at about 9:30pm. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, Cooper." Holly got up from her bed and walked over to the dresser. "I'll see you then, all right?"

"You've got it. See you later tonight, Holly." Erik hung up his phone on his end.

"Bye, Erik," she answered quickly before jumping around like a child on the last day of school. In her happiness, her towel almost came off, snapping her back to the present. She giggled and walked back into the bathroom, where she took off the towel, went back into her warm bath, and returned to her fantasy world.

'This is it,' she thought. 'I can't believe I'm actually going out with Erik tonight!' Holly sighed and smiled.

"Thank you, hang-over..."

***

A hotel key card swept through the reader next to Brittany's room, later followed by a green light. She entered the room and put her umbrella in the closet and walked through the short hallway.

"Kerri...Aaron...you in here?" she asked before turning and seeing the happy couple curled up under their bed sheets and sound asleep. Several articles of clothing were scattered about the sides of the bed, giving the rabbit a blunt clue as to what happened earlier. She laughed under her breath and shook her head. "Well, I did ask them before to wait until I was gone for them to have their fun..." she said to herself. "At least they listened."

Quietly, Brittany walked over to a chair and sunk into the padding. She sighed and let her muscles relax. A broad smile crept across her mouth as she thought about the afternoon that had just passed. Her head fell back against the support of the chair as she delved further into the memory. "Damn..." she thought out loud. "I've only known this guy for two days, and he's already getting to me. I wonder if that's normal..." She sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head at the thought. As she did, though, another image made itself known: The memory of almost kissing Erik.

Brittany replayed each movement as if she were checking for errors in her mind. She began to blush at the scene. She could feel his embrace around her and how warm she felt next to him. A giggle escaped her, loud enough to wake Kerri from her sleep. Brittany's ears twitched and her eyes reopened at the sound of a groan as Kerri sat up in bed. 'Shit,' she thought. 'I didn't want to do that.'

"Brittany...was that you?" Kerri said groggily.

"Yeah, that was me. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Don't worry about it," Kerri said, pulling a bed sheet up to cover her chest. "We needed to wake up anyway." She looked over to see Aaron's sleeping body. "I swear, that wolf of mine could sleep through a train wreck." The husky gently nudged her husband, getting a loud groan in response. Aaron shifted his position and stretched. "Wake up, honey," Kerri said.

"Come on, Kerri. Do we have to?"

Kerri sighed and shook her head. "Aaron, Brittany's back."

The timberwolf let out a surprised 'Oh!' as she shot up into seated attention. Brittany chuckled and made her way to the door. "I'll give you two a few minutes."

Once she heard the door click shut, Kerri rummaged around the side of the bed for her bra and panties while Aaron grabbed his boxers. "Well now," Kerri said, "that was a bit awkward, wasn't it?"

"It could've been worse," Aaron said. "You and I both know that." He got out of bed and found the rest of his clothing.

"True," Kerri agreed. She looked at the clock on the desk as she slipped into her pants. "Say, it's just about 6 pm. What do you say to dinner?"

"Sure. Any place you had in mind?"

The husky thought for a moment. "You know, after last night, I'm really not up for something fancy."

"All right..."

"I was thinking about going to a sports bar." She put on her shirt and walked over to Aaron. "What do you say to that?"

"Sounds like a plan to me. I was actually thinking something similar." Aaron put on the rest of his clothing and kissed his wife. "When would you like to go?"

"How about now?"

"Fair enough," he said. He went over to the door and opened it. "Hey Brit, we're going to head out to dinner. Do you want to change before we go?"

Brittany shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. Let me just hook up my cell phone to the charger. My battery is almost dead." She made her way over to the far table and attached the adaptor to her phone. It beeped to signal that it started recharging. "All right, I'm ready when you two are."

The three made their way out the door and to the elevator. Not too long after, Brittany's charging phone began to ring inside the room.

***

"Honestly, what were they thinking?" Kerri asked as she stared at one of the television screens in the bar. A fly ball to the outfield whizzed past the center fielder, allowing the runner to advance to second base without sliding. "They never should've traded Rayson to Chicago."

