Jordan looks at the clock hanging over her stove. It's passed one in the
morning.
"Time just drags when you're having so much fun." she mutters to herself.
The hot shower and her favorite bathrobe were supposed to make her feel better. But that pit in her stomach was still there. She reaches for the coffee pot one more time and stops.
"Anymore and I won't sleep until June." Looking around for a new vice, she remembers the pint of Haagen-Dazs in the freezer. Grabbing a spoon she digs in.
Strolling back out to the living room she hits the switch on her stereo. An acoustic remake of a Steve Winwood song comes on. She begins to hum with the music. The melody makes her sway gently around the room; funny, how blues and chocolate that can put everything in perspective.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. Putting the ice-cream on the counter she goes to the door.
"Who is it?" she says though the panel.
"It's me. Open up."
Woody. She didn't need this not now.
"Jordan, open this door or I'll wake up the whole building." he shouts.
"Woody keep your voice down....." Jordan opens the door and is faced by an irate and very wet Detective Hoyt.
"Still raining? " Jordan says as he pushes his way in to the room.
"Funny," his eyes were unreadable.
He begins to pace back and forth. He wet shoes leaving a trail. Jordan turns off the music waiting for him to say something.
Woody stops in mid stride to point his index finger sharply at her. "You! Why did it have to be you! There are hundreds...no thousands of uncomplicated women in this city I could fall in love with. Girls who love flowers on Valentine's Day, who like hotdogs in the park instead of bisque at 'Julian's', and who thinks children's laughter is music. But it had to be you." He starts pacing again and continues. "I didn't want this to happen you know...I was warned.... by your own father for Christ's sake...but did I listen, No!" The more he talks the louder he gets "I'm a simple man, I like my eggs over easy, I like to sleep in on Sunday, I read the comics first in the paper...."
Jordan stops him with a finger to his lips. "Woody, you're the most wonderful guy I know. Any girl would be lucky to have you."
"Pretty words Jordan, just please tell my once and for all, where is this going or is it even going at all?"
"I do love you Woody." Jordan says turning away from him.
"...But...." he finishes for her. "I don't want grand gestures Jordan. I just want a simple relationship with realistic expectations."
"You deserve more Woody."
"But all I want is you."
Jordan looks to the floor for a moment and turns to him 'I don't even know if I have a 'me' to give you. Before she can change her mind, she walks up to him and grabs him by the shirt collar; "All I can give you is this..." she says bringing him down for a soul searing kiss.
She's dry and warm and tastes like coffee and chocolate, dark, sweet and rich. For a minute he's lost. Woody slowly pulls away. Out of breath he says "Wow...but...Jordan, I don't want just this and you know it. I love you."
"I love you, too."
"That's not enough."
He turns to leave again and is stopped by a hand on his back.
Jordan says "So this is really goodbye." he nods. She doesn't pull her hand away.
Woody turns and looks at her the anger that had been in his eyes was gone replaced by something dark and smoky. He takes her in his arms, pride be damned, leaning her against the door he runs his hands down her arms linking his fingers with hers. With a tug he raises her arms above her head and lowers his mouth to her...
Jordan knows it's a dangerous path she walking, but something keeps her moving. Brings her arms down and loops them around his neck. He wraps his arms around her tightly and turns to walk her into the bedroom as she wraps her legs around his waist.
He stops a few feet away from the bed and puts her down. Taking a ragged breath and asks a double edged question; "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
His only response was a deep moan that Jordan caught in her mouth it sends chills down to her toes.
They each strive to remember every moment, every touch, and every sound. There were words of encouragement and tender endearments, but no words about the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early dawn light leaves dark shadows on the walls of the quiet room. Jordan toys gently with the locks of hair behind Woody's ear as his head lay on her shoulder. Before he could even move she knows the time has come. Woody raises his head and kisses her softly on the lips.
She watches as he silently puts on his clothes. As he fumbles with his shoes she reaches out to touch him on the shoulder. He turns and smiles taking her hand and kissing each finger tip. Jordan notices the smile never reached his eyes. He stands up and walks out of the room. She has never been more terrified in her life. Quickly she wraps the tangled sheet around her body and follows him to the door.
"Woody?" she whispers, the silence of the room is shattered.
With his hand on the door knob her turns to face her one last time. Until the day she dies she'll never forget the look on his face; especially his eyes. The light was gone. Replaced with dullness she knows only to well, because she sees it the mirror every day.
And just like that he's gone. Jordan steps to the door and puts her hand on the panel. He's gone and the realization takes the breath right out of her lungs. Turning, she slides to the floor for the second time in 12 hours. This time she can't stop the tears from flowing. After a few moments she hears the echo of his steps walking down the hallway.
