Got to get you into my life [INCOMPLETE]

[devishtamis]

Ooo, then I suddenly see you
Did I tell you that I need you?
Every single day of my life.

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Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. That was all that seemed to be happening in London as of late, was rain. Then again, t'was the season for such, wonderful weather. Tamis could not hold back the eyeroll that followed such a thought. If it were not for the fact that he loved this city so, he would have left it years ago. Nothing held him here, no obligation tied him down. Family ties... Most of those had already been severed. His job could be done in any city. But could he find another her? Or rather, more importantly, Did he want to find another her?

Another short shake of his head. No.

The black loafers felt odd on his feet, as though he were walking on sponges, or air. He was not used to being so, dressed up. The trousers felt restricting, and tighter then what he was used to. Although he did have to admit, that the grey colour looked good on him. Especially paired with the more subtle dark blue dress shirt and the matching grey vest. Oh yes, Tamis was more then capable of dressing up. Like most men of his time, he could clean up well, when he wanted to. And today, Tamis wanted to.

Against the rain he wore his long black wool jacket, buttons done up tight to the collar. With the chill in the colder air, he probably should have worn a scarf. Then again, scarves were for women. One hand was tucked against his side, a carefully wrapped medium sized box under his arm. The other holding a lit fag. He did not need to watch his feet, for they already knew where they were going. It had been a couple days since he last walked this path; and he could hold hold back the frown to such a thought. He was over due to see her again. The apple of his eye, sunshine of his life... And all those other cliche sayings...

One last drag from the smoke, and he was tossing it to the ground to squish with his foot. From the front glass window he could see her standing inside, that familiar look on her face. It put a smile on his lips, and he did not have to explain to himself why. A quick once-over in the glass' reflection, and a straightening of his hair; then he was closing off the distance between himself and the shop door. Her door bell chimed upon his entry; announcing himself into Al Dee's LPs'. Setting the box down carefully on the display table by the front window, Tamis undid the buttons on his coat, and shed off the outter garment with a smile.

"Hello Lovely! Did you miss me?"

[emrald]

Ellen had been particularly busy all day, it was delivery day. She didn’t mind so much on rainy days like this , the rain slowed the customers a touch. Giving it was mid-afternoon she had rightfully deserved a tea break, she just made herself a pot of piping hot tea and was getting ready to settle down and enjoy her cuppa. She untied the string of the brightly mixed coloured apron she wore over her burnt orange mini dress to protect from wrecking as she had carried boxes into the shop. She lifted the apron over her head and hung it on the nail on the wall inside the back room, picked up her cup of steaming tea and walked out into the shop placing her powder blue cup on the wooden counter and leant forward resting on her elbows. Ellen had Motown playing on the record player, she watched the curling of the steam rise up off the surface of the caramel brown tea rippling in her cup as she tapped her fingers and sang along. It wasn’t unusual to see Ellen dancing in-between the stands across the tiled floor, on occasion her dance partner was the wooden broom from the back room. She was quite content however at this moment in time with just singing along and sipping her tea.

Mid sip Ellen caught a glimpse of a male figure standing at the window looking in, her stomach suddenly filled with butterflies. She lowered the cup back down and unfurled her fingers from the handle and wrung her hands. The bell sang as he opened the door and walked into the dry shop out of the pouring rain that was outside. She watched as he placed the carefully wrapped boxed on the table by the window and undo his coat; the routine he had done so many times when he came in. But today he seemed different, he always looked well put together but today, smarter, fancier. Ellen’s mouth open and closed, she couldn’t stop gawking. In her minds eye she ran up to him leaping into his arms, wrapping her long legs around his waist, lowering her face to his and… Ellen quickly shook her head and came out from behind where she stood.

“Hello Lovely! Did you miss me?”

She moistened her lips, and walked over to him; his wet coat draped over his arm. ”I always miss you” she spoke with a wide grin. She peered around him at the box he’d place on the table as he came in, she looked back at him and met his blue eyes with hers. She bit on her lower lip and swallowed. ”You’re all fancy today Tamis, what’s the special occasion?”

