The Necklace
It started with four little words.
I was frozen and didn't know what to say. Was this for real? Big had told me so many times before, that I wasn't sure. I stared into his brown shiny eyes, but did not smile. I could see that he was worried. I told him sorry, and that he should go. So he did.
(3 weeks before…)
Chapter 1
I, Carrie Bradshaw, sex columnist, best friend, and avid girlfriend to John James Preston a.k.a. "Big", awoke on Saturday, June 1, 2010. In a week Big and I were going to go on a vacation to Hawaii. Just us. No work, no hassles, just sex. Great Big sex. And martinis of course.
I went over to the coffee maker to find there was none. "Crap" I told myself. I went to check my email to find my laptop would not turn on. "Crap" I said. I looked into the refrigerator to find I was very low on food. (I think you can take it from here). So then I went to my bed, and dialed Charlotte's number to see if she wanted to grab coffee at Starbuck's in 30.
"I'm sorry Carrie, but Harry and I are taking Lily to the park all day" she said.
I sighed.
"It's okay. I'll ask Miranda."
I dialed Miranda, who said she had a huge deadline for work and she'd be tied up all day.
So, that left me with Samantha, who as far as I could tell, probably wouldn't be available either. But I tried…and failed. Sam's excuse was, I guessed right, sex! She was having wonderful sex with her postal man and I was stuck with a crappy coffee maker, a crappy laptop, and a crappy fridge. Crap!
I dressed to walk to Starbuck's myself. It took me 45 minutes to find my other cream Manolo Blahnik (yes I am crazy) then finally got out the door 10 minutes later. But just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse! There was light traffic in the street but a cab wanted to get around a guy in an SUV so he swerved around it, but not before its tires made contact with a mud pile on the side of the street, which unfortunately had the pleasure of making contact with me.
And the worst part…
I was in white.
Now wet, dirty, and partially see through because of the water in the mud pile, I ran to Big's apartment as fast as I could. But not fast enough to avoid the leers and jeers of my fellow New Yorkians. Hey! I give you guys' great sex advice and this is how you thank me?
One leg cramp and two heel blisters later, I arrived at number 54, 5th Avenue, a.k.a. Big's apartment. The doorman looked at me quizzically (who wouldn't) so I showed him my I.D to prove, yes I am the Carrie Bradshaw. He let me in and I waited next to the elevator, which of course, I find out 10 minutes later, was broken. Stairs it is. I had to climb up 15 flights of steps and maneuver through two hallways, and finally made it to Big's door.
He opened it, took one look at me and laughed his ass off. I lightly pushed him to show this behavior was not funny. Big regained composure three minutes later and I hugged him.
"What happened to you, Carrie?" he asked.
"Crap happened" I said. "This is the worst day of my life!"
"No, you've had worse". Big smiled.
I smiled. There was an odd sense of happiness in knowing that your life could in fact be much worse than at the present time.
Big took me by hand to the table where he had made coffee for us both. Had he read my mind? Did he look into the future? No. He was Big and he knew what I liked.
After stuffing my face with delicious button-popping food, Big and I took a shower – together. I needed it bad and he needed me bad so we decided to not waste water on two, when one is much more efficient.
Big scrubbed my back and I poured hot silky water on his head. Although we were done washing, we couldn't stop kissing. We kissed through the shower, out the bathroom door, and onto the bed where my bath towel conveniently fell to the floor. Two hours later, (insert obvious action here) we talked. Talked about his job, my column, our love. Then I thought: I woke up with a horrible day ahead of me but one guy turned it around. Were guys' magicians, waiting to grant our every desires? Or did they just know what we wanted?
I smiled at Big and he returned the favor.
This was definitely going to be a great day.
Chapter 2:
On Wednesday I finally convened all four of us, myself, Sam, Charlotte, and Miranda, to a quaint little café near Manhattan's Upper East Side. Over coffee, fruit plates, and croissants, we were discussing the joys of men when Miranda looked up at me and noticed something was missing from my wardrobe.
"Carrie, where's your necklace?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" I responded, focusing more on my latte than her.
"I mean, your necklace, the one that says "Carrie" on it, is not on you."
I placed my hand on my neck, not realizing that I wasn't wearing it. Maybe I left it all Big's? Or maybe it fell off, never to be seen again! Or maybe it's sitting at home on my dresser? Wait, no. If I know myself, nothing is ever where it should be.
Like once in the 7th grade, I paid some kid to organize my locker and backpack, but I almost killed him when I couldn't find anything because it was exactly where it was supposed to be.
I cut the coffee and chatting short and retraced my steps from my apartment to Big's. Avoiding the mud pile from four days ago, I looked around New York City but it was nowhere to be found. I had gotten that necklace for my 21rst birthday! I loved it as much as I loved Big! Big. Now there's a thought. Maybe he'd seen it. I ran to his apartment, no I.D needed, and they fixed that elevator.
I knocked on Big's door. He opened it and greeted me with a "nice to see you" kiss. I stepped inside and sat on the bed. Bluntly I asked,
"Have you seen my necklace?"
"Which one?" he responded.
"The Carrie one. The one I love". I said.
"No. Did you leave it here?"
"I don't know. I do know I lost it and I can't find it".
"Did you check your apartment?"
"Not yet. This was the last place I had it on, unless it fell when I did a
mad-dash for your apartment".
"Well I'll be sure to look for it, but right now you have to go because
I have lots of things to do before we go" he said.
"I can help" I said seductively putting my arms around his neck.
"No, Carrie, you can't" he responded, giving me my arms back.
He kissed me and whispered "you should go" in my ear. And I left. No goodbye. No next date appointment.