'A gloomy peace this morning with it brings.
The sun for sorrow will not show its head.
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some will be pardoned, and some punished;
For never was there a story of more woe,
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.'
The page turned, and thus the story over. She set the book atop her nightstand, her face
fresh with tears. Her partner beside her could here her sobbing, and flipped over.
"Are you done with it?"
She just shook her head and dabbed at her eyes with the bedsheet.
"Well now, we finally get to see the sensitive side of thy cold heart, don't we?"
"Shut up," she remarked, hitting him lightly.
"I was just kidding. Actually," he picked up the book and thumbed through the pages,
"this is a very good story."
"You've read it?"
"Read it?" he scoffed playfully. "Why, thine words are stamped into thy cranium with
the force of a thousand rhino."
"Well then, James, I think I'll just test you."
"No problem."
She yanked the book from his hand; it fell open to a random page.
"I won't make it too hard..."
"Fine."
In a mock male voice she read a line. " 'Thou desperate pilot; now at once run on...' "
" '...Thy dashing rocks thy seaside weary bark! Here's to my love!' " Tipping his head
back, he feigned a drink. " 'O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick! Thus with a kiss I
die.' "
He collapsed onto her lap in a huff.
"Bravo."
"Awww, come on, Jess, it wasn't that bad."
"Did I say it was? I quite enjoyed it."
"Why, thank you."
"But you'll have to compete with me now." She grinned. "Without the book."
Tossing it back onto the nightstand, her lips curled into a smile as she gazed into his
eyes. "Start with 'Have not saints lips, and holy palms, too?' "
"Oh, that scene. I'd be glad to." He took her hand and gestured wildly with the other. " 'Have not saints lips, and holy palms, too?' "
" 'Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.' "
He took his other hand and grasped hers, moving closer. ' He really is a good actor..'.
" 'O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn
to despair.' "
Emerald green met sapphire blue, and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks momentarily.
" 'Saints do not move, though granted for prayers' sake.' "
" 'Then move not while my prayer's effect I take.' " A whisper floated through the still
air; two hearts beating their song broke the silence. " 'Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is
purged.' "
They felt themselves drawn closer, a magnet of sorts, for the words they uttered had
taken effect. Softly their lips touched for a moment, and then it was over.
She smiled shyly, not expecting a sudden romantic outburst from either of them. No lie told, she
had always wondered what it would feel like, especially from the one she adored. " 'Then have
my lips the sin that they have took.' "
Butterflies flittered through her stomach; she knew the next part. She was taken aback
for a fleeting moment by the touch of his arm around her waist, pulling her closer than she ever
remembered being towards him. " 'Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!' "
His other arm looped her into his embrace. He drew her near, her body pressed gently
against his. " 'Give me my sin again.' "
It was a bit harder, a bit sweeter, a bit longer this time. They broke apart, and their
eyes met once again. She giggled. " 'You kiss by the book.' "
"Oh, thanks a lot, Jessie."
"You know I'm just teasing."
"Mmmm hmmm."
A gentle silence blanked the room for a moment.
"Jessie?"
"Yes?"
"You could be my Juliet, couldn't you?"
A kiss was her reply. "Only if your my Romeo."
"I'd be glad to."
She ran her hands over his chest. Moving them to his neckline, she slowly began
unbuttoning his shirt, one tender movement by one. "Jessie," he murmured, "what are you
doing?..."
"I don't know... I just... want you..."
She kissed him before he had a chance to reply. Sliding the fabric off of his shoulders,
he let go of her long enough to toss it onto the floor.
"Do you... want me, too?" she breathed.
"More than anything else," he breathed back. "But are you sure...?"
"It'll be fine, don't worry."
Her lips met his once again as he found the hem of her nightgown. He peeled it off of
her figure and let it fall to the floor. She was not ashamed.
"James, I love you."
"I love you, too..."
His hands traced her figure and found their resting place on her hips. Her arms wrapped
around his neck; she felt his weight shift. Slowly he pressed down on her until every inch of
her front was covered by him. She let go of her grasp and maneuvered her fingers down to the
zipper...
@----
"James..." she whispered into his bare chest.
"Yes?"
"We're never going to be like Romeo and Juliet."
"Why not?' he interrogated, running his fingers through her hair.
"Because their story ended in tragedy."
She snuggled closer to him. His skin against hers made her have a sense of protection,
of warmth. "We're going to be together, and live our lives."
"I guess Shakespeare really brings out the best in some people, doesn't it?"
She nodded, although unconscious of what he said. "We're better that them, aren't we,
James?" She kissed his cheek. " 'A thousand times good night!' "
He pulled her close as she drifted off to sleep. He smiled to himself, and at thy fair
maiden at his side. " 'Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! Would I were sleep and
peace, so sweet to rest!...' "
The sun for sorrow will not show its head.