[devishtamis]

Tamis could not help it... His eyes moved on their own accord. Starting at her feet and drifting all the way up to her forehead. Typically he was not the type of man for such a vulgar action. Yet even he had to admit how amazingly smashing she looked today. Being a regular as he was, there was not much that she'd worn to work that he had not seen. He doubted she was aware of his eyes though. Well, perhaps this time since he could not help but be obvious. But in the past though, Tamis had been much more, subtle. As his tongue darted quickly over his lips, and the faint blush moved over his cheeks his blue eyes darted a moment to the box he'd come in with, before looking back to her with a gentle clearing of his throat.

”I always miss you."

The distraction was what he needed to pull his thoughts from dinners for two, and moonlite walks. Romance was not something he did well. His past relationships had been examples of that. Yet, something along the way in the last several months of weekly visits to the shop; he decided he was going to try again. Her grin settled him, and he found himself returning it with one of his own. "Well. I will admit that's a relief. Especially since I haven't been around much as of late. I do hope you can forgive me for that."

He tried to keep his tone simple, and light. After all, he was joking with her. Yet he could not keep the guilt from his face. It was true... He hadn't been around as often as he would have liked. The worst part was, it wasn't even work that had been keeping him away. Somewhere along the lines of Tamis' life, things had gotten busy. His weekly visits to the shop had been stopped for over two weeks now. In his mind, he was well overdue.

Spotting the cup of steaming tea on the counter, Tamis chuckled with a small shake of his head. "I'll have to time myself better next time. I didn't mean to interupt your tea." Anything to stall for time right now... at least until he could figure out how to say what he wanted... Adjusting the weight of his jacket from one arm the other, he began crossing the shop towards his favorite section. Two weeks was a long time to go, without something new.

”You’re all fancy today Tamis, what’s the special occasion?”

His eyes darted quickly over the album cover that he'd pulled from the rack, before moving to rest on her own gaze. His lips pursed together a moment, before bringing them apart with a small popping sound. "You seem surprised by this. Can a man not dress in hopes of impressing?" His smile was almost flirtatious, that wink quick to pass. The album was returned, and another was selected for review. He had a good idea of what he was looking for, but where was the fun in ending things too quickly? A quick frown passed over his lips, and he was putting it back, this time to move off to a complete different section. It was rare for Tamis to leave his precious jazz. There was not much else out there that he listened to... But he'd heard something on a late-night radio show. Something that reached in and grabbed him in a way that music had never done before. Now, he was on a hunt to find it.

"Ah!" He exclaimed under his breath, pulling an album from the shelf to tuck under his arm. Using this opportunity to observe her, he brought his eyes back to hers. "Interesting record you're playing today. May I ask what it is?"

[emrald]

"Well. I will admit that's a relief. Especially since I haven't been around much of late. I do hope you can forgive me for that."

She nodded, it was true she hadn't seen Tamis in a while. "It's ok, I know you're bound t' get busy sometimes." Ellen suddenly scowled, balled one hand into a fist and placed it on the curve of her waist and with her other hand wagged her index finger with each word, "Just don't let it happen again!" She couldn't help but smirk after her mock scolding, she wrinkled up her nose and playfully poked out her tongue.

"I'll have to time myself better next time. I didn't mean to interrupt your tea."

Ellen glanced over her shoulder at the cup on the counter and shrugged. "It don't really matta, though if you were here a bit sooner you know I'd 'ave offered you a cuppa, ahem, I mean a cup of coffee."

She kept her eyes on him as he wandered to his usual vinyl hunting ground. She smiled to herself as she watched him, with his back to her she was able to admire Tamis in his irregular attire. Ellen always thought he was easy on the eyes but today he looked undeniably handsome.

"You seem surprised by this. Can a man not dress in hopes of impressing?"

