Saturday, December 30, 2017

Enjoy. This is my favorite short story I've written.




Zeke and Court

Today was one of those days where I felt like I have nothing left for myself. I gave all I had to my managers, my associates, and my peers. Days like today, it can be too much sometimes. As I was driving home around 11:15 tonight, I felt gratitude that my life is now filled with someone to share it with. It's fairly new, but it's been easy. I don't find myself having to explain my feelings a lot, because, well, he just gets it. I thought of the countless nights I've dreaded going home. The nights where my biggest goals were to take the quickest showers, get in the bed, pull the covers over my head, and hope the night went by fast so the loneliness would pass without my noticing. Yep, even if only for a short time, tonight was not one of those nights. And I was grateful for however long this season would last. I have to climb 3 flights of stairs to my spot. And after the type of day I had, I was definitely not going up with my heels on. I was barely able to pull it together for that 3rd flight of steps. I asked myself again, why did I choose the top floor again? Before I could answer myself with my own thoughts, I was at my door.

Food. He cooked food for me?

Zeke: Hey Court.
Court: Hi Zeke, how are you? You cooked?
He walked over and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.
Zeke: Yea, I know you forgot your lunch today, so I just made some
pasta for you to fill you up before you went to bed.
Court: Aw, thank you so much.
Zeke: I know you're not too big on eating pasta this late, but I
figured you wouldn't mind this one time.

Little did he know I was so ready for some emotional eating right about now.

Court: I don't. Thank you. I have some wine in the fridge. Did you see it?
Zeke: Yep. I saw the Moscato. Is that your favorite?
Court: Don't know about it being my favorite, but I do like it a lot.
Zeke: Well, let me take your shoes out of your hand and if you want to
go ahead and take a bath or whatever, you can. The food is basically
done. I was just putting the bread in the oven. But you can go ahead
and get comfortable if you'd like. How was the drive home? It was
raining all day!
Court: Yes, it's nasty out there. You know, I love Georgia's summer
rain, just not enough to drive in it. But what choice do I have right
now?
Zeke: Yea, I know. Hopefully, I can help ease the burden of the
everyday hustle for you, my lady.
Court: Well, I think you're doing a great job so far!
Zeke: Why thank you!
Court: Ok, let me get comfortable. I'll be back.
Zeke: Bet.

He cooked for me? Ohhhh, my God. I was so hungry too. I hate eating our cafe's food at work. It's always looks old and greasy. Ah! Chicken Alfredo pasta. Man, I'm about to go in on this. Wow, I think this guy is
a keeper.

I took my time with my bath. Even though I had food waiting for me, I needed to smell the aromas of my new bath products to ease my mind. They'd almost become my drugs in the last several weeks. It's quite
relaxing to have soothing scents under your nose after a long day in the corporate world. Zeke and were not yet on a sexual level, so I just threw on a purple tank top and my favorite gray capri tights that
go just past my knee. Not usually what I'd sleep in, but it was still cute without giving too much away for a guy I still had a lot to learn about.

Zeke: You ready to grub?
Court: Yes sir, I am!
Zeke: You wanna eat in the living room, or outside?
Court: In here. We can go outside later if you want.
Zeke: Ok, cool.

He'd already fixed our plates. I did not have a dining room area in my 1 bedroom apt, so we sat on my sofa. He was on one end. I was on the other. We were facing each other with my legs intertwined with his. Our plates in our laps, and our glasses of wine sitting on top of each end table beside the sofa. His legs were slightly hanging off the sofa. I often joked with him about how lanky he is.

