It had been a merciless week and now it is Saturday morning, Annie at long last home occupying herself with catching up on some reading. She was curled up on the sofa with coffee and a great detective novel she had found at the NOOK, a small book store in the neighborhood the specializes in mystery, spy and detective novels. Still in her pajamas, he hair in a mess and she didn't care, she was going to spent the day in a tranquil state, doing nothing.
The front door opens to her apartment/guest house and there stood her sister all aglow in her flawless makeup, picture perfect hair and wearing neatly arranged sweater adhering perfectly to her hips and skinny jeans completed with deep brown knee-high boots. If that wasn't enough, she was holding a large platter of something smelling scrumptious, perhaps just baked in her Good Housekeeping gold medal award winning kitchen. Danielle Brooks the domestic queen of Georgetown and at this point making Annie wishing she had stayed in bed.
"You still in your PJ's. It's a wonderful day to be alive and you should be up ready to go out and enjoy it. Get dress girl and come with me to Paul and May Beauty Spa (an upscale beauty parlor) for some pampering. Don't waste your day being a hermit."
"I'm just fine here Danielle. What's on the plate?"
"Cream Cheese Danish I just made this morning." Danielle placing the platter on the kitchen counter island and looking at the coffee maker, smelling the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. "Well at least you are brewing your coffee instead of the awful instant stuff."
"Thanks for the pastry."
"I have the afternoon free, Michael is taking the girls to a hearts and fun carnival at Tyson Corner for Valentines. Marian and I are going to that new mall the just opened just outside of College Park, come on and live a little and join us."
Now Marian was another Danielle, the perfect little housewife that lived three doors down and certainly not how Annie wanted to spend her free time. "Thanks sis but I think I rather stay here."
"You don't know what you are missing." Danielle waving to Annie as she left the way she came - in cheerful spirits.
Good, Annie thought a quiet afternoon before her date with Eyal that night. He was in DC for a few days on some assignment and she looking forward to seeing him. They had just started to date if that's what it can be called, standing dinner date when he was in town. After all these years of being friends and both wanted to take it slow, not rush into anything serious or to bed for that matter, fact the sex part hadn't been discussed. Eyal always the perfect gentleman with her and she had guess waiting for her to give some sign for him to move his flirtatious ways to the real thing. A whole new perspective for her in all the other failed love affairs she had and she was sure totally different for Eyal, he was a ladies' man after all. Thirty minutes later her phone started kicking up a racket, breaking the serene mood, incoming call.
"Hi Neshema, I've got a problem you can help me with."
"Hello Eyal, what kind of problem. And thanks for all the kind words to soften the blow of asking for help."
"Sorry, kind words of for seducing a lovely lady like yourself but I've got a problem that needs serious attention now."
"Are you hurt?"
"Maybe my ego but no. My apartment is being fumigated for nasty little rodents living on the same floor and I can't go back there until much later this afternoon and ..."
"There is an and."
"And with two of my associates, we were in a wooded area looking for ... well it doesn't matter what we were looking for when a cute black and white polecat let go his displeasure of us invading his domain."
"A skunk sprayed you." Annie biting her bottom lip, trying hard to keep from laughing.
"Needless to say I'm not the most desirable person to be near. I can't return to my apartment for another four hours and would love so dearly to take a shower."
"You are asking to use my shower."
"That I am and also if you would go out a buy a change of clothes for me. What I'm wearing should be burned. I can give you my sizes."
"Measurements would be better, American and European sizes don't match."
"I take that as yes, you will help me out of my dilemma." Eyal with a jovial relief tone to his otherwise low voice.
"Yes. What is your ETA?"
"Twenty minutes and thank you." Eyal disconnecting and on his way to Annie's apartment.
Annie quickly dressed to wait for Eyal to arrive. Meeting him at the door, yeah he did smell to high heaven, handing him an oversize beach towel and large plastic trash bag, she made him strip down, including his boxers before allowing him to enter. Turning her back to him, with fantastic vision of Eyal striping running through her head and wanting to take a peek but held back from such an action, she waited patiently.
