Pauline’s Predicament

Pauline was walking down the street heading towards the subway when she heard someone call her name.  She turned and saw Larson, her fiance’s friend.  Smiling broadly, she stopped and watched as he approached.  She was always delighted to see him.

When he reached her, they hugged.  “You look great,” she said as they separated.  He was wearing a grey pinstripe suit and a matching tie over a white shirt.  With his looks he could have been a model but he was a CFO at a multi-national company.

“Thank you,” he replied.  “You look terrific, as always.”

His compliment made her feel good and her smile deepened.  “So, how are you doing?  It has been a while since Karson and I last saw you.”

“I’ve been keeping busy.  How are Karson and you doing?”

“Fine.  He went away on a business trip to Toronto.”

“For how long?”

“A month.”

“What are you going to do while he’s away?”

She shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Maybe hang out with my friends or catch up on my reading.  Or maybe you’d like to come over on the weekend and we can spend time together.”

“I’d like that.”  He glanced at his watch.  “I’m sorry I can stay longer and chat but I have to get back to the office now.  I have a meeting in twenty minutes.  It was great running into you, Pauline.  I’ll be in touch.  Please tell Karson I said hi the next time you speak to him.”

“I will.  Call me.”

“I will,” he promised.  He watched her walk away before heading in the opposite direction.  As he walked, he wondered if it would be wise for him to visit her when Karson wasn’t there.  He was totally attracted to her.  When they hugged, he tried to hold her in such a way that she couldn’t feel his arousal.  The last thing he wanted was for her be aware of his feelings which were growing by leaps and bounds.  Those feelings were the reason why he hadn’t been visiting.  When he called her, he would suggest that they go somewhere.

Pauline reached the platform and waited for the train.  It was great running into Larson.  It had been a while since she last saw him.  She missed him.  In the past, he used to visit Karson and her often but lately, he wasn’t.  Perhaps, he was just very busy since the promotion or maybe he had a girlfriend.  The mere thought of him having a girlfriend made her jealous.  I shouldn’t be feeling this way, she chided herself.  He’s Karson’s friend.  But, she couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt when they hugged.  She had her arms around his neck and he had his around her waist.  The scent of his cologne and the feel of his hard body against hers made her head spin.  The hug seemed to last longer than it should have.  And when they parted, she wondered if he also sensed the sexual tension between them.

She somehow managed to act as if nothing was amiss but her body and senses were in turmoil.  Inviting him over to the house while Karson was away was a crazy and reckless idea but she wanted to see him again.  She couldn’t let another month go by without seeing him.  Maybe instead of them being in the house, they could go somewhere.  When he called, she would suggest that.

Three weeks passed and he still hadn’t called Pauline.  He had come to the conclusion that it would be best if they didn’t see each other.  He would wait until Karson was back and maybe drop by for a visit.  On a Saturday night, the week before Karson was due back in London, Larson was relaxing on the sofa, reading a book when the doorbell rang.  He closed the book and set it down, not particularly thrilled at the interruption.  When he looked through the keyhole, his heart leapt in his chest when he saw Pauline standing there.  What is she doing here?  Sucking in his breath, he drew back the latch and opened the door.  His expression was tense as he looked at her.

She was wearing a red dress which accentuated her lovely complexion.  “Good evening.  May I come in?”

He moved aside so that she could enter the foyer and closed the door.  His heart was pounding and his head was spinning.  When he turned around he tried not to let his gaze drop below her face.  “You shouldn’t be here, Pauline,” he said quietly.

“You didn’t call so I thought I would come by to see if you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.  I was reading.”

“I wasn’t sure that you would be home on a Saturday night.”

“My weekends are usually very quiet.”

“What about a girlfriend?”  She had to know.

“I don’t have one.”  Was that relief he saw on her face before she turned away?  He moved away from the door and followed her into the  living-room.  While he sat down on the steps, she walked over to the windows and looked out.

