Thinking of You
By
Alyson Grant
Sometimes it's filled with music like the Clash, Nirvana or the latest top 40 hit that we dissect and take apart mercilessly if it's not up to our musical standards.
Sometimes it's interrupted with musical memories that some feel are best forgotten.
(One night we turned to the radio and a Boyz Attack hit from 97' came on.
I laughed aloud when he visibly winced and quickly turned the dial to something else. We ended up 'rocking out' to Andrea Lewis instead on Flow 93.5.)
Sometimes it's filled with semi new experiences…
The second time I heard my single on the radio was with him.
It was a Friday afternoon and he'd been driving me home, but when we heard my voice coming through the airwaves he quickly changed direction and drove straight to caffé Piazza Venezia and bought me my very first doppio espresso.
Hmmm…first and last so far.
When we walked into the café the barista behind the counter immediately called out a friendly greeting to Tommy. Obviously, he knew him well.
I was going to go for my usual latte at first or maybe a frothy cinnamon mint cappuccino but then he teased by me saying that I had to live a little and shouldn't always get the same thing.
That the hard form of the double espresso was for the real men with its rich taste and obviously I was way too much of a wuss to handle it.
I laughed and took his dare.
Besides, he was paying for it despite my Dutch offer. Frankly for all he'd been doing for me with the album and just helping me through some rough spots, I'd have been willing to buy him a million espressos and more as gratitude.
All of which couldn't have even come close to expressing how I felt when he took the time to care, console…
Condole.
As we stood in front of the counter watching as two shots of espresso and one shot of hot water was poured into a small white ceramic cup with such expert flourish and dash as if it were a religious experience, I had to laugh a little.
We were all witnesses to a religious experience.
Yeah, that's right. We were all witnesses to the freakin' Holy Grail.
They both watched as I took that first sip. Not wanting to disappoint them, I told them it was good. I kept the fact that while it was certainly two steps above okay it was way too strong for daily intake to myself, but Tommy grinned deviously like he knew what I was thinking, added the blueberry muffin I'd been surreptitiously eying to our order (but felt too polite to comment on), and gently steered me outside into the sunshine.
I felt ungraceful little butterflies begin to rise
when he asked
with one arm
strung
casually
around my waist
and lips
dangerously
Close.
To.
My.
Ear.
if I knew
that my eyes
were very expressive
and that
I couldn't hide
anything
Even.
If.
I.
Tried.
I told him he'd better watch the coffee or he'd spill it.
If my eyes are supposedly so expressive what did he see in the next moment when he looked at me?
Thinking of You
AG Author's Note
Ok, so I had a bit of a poetry format Sonya Sones thing going on towards the end.
This is the original version:
I felt ungraceful little butterflies begin to rise when he asked with one arm strung casually around my waist and lips dangerously close to my ear, if I knew that my eyes were very expressive and that I couldn't hide anything even if I tried.
So which version, in your opinion works better for that chapter and do you like more?
Oh! And just to clarify (if it's necessary) when Jude says/thinks:
'Hmmm…first and last so far.'
It's not some simpering, greedy hint that Tommy should be buying her more drinks.
It just alludes to the fact that she's not so fond of the double espresso.