Brittany took a sip of her beer and looked over to Kerri. "What makes you say that?"

"He led the team in RBIs, and he's one of the fastest runners in the National League. Rayson wouldn't have let that ball get by him."

"I'm impressed, Kerri," Brittany said. "I never knew you were such a Phillies fan."

Aaron laughed at the comment. "You should see Kerri at home during a Phillies game. She can get pretty scary at times."

Kerri jabbed her husband. "Come on, Aaron. I'm not THAT bad."

"Tell that to the bruise you left on my shoulder two weeks ago," he said with a grin. All Kerri could do was grunt at her husband in defeat. Brittany giggled at the two and their little squabble, not noticing that their food had been placed out.

"Honestly, you two are more entertaining than half of the television shows out there," she said.

The couple looked at each other, then over to the rabbit. "Is that so?" Aaron asked.

"If I didn't know any better," Kerri giggled, looking over her shoulder, "I'd say that she was jealous."

Brittany blushed at the comment. "N-No I'm not!" she said quickly.

Suddenly, the patrons around them erupted in cheers. The three looked to the screen and saw the same center fielder from before make a diving catch to end the inning. Kerri cheered loudly, raising her bottle before taking a swig.

"Care to take back what you said before?" Brittany asked with a sly smile.

Kerri sat back down and shrugged. "I guess so. He at least ended the scoring threat, but they're still down by two runs, and it's the bottom of the ninth."

"Then that means more drama," Brittany replied. "Personally, I love these situations."

"I don't," Aaron joked. Kerri jabbed her husband again at the comment, receiving a laugh from the wolf in response. During this, the lead off runner advanced to first on a base hit, garnering a few claps from some of the furs watching. The next batter came up and bunted on the first pitch. Kerri stood up and watched the batter dash to first. The throw to first base soared over the fielder's glove, advancing both runners to second and third. The bar, and especially Kerri, erupted in cheers.

"I can't believe this!" she exclaimed. "The Brewers are collapsing under the pressure, and now Howard is up to bat! We could win this!"

Brittany leaned back and caught Aaron's attention. "I'm impressed that you're still alive over there."

"Trust me," he said. "I've seen a lot worse. Remember that game about a month ago where the Phillies were down 5 and came back to win in extra innings?"

"Yeah."

"She was hugging me so hard that I almost blacked out."

Brittany's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Wow," she said. "I didn't think that Kerri had that in her."

Aaron nodded and looked back up at the screen. The count was 1 ball to 2 strikes. Kerri was still on her feet, bottle gripped tightly in her hand. The bear on the screen waited for the pitch intently. The pitcher wound up and let the ball fly. It was a low and slightly outside pitch, but Howard made a near perfect connection. From the swift crack of the bat, everyone immediately knew where this ball was going. Everyone in the bar, including Aaron, Kerri, and Brittany, cheered and hollered as he rounded the bases.

"What a great way to end the night!" Kerri said loudly. She raised her bottle high. "To the Phillies!"

"Let's go, Phillies!" Aaron and Brittany said in unison, toasting with Kerri. All three finished off their beers and sat back down. They sighed as the energy from the game began to leave them.

"What a game," Aaron said. "Well, I have to admit, Kerri. This was a great idea for the evening."

"Thank you, dear," Kerri said. "I'm glad you think so." She looked over to Brittany. "Say, Brit, why didn't you invite Erik?"

"You know, I didn't think about that," she answered. "I guess I didn't want to overdo it with seeing him. I mean, we spent a lot of time with each other earlier today, and he seemed pretty tired when we got back to his place." She looked over to the bartender and asked for another beer. "Besides, I can see him tomorrow before we leave, right?"

"Good point," Kerri said, "but just remember that Aaron and I would no mind it at all if you wanted him to come with us. He seems like a nice guy."

"You don't have to tell me that twice," Brittany said with a smile.

"All right, you two," Aaron interjected, pushing the bar stool in and placing two twenty dollar bills on the bar. "Let's get going."