“What an incredible view,” she remarked.  “I remember the first time I came here.  While you and Karson were talking, I came over here and stood for a long time just admiring the view.”

He didn’t answer.  Instead, he watched her, a pulse throbbing along his jawline.  This time he couldn’t prevent his eyes from traveling down her slender body as she stood with her back to him, watching the flickering lights of the city.  The dress hugged her in all the right places and it revealed her shapely legs.  He fought to resist the temptation to go over there and…

She turned around and came over to him.  “So, why didn’t you call me, Larson?” she asked.  “You said you would.”

“I’ve been busy,” he muttered.

“Too busy to call?”

She was standing in front of him now, looking down at him.  He was finding it hard to breathe now.  He should get up and move as far away as possible from her.  Maybe he should tell her that he wasn’t in the mood for company or that he just remembered, he had somewhere to go.  Anything to get out of this but, he just sat there, looking up at her and thinking about how sexy she looked in that bloody dress.  “Pauline, I think you should go,” he muttered tightly.

For a moment she looked a bit taken aback and then she shrugged.  “All right.  I’ll go.  I’m sorry I interrupted your evening.  I’ll see myself out.”  She started up the steps when contrite, he stood up and blocked her.

“I’m sorry,” he said.  “It’s not that I don’t want you here.  The problem is that I do.”

“Then why do you want me to go?”

His eyes darkened on her upturned face.  “I’m afraid that if you stay I will be tempted to make a pass at you.”

She looked straight into his eyes and said, “Maybe that’s why I came over tonight.”

When he saw her eyes drop to his mouth, it was his undoing.  Groaning, he caught her by the shoulders and pulled her against him.  His head swooped down and his hungry mouth sought hers.

Pauline put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.  She knew that coming over here tonight could lead to this but it was something she had wanted for a very long time.  Deep down she knew that if she had met Larson first, she wouldn’t be with Karson.  Desire raged inside her like an inferno and breaking off the kiss, she dragged the denim jacket off and then pulled the tee shirt over his head.  She bent her head and pressed her lips against his heaving chest.  He closed his eyes as he felt her warm breath on his bare skin.

Then, he pulled her head back to devour her mouth.  For several minutes his lips plundered hers as his insatiable desire for her consumed him.  He picked her up and carried her to his room.  After kicking the door shut, he carried over to the bed and laid her on top.  He dragged the dress off before removing the rest of his clothes.  Then, his hands and lips were all over her body, driving her wild.  Her nails clawed at the skin on his back.  They made love on top of the duvet.

When it was over and they lay there entangled and spent, she turned her head towards him and said, “When Karson comes back, I will give him back his ring and move out.”

“What if he asks why?”

“I will tell him the truth.”

“I’m going to lose a very good friend.”

“I know,” she said, her face lined with deep regret.  “I wish I’d met you first.”

“Me too.”  He leaned down and kissed her on the shoulder.  “I’d like you to move in here with me.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, reaching up and brushing the hair back from his forehead.

“Yes.”

She smiled.  “Okay.”

He gazed into her eyes as he whispered, “I love you.”

She reached up and pulled his head down to hers.  “I love you too,” she murmured against his lips.

The following week, she gave Karson his engagement ring back and moved out.  He was livid and that was to be expected.  She moved in with Larson.  A year later, they got married.

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Heartstrings

“I love the way you play,” he said.

I smiled, flattered.  “Thank you.”

We were standing backstage at Carnegie Hall.  I had invited him to the performance and was thrilled that he actually came.

“The way you played that piece it was as if you were telling a story.  You had me hooked.”

“Joshua Bell, the celebrated violinist once said that when you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller and you’re telling a story.”

“I would like to hear your story.  How about going for a cappuccino with me?”

“Yes,” I said without any hesitation.  I wanted to be with him.  Since we started working at the same company, I have wanted to get to closer to him.  This was my opportunity.  I quickly put my violin away and followed him to the parking lot.  The café where we went was about a twenty minute drive.  It was a nice and cozy place.  I have never been there before.  We managed to get a seat beside the window.

