The first time I saw her that night, her lips were a deep wine red in a pronounced perfect pout. And when she smiled, oh, how my heart fluttered like a newly-broken butterfly and landed on her velvet lips. Later that night, as I tugged on her lower lip with mine, I tasted the candy apple laced with a hint of vodka. She pressed her lips repeatedly onto my face, telling me how much she wanted me – no one could tell if it was lipstick or just my emotions illuminating on my cheek.
She pulled up for our fifth date in a nude pink lipstick that matched her summer dress, gleaming in silvery highlights from above and dazzling me. She looked less mischievous, compared to the first time I met her, subtler with a little weight on her cheeks and waist. Her lips pressed a goodbye on mine, leaving a sticky residue of her expensive lip gloss as I brushed it off with the back of my hand, distracted by the thought of how soft her lips felt.
The entire time that she lay naked beside me, I only ever remember her lips. No expensive lip sticks, just swollen, full and slightly agape while she snored slightly. I brought my fingers up to brush against them lightly, as she continued in deep slumber. These lips that moaned all through the night and smiled shyly as I looked into her eyes while making love – gosh, I was in love.
She came back home one night, her plum lipstick faded. She told me that it was Mexican food – tacos and beers – and that she didn’t bring her lipstick to work so she couldn’t touch it up. I didn’t realize that night, that her lips, the very ones I kissed, were laced with lies, for her plum lipstick as I found out, had been in her handbag all along.
I am seeing someone else, were the words that crossed from her lips. Today, they were pristinely painted with an orange, water-based tint that didn’t budge – even as salty tears ran down her face. I stood stoic, as my fingers absentmindedly brushed against her soft lips once more, allowing myself to embrace the idea of never feeling them against mine anymore. I’m sorry, she said as she leaned in for a last kiss, pressing so hard that I felt my heart break at the weight of her lips.