His soft voice pulled her away from her thoughts, she glided her teeth over her bottom as her cheeks flushed with a pink hue when his piercing blue eyes met with her own yet again. She cleared her throat and smiled, his wink had not gone unnoticed. "It's a pleasant change, I must say you do look rather dashing." Her fingers had smoothed their way down her thighs and found the hem of her dress and fidgeted with the material for a brief moment then she brought her hands together and intertwined her fingers and gently rubbed one thumb over the other. "Besides, I've 'eard the way you gripe about Mr. Lee, so I doubt you'd be impressing 'im and you certainly wouldn't be giving 'im a gift" She let out a cheeky giggle, her smile broadening as she teased him a little.

Ellen raised an inquisitive eyebrow as Tamis shifted his search away from his beloved jazz; like a magnet she was drawn to follow him. She stopped beside him and rocked on her orange mary janes as she peered over his arm as he flipped through the rack of covers.

"Interesting record you're playing today. May I ask what it is?"

She pulled her sudden gaze from his and looked at the record player. "Oh this?! It's Motown. I'm really liking it, it's different." She spoke with a lick of excitement. "These fellas are called 'The Contours'." She nodded her head towards the table by the window where Tamis had laid down the pretty box. As she tilted her head in a nod a strand of hair fell from behind her ear, with a quick finger she tucked it back. She grinned at Tamis with a cheeky gleam in her eye. "Interesting box you have today. May I ask what it is?"

[devishtamis]

He hung his head to her scolding, a mock pout sitting upon those lips of his. He was well aware of the fact that she was joking, and he played into it as such. He’d given himself enough of a mental scolding on his way here to be thankful for her kind jokes. As she wrinkled her nose and poked her tongue out at him, he chuckled and lifted his head to return the gesture. "Rest assured Deary, I’ll try my hardest not to."

"Strike two against my bad timing today then, I guess." Tamis responded with a chuckle. "I suppose that’s just my luck."

Playful banter… That’s all this was. A chuckle to hide the fact that he was nervous. Had she been able to feel his palms, she would have found them slick and warm. For one of the rare moments in his life, Tamis felt completely out of his element. A fact that he would never admit to anyone. Records of jazz were his comfort in the moment; so much so that he did not feel her eyes upon him as he moved through her store. Had he seen such a look on her face, things may have been different. Perhaps he may have been able to swallow down his nervousness and say what he’d come here to say. Then again, if the world spun the opposite direction; a lot of things would be different. Asking for the impossible was not something Tamis was in the habit of doing.

Lifting his head he caught the blush on her cheeks to his words, those eyes seeming fixated on that sweep of her tongue over her lips. What would she taste like? Ellen clearing her throat was all Tamis needed to keep his thoughts from wandering too far down that path. Here was neither the place, or the time.

” It's a pleasant change, I must say you do look rather dashing."

Now it was he, who was blushing. Her fidgeting did not get missed by him, and he could not help but wonder why. Had he unsettled her, somehow? That had not been his intention today. "Thank you." His tone was oddly modest, and seeming slightly out of place given the bantering conversation they’d been having. Fortunately the more somber mood was broken when Tamis tipped back his head, and laughed. Not a chuckle, or a smirk, but a full on laugh. The sound was deep, and rich, and seemed to fill the nearly empty store. "No… No. I am definitely not trying to impress Mr. Lee." He stated, that full smile still on his lips as he looks back to her. "I must admit, that’s probably one of the funniest things I’ve heard today!"

As he moved on to another section, he was well aware to the fact that Ellen followed him. His habits were something she’d come to know well. Really, it was no surprise that she would be curious. ‘Rock’n’roll’ was not something Tamis had any interest for. Looking over his shoulder to her, he saw the look of curiosity on her features. "I caught a late night radio show the other night. Don’t ask me what I was doing up at that hour – I have no clue. The DJ was quite catchy though, and I found myself unable to turn off the show." Another album pulled out, only to get put back on the shelf. He was hunting. ”He played a very interesting song on this show of his, and I just had to have it – Ah!”

"Oh this?! It's Motown. I'm really liking it, it's different."

