When I was in college, I did a substantial amount of writing. No, not for my profs, though, yes, that as well. I mean, my own writing. I explored the first experiences of dealing with some of life's most difficult blows. In college, I was married, and divorced, and diagnosed with a learning "disability" that challenged my succeeding at earning my engineering degree. I also lost a friend while in college, had a house fire, and had to put my 14 year old dog to sleep. I did succeed in graduating, I'm proud to say. This was all in the space of five and one half years.
I would really like to share some of my short stories on this blog, as most have not seen the light of day. Some, however, are too... risque' I would say. I am not yet prepared to "release the hounds" of my darker side. My very dear friend Karen and her alter ego, Layla Wolfe would laugh heartily to think that I was blushing on my own writings. Still...
My search continues for some excerpts from my (several) started but not finished books, and some short stories that are blog-worthy. Here is a short little ditty that is possibly that. Take note; it was written when the internet was in its infancy. 😊
Ice Breaker
Leah met Kim
through a personals ad. She had been
playing the odds for a number of years, and had nearly given up on the idea of
meeting--through this media, at least--someone who could arouse her sleeping
heart. Initially, she and Kim spoke on
the phone several times over two or three weeks, then the frequency and
duration of their conversations increased.
After three weeks, they finally found a time when both their schedules
allowed a free day.
As she strolled
into the patio lobby of the sun-filled coffee house where they were to meet for
the first time, she spotted him. He
seemed handsome from a distance. Face
to face, she re-evaluated; he was handsome. She thought of the many phone calls they’d
shared and wondered if he was attracted to her.
Leah was accustomed to having men tell her she was beautiful; but it was
never the right man. And, even
with the flattery of the others, she still thought of herself as only cute, and
certainly sexy to the men who could detect true, flowing, sexuality in a woman,
but beautiful? She sometimes wondered
how that was measured. Leah believed it
all came down to chemistry; nothing could proceed if there was no chemistry. She was sure they had the chemistry they
needed intellectually, and she knew she could supply her half of the mix if the
physical chemistry was in question, but--what the hell was going through
his mind?
Kim seemed so much
more shy in person, and Leah felt her own heart tripping over a few beats as
their coffee date unfolded before them.
Three mochas and a bagel later, they decided they’d stayed their welcome
at the crowded little cafe. Leah was sad
to realize the date might be ending already.
In four years of frequent blind dates, this was the first man she’d met
who really seemed like someone she needed to see again. She realized, in fact, that as he spoke, she
was looking at his face and mentally running her fingers over it. It was the artist in her soul. She needed to touch everything that
fascinated her. And Kim fascinated her. She imagined kissing his lips.
“...go for a
drive?” Leah was suddenly aware that he
had just suggested that they not end the date so soon. What had he asked? She thought that he’d suggested they go for a
drive. It was a beautiful day, they were
already at a roadside cafe in the country.
How--why--would she refuse? She
didn’t.
Kim and Leah both
sensed the tentativeness with which they were addressing each other, yet, the
long silences as they streaked through the April sunshine seemed not
uncomfortable. It was as though they
knew that it would be a necessary skill, if they were to become closer and more
familiar with each other, to be able to spend comfortable silent time
together. Leah grew more comfortable
with the idea that Kim was as interested in her as she was in him.
They stopped at a
turnout near a waterfall and hiked into the woods to the foot of the falls. It was a small tributary which tumbled over
the thirty foot drop and the mist was only slight; not such that it soaked them
but only enough to cool them as they sat on a large rock next to the stream. They talked and the conversation meandered as
much as the water passing at their feet.
Before they realized it, they’d been sitting for several hours.
As Leah trailed
her fingers in the cool water, Kim asked, “Ready to head back?”
With a long but
content sigh, she answered, “I suppose it’s just about that time.” Vaguely, and in the farthest depths of her
conscious thoughts, she thought about the water; how cold it was. Cold, clear, and fresh. She instinctively knew that it was snow melt
running off the Sierras, and that, perhaps only hours before, it was thousands of tiny ice crystals.
Because their
drive had also been long--nearly as long as their rest on the river rock--Leah
found herself unable to keep her eyes open as Kim drove them back to their
starting point. He looked over and
caught her in one of her eyes-closed moments.
He asked, “Would you like to lay your head on my shoulder?”
She looked at him,
and saw the person she had come to know throughout the day, a person--a
man--she knew she would like to know much, much, better in the future. She smiled, and twisted around so she could
lay her head against his shoulder. He
rested his hand lightly on her knee.
When they arrived
back at the little coffee house, it’s shutters were closed, and the owners were
gone for the day. They sorted out sweaters
and other items and transferred hers to her car. It seemed almost sad to Leah; she didn’t want
it to end. She believed, at least, that
she would indeed see Kim again. That
helped keep the moment light.
As she drove home,
Leah realized that she was smiling a smile she hadn’t smiled in years; feeling
a feeling she hadn’t felt in years. The
last time she’d felt like this after a first date was--well--it was the last
time she’d begun to fall in love; nearly eight years ago. The small chance that she might not
see Kim again after such a wonderful day kept tugging at her rational thoughts,
so she dug down into her heart to find what was there, instead.
What Leah found
was something that put it into the simplest terms: Kim had already helped her
gain something she thought she’d lost.
If she never saw him again, she could leave this day in her memory and
take with her the realization that love, passion, and romance had not forsaken
her, nor she them. In three weeks of
phone conversations, and only a day at her side, Kim had unknowingly helped her
find her way back to her own heart.
Ice Breaker
©2002, 2018 Nikki (Nicola) HolmesIce Breaker
(originally penned April, 2002)
PS! Dont forget to share comments, feedback, even criticism. I relish it! You can leave it here or, if you're a Facebook friend, you can comment there, too. There is even a subscribe button on this blog.
Comments