Hey Stranger! (792 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.84 on 19 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by morontian (View user info) at 2005-12-18 15:20:48 EST
Her bangs, flirting against her eyelashes, quiver slightly as she blinks away the bead of sweat descending from her temple. She feels another twich, and she draws in a sharp breath and opens her eyes. Yes, it's him. Him again after all these years. It had been so long since she had seen him that when he showed up at the door tonight she felt an almost overpowering sense of vertigo. The doorbell had rang and she had wondered who in the world could have been visiting her at this hour of the evening. And there he had stood, dressed in fashionably tattered jeans and an old, beaten up tee shirt. Just as she remembered him. It was as if the years they had spent apart had not touched him. He was even holding a cigarette between his fingers; a Marlboro red from a soft pack, she knew. God, he hadn't changed at all.
More than slightly bemused, she opened the door and ushered him in.
"But put the smoke out, please. I don't want that crap stinking up my house," she said with a smile.
"Oh, hey, that's cool," he said returning her smile. His smile had looked much easier on his face than the one she had worn on hers had felt. He turned to his side and plucked the cherry from the tip of the cigarette and flicked it into the bush growing domestically next to the porch, and then put the butt into his pants pocket. It was something she had seen him do dozens of times in the past when asked not to smoke. Obviously the consideration that had been such a big part of his personality had gone unscathed as well.
They entered the living room and she pointed him in the direction of the sofa while she sat down in the recliner. She knew better than to go through the traditional offering of drinks or any other such formality. If he wanted, he would ask. Simple as that. She also knew that she was the only one he would be that comfortable enough with. Amazing, less than a few dozen words had been spoken and he had already made her feel special without even trying. It struck her how much she had missed him. She would have thought that she had forgotten all about him. Not so.
"So, you look like you're doing well," he said as he looked around the living room. All at once she wished she had re-decorated the place yesterday. The place had gotten so homely that it was embarrassing. How in the name of all that was good and right had she chosen those curtains? That sofa he was sitting on? The very carpet they had journeyed across to get to where they were sitting and talking, for that matter? Something had to be done, and this just proved it.
"Well, I guess I can't complain. We've been pretty comfortable for a while now."
"We?" He asked raising his eyebrows and flashing a quick, devilish smirk, his eyes holding hers gently.
"Oh, right..." she thought to herself. Her eyes dropped to the floor for just a second...oh who was she fooling? Her eyes HAD dropped for a second, true enough. But had it really been the floor that they had dropped to? Not at first. Not right away. She felt a blush flood her face as she tried to suppress a smile.
"Yes, we. Calvin and I are married now."
"Calvin," he said, acting like he had never heard the name before. But she knew he was full of shit. He knew very well who Calvin was.
Yeah, Calvin. And we are very happy. We're in a really good place."
"I'll say. This is a pretty swanky neighborhood. I almost felt dirty walking up the sidewalk." Oh, how she had missed this bit, his mock irreverence.
"Why thank you very much. I built it myself with my Lego set." She would be damned if she was going to let him get too far ahead of her this soon.
"It looks like you put a lot of work into it."
"I did."
"Lots of love."
"Yes."
A silence fell between them and she wondered which of them was trying harder to start the real conversation. The air was pure energy, causing the hair on her arms to stand at attention, but she wouldn't fidget. No, this had to be played cool.
"Well, it looks like you have everything you need."
"Well, I wouldn't say that," he replied looking up from his fingernails. "I've missed you."
She cocked her eyebrow and lowered her forehead at him in a defensive gesture. "Well then you should have never left me."
"I know, I know. Hey, I was young, what can I say? I've done a lot of growing since then."
"Yeah, it really shows." She smiled playfully at him, and he returned the smile after flashing her with a counterfiet look of hurt. The way his eyebrows look when he raised them up in the middle like that... she already knew how this was going to end up.
"Where is Cal now?" he asked. He stood up and started pacing towards the fireplace. He picked up a framed wedding picture from the mantle when he arrived and looked fondly at her standing there in her wedding gown.