After ordering two Lattes, he asked, “So, how old were you when you first started playing the violin?”

“I was five when I started learning how to play it.  My father loved classical music and he used to play it all of the time.  I would sit and listen it, especially the music featuring the violin.  I told him that I liked the violin and wanted to learn how to play it.  He took me seriously and got a friend to teach me.”

“Five.  Wow. That’s very young.”

I smiled.  “I’ve heard of children starting as young as three.”

“My sister started playing the piano when she was nine.”

“What about you?  Wasn’t there any musical instrument that you wanted to learn how to play?”

“I liked the saxophone but never got around to learning how to play it.”

“Most people like the saxophone because of its cool image.”

“And most women think it’s sexy.”

“That’s true.  When my sister met her husband he was playing the sax at a Jazz club.”

“So, if he hadn’t been playing the sax, she wouldn’t have been interested?”

“Well, it turned out that it was how he looked as he played was what really attracted her to him.”

He laughed, revealing even white teeth.  “Whatever works.”

“Yes.  Twenty years later and they are still happily married.”

“What about you?” he asked.

“I’m single.”

“That’s good to know.”

I was surprised to hear him say that.  Did he want to have a non-professional relationship with me?  Was I reading more into this than there was?  Did he just want to be friends?  All these and other questions swirled around my head.  I didn’t know what to say.  I just smiled.

He continued, leaning over, his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes meeting mine directly.  “I have wanted to ask you out for a long time now but wasn’t sure if you would want to date someone you worked with.”

It’s a good thing I wasn’t drinking my Latte at that moment or I would have choked on it.

“You look surprised,” he commented.

“I am,” I quickly admitted.

“Why?” he asked.

“Well, there are other women at the company, especially in our department whom I thought you would be more interested in.”

“Yes, there are but I’m not interested in any of them,” he reached over then and covered my hand.  The skin tingled and my stomach did a cartwheel.  “I’m interested in you.”

I felt warm all over.  “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

I felt like a giddy schoolgirl.  “Yes.”

He smiled again and I felt my knees go weak.  We ordered sandwiches and sat there for another couple of hours, talking.  The following night he took me to an upscale restaurant in Soho where in the background Jazz music was playing.  I smiled when I heard the saxophone.  We had a very pleasant and enjoyable evening together.  I laughed a lot and felt totally relaxed with him.  After dinner, we went to Club Shelter where we had a blast.  I don’t recall ever having such a great time with anyone, not even my sister who used to be a real party animal.

It was after mid-night when he took me home.  We stood outside of my place, facing each other.  I didn’t want him to leave.  I didn’t want our time together to end.  “Would you like to come in?” I asked.  I waited, hoping that he would say yes.

Instead, he said, “If I do, I might not want to leave.”

Heart pounding wildly against my ribs, I stepped the foyer as I replied, “What if I don’t want you to leave?”

His response was to come in and close the door behind him.   The expression on his face thrilled me and I gasped when he pulled me roughly against him, his eyes smoldering as they met mine.  Then, we were kissing like two crazy people.  We barely made it to my room where we had an explosive session.  Afterwards, we fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

He left the following morning after a shower and breakfast.  We made plans to see each other that evening.  No one in our department knew about us until the day we announced our engagement.

She tugged at his heartstrings with her violin playing but by the cords of love he was drawn to her.

 

Jesse/Imagination #writephoto

Photo by Sue Vincent

Every time I walk past the mural on the street where I used to live, I stop and stare at it.  Memories of my friend, Jesse flood my mind.  He was a phenomenal artist.  I honestly think he was born to be one.  It was his passion.  It was what made him a beacon of hope for us.  He rose above his circumstances.  He created beauty in a place where violence, drugs, alcohol and crime were prevalent.  He was a light in a very dark place.  He made other kids and me want to be somebody–to pursue our dreams.