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some will be pardoned, and some punished;
For never was there a story of more woe,
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.'
The page turned, and thus the story over. She set the book atop her nightstand, her face
fresh with tears. Her partner beside her could here her sobbing, and flipped over.
"Are you done with it?"
She just shook her head and dabbed at her eyes with the bedsheet.
"Well now, we finally get to see the sensitive side of thy cold heart, don't we?"
"Shut up," she remarked, hitting him lightly.
"I was just kidding. Actually," he picked up the book and thumbed through the pages,
"this is a very good story."
"You've read it?"
"Read it?" he scoffed playfully. "Why, thine words are stamped into thy cranium with
the force of a thousand rhino."
"Well then, James, I think I'll just test you."
"No problem."
She yanked the book from his hand; it fell open to a random page.
"I won't make it too hard..."
"Fine."
In a mock male voice she read a line. " 'Thou desperate pilot; now at once run on...' "
" '...Thy dashing rocks thy seaside weary bark! Here's to my love!' " Tipping his head
back, he feigned a drink. " 'O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick! Thus with a kiss I
die.' "
He collapsed onto her lap in a huff.
"Bravo."
"Awww, come on, Jess, it wasn't that bad."
"Did I say it was? I quite enjoyed it."
"Why, thank you."
"But you'll have to compete with me now." She grinned. "Without the book."
Tossing it back onto the nightstand, her lips curled into a smile as she gazed into his
eyes. "Start with 'Have not saints lips, and holy palms, too?' "
"Oh, that scene. I'd be glad to." He took her hand and gestured wildly with the other. " 'Have not saints lips, and holy palms, too?' "
" 'Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.' "
He took his other hand and grasped hers, moving closer. ' He really is a good actor..'.
" 'O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn
to despair.' "
Emerald green met sapphire blue, and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks momentarily.
" 'Saints do not move, though granted for prayers' sake.' "
" 'Then move not while my prayer's effect I take.' " A whisper floated through the still
air; two hearts beating their song broke the silence. " 'Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is
purged.' "
They felt themselves drawn closer, a magnet of sorts, for the words they uttered had
taken effect. Softly their lips touched for a moment, and then it was over.
She smiled shyly, not expecting a sudden romantic outburst from either of them. No lie told, she
had always wondered what it would feel like, especially from the one she adored. " 'Then have
my lips the sin that they have took.' "
Butterflies flittered through her stomach; she knew the next part. She was taken aback
for a fleeting moment by the touch of his arm around her waist, pulling her closer than she ever
remembered being towards him. " 'Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!' "
His other arm looped her into his embrace. He drew her near, her body pressed gently
against his. " 'Give me my sin again.' "
It was a bit harder, a bit sweeter, a bit longer this time. They broke apart, and their
eyes met once again. She giggled. " 'You kiss by the book.' "
"Oh, thanks a lot, Jessie."
"You know I'm just teasing."
"Mmmm hmmm."
A gentle silence blanked the room for a moment.
"Jessie?"
"Yes?"
"You could be my Juliet, couldn't you?"
A kiss was her reply. "Only if your my Romeo."
"I'd be glad to."
She ran her hands over his chest. Moving them to his neckline, she slowly began
unbuttoning his shirt, one tender movement by one. "Jessie," he murmured, "what are you
doing?..."
"I don't know... I just... want you..."
She kissed him before he had a chance to reply. Sliding the fabric off of his shoulders,
he let go of her long enough to toss it onto the floor.
"Do you... want me, too?" she breathed.
"More than anything else," he breathed back. "But are you sure...?"
"It'll be fine, don't worry."
Her lips met his once again as he found the hem of her nightgown. He peeled it off of
her figure and let it fall to the floor. She was not ashamed.
"James, I love you."
"I love you, too..."
His hands traced her figure and found their resting place on her hips. Her arms wrapped
around his neck; she felt his weight shift. Slowly he pressed down on her until every inch of
her front was covered by him. She let go of her grasp and maneuvered her fingers down to the
zipper...
@----
"James..." she whispered into his bare chest.
"Yes?"
"We're never going to be like Romeo and Juliet."
"Why not?' he interrogated, running his fingers through her hair.
"Because their story ended in tragedy."
She snuggled closer to him. His skin against hers made her have a sense of protection,
of warmth. "We're going to be together, and live our lives."
"I guess Shakespeare really brings out the best in some people, doesn't it?"
She nodded, although unconscious of what he said. "We're better that them, aren't we,
James?" She kissed his cheek. " 'A thousand times good night!' "
He pulled her close as she drifted off to sleep. He smiled to himself, and at thy fair
maiden at his side. " 'Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! Would I were sleep and
peace, so sweet to rest!...' "