"Okay Neshema you can look." Eyal standing with a towel wrapped around him holding his cell phone in one hand.
"I've seen this scene before." Annie laughed at him. Their first meeting in Zürich.
"Yeah but I'm not going to break my phone this time. Will you let me in, it's February and really cold out here." Eyal was starting to shiver.
Annie standing to one side given him plenty of room to pass. "Up the stairs and through the bedroom."
"Great. Keys in my car, money clip in glove box take whatever you need and so are my measurements not counting the most important one." Eyal being his playful self was on his way to an oh so welcomed long hot shower.
Annie shaking her head at him, that was Eyal with the sexual implication and she couldn't help but laugh. Finding a broom pushed the plastic bag with his clothes to a corner on the patio for future disposal and then to his car armed with a spray can of air deodorizer and her mission to get him a change of clothes. Target was not far and she could find everything he needed there, she was on her way.
Eyal happily enjoying a long hot shower upstairs while downstairs Danielle was opening the door to Annie's apartment. Her shopping trip cut short as Marian had taken ill. Shutting the door behind her, she called for her sister. Not getting a reply, she headed into the kitchen and threw her purse on the counter and draping her coat over the back of the sofa. "Annie," she called again, but still not receiving any response, all was quiet. How strange, Annie's car was still in the driveway but no Annie. She glanced around the kitchen area, the living room and even on the fridge, looking for any hint of a note. Not that she expected to get one; after all she wasn't even expected back for another few hours.
Standing on the kitchen side of the dividing counter, she notice the coffee pot was still on and her Danish untouched, very strange indeed. Turning off the pot, Danielle stood extremely quiet thinking, since there wasn't any note and Annie's car was in the driveway, she decided to try upstairs, maybe Annie had returned to bed for a nap. Danielle had some juicy gossip told to her by Marian and she wanted to share with her sister, it was so juicy it just couldn't wait. (Marian also being the neighborhood collector of interesting scandalous tad-bits.) Reaching the top of the stairs that lead directly into Annie's bedroom she saw the bathroom door closed and heard water running.
This news was too good to sit on and Danielle was bursting to tell Annie. She plopped herself down on the bed to wait for her sister to finish her shower. Wasn't long before the water shut off and the bathroom door swung open and there she was staring at a tall handsome man in front of her, dripping wet with both hands holding a towel to his head drying his hair, eyes partly covered.
"My God." escaped from her lips, her eyes grew wide as they took in the dripping wet hunk of manhood that stood before her. Danielle frozen in place, mesmerized by the sight and as she scanned his tightly muscled slender body and gawked approvingly at his most valuable asset and mentally rating him way off the charts. The perfect specimen of man, a Roman god of her dreams.
Eyal being just as stunned as Danielle at seeing a strange woman sitting on Annie's bed stood there for a second before he quickly realized that he was standing there stark naked, he quickly began to wrap the towel around him but as luck would have it, he couldn't get the towel knotted, it didn't hold and falling around his ankles, once more giving Danielle another view. As he bent down to pick it up, he banged his head on the door frame. "Harah! Ben zonah!" (A little Hebrew cursing.)
"Are you okay?" Being Danielle's first reaction and she unconsciously standing and started toward the now injured man but quickly realizing he was still naked and she had been in a dream world staring at him. She quickly spun around, feeling the red-hot flush creeping up her neck and covering her face, she making a dash for the stairs only to hit her toe on the corner of Annie's bed. "Ouch!"
Half running and half hobbling down the stairs she now in pure panic, what was that language he was muttering. An alien in her sister's apartment - no a naked alien, that was worse.
Now clutching his throbbing head with one hand, Eyal stood up and tie the towel around his waist. "Danielle." He called after her. Thank heaven Annie had show him pictures of her sister he know who the woman was that had sat on Annie's bed. He had to catch up to her and explain, with long strides he raced out the bedroom and down the stairs.
