Captivation by Nicola Moriarty

night air inside. She began to sway again, thrilled that she was dancing in front of her balcony, completely naked. The more she twisted her body to the music, the more she enjoyed herself, and she closed her eyes, getting lost in the song. Her hands gripped the drapes as she writhed to the music. Danny must have succumbed to her seductions again, because moments later she felt his hands grasp her waist. She opened her eyes and smiled.
    Together, they stepped out onto the balcony and continued to dance, with Danny’s arms pulled tight around her, caressing her, gently squeezing her breasts, stroking her skin from her stomach right down to her thighs, and Juliette relaxed into his hold. As he held her, Juliette turned her head and almost squealed with delight at what she saw.
    ‘Danny!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re taking shape again, I’m starting to see you.’
    I told you we’d make our way back.
    There was a pause and he added, There’s someone watching us, though.
    ‘Where?’
    Straight across the courtyard. There’s a man out on his balcony.
    Juliette looked across at him, but to her, he was just a blur in the distance.

    ‘Does it turn you on,’ she asked, ‘knowing that another man is watching us? That he can see me completely naked?’
    A little.
    Juliette smirked and then crept her fingers down and began to touch herself. ‘It doesn’t matter, anyway,’ she whispered. ‘He’s not real. He’s not part of our world. Take me to bed.’
    Before she allowed Danny to guide her back inside, into the bedroom and onto the bed, Juliette took one last look straight across the courtyard at the man who was watching them. For just one second, his form sharpened and he came properly into view. Their eyes met and Juliette felt a strange flutter, deep inside her stomach, a flutter of familiarity – she knew that man. She just didn’t know how. But by then she was being drawn further in and she was falling onto the bed, and the neighbour from that far-off balcony was instantly forgotten as Danny prepared to bring them closer together once again.

    Afterwards, Juliette didn’t sleep. She lay still in the darkness, breathing in Danny’s presence and thinking about her plan. In the end, really, it seemed so obvious that she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t thought of it sooner. It was clear that it was the only solution, and while she suspected that Danny might not love the idea straightaway, she was confident that she could win him over – and if not, she would just follow through on her own. She doubted that, even with their strong connection, he would have the power to stop her. Once she put her mind to something, it was extremely difficult for her opinion to be swayed.
    What are you thinking about?
    ‘You don’t know?’

    No. Your thoughts seem sort of … guarded. Is there something that you’re hiding from me?
    ‘Not intentionally.’
    Is everything alright?
    ‘Everything is perfect.’
    Juliette must have fallen asleep eventually, because when she opened her eyes, the room had a certain stillness about it, and the feeling that you only got in the very dead of the night. She guessed it was three or maybe fouram.
    She sat up in the bed and smiled to herself. In her dreams, she had found the final piece of the puzzle. Earlier, she had known what she needed to do. The only part she hadn’t known was how . But now, she knew. It was time to follow through.
    What’s going on in that mind of yours?
    ‘Why do you ask?’
    Because I can see that there’s something. I can tell. I just can’t catch what it is.
    ‘We’ll talk about it later,’ she said.
    Juliette, are you sure? If there’s something on your mind, something worrying you, I want to share it with you. I want to help.
    ‘Later,’ she intoned again. ‘We’ll talk about it later. For now, do you think you could give me some privacy? Just for a few moments,’ she added hurriedly.
    Of course , he responded. I’ll wait out in the lounge room for