Caroline and the Ring
Written by Mitch
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Rating: G
Genre: Romance
Chapters: 3
Summary: With one little ring as the catalyst, a lot can happen in a short time!
Author's note: This story takes place during season 2. Characters' thoughts are in italics.
Chapter 1
Christmastime! The most joyous time of the year. And what city could be happier at Christmastime than New York City? The light blanket of snow made the entire city seem shiny and clean, the massive decorated Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center looked down at happy couples and children skating at the seasonal outdoor ice rink, the world's largest toy stores filled with eager children telling "Santa" what they want for Christmas. Yet for some, the Christmas season isn't a cause of joy. For some, the effect is quite the opposite.
Take, for example, Richard Karinsky. With quite a dour outlook in life already, everything happening during this particular holiday season made him even more depressed.
Richard hated Christmas. He hated the fact that an already too materialistic society became even more commercialized during Christmas. The happy crowds just reminded him that it was even harder to find a seat on the subway home. He even thought that every chubby red-suited Salvation Army Santa was out to get him, swearing that just the other day, one had tried to purposely trip him. Richard was making his way home from "meaningless job number two", a temporary job at Macys, which he had taken to make a little extra money for gifts. "It was bad enough when the job was boring and meaningless" he thought. "At least as a gift wrapper, I kept a modicum of dignity. Now... I have to dress as Santa's helper, in a ridiculous elf costume. To make things worse, Caroline brought Annie to see me there. Ugh! I'm sure she'll never stop needling me about it... At least until she gets so tanked that she forgets about it... which should be about the third night of her New Years party, so maybe I won't have to endure her insults for too long." The last thought caused Richard to crack a thin smile. The truth was, Richard didn't really hate Annie, he enjoyed their verbal jousts.
But there were two things which made this Christmas season more depressing than usual for Richard. His beloved Nana, Grandma Karinsky, one of the few people on the planet that he cared about, had died three months ago. Not a day passed that he didn't think of her fondly at least once. The second reason... well, that was something that he tried to bury as deeply as he could. His employer, beautiful, redheaded, nosy, and annoyingly perky Caroline Duffy, had a boyfriend. "He's all wrong for her" thought Richard. And, objectively speaking, Richard was right. Her boyfriend, Joe, was spontaneous, passionate, but too young, seven years younger than Caroline. It wasn't the chronological age difference, but the differing levels of maturity that made them wrong for each other. They were just in different places of their lives. But, even if Joe were the same age and maturity level as Caroline, ready to proceed forward in the relationship at the same pace as Caroline, as far as Richard were concerned, Joe would still be wrong for her. Wrong because... well, because Joe wasn't him. Richard. He was the only one that was right for her. No one could care for her, no one could understand her like he could. But he buried these feelings, because he knew, he just knew that she could never love him back. He knew that because nothing good had ever happened to him in his entire life. And as pitiful as his current life was, watching and loving someone from afar, knowing he could never have her, the alternative was worse. He couldn't bear to live if he couldn't at least see her every day.
After Richard got off at his subway stop, he decided not to go straight home. "I need to unwind, this Macys job has stressed me out" he thought. "I think I'll go to visit Mr. Chu, rent a video. There's nothing like watching the misery of life to relax me."
Mr. Chu was an elderly oriental gentleman with a noticeable accent. Richard patronized him because, although his store was small, he had more than just the big hits that you could find at any Blockbuster.
As Richard walked through the door, Mr. Chu greeted him. "Hey, Richard".
"Hello, Mr. Chu."
"I got plenty new tapes, just arrived today. Check 'New Releases' section."
"No thank you, Mr. Chu. I don't like most of the popular movies. I just want to relax tonight, I don't even want to bother making a choice. You choose for me, Mr. Chu. You know my taste."
"I got just the movie for you: 'Eraser'. Latest Schwarzenegger flick… Very entertaining! Take your mind off your troubles." Mr. Chu did his utmost to hype the tape.
"I don't think so" Richard answered disdainfully.
"Oh, cmon…! I have 25 copies, you gotta help me!" he protested.
Richard mock threatened "You're driving me to Blockbuster, Mr. Chu."
"Okay, okay… How about this?" Mr. Chu asked as he handed Richard a tape.
"Hmmm… 'Dead Poets Society'… It sounds like something I'd like. Ring it up, Mr. Chu."
"Okay, Richard."
The "Dead Poets Society" was a movie about an English literature teacher (Robin Williams) who was totally different than any other instructor in the elitist Welton Academy, best known for churning out successful candidates to Ivy League universities. He spoke to his students, instead of at them, and inspired his prep school charges to go out and experience life. "Carpe diem!" was his motto – "Seize the day".
As Richard watched, he snickered to himself "Mr. Chu is trying to change my taste in movies again. He chose something with 'Dead Poets' in the title because he knew I'd think it be about the meaninglessness of art and life, instead of a melodrama about someone who teaches poems of dead authors to students. He probably thinks I'll be uplifted by this. Hah!" Despite his best efforts, Richard found himself getting inspired as he watched – if only just a little.
The movie had tragic ending – a lower class student killed himself because he couldn't reconcile the intense pressure from his family to become a doctor with his newly found passion for acting. Richard consciously thought "Maybe Mr. Chu knew what he was doing after all. At least the ending was realistic: Struggling against your fate will only cause tragedy." Yet his subconscious registered the real message of the movie: You must seize life, even if you risk tragedy.