Jesse is gone.  He was taken too soon.  It wasn’t a bullet that got him or some random act of violence or drugs–he never touched the stuff.  It was HIV.  He got it from his girlfriend who got it from a guy she cheated on Jesse with.  She’s still alive but it’s only a matter of time before she dies too.  The guy she got it from died a couple of years ago.  She said that if she had known that he had it, she wouldn’t have slept with him.  Her mistake killed her and my friend, Jesse.  I have long since forgiven her for what she had done.  Hating her wouldn’t bring Jesse back.

This time, I brought a rose with me which I now place on the ground in front of the mural.  It’s for Jesse.  It’s a token of my love of a friend whose light has gone out of the world but it still illuminates my heart.

Our minds are like canvases and our imaginations are the brushstrokes.

This is a response to the #writephoto Prompt – Imagination at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo.

Some Friend

She was walking to work when she spotted Dexter’s car.  He didn’t see her.  Even if he did, what would he do?  She couldn’t imagine him telling the driver to stop so that he could talk to her.  Perhaps if Meghan was with her, he would.  It was a slap in the face when they went out for dinner one night, he was a little too attentive to her friend.  And what made it worse was Meghan flirted with him.  Their friendship cooled considerably after that.  It hurt knowing that the two people she cared for and trusted the most were seeing each other.

I have to move on, she thought.  I have to get over him.  There were other men out there.  She just had to figure out where to meet them.  Or maybe she should wait on the Lord as her mother advised her to do.  Maybe she should just enjoy being single and when the time was right for her to meet someone, it would happen.  She could do other things in the meantime like travel, enroll in an arts or crafts class, take up a new hobby or volunteer.  The possibilities were endless.

She was fine with being single.  And it didn’t matter that the man she still carried a torch for had just gone by in his chauffeur driven car.  It would be weeks before she saw him again.  She was fine with that.  Her pace quickened.  She had a busy day ahead of her and was determined not to let anything distract her.  As she was nearing the office building, her cell rang.  She fished inside her bag for it.  When she saw the number on the display, her heart skipped a beat.  It was him.  She answered.  “Hello.”

“Hello, Lonette.  Hope I’m not calling you at a bad time.”

“Actually, I’m my way to work.”

“Sorry.  I won’t keep you long.  I was wondering if you’d have lunch with me today.”

She considered that for a moment.  Why did he want to have lunch with her?  Did it have something to do with Meghan?  The last thing she needed was to sit there and listen to him talk about her former friend.  Did Meghan ask him to invite her to lunch so that he could convince her to patch things up with her?  “I can’t,” she said.  “It’s going to be a busy day for me.”

“How about dinner this evening?”

“Sorry, that’s out too.”

“What about tomorrow?  Are you free for either lunch or dinner?”

“No.”

“Are you giving me the brush off, Lonette?”

“No, I’m not,” she protested quickly, too quickly.

“Yes, you are.  Is it because of Meghan?”

“I was wondering when we were going to get around to talking about her.”

“You know there’s nothing going on between us.”

“Really?  Well, that’s not what I heard.”

“Whatever you heard, it isn’t true.  I’m not interested in Meghan.  I never was.”

“When we went out for dinner, you didn’t act like you weren’t interested.”

“I know how it might have looked to you, but I swear to you that I was just trying to be nice to her for your sake.”

“What do you mean that you were just trying to be nice to her?”

He sighed.  “I don’t how to say this so I’ll just come right out and say it.  I don’t like Meghan.  I tried to get along with her for your sake and that’s why I was trying to be nice to her when the three of us were together.  I didn’t expect her to flirt with me.  I’m sorry about that.”

Lonette was inside the lobby now.  She didn’t go into the elevator but went into the sitting area.  She sat down on one of the plush leather chairs.  “Someone said that they saw you with her a couple of weeks ago.”