"Danielle wait." He called out as he ran down the steps taking two at a time. Hoping she hadn't run outside in the cold February weather. If she had, things could really go from bad to worse. His thoughts being a 911 call about an intruder in the house, technically her house. Oh that was the last thing he needed to add to his already horrible day, trapped without clothes and without Annie to explain. If she had run outside would he go after her and risk stirring up more hassle for Annie. It would be very hard for Annie to avoid the gossip that his current attire or lack of could spread through the neighborhood rumor mill.
"Danielle please." He called again as he jumped down the last step and quickly glancing around the room to see if she was still there. He let out a brief sigh of relief when he saw her coat still draped over the sofa and that she was still inside, standing at the door with a kitchen knife in hand.
Little did Danielle know that Eyal Lavin would be the last person to pull a knife on. She was really taking her life in her own hands as she stood there trembling, holding a knife with a quivering hand but standing her ground. "Who are you?"
"I have a very good reason to be here..." Eyal stopping a few feet from her, raised both arms in surrender with palms pointing toward her and hoping and praying that the towel's knot would hold.
"So start explaining. And how do you know my name?" Danielle waving the knife at him when the door swung open and Annie pushing her way in, hitting Danielle hard from the back. The knife became airborne, flying in the direction of Eyal.
Eyal grabbing the knife in mid-flight but in doing so, the towel's knot came loose. Now Eyal being ambidextrous grabbed the towel as it was slipping away, hold it at his belly button and thankfully it fell nicely in place to cover his masculine package. Standing there with towel in one hand and knife in the other, he giving a sheepish smile to the sisters.
"Shit." Danielle not one to curse but times were desperate.
"What's going on here and why are you holding a knife on my sister." Annie quickly sizing up the saturation. "And what are you doing here Danielle."
"You know him?" Danielle fired back at Annie. "I can't wait to hear what you have to say."
"Yeah and what are you doing in my apartment. You're suppose to be at the mall." Annie now face to face with Danielle, eyes narrowed.
"Why is a strange man standing nude in your place? You have some questions to answer." One hand on Danielle's hip and the other waving around in the air, half point in the direction of Eyal.
"You are not my keeper I don't owe you any answers..." The battle between sister was heating up as Eyal stood watching. Deciding now was not the time for him to speak or for that matter be seen, especially without clothes. Inching ever so carefully to the counter, he placed the knife down, still watching Annie and Danielle, he rewrapped the towel and now holding the knot with one hand to make sure there would be no more mishaps. There he spotted in Annie's hand two white plastic bags with a red target printed on the side, must be his clothes. Creeping toward Annie, unnoticed by the scraping sisters, he gently slipped the bags for her hand and without any quick movement, he vanished to the upstairs bedroom.
In the safety of Annie's bedroom or for the time being as the sister could still be heard with raised voices, Eyal opened the bags. Annie was a pure gem, there in one bag was four packages and he had to smile, underwear all pre-packaged in sets of three. Annie not knowing if he was a boxer or brief man had purchased both. Ripping open the boxer package he quickly slipped on a pair, comfortable fit and he being delight for more cover than an uncooperative towel. Next was the pack of T-shirt and last, socks. In the second Target bag was a pair of Wrangler jeans, a Hanes fleece crew-neck sweatshirt and a Champion sweater fleece hooded jacket. Dear sweet Annie had thought of everything but shoes, not even slippers. Well at least he wasn't going to be paddling around in cold weather in bare feet but it would have been nice to have something more than socks. He could do with slippers.
The voices from down stairs had calmed down to a faint mumble, he figured it would not be dangerous to reappear, this time fully clothed.
Danielle and Annie were in the kitchen, Annie getting out a bags of Ruffles and Fritos while Danielle was making sandwiches, ham, turkey, cheese with bacon frying. Three decked club sandwiches was taking form for everyone. Danielle was the first to notice Eyal and he being a stranger to her and she had just found him naked in her sister's bedroom, the red flush returned again with total embarrassment. Annie looking up to see Eyal and smiled, this was going to be awkward.