Kerri and Brittany nodded and got up as well. They exited the sports bar and made their way down the sidewalk to their car. As they walked, the street was abuzz with cars headed to the bars and clubs for a night of dancing and partying.

***

Erik and Holly sat at a small table along the wall. The lights were off, but the room couldn't be brighter. Multi-colored light shows and strobes illuminated the entire dance floor area. The two of them watched the large group of furs dancing the night away while they drank their martinis.

"You enjoying this so far?" Erik asked Holly.

The doe looked to him with a smile. "Do you have to ask me? Of course I am. It was either this or I stay in my room alone again."

"Yeah, that would be a big drag," Erik said. "Tell me, how is Connecticut?"

"Oh, it's great!" Holly said. "I've got a great job at an insurance agency near New Haven. I try to get back home to PA once in a while, but it's kind of hard to do that."

"Why?"

"Well, it doesn't help when your car is as inconsistent as mine," she scoffed. "I just shelled out over $300 on it." Erik winced at the price tag. "Luckily, this repair should last me for a while." She took another sip of her martini. "But what about you? How has life been treating you?"

"I still haven't landed a big role in anything yet," Erik said with a sigh. "I've been trying to get my foot in the door in NYC. There's a Broadway show that's in pre-production right now. They said that they're going to go through auditions in three weeks."

"That's great, Erik!" Holly said happily. "I know you'll do fine."

"Thanks. I hope so," he replied. "I've been at it for three years now, and it's making me wonder if it's worth it. I do have a back-up plan."

"What is it?"

"There's an opening at a high school for a theatre director. It's not too far away from here, so it won't be out of my way." He finished off his drink. "The school's program is apparently one of the best in the state, so the pay should be pretty good."

"That's great!" Holly said. "Either way, you'll be fine." The music changed in the background, and a familiar beat to Holly resonated. "Oh my God! I love this song!" She grabbed Erik's hand and pulled him out of his seat. "Come oh, Cooper. Let's dance for a while!"

"All right, all right," Erik said laughing. "No need to pull my arm off." They made their way over to the crowded dance floor and eventually found a spot wide enough for the two of them. The pounding bass shook everyone and everything in the room. Erik and Holly began to move to the hypnotic beat. Holly immediately took to it, moving effortlessly with the music, while Erik began having some troubles. Holly laughed at his attempts.

"I should've known this would happen, Cooper," she said loudly. "You never were a good dancer."

Erik looked away, embarrassed. "Hey now, I'm still trying, aren't I?"

Holly laughed. "I know you are. If anything, you're trying too hard. Just move naturally."

Erik took her advice and stopped for a second. He listened to the music and started moving again. This time, he seemed to move better. "There you go!" Holly said. "Now you're getting it!" Erik smiled.

As the music continued, so did Erik and Holly. More and more, they became lost in the rhythm of the music. He looked at her, and she returned his gaze. Almost by instinct, they moved even closer to each other. Neither could stop, and Holly didn't want to. She turned her back to him and moved backwards towards him. Without a cue needed, Erik drew her in the rest of the way to him. They began to move in unison, their bodies moving as one.

Holly was in pure ecstasy. She was having the time of her life with the man she has loved for so many years. Everyone else seemed to fade into nothing; all there was in her mind was Erik with her. It was everything she had seen in her daydream and more. She could feel his body against hers, his hands on her hips. Her heart was pounding with the beat.

Keeping up with her, Erik was also losing himself, but not in the same way. Though he too was having the time of his life, the alcohol that he consumed earlier was starting to take its toll on his inhibitions. He knew he didn't love her the same way she did with him, but that thought was being pushed to the back of his mind. At this moment, he was enjoying himself. He was dancing with a gorgeous woman, and he wanted her.

As they continued to dance, Holly felt one of Erik's hands move from her hip towards the front of her waist. She jumped at first at his sudden advancement but continued to take it in stride, placing a hand of her own on top of his. She looked over her shoulder to him and pressed back against him more. In one sudden motion, Erik turned her around and drew her into a kiss. The doe's eyes shot wide open at his new found boldness. She resisted at first, but something inside her pushed her to return his kiss. They remained in their kiss for what seemed like an eternity.

