--
Nora sat in her hotel room, thinking about how strange Dwayne had acted and how desperate he seemed to be. What could possibly be wrong with Paul? She's learned to know him, maybe even love him, and he was the sweetest person she'd ever known. He wouldn't dream of hurting her, in any way. She wondered what had made Dwayne think he would.
Her thoughts recollected to their conversation at the Canyon.
"God, I love being here. It really helps getting my mind off things." Paul had said, looking around the large, famous site.
Nora's hand was in his and she looked at their intertwined fingers. The sun had just began to set, purple and pink colors cascading in the sky above them. It was as romantic as 2 lovers in a book.
A hand, waving, in her face brought her back to reality. "Hey you, what are you thinking about? You look like you're hypnotized or something," Trish said, sitting herself next to Nora.
Nora chuckled, "Just thinking about Paul. That's all."
Trish smirked, nudging her friend, "'That's all'? Come on! You can tell me! I tell you everything!"
"Ha! Well, why should I tell you? What do you care?" Nora asked, stalling.
"Plenty! Hit me!"
Nora made a fist, acting like she really would hit her, "Well, I'm not crushing on Dwayne, so you don't have to worry about me anymore."
"Aww, what's wrong with Dwayne?"
"First off, I don't want to get between you 2. And second, he's been acting weird lately. Earlier, when he took me into that locker room, he basically told me Paul was all wrong for me." The memory of it made her a bit worried, since Dwayne really seemed like he was losing it. What did it all mean? Paul would never hurt her.
**
The room was as black as pitch, and a ray of light crept in. She stuck her head in and felt the wall for the light switch. Flicking it, she blinked, adjusting her eyes to the brightness, "Where are you?" She whispered, closing the door. She noticed the couch, which had been turned around, so she could see the back of her accomplice's head.
"You're late. Where the hell have you been?" His voice boomed across the room, scaring her.
"I just got here! I tried to get as much out of Nora as I could." Trish smiled and walked over to her partner, sitting herself next to him and putting his arm around her.
"What did she say about who?" The man asked, not really interested in the pleasure part of the deal.
"Well, she practically told me she doesn't like Dwayne. So now it's up to a certain someone and I to make sure that all turns into hate," She said, admiring her manicure.
"And you're close?" He said, suddenly interested in the topic.
"Extremely."
**
As Nora headed to the locker room, she smiled at the thought of Paul. He'd said he'd be taking her out tonight, again, and only her imagination could give her a clue as to where he'd take her. Her smile faded when she noticed Dwayne out the corner of her eye. She picked up the pace and walked faster, but soon enough, she felt a tug on her arm.
"Ugh, what do you want now?" She asked, not turning to see him.
"Just wanted to tell you where we're going later," a voice said.
Nora turned and chuckled at her stupidity before hugging Paul. As she kissed him on the cheek, she glanced at Dwayne, who was watching with a miserable look on his face.
She pulled away, "So, we're we going?"
Paul frowned, "That's the thing, Nor. Since I'm scheduled for tomorrow, I need to head to the next city, and that pretty much spoils everything."
"Oh...well, that's okay. If you're busy, I'll just head home. I'm not booked for the rest of the week." She said, a bit upset.
"I'm glad you understand, kiddo. I'll see you around," he gently nudged her chin with his fist and walked off. She remained where she was, forgetting Dwayne was nearby. Before she realized it, he was standing next to her.
"Hi," he whispered.
"Don't start. Paul wouldn't hurt me so don't even go there." She said, annoyed with him.
"Actually, I wasn't going to ask you about Paul. I'm sorry about that, by the way," Dwayne tilted his head, hoping she'd forgive him.
"Then why'd you come here?" She asked, looking away from him.
**
All through his life, he'd never found that special someone. He'd found what he thought was his "one and only", but failed to keep them. So he decided that if, one day, he did find his perfect someone, he'd do something for them that they'd never forget. In a way, he would keep them. A memory to cherish could never be shattered, even if relationships were.
"Can I open them yet?" Nora asked, walking with Dwayne guiding her. He hadn't told her where they were, and why she had to keep her eyes closed.
"No, not yet."
"I don't know why I let you talk me into this. I should be at the hotel. Paul is probably trying to call me." She said.
Dwayne stopped, "Nora, for tonight, you can take your mind off him. This isn't about Paul. It's not even about me. I just want to show you something."
He led her to the destination and set her hands on the concrete wall. She giggled at his excitement, "How about now?"
"Okay, now."
She opened her eyes, wide, to see the orange blur of the sun. It disappeared behind the pink and lavender clouds, which seemed to be breaking away from each other. They were spread all over the sky, like a crowd that had become too hectic. She looked down at the site below her and gasped. Hoover Dam stood before her. She turned to Dwayne. His eyes seemed to glimmer in different colors. Before she could let a word out, he handed her a large coin.
"It's from Samoa. Only about a hundred of them were made," he explained. He took her hand and placed it in her palm, and then closed her hand, wrapping the coin in her fingers, "It's yours."
She looked at her fist, "What do you want me to do with it?"
He turned to the sun and his smiled widened, "Make a wish. Anything. It'll come true."
Nora's second thoughts rushed through. Was he serious? A rare coin from his home country and he wanted her to throw it? "Are you sure?" She asked, holding it out to hand it back.
"I'm positive."
She took it back and stared at it. The drawings on it were beautiful and made her wonder about Samoa. She closed her eyes and lay a kiss on the coin, whispering her wish. With a hard throw, she released the coin and watched it fall until it's appearance deteriorated.
"Why'd you bring me here?" She asked, never letting her eyes leave the sunset that would soon take away light.
He placed a hand on her back and watched the orange fade, "I don't want you to forget me."