"Danielle I would like for you to meet properly Eyal Lavin, a dear friend of mine."
Now Danielle unable to look at Eyal kept her eyes focused on making the sandwiches not knowing what to say could only come out with, "Hello."
Annie continued, "With all the commotion around here I'm sure you have missed lunch as we have." Handing Eyal a mug and reaching for the coffee, nice fresh brewed coffee, "Running around without clothes you are perhaps chilled, this should warm you up."
Danielle finding her motherly instincts kicking in. "You could have caught your death of a cold."
Eyal tipping his head to one side to Danielle with his famous charming smile, "Thank you for your concern. I'm sorry I so rudely startled you but I thought I was in the house alone."
Finally mustering the courage to look at Eyal in the eyes, and oh what beautiful, seductive and intriguing dark eyes he had she was once again speechless. Back to staring at his handsome face, Danielle was fighting for control, to come up with something to say, trying to break another embarrassing awkward moment. Words would not come and she just stood there holding a knife in her hand.
"Hope you are going to use that knife on the sandwiches and not me. What you are fixing, it looks and it smells delectable." It was Eyal that broke the silence to Danielle's joy.
"I'm sorry for pulling a knife on you."
"That my dear lady is quite alright. You had no idea who I was and very understandable." Eyal giving Annie a quick glance, "There are two bottles of wine in my car I just purchased and would go well with our lunch. Seeing that I'm without shoes, would you be so kind and fetch the package on the back seat?"
"Back in a jiffy." Annie grabbing Danielle's coat, the Burberry Brit Balmoral Trench in navy she love but wouldn't dare to buy one like it for all the mockery she would receive from her sister about copying her fashion wisdom.
Door closing behind Annie, Danielle turning to Eyal she had to know, had to find out the true reason Eyal was in Annie's shower and not trusting her sister to give the bona fide true story. Still feeling a bit uneasy being alone with Eyal but she was going to ask while she had the chance.
"What I really want to know and not sure Annie will give me a straight answer is what were you doing in my sister's shower in the first place - naked."
"Well one shouldn't be taking a shower with clothes on anyway, doesn't work very well in washing clean, naked is much better when taking a shower." Eyal couldn't help being a little playful with Danielle, he could clearly see she had not recovered from seeing him naked. That little devilish streak in him that made him so fascinating to be around.
"You know what I mean." Danielle wheezed.
"Well my apartment is being fumigated for an onslaught of mice that have assaulted our building with precision tactics of a skillfully trained army and I can't returned until much later this afternoon. With two of my friends this morning we were surveying a wooded area when we came face to face with an infuriated polecat that unceremoniously released his defense apparatus on us for invading his realm. So you see I was in immense need of a shower and Annie was gracious enough to offer hers."
Danielle rolling her eyes and turn away from Eyal, shaking her head and waving a brush off with her arm, "I thought Annie could make up some whopping tales but that one certainly wins the blue ribbon."
"It is all factual."
"Yeah I bet." Danielle reaching in the cabinet for wine glasses.
The front door open with Annie holding a package containing two bottles of red wine and announcing, "It's beginning to snow."
Danielle placing plates with club sandwiches on the table with a large bowl of chips and Fritos, a combination she and Annie loved since childhood. Some macaroni salad she had made the day before for Annie and just enough for three servings. Uncorking the first bottle of wine, the three sat down for lunch and pleasant conversation, at least Annie hope for friendly, she knew her sister to well for her not to try to give Eyal the third degree.
"So how did you two meet?" Danielle being the quizzical one and that was her nature, her lot in life to pry into Annie's life, after all what are big sisters for.
Eyal remained quiet, this for Annie to handle.
"Several years ago in Zürich. My first overseas assignment and we became friends."
"So you have been dating all this time?"
"We're not dating, just good friends and every time Eyal is in Washington we have dinner together, that's all." Annie was very used to Danielle's line of questioning and knew how to dodge the delicate issues.