It was the next day in Caroline's loft, just before lunchtime. Caroline was not one to hide her Christmas spirit. She had a large, decorated Christmas tree, and the rest of her apartment was filled with garlands, wreathes, ornaments, festive plants, and other decorations. While Richard was taking a "potty break", Caroline was still busily at work at the partners desk. She looked up when she heard a knock at the door.
"Who could that be?" she wondered. "None of my friends ever knock". "Come in, it's open!" she shouted across the room.
The mailman opened the door and walked over to Caroline.
"Phil…! Merry Christmas! Why didn't you just put my mail in my slot downstairs like you usually do?" Caroline enquired.
"I have a package for Mr. Karinsky that he has to sign for. I thought I'd bring up the rest of your mail at the same time" he said as he handed Caroline her mail.
"I'll sign for Richard, he's in the bathroom" Caroline answered.
"Okay" Phil said, as he handed her the receipt on a clipboard. After she signed the receipt, he handed her a small package, then left. "Merry Christmas, Miss Duffy!"
"Merry Christmas, Phil!"
An instant later, Richard emerged from the bathroom.
"Richard, this package was just delivered to you. Open it! Open it!"
Inwardly amused, Richard couldn't resist needling Caroline. "My god, Caroline. Did you forget your Valium this morning?"
"Open it! Pleeeeeeeease?!" whined Caroline.
"Oh, alright" Richard answered, as he grudgingly opened the small package.
"What is it?" Caroline asked, breathlessly.
"It's from my grandmother. Remember I told you she died three months ago? It's really too bad, she's my only relative that I could stand. Anyway, it's her wedding ring. She bequeathed it to me."
"Why did you have it delivered here, Richard?"
"Caroline, seniors don't dare have their social security checks mailed to my building, fearing theft. Do you think I'd risk having this delivered there?"
"Good point, Richard."
Richard took the ring out of the package, held it up, and examined it closely. With a tinge of sadness he commented "I remember when I was young, I would sometimes run away to her apartment when things got really crazy at home. Just knowing she was always there, ready to stuff me full of milk and cookies, willing to listen to what I had to say, like I really mattered – it… she was really comforting."
"You really loved her, huh Richard?"
In the year and a half that Caroline had known Richard, this was one of the few times that she had seen him let down his guard.
"Yeah… I guess I did" he replied, a small tear almost forming at the corner of his eye.
"Can I see it?" Caroline asked.
"Sure" Richard replied, as he handed the ring to Caroline.
Caroline was impressed, and touched "Oh my god, it's beautiful".
Richard tried to downplay it. "Yeah, it's nice. But it's just like Nana. I mean, she had some money, but she gave that to other relatives. To me, who could really use the cash, she gave a ring. It's nice, but it's a woman's ring. I can't wear it, and I have no lady in my life to give it to. And even if I did, is it good enough? I mean, it's not very big."
Caroline replied "Richard, size isn't everything". Almost as soon as she said it, Caroline realized that what she had said could be taken another way. She turned beet red, and returned the ring to Richard, but still admired it as he held it.
"That's good to know, Caroline" Richard quietly needled Caroline. "I guess you're right… Hmm, maybe I could sell it."
"Richard, don't you dare!!! Your grandmother gave your other relatives money, but she gave you her ring because you were an important part of her life, and it obviously was very precious to her."
Taken aback by Caroline's vehemence, Richard retreated. "I guess you're right, Caroline." Seeing that she was still admiring it, he asked "Would you like to try it on?"
At that, Caroline flashed one of her smiles that could light up the room. "Yes!"
Richard hesitated, as an idea came into his head.
"Well…?" Caroline asked, impatiently.
"Hold out your left hand."
"Why…?" Caroline asked curiously.
"Just do it, okay?"
"Okay." She held out her left hand.
In an affected tone, as if he was in one of those 30's romantic comedies, with mock seriousness, Richard asked "Will you marry me, madam?" as he slipped the ring onto her ring finger.
Matching Richard's tone, Caroline giggled, then answered "Why, I surely will, sir".
Just after Richard slipped the ring onto her finger, in the same affected tone, he asked "Madam, may I be so bold to suggest that we seal our betrothal with a kiss?"
Caroline was still engrossed in admiring the ring, and went along with Richard's pretense. She matched Richard's tone and answered "Considering the circumstances, sir, I think we can violate the rules of decorum... Just this once, of course."
"Of course" Richard replied. He leaned in, and lightly brushed her lips with his...
But then... just the light grazing of lips electrified Richard, in a way that he had never felt before. Bubbling out of his subconscious came the theme of the movie that he had viewed the night before. "Carpe diem" thought Richard, as he leaned in pressed his lips harder against Caroline's. All the pent up passion that he had been suppressing for months were released when he kissed her. With his arms, he embraced her like there was no one else in the world, his tongue longingly searched for hers, flicking in and out of her mouth.
"Richard?!?!?!"Caroline wondered, shocked. "What... what's happening?" But after a few seconds, Caroline's curiosity and shock turned to passion, matching Richard's. She felt a tingling that started in her toes, traveled up her legs, and soon enveloped her entire body. Her tongue met Richard's, the passion of their kiss was... indescribable.
"Mmm…"
"Mmm…"
Though it only lasted several seconds, the passion of their kiss seemed to make it last forever. Caroline was nearly overwhelmed by it all. Yet… eventually, some thoughts of guilt, and her Wisconsin upbringing, forced their way into her head…
SLAP!!!
To Be Continued…