Court: So did you enjoy your day?
Zeke: It was nice to be off for a change.
Court: I bet. What did you do to today?
Zeke: Absolutely nothing! (Laughing)
Court: Don't you just love days like that?!
Zeke: Of course. Hey, when are you going to take some days off? I was
thinking we could go to the Botanical Garden downtown. I heard it's
nice.
Court: Oh yeah, I would love to do that. Did you know people get
married down there?
Zeke: I know. They save money because they don't have to pay for the
flowers. But then again, they probably charge a grip just to marry
there.
Court: Oh yeah, perfect reasoning! Well, I could take a vacation day
after we get done with Planning. It's kicking my butt right now. We'll
be done in 2 weeks though.
Zeke: Just think about how you're passed most of it. You started 3 months ago.
Court: True. So true.
Zeke: You wanna talk about your day?
Court: Nope, not really.
Zeke: No problem. I understand. I can see bags under your eyes. They
made you work hard for that money today huh?
Court: Haha. Yes, they did.
Zeke: It's ok. You're beautiful. You still look good to me.
Court: Gee thanks(with sarcasm). Me and my bags appreciate that.
Zeke: What? You do!
Court: Thank you, thank you. You know, this is food is pretty good.
Did you just order it and make it look like you cooked it?
Zeke: Oh wow! Really? No, I actually can cook a little bit.
Court: I'm just playing with you. You looked like you were sweating a
little in the kitchen when I got home.
Zeke: Whatever, man. I'm glad you like it.

For the remaining of our dinner, we were silent. Just eating. Just drinking. After we were both done, I grabbed both of our plates and glasses and threw them in the dishwasher.

Zeke: I'm going to go outside and smoke a black and mild. Is that ok?
Court: Yes, that's fine. That's about the only scent of smoke I can
actually tolerate. Do you mind if I join you in just a second?
Zeke: No, not at all. It's still raining, but I see you have a screen
up around the balcony so you won't get wet.
Court: Yes, that's was money well spent, huh?!
Zeke nodded a little with a slight laugh, and headed out of the door
to the balcony.

After wiping the kitchen down, I headed to the bathroom to see these bags under my eyes. Damn, I do look mad tired. This job is running my butt ragged. I hung my head after realizing again how unhappy I was in my career. I wish I could quit, travel the world, and then die happy. I reached in my bathroom closet and grabbed my favorite nighttime lotion and rubbed it on my collar bone and back of my neck. For some reason, this Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion helps me sleep like a baby. I found myself still consumed with worries from work. For this night though, at least just for a few moments, until the sun comes up again, I wasn't going to continue to worry myself with the world. And only concern myself with what's in front of me for now.

I grabbed a light blanket and headed outside. The rain was steady at this point. He looked nice with his cigar chilling on the swing chair.

Zeke: You made it out?
Court: Yea. I looked in the mirror. Zeke, I look pretty rough.
Zeke: You look perfectly fine. It's ok for you to look tired. Long
days are going to happen. I don't judge.
Court: Yeah?
Zeke: Yeah.
Court: Ok. I'm happy about that.
Zeke: You gonna sit down, or what?
Court: I don't really wanna sit down.
Zeke: Why not? What do you really wanna do then?
Court: Curl up in your lap with my blanket.
Zeke: You aint said nothing but a word. Come over then.
Court: Really? Awesome.

The moonlight shined in our direction. I sat sideways on his lap with
my feet tucked in the pillows on the end of the swing chair. I laid my
head in between his head and his shoulder and breathed in the cigar
smoke.
Zeke: Why did you buy a swing chair?
Court: My mama must have rocked me a lot as a baby, because swinging
soothes me to this day.
Zeke: I see.
Court: Thank you.
Zeke: For what?
Court: For being so sweet. And for allowing me to relax tonight. The
food, and being able to cuddle is doing alot for me right now.
Zeke: It's my pleasure. You smell really nice.
Court: I know I do.
Zeke: Oh, you know huh?
Zeke jerked his head back looking down at me with a smile.

Court: Yep, I know. I smell good on purpose. Just for you.
Zeke: For me? All for me?
Court: Yep.
Zeke: Cool. I appreciate that.

Moments went by without words being spoken. I took the moments in. Appreciating the affection being shown.

Zeke: You can fall asleep right here if you want.
Court: Ok, I think I will. I think I'm almost there babes. I feel like
I'm drifting.
Zeke: It's ok. You can drift. I got you. I know I must like you a lot
because I cooked for you. What are you going to cook for me next time
we hang out?

I remember Zeke asking me something about cooking, but I was in such a zone, I was unable to mutter a word to him at this point. All I could focus on was the sound of the rain. The cool breeze. The comfort of my favorite blanket. Zeke's arm around me. And that rocking chair. This was slight heaven for me.


And then, silence.