Chapter 6
Darcy was applying mascara when she felt him enter her vision.
“Oh! Sorry!” She heard him.
“It’s okay, Steve. I’m just getting ready to go out.” She shrugged. It was then she remembered she was wearing a robe that came up high and liked to plummet at her chest.
“Do you uh, do you want me to go?” Steve flustered.
“Nah, I like the company for getting ready.”
Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “Where are you going?”
“Hopefully some place I can get smashed.” She remarked, pausing though in the middle of picking out an outfit. “If I get a hangover, will it affect you?”
“God I hope not,” Steve muttered with a smirk,.
“Good!” She brightened. “Thanks to the lucky invention of a fake ID, and well showing some skin, I have my choice of drinks tonight and I really need it!”
“Bad day?” He asked softly. Steve began tidying around his home, finally realizing how crappy he was at keeping house.
“I got fired,” she admitted.
“What? Why?” He demanded.
Darcy gave a weak shrug. “Owner was still pissed the other day that I dropped a full crate of eggs. He said I was bad for inventory.”
“I’m so sorry, Darcy. I swear I didn’t know…”
“Hey,” she interrupted. “Don’t sweat it, I hated that job anyways. So, I’m going out with my friend Lily to have a bit of fun before I have to be an adult again and find another job.”
“Maybe you’ll find something better?” He hoped she did.
“Maybe.” Darcy sat on her bed, stockings in hand. “Hey Steve?”
“Yeah?”
“Just warning you, I’m about to start getting ready.” She said slowly.
“Oh. Oh!” Steve realized what she was saying. “I’ll just let you go then.”
“But I want you to see how I look!” She protested. “I picked this outfit for you, you know.”
Steve gulped. “All right.”
Steve tried to focus on anything but seeing Darcy slowly roll stockings up her legs. He focused on the kitchen table from his childhood, beaten and battered through the years. He tried to be a gentleman, he really tried. But his vision was filled with creamy pale flesh slowly being rolled up into stockings. Were those seamed stockings? Steve gulped.
“You picked this outfit for me, huh?” He rasped.
Darcy chuckled darkly. “Well, it was inspired by you, so yeah. You got any plans tonight?”
Steve cleared his throat, trying to distract his vision. “Um, yeah. Bucky’s coming by in a bit.”
“You never did tell me how today went with the recruitment.” She reminded him.
“Another no,” he replied bitterly.
Darcy sighed. “We’ll save this conversation for another day. I want tonight to be on a good note.”
“I can’t wait to see you, Darcy.” He admitted softly.
“Hold your horse, I gotta put on my dress.”
Steve smiled to himself. He saw her moving around but she kept her eyes away from her outfit. He felt the anticipation as if he were actually going on a date with her. To be honest, he would give everything in the world to be going out with her just for one night.
“Okay, you ready?” She asked cheekily.
“I think so,” he chuckled.
“Okay!”
Suddenly he was looking at her in the mirror. Her hair was curled and pinned back in Victory Rolls. Her eyes were shaded dark with her lips pouty. He gulped as he took in the skin tight dress that hugged her curves with the seamed stockings.
“Good God, Darcy.” He rasped.
“You like it? I had to watch, like, five YouTube videos just to figure out how to do my hair like this.”
“Watch what?” He questioned.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Just tell me, what do you think?”
“I think that,” Steve said slowly. “I’m jealous of any man that’s going to dance with you in his arms.”
Darcy’s expression softened. “I wish it were you, Steve. Trust me when I say that.”
“You’re a hell of a girl, Darcy. I feel lucky enough just to know you.”
“Steve, you know how to make a girl blush.” She teased. “Now be honest, is Bucky setting you up tonight?”
Steve struggled for a moment before sighing with defeat. “Yeah, it’s this girl’s sister. I don’t really want to…”
“Steve, you can go on dates.” She encouraged.
“Just like you can go on dates with guys.” He reminded.
“It’ll be awkward whenever we go on dates.” Darcy said mostly to herself. “Though to be honest, I don’t really want to date anyone.”
“Neither do I.”
Darcy opened her mouth to speak but shut it at the sound of knocking on her door. “That’s Lily. I gotta be going.”
“Be safe, Darcy. And try to have fun!” Steve tried for a lighter tone.
“You too!”
Steve blinked and she was gone from his vision. Though she may not be there anymore, he could see her clearly in his head. Steve gave his head a light shake before tugging on his coat. He met Bucky outside his apartment, his best friend leaning against the railing.
“What’s eatin’ you?” Buck asked as he patted Steve on the shoulder.
“I met a girl,” Steve blurted, cursing himself for the admission.
Bucky stopped walking, eyes wide. “No foolin’? Who’s the lucky gal?”
“Her name is Darcy,” Steve realized the more he said it aloud the more real it seemed.
“If you met a dame, why are you with me tonight? You should be takin’ her out on the town!”
“It’s complicated, Buck.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck.
“Complicated?” Bucky leaned in closer and whispered, “Is she married?”
“What? No!” Steve’s voice rang with shock. “Buck, you know I would never steal another man’s gal.”
“Hey, the heart wants what it wants!” Bucky defended. “If she’s not taken, what’s making it so complicated?”
“She, uh, she doesn’t live around here.”
“Oh,” Bucky nodded in understanding. “Why waste your time with a gal you can’t ever touch, Stevie? Stay focused in the here and now. You’re surrounded by beautiful gals that you can actually be with.”
The problem is none of those girls want me, Steve thought to himself. He forced a grin for Bucky, but the image of Darcy all painted up stayed like a photograph in his mind.