3 Pizza Preparations
It's Thursday evening and I finally get the nerve to visit Amber again. I don't wanna seem too eager. And I definitely don't want my brother's gettin' nosy about my outings. And I just couldn't wait another day! I figure I should show up about eight. Her bookstore should be closed by then. I been thinkin' about her a lot. While my family is occupied with their own things, I slip away.
Either my brothers are really good at hiding it or they really don't have the need to meet new people face to face. Mikey schemes and collaborates with weirdoes all time on his XBOX LIVE. He squats comfortably in the groove he's made in the couch, tapping buttons on his controller and mocking his enemies through the headset he's wearing. It's like he got his own little world, fighting endless battles. You'd think he gets enough fighting in real life. Donnie chats to people on his computer, mostly about uber, geeky, boring stuff. If he got a internet girlfriend, he ain't tellin' us. And Leo, I don't what he does, and don't really care. Maybe Mike and Don are satisfied with talkin' to people they'll never meet. I clearly am not.
I've been lost in thought. I don't remember climbing the ladder and going through the manhole. I'm standing at the bottom of the old wooden stairs rubbing my finger across the white button. I'm here now, what am I waiting for? I walk into the bathroom, turn on the light and check my reflection. I never really cared before but, even though I am a turtle-man, I ain't ugly; shocking, exotic maybe, but not ugly. My brown eyes are intense. Huh, I look mean without even trying, can't help that. I gotta strong chin. The baby fat's finally gone from my cheeks, thank God. Take away the green skin and gimme some hair… I guess a nose too…Hell, I'm good ta go. I touch my face and tilt my head back and forth. My skin's smooth and pebbly.
I sigh and turn off the light. What does it matter? She already seen me. I straighten my red bandana, walk across the room and push the button…
Moments later the door responds and opens slightly.
"Hello Amber." I say.
"Hello Raph." She opens the door completely. This is the first time I see her in somethin' other than that scarf and big shirt. Her bright pink top is made of thin material. It clings a little to her breasts but still hides her form as it flows down past her hips. Her jeans are faded and crop at her knees. She's wearing black sandals. She has a thin gold chain around her neck. Her hair is dark brown and shiny and twisted into dozens of, well, twists that hang down below her shoulders. It looks soft like cotton. She steps aside and lets me in.
"Hold on a sec.", she says as she walks around a large bookcase that hides me from the rest of the shop. She speaks softly so someone at the front door. She wishes them goodnight. As she closes and locks the door, a brass bell attached to it rings. She switches off the storefront lights. She comes back with a steaming pizza box. "You're just in time. Care to join me for dinner?" She grins.
"Of course! Lead the way."
She doesn't need to prepare much. Her coffee table is already set, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper flakes, and hot sauce, sitting over a flannel tablecloth. There's also a roll of paper towel. Low music is coming from her ipod and speakers sitting in one of the bookshelves. The curtains are closed, but I can still see sparks of the reddish sunset coming through. She grabs a large pillow, tosses it on the floor and sits down, placing the pizza box on the short table.
"Do ya want me to grab a couple of drinks?" I offer.
"Sure. I'll take a bottled water. You can have whatever."
I walk into the kitchen and wash my hands then open the fridge door. I take out the water and my bottle of cider. The note is no longer there. I also notice three pizza boxes sitting on the shelf inside. I curiously lift open the top pizza box. It has not been eaten. I walk in to the living room and join her on the floor. We open the box, open our bottles and dine.
I ask her, "So, Amber, howya doin'?"
"I'm good, Raph, and you?"
"Can't complain… what's with all the pizza boxes in the fridge?"
"Oh…well…" she places her slice on her napkin and looks down. "I guess I was hoping to see you Monday night, so I bought a pizza, just in case… Then I did the same thing Tuesday and Wednesday night…I'm glad you came today, or else I woulda run outta room." She finally looks at me and shrugs, a little smile on her face. "I knew you said you like sausage, mushroom and ham…I couldn't remember what else."
"Extra onions." I offer. She's embarrassed. I'm flattered. She was thinking of me too. Oh my God, stay cool!
"Yeah. They're all the same so, you can take them home… when ever you wanna go."
I smile. "Yeah. I'll take them…whenever I gotta go." I finish my slice and take another. "My brothers would appreciate'em."
"Did you tell them about me yet?"
"No, no. No. I did not."
