"Good morning sunshine". He sat across the room in a small chair that occupied the corner to the north of the apartment. The sun was beaming with promise and potential, maybe today would be warmer than the past few weeks. The winter had rained terror on all its subjects so much that fashion was defined by the number of jackets one wore. His legs were crossed and he was leaning into the chair's cushion. He held a steamy cup of what appeared to be coffee or tea. He smiled warmly at her as slowly her eyes opened up to the new day. She stared at her tiger that sat a mere leap from where she lay. Her eyes opened and she stared straight into his eyes, challenging him to pounce on her. "Good morning Jake", she uttered with a hint of a stutter from an unclear throat. "How long have you been sitting there?" she asked. He took a sip from his cup, swallowed and then responded, "Since last night" while winking mischievously. She gently shook her head as she transitioned into an upright position. He got up from the chair and walked towards her. Her heart emptied all of its contents and filled with positive prospect. His hand stretched towards the back of her head and he ran his fingers through the strands of her alluring hair extensions. His lips touched her forehead and set off all sorts of chemical reactions within her body. She exhaled while her hand went up to meet his in the wrist area. She found peace within that moment. He sat next to her on the tip of the bed and looked her straight in the eye with a glance that pierced right through to the deepest, darkest parts of her fragile existence. Then he whispered. "Thank you for last night". Her lips attempted to smile in more of a visceral act as she intended to maintain her coolness so she could own the moment. He added, "How about breakfast?" He was the gift that kept on giving. Yet to make a wrong move or say a word amiss, everything in his world was perfect. She could just stay by his side and live there until life became nothing but a faded fallacy. Her stomach gently growled when the thought of food registered in her mind. The meal last night had been quite exquisite. However, it was quality over quantity. What happened last night?
Finally, she unfettered him from the chains of her embrace. Her heavy breaths had lightened. The impending danger brought by loneliness had vanished like mist in the face of the sun. He was the sun. They gazed into each other's eyes and stopped all other activities so they could both enjoy the view. His hands were around her waist while hers rested on his shoulders. The world stood still and there was a quietness that made this moment as romantic as it could get. Then a roaring car engine reminded that all good things come to an end. Once on the pavement he apologized for being late and explained the cause for his lack of time consciousness. His car had broken down six blocks away and his attempts at resuscitating it had been futile. Aaron, his taxi guy had been far away to rescue him and so he had to jog from where he was then to where he was now. "I got us a reservation at Maxi's". She had never been and the name didn't ring any bells. She was more accustomed to the other side where there are no reservations. Show up with your money and pay, and the whole problem with regards to world hunger is solved. A taxi ferried them to Maxi's, a fancy restaurant where they indulged their epicurean desires till they were meticulously satisfied. It was late into the night when they decided to retire to the gentleman's home.
Once inside Jake's apartment, he made her dessert. Warm vanilla custard spread over a slice of cake with a mixture of fruit. They spent the remainder of the night chatting in the dim light of the flickering candle that stood between them as they lay on the carpet of the living room floor. She bore all to him. Every piece of detail, relevant and irrelevant. When she had finished, her soul lay naked before him and she was his to preserve or to plunder. She had surrendered the keys to her wall and her fortress lay at his mercy. He listened attentively while she spoke, intrigued by the words that came from her mouth and flew into his ears. Once inside, they echoed until they formed a part of his memory. The scent of the candle filled the room and tuned the mood to its utmost charming self. She asked questions about Jake but he was unwilling to share. "As of now, the less you know the better for us". She wanted to press and seek answers to so many of the questions that raged like a forest wildfire within her but she was all too careful lest she would burst this bubble that had taken her from earth onto cloud nine. Plus she had heard the word US and she felt as long as it took two to tango, she was a significant piece in the puzzle. She also thought of the possibility that her newly discovered mountain might turn out to be an anthill. As they say, what you know not possesses no power to hurt you. Ignorance is bliss.
She fell asleep midway through the continued eye-gazing experience and briefly gained consciousness when she felt him lift her up from the carpet floor and onto the bed. And now here he was, the first thing she saw waking up. She accepted his breakfast invitation and sought to make a proffer of her own. "How about I make breakfast for you?" she asked. His hand went up and caressed her cheek as he replied, "Not in my house ma'am. You can do that when I come to your place". She quickly responded, "Well in that case why don't we go over there?" to which he replied, "Maybe another time. You stay here" were his last words as he tucked her in, got up and disappeared behind the door. About twenty minutes later he returned with three boxes of pizza and a tray with two cups of steaming coffee. "I didn't know which one you like so I bought all of them", he said. She smiled and replied, "I like all of them". They consumed each slice with purpose and shared laughs and giggles as the Sunday morning wasted away and ushered in the afternoon. After the meal, he went to shower and changed clothes and she followed in after him. Unfortunately for her, she only had the dress she wore last night and that was far from coherence with the adjective 'fresh'. She went to his wardrobe and picked a T-shirt that was long enough to somewhat portray dress. Midday. Her feet were up on the couch as she was wondering, what could go wrong on a day like this. Then in that instance, there was a soft knock on the door. Jake was in the bedroom and so she thought she would make herself useful. She leapt to her feet and sprang, like a fleeing buck, to attend to the knock. The door swung and before her stood an expensively dressed woman with a blue polka dress and a pair of matching heels with a handbag that she firmly clutched onto. She had a beautiful pearl necklace that cumbered her neck and sat on the top of her chest in a stylish manner. She cast a look of surprise coupled with disgust. "Ummmm, can I help you?" Cindy inquired in the friendliest of manner. "Is Jake home?" answered the lady. "Tell him his wife is here".