Title:
Wine
Name:
Joy
Email:
SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com
Rating: PG-13
OK Logan, calm down. It may
be the end of the working world's day but that does not mean that Max will come
over. Take a deep breath and go by the assumption she will need a few days to
process. Get to work and life will be fine… Agh… I just want to know we're OK.
I'm gonna die in anticipation.
My buzzer just went off.
"Yes"
"Mr. Cale, there is a messenger
who refuses to leave a package down here. May she come up?"
Oh, yes… "Sure, send her
up."
I open the door and wait to see the
elevator doors open. To my great surprise it's Cindy strolling toward me, not
Max. "Hiya Cindy, what can I do for you?"
"Original Cindy is here to
deliver a package with very specific orders," she says with a hip out
turned.
"OK, I'll sign for it if that's
what ya mean," I say. What is Max up to?
"My instructions are to give
you the package and get your signature once it has been fully inspected by the
recipient," she says staring at her clipboard as if the instructions were
written down.
"And WHO gave you these
instruction?"
"If you that stupid, I'll keep
your gift!" Trust Original Cindy to drive home the point. She hands me a
package that looks like a tall rectangular box. I open the top to retrieve an
old time wine bag with a wine bottle inside. The brown cardboard like bag is
ornamented with my newest poem in Max's beautiful handwriting.
Eyes Only
Eyes
Only
What
a joke?
Gorgeous
cerulean blue pools
Drawing
me in ever deeper
Hypnotizing
me into his world
Too
close
He
gets too close
Ever
deeper into my soul
If
a man made creature can have one
How
did he get that close?
Here
I sit
Watching
from above
Stalking
his movements
Envying
his clothes
To
be that close
He
is
An
over grown boy scoot
A
spoiled rich kid
The
moral brigade commander
And
the focus of my attention
Eyes
Only
What
a joke?
He
is so much more than that title
In
the end, he is
Mio
cuore, mio anima custode
I look at Cindy in confusion when I
get to the end of the poem. "What does the last line say?" I ask
anxiously waiting to find out what I am, in the end.
"Mio cuore, mio anima custode-
Sugar taught me to say that. Made me rehearse it a few time to. I love Italian…
It means 'My heart, my soul's keeper'."
I can't breathe. I can't believe she
wrote that… I guess that's why it was written in Italian so I would have to ask
Cindy… so I would have the confirmation that she wrote what she meant. Oh, god…
I want to weep… This can't be real… I don't think I have swallowed or blinked
since she said the words…
"Damn Logan… Got a good
impression of a dead man… I thought ya'd be happy bout this," she said
with confusion.
Speaking is what I need to do… If I
don't say something soon, she's gonna tell Max I hated it. I swallow and say,
"I just can't believe it… I can't seem to catch my breath."
She smiles really big. I guess that
was the right answer. "Original Cindy understands, Hun. Max did her freak
out earlier today…but see roommates are good for shaking ya back to reality. Ya
don't have one and Bling ain't coming back, so I'm gonna sit myself down until
I'm sure you ain't gonna do somethin' stupid."
"Like what?" What would
she consider stupid?
"How about calling her to come
over and then pretending nothing's happened… Or maybe sending her on one of
your little errands… Or purposing marriage… Who knows what you would do left to
your own devices?" she says sitting on my couch.
She just mentioned marriage… I am
sure I am very red by now. I just need to breathe… Breathing is good… The fact
that it's in front of the best friend of woman I am interested in shouldn't be
too bad.
"Cindy?"
"Yeah?"
"What should I do now?" I
say in total panic.
She smiles big again. "Give
each of ya time to get used to this… Keep sending the poetry if you want…just
not as intense as the last one."
"I can do that… Cindy? Do ya
think… I mean are we… Will we be…" Dammit! Why won't my tongue work? I
don't even know what I was asking.
Cindy wakes me from my personal
tirade. "Logan, she was worried about the friend thing- not wanting to
lose that. You two maybe slow but it may work cause ya are… Yeah, she worried
about the commandos and the need to leave, but I think she's confident that if
she has to jet that don't mean she won't be back… Original Cindy just had to
remind her the serious vibe ya be throwing at her… And boy ya should consider
runnin' with her…"
Up till the last sentence I was
happy. Despite the Cindy speak she pretty much nailed my fears. Max and I both
don't want to lose what we have. We both are looking for a slow build up here,
so we get it right. Realistically there will be Manticore complications, but
separation doesn't mean forever… Me going with her- that'll be the day. Zack
would sooner dismember me.
"What's up roller boy? Why the
long face?"
"Are you kidding? I can't go
with her… I'll get her caught or killed."
"That chair don't have to mean
that!" she says sternly.
"Look maybe when I can walk
again, till then I've got to let her go…"
"You are as stubborn as a mule…
Look, Original Cindy is not one to get involved in these matters, but damn are
you two messed… Suck it up… Enjoy now…"
"I will… Would you like to have
a glass of wine with me? I have great plans for this bottle," I say to
Cindy.
"I will gladly have some wine…
and don't tell me about the bottle. I want out of this little game ya got
goin', K?" she says strolling into the kitchen.
The bottle will wait… I have poetry
to write.