"Oh." She finishes her slice and sips her water. I guess the reasons aren't obvious to her.
"I mean, ya already know it'd be hell if the wrong people knew about us. So my brothers wouldn't be too happy with me if they knew I have a new friend… especially Leo. I don't even wanna think about what Master Splinter would say." I roll my eyes as I chug my ale.
"I hope you know you can trust me Raph. I wouldn't tell anyone. But maybe your brothers would appreciate knowing they have another ally." She smiles at me all hopeful. Her smile sways me somehow.
"I do trust you…and I'll think about it. Besides," I take a risk. "I kinda like having you as my own little secret." I smirk and glance at her as I sip from my bottle. She smiles broadly and looks down at her food. I bet she's blushing but her cheeks are so full of rich color already, I can't really tell.
We finish our dinner and she offers to give me a tour of her home. We travel upstairs briefly looking around the two unused floors. Each floor was designed as a separate apartment, three and two bedrooms, both with little kitchenettes. Her uncle never bothered to finish with the idea of renting them out. He would have had to loose the back part of the bookstore to build a separate entrance. A couple pieces of furniture covered with dusty drapes are scattered here and there. We peek through the door to her roof patio. There is no cover from the outside so we don't walk around up there. She muses about having a tall fence put up so she can invite my whole family over for a private cookout. I beg her not to go through the trouble. She does not respond, but just smiles.
We head back down to the store level. I think dark, quiet, empty stores are creepy. Especially bookstores. All those dead writers, just lookin' at me! To make it even creepier Amber lights some candles. She says it's better than turning on the lights; she doesn't have anything big enough to cover the storefront windows. She grabs a book from her counter and calls me over. We sit at either end of an old velvet couch, tucked in between two large bookcases in the middle of the shop. Random patches of the couch's burgundy threads are long-since worn away. Buttons that where once sunken in the ever-loosening cushions are now missing. It smells dusty and lemon pledge-y and the wooden frame creeks whenever we shift in our seats. It looks like something that should have been thrown away years ago. But I guess it's still doin' its job.
She opens the book and thumbs through the pages. She looks over at me, "I'm going to read to you one of my favorite poems. It's called 'The Raven', written by Edgar Allen Poe. You ever heard of it?"
"Naw. I don't read too much. What's it about?"
"Let's see if you can figure it out…" She smiles.
She begins to read and I find myself really trying to focus on the words. I get totally lost after the second line, but the way she's speaking, it's not like reading. I start to hear the rhythm and catch the rhyming. She puts emotion and life into the character. I can see him in the hallway. I can feel his fear. I can sense the shock when he finds noone there but darkness. I don't understand all the words and I don't know who Pallas is but I do catch Amber's tempo going faster and faster. My lips are parted and I nod my head at the end of each line and then as if brought on by the climax of the poem,
"…my soul shall be lifted, never more!" Lightening flashes in the windows and thunder strikes near by. I jump in my seat and the frame creeks loudly. She turns toward me and yelps. We look at each other and fall out laughing.
"Holy Hell!" I pant, "I never knew old poetry could be so…entertainin'. Thanks a lot."
"Sure. Anytime." Her smile is so full. Her eyes are sparkling in the candlelight. Is she really havin' that much fun with me?
Another flash and another rumble appear. The rain pours down hard. It beats the tin awning outside. It's at this time I recall all the stupid chick flicks and sitcoms I ever saw; two young destined lovers share a hearty laugh and then the rain falls. They look at each other with a serious stare and boom! It's their cue to kiss. I never thought I would ever be sitting in the dark with a woman, let alone kissin' one. But here I am. And there she is. She makes me feel normal enough to think it's possible but…
"Uh, Amber?"
"Yes, Raph?"
"How would you… I mean, what if we…meet like this? What if I come visit every Thursday night and we just hang out?"
"Ok. I'd like that. Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It'll save you money, not having to buy pizza every night of the week." I tease. I then notice the clock on the wall and my good feelings sink a little. "Speaking of pizza, I better grab them and go. It's almost time for us to get ready for our patrol tonight."
"You still gonna patrol? In this weather?"
"Crime don't take a rain check, sweetie."
I take the pizzas and head through the fake bookcase. I tell her I'll see her next Thursday. She nods and wishes me a goodnight. I hear the metal door close and lock behind me. I'm already getting grumpy. Zero down, seven more days to go.