“I was at The Keg waiting for a client when she came over.  She sat down at the table.  I didn’t want to be rude or draw attention so I told her as politely as I could to leave.  She refused to budge until my client joined us.   She had no choice but to leave but before she did, she said that she couldn’t understand how I could be attracted to you.  She said that was why she liked being friends with you.  She didn’t have to worry about high quality men liking you instead of her.  That’s the woman you thought was your friend.  If you don’t believe me, I can give you the number of my client.”

Lonette sighed.  “No, that won’t be necessary.  I still can’t have lunch with you but I’m free for dinner tonight.”

“Good.  I’ll pick you up at seven.  I can’t wait to see you, Lonette.”

“I can’t wait to see you too.”  She rang off and remained sitting there for a few minutes.  What Meghan said stung.  She had no idea that was how she felt about her.  No wonder she didn’t have a problem flirting with Dexter.  She knew I was crazy about him and she still flirted with him.  Some friend she turned out to be.  And to think I almost threw away my chance for happiness because of her.  Furious, she deleted Meghan’s number from her cell before getting up and hurrying to the elevator.

Ties in Seattle

Des had just gotten on his motorcycle, about to take off when he spotted Chantoya coming down the sidewalk.  He turned off the engine and slid off the seat.  Adjusting his shirt and smoothing his hair down, he walked over to her.  “Hi there,” he said when he was standing in front of her.

A big smile broke out on her face.  “Hi yourself,” she exclaimed before hugging him.  “It’s so good to see you.  It has been a while.  How have you been?”

“I’ve traveling a lot.  Just got back from South Korea.”

“South Korea?  What’s it like there?”

“It’s a great place.  I was there for a month and loved every minute of it.  The culture, the history, the food and the people made it worthwhile.”

“I’d love to hear more about your trip, Des.  How about we meet tomorrow afternoon at Squirrel Chops?”

“Sure.  What time?”

“Is five okay with you?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I’m sorry I can’t stay and chat more but I’m on my way to the theatre.”

“Okay.  Don’t let me keep you.”

She touched him on his arm.  “It was really great seeing you.”

“Ditto.  Have fun at the theatre.”

“Thanks.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Anneyeong, Chantoya.”  He smiled.  “That means goodbye in Korean.”

She laughed.  “I’m impressed.  ‘Bye, Des.”

 

He watched her walk away and then returned to his bike.  He hopped on and after putting on his helmet, he pulled out of the parking space.  As he merged with the traffic, he wondered if Chantoya had a date.  She was all dressed up, looking pretty as usual.  He had thought about her all that time he was in Korea. 

He went to Seoul Yangnyeong Market with every intention of buying her a gift but at the last minute, he decided not to.  It probably wouldn’t have been a good idea since Chantoya was Shelley’s room-mate.   Shelley was his ex-girlfriend.  They had been dating for four years until they broke up last year.  She wanted to get married but he didn’t.  So, they parted ways.  In retrospect, he realized that she wasn’t the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.  Since the breakup, he hadn’t seen Chantoya until today.

During their exchange a few minutes ago, neither mentioned Shelley.  Perhaps, it wasn’t necessary.  He wondered if Chantoya would tell her that she had bumped into him.  Maybe that too wasn’t necessary.  Perhaps, Shelley had moved on.  At least, he hoped she had.

Chantoya met her date, Calvin outside of the Paramount Theatre.  They were going to see the musical Wicked.  Calvin looked handsome in his dark suit but when they hugged, she didn’t feel any spark.  It was more like hugging a friend.  As they walked through the doors and up to the orchestra section, she thought about Des and wondered what he was doing at that moment.  It was really great seeing him again.  She had wanted to get in touch with him after he broke up with Shelley but decided that it wasn’t a good idea.  How would it look her getting in touch with her room-mate’s ex?  It had been a tough time for Shelley who really checked for him but she tried to help her to see that it wouldn’t have been good continuing the relationship when it was clear that Des and she weren’t on the same page when it came to marriage.

Chantoya realized that he hadn’t asked about Shelley.  If he had, she would have told him that she had moved to New York.  I’ll tell him tomorrow when I see him, she decided.