"Work. Speaking of which, why didn't I hear that Charger of yours pull up in the driveway?"
"I took a cab," he said with a smile as he replaced the picture to its home. "Heaven forbid I leave an oil spot in Utopia."
"Funny."
"Yeah, I know," he said as he crossed the room to stand behind her chair. He settled his hands on her shoulders and began to rub them the way he used to. It felt wonderful. "This is going to happen," she thought to herself. She closed her eyes as he used more pressure, softening the tension that had been paining her all night.
"When will he be home?" he asked nonchalantly.
"He won't. He's in Denver."
"Colorado?"
"No. Denver, Saturn, you twit," she replied flatly, a faint smirk touching her lips. Fire rushes inside her. She loves talking to him this way.
"Damn, he's a long way from home," he said, stepping around to kneel before her. He takes one of her feet into his hands and rubs the ball of her foot in tiny circles with his thumb.
"That he is," she sighed. He ran his thumb down the arch of her foot. He knew what this did to her. He was showing her no mercy now. She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair twice before clenching her hand into a soft fist.
He smiled and cupped the heel of her foot in his hand and squeezed. As he did this, he let his other hand slide up to her calf and gently pressed his fingers into the muscle there. She decided now was as good a time as any....
___________________________________________
Her bangs, flirting against her eyelashes, quiver slightly as she blinks away the bead of sweat descending from her temple. She feels another twich, and she draws in a sharp breath and opens her eyes. Yes, it's him. Him again after all these years. They had been with each other for hours now, and she felt as if she had just lost her virginity to him in the back of his Charger at the senior prom.
She looks over at the nightstand and sees a picture of herself standing with her husband at some random tourist attraction. It was taken last year, on their 30th anniversary. He had just retired and had been saying that now the kids were gone, the house paid for, and responsibilities taken care of it was time to get back to being young again.
She looked at the man lying on the bed underneath her.
Yes, it's him again.
Her long lost Calvin.
User Reviews
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-12-22 16:27:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I really liked this, well done. B
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2005-12-19 12:16:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by MistressFist (user info) at 2005-12-19 10:04:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2005-12-19 05:35:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-12-19 03:16:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
déjà vu
Submitted by Zol (user info) at 2005-12-19 02:52:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
getting jealous so u got 1 bro.
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2005-12-18 22:06:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
well writ.
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-12-18 22:00:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH it's like cold water being dumped on me. My head is up in the clouds, obviously. I like it up there sometimes though.
Submitted by morontian (user info) at 2005-12-18 20:50:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh Darty, Darty, Darty! Tell me you jest! The guy WAS her husband. There was only one Charger.
Submitted by jeveuxgagner (user info) at 2005-12-18 20:13:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Awesome.
read my fiction, i'd be interested to see what you think. http://www.ubersite.com/m/80825
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-12-18 18:44:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Did they both own chargers? Maybe I read that part wrong, but really good story though. I think you ought to do a post just rambling and disagreeing with yourself; y'know, mutterings and stuff.
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2005-12-18 18:16:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by morontian (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:22:54 (#)
Ranking: 0
Why don't you see typos until the second you submit?
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that's how it always happens.
this was a good piece, written in a different style than your regular post.
i liked it much.
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:59:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Aw, pumpkin!
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:48:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i really enjoyed this. great story.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:45:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Oh hush, you creepy old man.
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hey, I might be creepy but the old man bit just hurts. I'm weepy over here, thanks
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:41:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:34:03 (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:26:43 (#)
Ranking: 2
Awww!
That was sweet.
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I wouldn't go that far, but ok
~~~
Oh hush, you creepy old man.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:34:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:26:43 (#)
Ranking: 2
Awww!
That was sweet.
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I wouldn't go that far, but ok
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:26:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Awww!
That was sweet.
Submitted by morontian (user info) at 2005-12-18 15:22:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Why don't you see typos until the second you submit?