"Time just drags when you're having so much fun." she mutters to herself.
The hot shower and her favorite bathrobe were supposed to make her feel better. But that pit in her stomach was still there. She reaches for the coffee pot one more time and stops.
"Anymore and I won't sleep until June." Looking around for a new vice, she remembers the pint of Haagen-Dazs in the freezer. Grabbing a spoon she digs in.
Strolling back out to the living room she hits the switch on her stereo. An acoustic remake of a Steve Winwood song comes on. She begins to hum with the music. The melody makes her sway gently around the room; funny, how blues and chocolate that can put everything in perspective.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. Putting the ice-cream on the counter she goes to the door.
"Who is it?" she says though the panel.
"It's me. Open up."
Woody. She didn't need this not now.
"Jordan, open this door or I'll wake up the whole building." he shouts.
"Woody keep your voice down....." Jordan opens the door and is faced by an irate and very wet Detective Hoyt.
"Still raining? " Jordan says as he pushes his way in to the room.
"Funny," his eyes were unreadable.
He begins to pace back and forth. He wet shoes leaving a trail. Jordan turns off the music waiting for him to say something.
Woody stops in mid stride to point his index finger sharply at her. "You! Why did it have to be you! There are hundreds...no thousands of uncomplicated women in this city I could fall in love with. Girls who love flowers on Valentine's Day, who like hotdogs in the park instead of bisque at 'Julian's', and who thinks children's laughter is music. But it had to be you." He starts pacing again and continues. "I didn't want this to happen you know...I was warned.... by your own father for Christ's sake...but did I listen, No!" The more he talks the louder he gets "I'm a simple man, I like my eggs over easy, I like to sleep in on Sunday, I read the comics first in the paper...."
Jordan stops him with a finger to his lips. "Woody, you're the most wonderful guy I know. Any girl would be lucky to have you."
"Pretty words Jordan, just please tell my once and for all, where is this going or is it even going at all?"
"I do love you Woody." Jordan says turning away from him.
"...But...." he finishes for her. "I don't want grand gestures Jordan. I just want a simple relationship with realistic expectations."
"You deserve more Woody."
"But all I want is you."
Jordan looks to the floor for a moment and turns to him 'I don't even know if I have a 'me' to give you. Before she can change her mind, she walks up to him and grabs him by the shirt collar; "All I can give you is this..." she says bringing him down for a soul searing kiss.
She's dry and warm and tastes like coffee and chocolate, dark, sweet and rich. For a minute he's lost. Woody slowly pulls away. Out of breath he says "Wow...but...Jordan, I don't want just this and you know it. I love you."
"I love you, too."
"That's not enough."
He turns to leave again and is stopped by a hand on his back.
Jordan says "So this is really goodbye." he nods. She doesn't pull her hand away.
Woody turns and looks at her the anger that had been in his eyes was gone replaced by something dark and smoky. He takes her in his arms, pride be damned, leaning her against the door he runs his hands down her arms linking his fingers with hers. With a tug he raises her arms above her head and lowers his mouth to her...
Jordan knows it's a dangerous path she walking, but something keeps her moving. Brings her arms down and loops them around his neck. He wraps his arms around her tightly and turns to walk her into the bedroom as she wraps her legs around his waist.
He stops a few feet away from the bed and puts her down. Taking a ragged breath and asks a double edged question; "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
His only response was a deep moan that Jordan caught in her mouth it sends chills down to her toes.
They each strive to remember every moment, every touch, and every sound. There were words of encouragement and tender endearments, but no words about the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early dawn light leaves dark shadows on the walls of the quiet room. Jordan toys gently with the locks of hair behind Woody's ear as his head lay on her shoulder. Before he could even move she knows the time has come. Woody raises his head and kisses her softly on the lips.
She watches as he silently puts on his clothes. As he fumbles with his shoes she reaches out to touch him on the shoulder. He turns and smiles taking her hand and kissing each finger tip. Jordan notices the smile never reached his eyes. He stands up and walks out of the room. She has never been more terrified in her life. Quickly she wraps the tangled sheet around her body and follows him to the door.
"Woody?" she whispers, the silence of the room is shattered.
With his hand on the door knob her turns to face her one last time. Until the day she dies she'll never forget the look on his face; especially his eyes. The light was gone. Replaced with dullness she knows only to well, because she sees it the mirror every day.
And just like that he's gone. Jordan steps to the door and puts her hand on the panel. He's gone and the realization takes the breath right out of her lungs. Turning, she slides to the floor for the second time in 12 hours. This time she can't stop the tears from flowing. After a few moments she hears the echo of his steps walking down the hallway.