“So, did you have a good time at the theatre?” Des asked her when they were sitting by the window having Lattes.

“I really enjoyed Wicked.”

“Did you go alone?”

“No.  I went with Calvin.”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

She shook her head.  “No.  I went out with him a couple of times but after last night, I decided to stop seeing him.”

“What made you decide that?”

“I wasn’t attracted to him.”

“Is there someone you’re attracted to?”

She looked at him.  Their eyes met and held.  “Yes.”

I hope it’s me.  “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“You.”

He reached over and put his hand over hers.  “The attraction is mutual, Chantoya,” he said quietly.

“I’ve been trying to fight it all of these years because of Shelley.  After you broke up with her, I wanted to call you but didn’t think it was wise or proper to do so.  Then, after she moved to New York, I thought about getting in touch with you again.”

“So, she finally moved to New York.  When we were together, she talked about us moving there.  I like New York but I’ve never wanted to live there.”

“She hasn’t been in touch with me since she moved there.  Maybe she has decided to cut all ties here.”

“Maybe.  I hope she finds happiness in New York.  My ties are right here–in Seattle.”

“Mine too.”  She looked down at their hands.

Sometimes relationships don’t work out because the two people involved are meant be with other people.

Sources:  Yelp;The Culture Trip;Trip Advisor; Seattle Theatre Group

Free Again

Myra was waiting outside her building for a taxi when she saw Cody coming down the sidewalk.  She hadn’t seen him since the breakup.  He looked so good in that uniform.  Nothing had changed.  She was still crazy about him.  Her heart began to pound as he walked over to her.  Although she was in heels, he still towered over her.  His eyes traveled slowly over her and then back to her face.  She could see the admiration and desire in them.  “You look beautiful,” he said quietly.

“Thank you.”  She knew she sounded a little breathless but she couldn’t help it.  He had that effect on her.  “How have you been?”

“Busy,” he replied.  “I just finished my shift and was on my way home.  What about you?”

“I’ve been busy too.”

“You’re all dressed up.  Do you have a date?”

“Yes.”

“Who is he?”

“A friend of a friend.”

“How long have you been going out with him?”

“A couple of weeks now.”

“It kills me that you’re with another guy, Myra.”

She swallowed hard.  “You’re engaged, remember?”

“I know,” he muttered tightly.  “But that doesn’t change the way I feel about you.  I miss you.  I miss us.”

She closed her eyes.  “Cody…”

Without warning, Cody cupped her face between his hands and his mouth sought hers.  Unable to help herself, she kissed him back.  Passersby glanced at them.  A cop kissing a civilian–it wasn’t something you would normally see on any given day, but the two of them were oblivious to the attention they were drawing.

For several minutes, they exchanged passionate kisses filled with intense longing before she pulled away.  When he would have reached for her, she moved away.  “We can’t do this,” she cried.  “You have a fiancee and I have to move on.”  Just then, her taxi pulled up.  “Goodbye, Cody.  Take care of yourself.”  She hurried to the taxi, trying to keep it together.  The last thing she wanted was to break down in front of him.  She opened the door and got in.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him as the taxi drove away.  She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.  I have to move on.  I have to get him out of my system.  We have separate lives now.  His life is with Emilia and mine may be with Delmar, if things work between us. Delmar is a great guy but…She closed her eyes.  He’s not Cody.  No man will ever be Cody.

Cody watched the taxi drive away, his face flushed before he turned and headed in the opposite direction.  He got into the parked squad car and sat there for several minutes, his hands gripping the steering wheel.  All sorts of emotions churned inside him–jealousy, desire and anguish.  On top of that he was tired from a long day but he knew that trying to relax when he got home was out of the question.  All he could think about was Myra and that she was in another relationship.  What did you expect, he chided himself.  That she would put her life on hold for you?

