The light in her living room was dimly lit. It was early evening and her phone rang.
"What?"
"Miss Parker."
"A little early for you to be calling me, Jarod. I'm not in bed as of yet. Call me later, labrat!"
"What is it with you? Why do you always hurl insults at me? It's like you hate me so much. But, I'm thinking you say things that you don't necessarily mean."
"I was born with an acid-tongue, so get used to it!"
"Miss Parker, it's Valentine's Day and putting things all aside, I..."
"It's just another day."
"Sometimes we cannot trust our feelings and our soul to sense love. We sometimes let our own insecurity blind us to a true love which waits before our eyes."
"Uh-huh. I see that your new pretend is Cupid. What? Running out of professions?"
"Miss Parker, don't be afraid to take reasonable risk. What do you have to lose? What exactly would be the worst thing that could happen?"
The Centre came to her mind.
"You never give up on me, why? Because I'm so irresitible?" She laughs.
Jarod pulled his phone away from his ears and stared into it. Was that Parker laughing. He couldn't believe it.
"Because you make me feel like...like I have never felt before. Deep down, you are not like that woman everyone sees. I can see through you. And I am not content to live the rest of my life against the background of loneliness."
"Oh, you mean the Ice Queen? I hear the talks."
"They don't know you like I know you. You have feelings. And I know you cry at nights."
"What are you, a peeping tom?"
"No, because I cry too."
There was silence between them. After a minute, Miss Parker spoke.
"Look, Jarod, I'd better go." Her voice was barely audible.
"Why? To go off in your corner and cry? If you let me in, we could cry together."
"I don't want to talk anymore, Jar."
Again, silence. "Parker?"
"Yes?"
"Let me in? I promise I'll leave when you tell me to."
"And what makes you so sure I won't call in any of my sweepers?"
"Because I know you. Call them any other time, but not tonight."
"Just this once, Jarod and when I tell you to leave, you leave. And I promise no sweepers."
He stood at her door, hesitant at first to ring the bell. He had expected to be greeted by her 9mm pointing it directly at him.
They stood looking at each other. She backed away, with her arms on her hips.
"Well? What do you want, Jarod?"
"You," he said silently to himself.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered. His eyes moved back and forth, up and down to her. Miss Parker was prey to his own appetite.
Running her left hand through her hair, upsweeping it to one side, biting her lower lip lightly, she replied, "Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, Jarod."
She had said it in such a seductive tone that it caught Jarod by surprise for he thought for sure she would be ranting. On the exterior, her demeanor was similar to a helpless kitten, but on the interior, she probably possesses the capability of a famish tigress. He himself is like a tiger ready to roam over in a predatory manner to claim his possession. His images of him savoring every inch of her body comes to mind.
Jarod was silent, they locked eyes as those thoughts filled his head.
"Jarod? Jarod!"
The sharp tone of her voice snapped him out of dreamland and back into reality.
"So, you want a drink or something? Or are you going to stand and stare at me with those puppy dog eyes of yours all night."
"Coffee's fine."
"I was thinking more of a drink, drink." She holds up her bottle of booze.
"Not tonight. Lay off the booze, Parker. It's bad for your ulcer."
"You're no fun." She reached over and shoved him on the shoulder which cause her to lose her balance.
"I've got you," quickly he grabbed her, his arms went around her slender waist. "So, how many did you have to drink tonight?" He asked, his arms still around her.
"None. I just lost my footing. Do you mind?" She pushed him away.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"I'll bet you are," she attacked him sarcastically.
"No fighting tonight, okay Parker?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll make some coffee."
Sitting on her living room sofa, he laid his cup down on the table. "Anyone remembered you this Valentine's Day? Besides, me."
"Yes, Debbie. She's the sweetest little girl. I remember being like her when I was her age."
"I remember."
"Until, my mother died."
The room was quiet. After a minute Parker continued. "Broots told me Debbie wanted to be just like me when she grew up. We both laughed at the time. Now, I don't think it's so funny."
She sat next to Jarod, leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He held her and sat quietly for about five minutes until she broke the silence.
"I hope Debbie will never be lonely like me," she whispers.
"She won't be. And you won't be, also. I'll always be here for you. If you want me to." He swallowed hard, "I'll never leave you." He held her tight. "When you sleep, do you dream?"
"Everyone dreams, Jarod. Why?"
He turned to face her. "I dream of you, every night."
She squeezed his arms, when suddenly she caught herself, Miss Parker pulled away. "The hell with you, Jarod! What are you doing?"
"Hey, you were the one who cozied up to me. I was sitting here minding my own business and..."
"Just get away from me." She quickly got off her sofa and headed towards the front door. "Get out," she screamed.
"Hey! What is wrong with you? We've been through a lot together, Miss Parker. If you need a shoulder to lean on, you can count on me."
"Just leave, Jarod. Go. Now."
"Parker."
"I said leave!"
"Fine! I thought maybe tonight would be different."
"What's so different about tonight from any other night, huh?"
"Because it's Valentine's Day and I wanted to tell you I love you! Forget it! See you around, Parker. Well, maybe not. Goodbye."
The ice queen wanted to run after him, but she was frozen as if glue was stuck on the bottom of her feet and onto the floor. "I love you, too, Jarod." She cried softly wiping her tears away.
There were no means of contacting him. He disconnected his cell phone. Each time her phone would ring, her heart would skip a beat. Back in her mind, she knew he would never come back into her life.
Miss Parker sits in her chair looking out the window. Surely, by now he would have contacted her. It's been several days since she's heard from him. After five years of "I run, you chase" games, his goodbye seemed final. There were gaps of long periods when she did not hear from him. He would eventually call. But, the difference this time was he would never be back.
He watched her from a distance as she arrived home one night. "Goodbye, Parker." He wondered if she was even aware of his love for her. He turned his keys to the ignition and drove away, never to contact her again.
Each night Miss Parker would sit up and turned the pages of Jarod's book. It truly was a tale of her lonely life. The life of the Saddest Little Valentine.
Part 3 coming up.