”Mowtown?” Tamis repeated, tipping his head to the side to look at her. ”Isn’t that music from America?” It was not meant to be an offensive question. More of a casual inquiry. ”You’re right though. It is different. Not something I’m used to hearing in here.”

"Interesting box you have today. May I ask what it is?"

And now they were back to the beginning again. The biggest reason he’d come into her shop. Well, other then to see her. Tamis never turned down the chance to see Ellen. The use of his own words back at him made him chuckle, and he tipped one eyebrow to her as his eyes drifted between the box and the woman.

”Why don’t you open it, and find out?”

[emrald]

His laugh always made her laugh; there was something about it that was catching. Perhaps it was the fact she never considered much of what she said was terribly funny, somehow she managed to lighten things when it came to Tamis when he had to vent about his boss. Maybe it was the innocent way she said things. Nevertheless she loved his laugh; that’s when his smile was the most sincere one her favourite things about him among others that she kept quietly to herself.

"No… No. I am definitely not trying to impress Mr. Lee… I must admit, that’s probably one of the funniest things I’ve heard today!"

She puckered her lips in an attempted to stop her cheeks from hurting. ”I didn’t think you would.” She beamed a pearly white smile back at him. ”Your laugh has been the best thing I’ve heard today.” She took a quick moment to look down at her shoes. She mentally chastised herself for being so out of sorts, this wasn’t the first time they’d bantered before, but there was something flirtatious in the way he spoke. She continued to watch him as he pulled up an album with an exclamation that would do Archimedes proud.

"I caught a late night radio show the other night. Don’t ask me what I was doing up at that hour – I have no clue. The DJ was quite catchy though, and I found myself unable to turn off the show… He played a very interesting song on this show of his, and I just had to have it – Ah!”

”What was the song? Now you’ve got me curious what station you were listening to?” She wanted to see the album cover but felt to shy to stand any closer to him. On top of looking finely put together he smelled great too, she locked that away in her mind so as not to be foolish and blurt it out. He still hadn’t said why he was dressed up, she cursed her inquisitive nature, did it really matter why? After all he had come in today and as always it was a pleasure to see and be seen. She was thankful that his voice interrupted her roaming thoughts.

”Mowtown?”… Isn’t that music from America?”… You’re right though. It is different. Not something I’m used to hearing in here.”

She giggled at Tamis’ way of repeating ‘Motown’ as if it was a foreign word rolling past his English lips. She nodded and spoke with matter of fact, ”Hmmm yes, from Detroit I believe, well most of it is anyway. I’ve yet to fully read the sleeve on this one.” Reading the cover sleeves was something she enjoyed doing in between customers coming in and browsing her wares, she liked to be up to date on her stuff. It was something her Dad enjoyed doing too, “The more knowledge you have, the more sales you make” he always told her. She took it to heart and made it common practice in her day to day routine.

”Why don’t you open it, and find out?”

She looked at the box; the medium flat box was wrapped with care and precision and sat on her round display table near the front window. She furrowed her brow and looked back at Tamis, she placed a hand on her chest. ”You want me to open it??”.She half tiptoed half walked over to the box and picked it up, it felt light in her hands she resisted the urge to shake it as she walked it back to where Tamis was standing. Ellen squinted her eyes at him making sure he wasn't teasing her. She tongued the corner of her mouth in an act of concentration as she peeled back the paper. If he had gone out of his way to wrap this nicely she figured she should at least not open it like a ravenous child at Christmas. She removed the paper and placed it on top of the albums beside her and investigated the white box. She swung her tongue across her lips to the other corner of her mouth as she lifted the lid off the box to expose the neatly folded over baby pink coloured tissue paper. She stopped to look at Tamis who was watching her intently; she was puzzled by this gift before her. Resting the box on top of the records beside where she had discarded the wrapping Ellen moved the tissue paper aside, a soft gasp escaped her lips. With her heart in her throat she stammered. ”This – this is for me? It… it’s beautiful! But why?”