"I see." Danielle looking at Eyal and raising her glass, "In the same line of work I take it. Where are you from?"
"Home is Tel Aviv, Israel but I travel most of Europe." Eyal with his glass raised to Danielle, "Let's toast to friendship and family on this snowy afternoon." Eyal with his smoothness change the way of conversation and he was a master of redirection.
Danielle being the observer, carefully watching the playfulness between Annie and Eyal, their flirty ways. It was obvious to her there was more going on than just friendship. Annie and Eyal were a lot more comfortable with each other and looks exchanged between them, well the glances told the story of a romantic bond. Yes a lot more than friendship but she shouldn't be surprised, Annie was entitled to a love life and Eyal seemed the perfect match.
After lunch and still too soon for Eyal to return to his apartment, suggestions were being tossed about on how to spend rest of the afternoon. Eyal leaving the verdict to the women and heading into the kitchen to wash the lunch dishes. Annie lighting the gas-log fireplace in the living room and both sister standing at the front window viewing the falling snow.
"It is really accumulating fast. Hope Michael and the girls are on their way home." Danielle with a glass of wine.
"They will be just fine. Michael is a capable driver and they do have the SUV. He will call if there is trouble." Annie easing her sister's mind which she was quite good at doing.
Danielle sighted slightly and patted her sister on the arm. "Annie you're a grown woman I have no right to judge what you do with your personal life. I'm so sorry how I reacted with Eyal and I guess being more embarrassed than anything else. My bad, I took my embarrassment out on Eyal more than I should."
"No need to worry about it sis, he has confronted worse." Annie giving Danielle a hug. "You want to watch a movie?"
The next couple of hours spend with Annie and Danielle on the sofa with free flowing wine and Eyal commandeering the recliner, maybe a little nap in front of a cozy fire. The movie wasn't his cup of tea, a romantic adventure story set in 18th century England, although he did enjoy the fight scenes. The movie over, the sisters with teary eyes watch the hero on his black horse ride off down a long stretch of road leading back to his home land to fight more battles leaving his true love behind.
Eyal picking up his cell to check on the situation of his apartment - rats, another hour or so. "Those little varmints are not cooperating, couple hours more."
Danielle's phone buzzed, it was Michael. The chat was brief and worry inched across her face when she disconnected. "The roads are terrible and there has been a pile-up on the Beltway leaving them stuck in traffic. The girls are happy but Michael is livid."
"He is stuck in traffic and not the pile-up. Don't worried he get the girls home safely."
Danielle putting on her coat, "I should go home and start fixing something really nice for dinner, they will need something yummy and warm by the time they get home."
Annie walking with Danielle to the door, Danielle looking over her shoulder to make sure Eyal couldn't hear her. "He is a magnificent catch Annie. Don't screw it up and he has already passed the bedroom inspection with flying colors. Talk to you later sis."
Closing the door, Annie turned seeing Eyal with his head stuck in the refrigerator. "What are you doing?"
"Checking out your food supply. Don't think we are going to make our dinner reservation tonight and I'm willing to cook. Yeah, now that's what I call luck, two chicken breast in Annie Walker's freezer, oranges and a frozen bag of mixed vegetables. Makings for a salad and we are in business." Eyal in his domain, "Cheese and milk is all I need."
"Can milk in the cabinet and Swiss in the bottom of the frig."
"Perfect Neshema." Eyal setting the microwave to defrost the chicken. "An hour from now we'll have a dinner better than what Plume restaurant could offer and much more private."
Annie taking her cue from Eyal, found a table-cloth, glass candlesticks and two candles unburned . She was going to do her part, set a romantic table, only thing missing was fresh flowers but a bowl of apples and grapes would do.
"While you are cooking think I'll take my shower."
"Promise I'll not join you as much as I would like." Eyal tipping the last glass of wine to Annie as she ascended the steps. "You have any more wine."
"Bottom cabinet on your left." Annie vanished out of sight.
