Stella loved the feel of Anton's arms around her, and his hands on her body. 'Oh yes, she thought, a little lower, a leeeeetle lower,' but he  didn't. Why the devil not? Maybe it was for the best. For now.<br/><br/>Eventually they drew apart, and flushed, with brightly shining eyes, she looked up at him. Had he been surprised by her kissing him? "Umm, that was a nice welcome home," she finally said and reluctantly moved out of his embrace. She could happily have stayed there all day, but decorum prohibited this. This was the walkway to their building, not Woodstock.  His body had felt wonderful against hers, she thought. But now she suddenly felt bashful again. Darn it, 'why can't I make up my mind on how I'm supposed to feel?' So she bent down, a flush creeping up her neck and she grabbed Tesla's carrier,  then set it down again and instead took hold of her backpack. It was an old thing, a dusky pink denim with white polka dots, which she had since college and never been able to let go of. After pulling the backpack straps on to her shoulder, she once again reached for the hardshell cat carrier which was a sturdy navy blue carrier with wheels. Well, it had three wheels, one fell off thanks to Wubblebutt's heft . She tried to stand up but somehow her entire get up and go, had got up and gone an she just didn't have it in her again to carry the  yowling beast anymore.  'Jaysus this beast was heavy,'  and so she heaved Tesla at Anton, and then handed him the cooler, which was the next heavy thing before grabbing all the other things. She only then noticed that he was barefoot. He had nice looking feet, well, as nice as feet could be, particularly masculine feet. But why was he barefoot? Did he get pedicures, she wondered. Probably, he was a model after all, don't they have to get spiffed and polished for their job?<br/><br/>"Awww lookie," said the Angel, "He was so excited to see you he didn't even put on his shoes."<br/>"Ah, indeed" echoed the Devil, "I'd be more impressed if he forgot to take his keys and then got locked out of his apartment. Then he'd have to stay with Stella until the Super can open his doors. Maybe the Super could be missing for a few hours? They should kiss again."<br/>'Definitely' agreed the Angel in a dreamy voice, 'he seems like a great kisser. Stella, kiss him again.'<br/><br/>Stella blushed. And Stella smiled. And then blushed deeper. She wouldn't mind more kissing. Not one little bit. Maybe in her apartment? Would she be bold enough to do that?<br/><br/>To try and regain her sanity, she looked at the burdened Anton, and decided he could take another bag, so she took the cooler, looped the straps of another bag around his shoulder, and then gave him the cooler again. To his raised eye brows, he said, "my friend is a killer cook, and you'll get to share."<br/><br/>And then she trudged off towards the building and her apartment. She did that both to regain some control over her run-away mind, and get Tesla out of the carrier. Not to mention that the little tableau of barefoot, hyperventilate, drop dead gorgeous man, surrounded by bags, a loudly yowling ginormous cat, and a flushed redhead would begin to attract attention. They took the lift to her floor and with slightly shaking hands she maneuvered her key into the door and opened her apartment. Everything looked just fine, the plants needed water, but didn't look altogether dead, so that was fine.  There were however two 'delivery attempted' tags on the door from a florist, and FedEx.<br/><br/>With considerable relief she and Anton set down her bags, and Anton closed the apartment door before he bent down and manipulated the mechanism which had kept Tesla secure in his navy blue prison all those hours. Tesla hissed and growled and streaked past Anton and for a few moments hid under the sofa until Stella made a big show of putting the carrier away in storage in a closet.<br/><br/>"There, you're free," she said and then finally turned and looked up at Anton. What should she say now? This was all sort of very awkward.  What did the kiss mean to him? What did it mean for them?<br/><br/>"I... uh, I had gone for a few days to my best friend's place." She looked down, on the kitchen table between them, and then then up at him again. "I needed some space to think. Some space which didn't have you in it. Or Peter. " She of course had no idea that thanks to Magdalene, Anton knew about Peter Guthrie, so she elaborated. "Peter is a guy who, uh, has been trying to well, date me. We've gone out a few times, he's very, very persistent. The kind of man who usually gets what he decides he wants."  She looked down on the table again. This was so freaking hard. Why was this so hard? She realized that she was very hot and took off her long sleeved shirt and stood there in jeans, and a light green tank top. " I wasn't sure you were interested in me, especially after the whole thing with Chloe, and Peter sort of bullied me - in a sweet way -  into going out with him the first time."  From the corner of her eye she noticed Tesla coming out from under neath the sofa and starting to inspect the apartment, rubbing himself on the sofa, chairs, and other items, laying claim to his space again. "But I realized, that I can't get you out of my mind, and was wondering if you might be interested in, well, that is if you're not hooked up with Chloe, I mean she is very nice, and I couldn't blame you..." Stella realized she was rambling, and probably making a hash out of it. She was so nervous now, but she had to say this, this was the last time for sure, this was it. "Well, if you do want to, maybe we can go on a long weekend somewhere, away from here, just us two and get to know each other more?"  She took a deep breath. There she'd done it. God she needed a drink now. Or a pot of tea. Ir how about a spiked tea? With brandy? She didn’t have brandy. Well that kinda sucked right now. She resolved to buy some brandy.<br/><br/>Tesla, having inspected his domain finally made a beeline to his food and water dish and loudly demanded restitution for his suffering. Stella, looked down on her hands which had taken her shirt and twisted a sleeve into a tight knot. Kind of like her stomach. He had kissed her in a very non brotherly/friendly way. It was the kind of kiss a man gave a woman he wanted to know more of, so just maybe, he'd say yes? Maybe hold her again and kiss her again and say yes?