--
Nora sat in her hotel room, thinking about how strange Dwayne had acted and how desperate he seemed to be. What could possibly be wrong with Paul? She's learned to know him, maybe even love him, and he was the sweetest person she'd ever known. He wouldn't dream of hurting her, in any way. She wondered what had made Dwayne think he would.
Her thoughts recollected to their conversation at the Canyon.
"God, I love being here. It really helps getting my mind off things." Paul had said, looking around the large, famous site.
Nora's hand was in his and she looked at their intertwined fingers. The sun had just began to set, purple and pink colors cascading in the sky above them. It was as romantic as 2 lovers in a book.
A hand, waving, in her face brought her back to reality. "Hey you, what are you thinking about? You look like you're hypnotized or something," Trish said, sitting herself next to Nora.
Nora chuckled, "Just thinking about Paul. That's all."
Trish smirked, nudging her friend, "'That's all'? Come on! You can tell me! I tell you everything!"
"Ha! Well, why should I tell you? What do you care?" Nora asked, stalling.
"Plenty! Hit me!"
Nora made a fist, acting like she really would hit her, "Well, I'm not crushing on Dwayne, so you don't have to worry about me anymore."
"Aww, what's wrong with Dwayne?"
"First off, I don't want to get between you 2. And second, he's been acting weird lately. Earlier, when he took me into that locker room, he basically told me Paul was all wrong for me." The memory of it made her a bit worried, since Dwayne really seemed like he was losing it. What did it all mean? Paul would never hurt her.
**
The room was as black as pitch, and a ray of light crept in. She stuck her head in and felt the wall for the light switch. Flicking it, she blinked, adjusting her eyes to the brightness, "Where are you?" She whispered, closing the door. She noticed the couch, which had been turned around, so she could see the back of her accomplice's head.
"You're late. Where the hell have you been?" His voice boomed across the room, scaring her.
"I just got here! I tried to get as much out of Nora as I could." Trish smiled and walked over to her partner, sitting herself next to him and putting his arm around her.
"What did she say about who?" The man asked, not really interested in the pleasure part of the deal.
"Well, she practically told me she doesn't like Dwayne. So now it's up to a certain someone and I to make sure that all turns into hate," She said, admiring her manicure.
"And you're close?" He said, suddenly interested in the topic.
"Extremely."
**
As Nora headed to the locker room, she smiled at the thought of Paul. He'd said he'd be taking her out tonight, again, and only her imagination could give her a clue as to where he'd take her. Her smile faded when she noticed Dwayne out the corner of her eye. She picked up the pace and walked faster, but soon enough, she felt a tug on her arm.
"Ugh, what do you want now?" She asked, not turning to see him.
"Just wanted to tell you where we're going later," a voice said.
Nora turned and chuckled at her stupidity before hugging Paul. As she kissed him on the cheek, she glanced at Dwayne, who was watching with a miserable look on his face.
She pulled away, "So, we're we going?"
Paul frowned, "That's the thing, Nor. Since I'm scheduled for tomorrow, I need to head to the next city, and that pretty much spoils everything."
"Oh...well, that's okay. If you're busy, I'll just head home. I'm not booked for the rest of the week." She said, a bit upset.
"I'm glad you understand, kiddo. I'll see you around," he gently nudged her chin with his fist and walked off. She remained where she was, forgetting Dwayne was nearby. Before she realized it, he was standing next to her.
"Hi," he whispered.
"Don't start. Paul wouldn't hurt me so don't even go there." She said, annoyed with him.
"Actually, I wasn't going to ask you about Paul. I'm sorry about that, by the way," Dwayne tilted his head, hoping she'd forgive him.
"Then why'd you come here?" She asked, looking away from him.
**
All through his life, he'd never found that special someone. He'd found what he thought was his "one and only", but failed to keep them. So he decided that if, one day, he did find his perfect someone, he'd do something for them that they'd never forget. In a way, he would keep them. A memory to cherish could never be shattered, even if relationships were.
"Can I open them yet?" Nora asked, walking with Dwayne guiding her. He hadn't told her where they were, and why she had to keep her eyes closed.
"No, not yet."
"I don't know why I let you talk me into this. I should be at the hotel. Paul is probably trying to call me." She said.
Dwayne stopped, "Nora, for tonight, you can take your mind off him. This isn't about Paul. It's not even about me. I just want to show you something."
He led her to the destination and set her hands on the concrete wall. She giggled at his excitement, "How about now?"
"Okay, now."
She opened her eyes, wide, to see the orange blur of the sun. It disappeared behind the pink and lavender clouds, which seemed to be breaking away from each other. They were spread all over the sky, like a crowd that had become too hectic. She looked down at the site below her and gasped. Hoover Dam stood before her. She turned to Dwayne. His eyes seemed to glimmer in different colors. Before she could let a word out, he handed her a large coin.
"It's from Samoa. Only about a hundred of them were made," he explained. He took her hand and placed it in her palm, and then closed her hand, wrapping the coin in her fingers, "It's yours."
She looked at her fist, "What do you want me to do with it?"
He turned to the sun and his smiled widened, "Make a wish. Anything. It'll come true."
Nora's second thoughts rushed through. Was he serious? A rare coin from his home country and he wanted her to throw it? "Are you sure?" She asked, holding it out to hand it back.
"I'm positive."
She took it back and stared at it. The drawings on it were beautiful and made her wonder about Samoa. She closed her eyes and lay a kiss on the coin, whispering her wish. With a hard throw, she released the coin and watched it fall until it's appearance deteriorated.
"Why'd you bring me here?" She asked, never letting her eyes leave the sunset that would soon take away light.
He placed a hand on her back and watched the orange fade, "I don't want you to forget me."
--