Holly broke the kiss, her heart racing and breathing heavily. Without a word, she led Erik off of the dance floor and over to the table that they were at earlier. "Erik, are you all right?"

"Never better," he said. "A little tired, but I'm fine."

Holly looked into his eyes; they seemed glassy to her. "You're drunk, Erik," she said. "Come on, let's go. We've had enough fun here tonight to last us a while."

"Fair enough," he replied with a slight slur. Erik fumbled around in his pocket for his keys. Once they were in view, Holly snatched them away.

"Oh no you don't," she said. "You're not fit to drive tonight. Let me take care of this."

"Doctor knows best, I guess," Erik laughed.

"At least your sense of humor is still here," Holly said with a grin. They made their way outside and to Erik's car, which was parked at the end of the block. Holly got into the driver's seat, while Erik sat next to her. She looked at the car interior and noticed that it was automatic. "Thank God this isn't a manual transmission car," she sighed. "I can't drive a stick to save my life."

"That's reassuring," Erik said. Holly laughed and turned on the car. She got out of the parking spot and drove off to the hotel.

"Now, seeing as though this is your car and you're drunk, we're going to go to my hotel," Holly explained. "You can crash in my room for the night. Is that cool with you?"

Erik nodded. "Good idea." Holly made her way through the town towards the campus. Her mind was still racing, even though the car was dead silent. She could still feel Erik's kiss on her muzzle, and thinking about it caused her to blush fiercely.

'Was that kiss for real, or was that the alcohol acting for him?' she thought. One part of her didn't care either way. That kiss was something that she wanted more than anything. At the same time, her better judgment told her not to act on it. Her mind battled with her heart throughout the drive to the hotel. She looked over to Erik at a stop light for a split second. As she did, she fully realized what was going to happen tonight: Erik would be spending the night with her. She tried her best to keep her composure, but her heart refused to stay calm.

Before she knew it, she was pulling into the parking lot and turning off the engine. The two got out and entered the main lobby in silence. The ride up the elevator to the third floor would have been the same if not for the elevator music. Holly wanted to say something about the kiss, but her nerves kept her from saying anything. The doors opened, and they walked down the hall to her room.

"Well, here we are," Holly finally said. She got out her room card and swiped it once. The door clicked, and Holly entered while Erik followed suit. After a light was turned on, Erik sat down on the couch and slumped back against the cushions.

"I'll sleep on the couch," he said. "It's only fair."

"Are you sure?" Holly asked. "I mean, I don't mind sleeping on the couch. You seem to be in worse shape than me."

Erik shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind at all."

Holly smiled in response. "All right, Erik. You win." She gathered up some clothes and went for the bathroom. "I'm going to change in here. Sorry, but I don't have any pajamas for you to use. I don't think you'd fit in them."

Erik laughed. "Probably, but it's ok. I'll just sleep in my boxers and a t-shirt."

"Ok." Holly turned and closed the door, leaving Erik to himself. It didn't take him long to be left in a white t-shirt and his boxers. Now by himself, he let himself relax more. His mind wandered, eventually becoming fixated on one moment from that night: the kiss. Like Holly, he could now feel the kiss as well. Confusion, as well as fatigue, hit him. A yawn escaped him, as his body went horizontal and his eyes shut. Almost immediately, Erik fell into a deep sleep.

A few minutes later, Holly emerged from the bathroom in a tank top and short shorts. "Erik?" she called quietly, rounding the corner into the main area. She looked over to the couch and saw Erik's sleeping figure. Holly giggled softly and got a spare blanket out from the closet. She draped it over him gently so he wouldn't wake up. For a minute, the doe stood in place and watched him sleep. 'I wonder what he's dreaming about,' she thought.

Before leaving his side, Holly knelt down and kissed his forehead lightly. "Good night, Erik," she whispered. "I love you."

As quietly as possible, Holly went over to her bed, turned off the lamp, and went off to her own dream world.