they met at the grocery store
she worked there
hed dated more than one cashier
it was destiny he was to date
another
Sounds like a line to me her head tilting It’s
worked for you before?
he chuckled
Yare funny When you get to know me better youll understand I woudnt use a line Im not one to fish
she thought
he could see it in
her Mexican brown eyesonly her eyes she wore
a black mask
he did too
she wasnt wearing a ring
briefly he read her nametag bottom
angling forward busty
Esmeralda he said meeting her eyes My names Joe
I don fish
he wondered if she knew cocksure he wasnt
he was confident
thought complete
her eyes crinkledshe
smiled It’s nice to meet you, Joe.
he would have shaked her handcould hear his mother Shook he liked shaked as when he swore she scolded him You know better, you had a good
upbringing, education, your father and I . . .
she was right but
there was an acrylic panel between them there
because ignorant peoplethoughtless people shopped there too many old enough to have contracted polio
but for their parents who thought better of community
Woud you like to
go out with me
handing him the receipt I’m working . . could I think about it?
he torn the extraneous portion off
REWARDS AVAILABLE POINTS EARNED TODAY at the bottom of it
he wrote his telephone number
handing it to her If youd like Id like if you did
her eyes crinkled again
he
was certain his did
they met for coffee twice drinks
once a movie plain popcorn not buttered dinner once more frequently they met to walk and talk
during her breaks at work
they ran in the rain from his car
through the parking lot to the staircase to her second floor apartment
Nooo dammit!
she forgot to take her keys from her purse while
in the car
he laughed
NO. This isn’t funny we’re getting wet . .
.
. Rainwater rinse As a kid good for our hair
bursting into her placeYou’ll have to tell me that story but first let
me get us some towels.
Here give me your purse jacket Ill hold them so you don drip everywhere
she did then kicked off her shoes
pranced into the livingroom disappeared right into the hall
cupboard doors opened yankedtussled
towels laughter
padding of naked feet
rounding
the corner she had one over her headanother on her shouldertossed him a third catching it her purse almost came off his
shoulder she continued to himstood
beside him on the tiled foyer That better?
Yes thank you
Your towels smell amazing
OH . thank you. she saidpeeking out
from under a towel as she dried her hair a chore thick black hair to the middle of her
back
Do you need another
towel?she started stepping away
No Plenty Im good
out from the folds of
plumcoloured fabric wild mussedtossed hair she smiled wide eyes crinklingkilling him with her dimples when they first met he thought she might unmasked she did
I
have to get out of these clothes. I have a robe I think will fit youlet me get it
then I can take your clothes, dry them.
Now yare thinkin he smiled
she followed
You'll have to forgive me, I was engrossed with our
conversation in the car.
You were
talking
Would you stop? failed at acting perturbed You’re
a tease.
Anyare my muse I cant help me his mother a tease herself said Myself
humoured Esmeralda shook her head In my defense . . you distracted me.
There you have it serving my purpose
she shook her head vigorouslysmiling I’ll get the robe. Then while we change, when
you’re finished, you can pour us whiskyin the kitchen he knew neat
to warm us up.
Sounds like a plan
he undressed the robe fit left
his clothingroughly folded on top the towel on the tile eventually found the
whisky poured two glasses then went up the hallway to her bedroom at the end
he thought she would have heard
him fumbling around in the kitchen opening cabinets finding glasses finding
whisky
evidently not
making the bedroom threshold
a glass in either hand she gaspedquickly
snatched a robe off the foot of the bed held it up in front of herself
her hair curled at her throatlaid
lazy on her shoulders
he tried not to smile wasnt in him Excuse meI apologise Thought Id given you timetha youd heard me
shaking her head no a hand came
up to her mouth
then her spine went erect then standing tall she tossed her head backshook
her mane
her expression was
priceless
her voice more priceless
The mirror’s behind me, yes?
a freestanding mirror body length
Yes
You can see me?
Yes
Beautiful backyour ass is fantastic Ass setsdefinitely assets
she didnt movedidnt blush
he set her whisky on a low
bookshelf beside the door
Ill leave this
here See you again
in a bit
returning to the livingroom sipping
whisky remembering that they were joking about the black masks they wore when they met how much he was
enthralled by her Mexican brown eyes but but tha he was dying to see her
wearing a black blindfold for a
counterpoint
0050, Sunday,
11 12. 22
1250, Sunday