A couple of years had gone by since Myra broke up with him but nothing had changed where his feelings for her were concerned.  He was still madly in love with her.   When she broke up with him he was devastated.  He felt like a jerk for not telling her that he was engaged before they became involved but he was afraid of losing her.  Which is what ended up happening anyway.  He shook his head now.  What a royal mess of things he had made. What on earth was he going to do now?  And then it dawned on him that marrying Emilia would be a huge mistake.   Emilia deserved to spend the rest of her life with a man who loved her, not someone else.

He was going to stop by her place later and break the news.  He wasn’t looking forward to it.  She was an amazing woman.  Any guy would be lucky to have her.  I’m just not the guy for her.  He started the engine and pulled away.  Ten minutes later as he pulling into his neighborhood, he noticed the driver in front of him was driving erratically.  His shift had ended fifteen minutes ago but he couldn’t let this go without further investigation.  He pulled the car over and approached it with caution.

Myra let herself into her apartment.  It had been a pleasant evening.  Dinner and dancing but at the end of it she knew that she couldn’t continue seeing Delmar.  After she told him that it wouldn’t work out between them, she hailed a taxi outside of the restaurant and came straight home.  She knew she had done the right thing in breaking up with him.  He deserved better.  All through dinner she had been distracted, thinking about Cody and the kiss.  Her face felt hot at the memory.

Maybe the best thing to do was to put dating on hold for now–at least until she had gotten over Cody.  In the meantime she would travel, find a new hobby and maybe volunteer.  Her mind was whirling with all these thoughts and ideas which sounded great but were they practical?  A nice hot shower and some hot chocolate were exactly what she needed right now.

She was about to go to bed when the doorbell rang.  Who on earth could be stopping by at this late hour?  Shaking her head, she went to find out and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Cody.  She opened the door.  “It’s late,” she said.  She couldn’t prevent her eyes from traveling over his tall frame clad in the white shirt and jeans.  She wanted to reach up and brush the hair back from his forehead.

“I know it’s late,” he replied, his expression tense.  “And I’m sorry for stopping by uninvited but I had to see you.”

“Come in.”

“I have something very important to tell you.”

“It must be for you to come here at this late hour.”

“I broke off my engagement.”

Myra’s eyes widened.  “Really?” she exclaimed.  “Why did you do that?”

His eyes darkened on her face.  “I think you know why, Myra.”

“Why don’t you spell it out for me so that there’s no room for any misunderstanding.”

“I can’t marry Emilia when I’m still in love with you.  It wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“So, you’re no longer engaged.”

“No.  I’m a free man now and I’m yours if you still want me.”

They were moving closer to each other until they were standing inches apart.  “I still want you,” she murmured.  “I never stopped.”

“Even when you were with him?”

“Yes, even then.”

“So, are you still going to see him?”

“No.  I broke up with him.”

“So, you’re a free woman.”

“Yes and yours if you still want me.”

His response was to pull her roughly in his arms, making her catch her breath.  “I’ve never stopped wanting you,” he muttered thickly before he kissed her.

He ended up spending the night and two years later, they got married.

If Two People Are Meant To Be Together, Eventually They’ll Find Their Way Back.

Source:  The Balance Careers; Heartfelt Quotes

 

Timmy’s Boots

Copyright Adam Ickes

“Where are your boots, Timmy?” His mother asked him when she noticed that he wasn’t wearing them.

“I left them outside.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I’m taking them over to Leroy.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t have boots.  He likes mine so I’m going to give them to him.”

“But those are your favorite boots”

“I know but Leroy’s my best friend and it’s Christmas.”

His mother was deeply touched.  She reached out and ruffled his hair.  “Bring them in, Honey.  We’ll wrap them so that Leroy has another present to open on Christmas Day.”

Timmy beamed.  “Thanks, Mom!”  He raced off.

 

99 Words

This was written for the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields For more details, visit Here.  To read other stories based on this week’s prompt, visit Here.

 

I wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone and their loved ones a very Merry Christmas 😀