Jamais Vu

Chapter 3

Lulu would not be happy. Not only was Nessa calmly hanging out with the guy she chased through the park, but she'd accepted an invite into his apartment, and she hadn't told a soul where she was. If I were a serial killer, I'd pick me as a victim for sure.

But there was no sense of danger from stepping into Dan's place, only that sense of familiarity again. Home. She heard him close the door softly behind her, and Nessa absorbed the interior of his apartment. "Oh... wow."

It was a long space, like an old-style European home, with floor-to-ceiling windows running down the entire length of the apartment. The dining flowed into a living area, which morphed into the open-plan kitchen, and although all the lights remained switched off, the city itself cast enough illumination through the windows to brighten everything in a milky glow.

If the architecture itself wasn't enough to make her swoon, the decorating was. The home was elegant but functional, with little touches here and there that gave it personality. The couches were white but looked incredibly comfortable, squashy and lightly marked, with huge cushions in tropical prints. A massive spherical vase held a terrarium inside, a craft project Nessa had wanted to create for ages, and she noted over-sized candles sitting up on high shelves, each one like an interesting wax sculpture.

The little old dog scampered happily around her ankles, and Nessa reached down to pat him. He was her friend, and not in the way that all happy dogs were friends with everyone they met. This was her dog somehow; she knew to scratch him on the left side of his chest in a precise spot, and was rewarded with a happy tail wag. As she stood up again, he waddled off contentedly to a pet bed in the corner and curled up to sleep.

She'd almost forgotten Dan was still behind her for a moment, but now he joined her beside the windows, she was completely aware of his body. He'd removed his grey-blue coat, and stood there barefoot in jeans and a tee. It felt so natural to have him beside her, this stranger she knew nothing about. Smiling, she said, "I love this place. If I could decorate my own apartment, it would probably look just like this."

He blew air out of his nose as a half-laugh. "I'm... glad you like it," he said, after appearing to hunt for the right thing to say.

They stood for a moment in silence, their energies mellowing and blending as they watched the lights of the city dancing below. Eventually, Nessa said, "How do you know my name? Have we met before?"

He seemed to struggle for the words. "No. No, you haven't met me before now."

"But you know me."

"I... I don't know how to answer that."

"Honestly would be best." She turned to him, stepping forward into his space. Now she was closer, she noticed more; the deep grief in his ivy eyes, the way his lips were the perfect shape for her mouth. How she knew that was beyond her, but she knew it nonetheless. "How do you know me?"

"I met you years ago."

"Why do I feel like I know you?" Nessa raised her hand and boldly reached up to touch his temple.

He leaned into her palm, closing his eyes at her touch. "Nessa... I don't understand this either."

"I know you. I know you intimately." She could picture his face in ecstasy as he moved above her, feel his hands on her naked skin drawing out her pleasure. Things she couldn't know, couldn't even imagine, but she knew how they would be. Her face flamed as she edged closer again, pressing her body against his.

He groaned, his hands snaking up into her loose hair. "Nessa, we shouldn't..."

"I need us to," she whispered. She wasn't sure what exactly she needed, but the answer lay somewhere behind the veil of a kiss.