Preparing dinner, Eyal was absolutely delighted with how a dreadful day had turned out so good - Kismet he was sure. He was ready to take the next step, to move their relationship to more intimate one but restrained himself, waiting on Annie. Respecting her feelings and knowing of the rough and rocky love affairs she had survived, he was willing to bide his time and wait, wanting whatever was to be with them would last, be it friendship or love affair.
Dinner severed, candles lighted and soft music playing with a warm fire blazing in the fireplace, one couldn't ask for more romantic setting. Eyal quips and sexual inferences tone down and a loving and genuine conversation between them. A charming and enchanting dinner. All too soon dinner was over and Eyal looking at the accumulating snow decided it was time to head to his apartment, he would stay if only Annie would ask.
"Guess I need to start digging my car out."
"You don't have any shoes, your feet will get frost-bitten."
"I can fix that." Eyal taking two steps at a time returning to Annie's bedroom and returning with two more pairs of socks and the two white plastic Target bags his clothes had come in. "Have some string?"
"Necessary is the mother of invention." Annie laughing at Eyal idea of protective shoes, finding some string for him to tie the bags around his feet and legs. She also found a pair of wool gloves and brought them to him.
"Now how do you think I'm going to get my hand in these petite things." Eyal holding up his large hand with long graceful fingers.
Annie with a pair of scissors quickly cut the tips of the fingers off. "There now, only your finger tips with freeze."
Eyal slipping on the gloves and admiring them, " Fussy color, pink - my favorite shade."
Annie also putting on her coat, hat and gloves and grabbing a broom. "Shall we."
The winter storm was unleashing its full furry on Georgetown, wind blowing snow flakes about, creating drafts and there was no sign of letting up. As they opened the gate to the driveway, a few Hebrew curse words could be heard above the howling wind. A neighbor had blocked Eyal's car in the driveway, he wasn't going nowhere. Now Annie saw the prime likelihood for a snow ball battle and without hesitation form one and pitched it at Eyal hitting him squarely in the back. Now not to back down from a fight, Eyal matched her snowball and it landed on the back of her head as she tried to make a quick exit through the gate. The now snow covered patio became the battleground for CIA vs Mossad snowball war of the century, neither side to accept defeat.
Although Eyal is extremely agile on his feet, there was on big problem, white plastic shoes without any traction, I mean downright slippery. Twisting quickly to miss an oncoming white ball of snow, his foot slipped, leg in the air and he went flying, hitting the patio and rolling over, face down in the snow. Annie didn't see him move and came racing toward him, thinking he was hurt. She should have known better.
One hand grabbing her leg and quickly throwing her off balance and Annie falling to the ground beside Eyal. He now in control quickly raised up, planting a kiss on her mouth and laughing. The snowball ball battle has now turned into a wrestling match, rolling and tumbling in the snow. Finally both out of breath, laying on their backs and laughing until their sides hurt. Annie reverting back to a child, starting making snow angel and betting Eyal her angel would be better. There they were, two responsible grown adults in deep snow waving arms and legs, both unable to stop laughing and creating snow angels.
Back in the warmth of the apartment, their snow covered clothes quickly turning into cold and wet clothes and Eyal without a change. Annie giving him a blanket to wrap up in and orders to get out of his wet clothes, she headed up stairs to change. Eyal removing jeans, jacket and sweatshirt, draping them over the back of kitchen chairs moved to the sofa, wrap the blanket around him, picked up the remote and settled in for the evening. Annie returning in her flannel PJ's, if Eyal was reduced to only his underwear she was comfortable in her pajamas.
Tapping Eyal on the shoulder, "Want some hot cocoa?"
"Love it Neshema."
Taking her seat beside Eyal on the sofa with two mugs of hot cocoa, Eyal opens the blanket for her to snuggle next to him, wrapping the blanket around both of them. There on a cold, snowy winter's night, two close and dear friends found the passion both had longed for, the start of a lasting relationship but forbidden love affair.