The next morning came too soon. At least, I think it was the next morning. I woke up on the floor of my living room, my head felt I had been hit by a train. I sat up and rubbed my temples, glancing groggily around my living room. Everything was in place, but it seemed that I was alone. Hadn't I invited Rafael over last night?
Oh god, something happened! Suddenly the memory of what had happened in my house last night flashed before my eyes and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. I had just made out with my boss! My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit, making my hangover even worse. I turned and glanced at the clock. I had about three hours before I had to be to work. I did NOT want to go in and see his face.
Still wearing the clothes that I wore last night I hastily grabbed my phone and dialed the number into work. I explained to secretary Katrina that I had the stomach flu and I simply could not get out of bed. It was easy to convince her, and she placed a memo to Rafael. I was a little more relieved that I could wait at least a day before having to explain to my boss that I didn't mean to kiss him. That I had no feelings.
Did I have feelings? I wasn't one to act on a whim, so there had to be a reason as to why I had kissed him. He had been so sweet, hadn't he? He had told me how special he could see that I was. He explained to me what he saw in me. Why would he say those things, he wasn't drunk. Or had he been drunk? My head hurt even more as I tried to pick it apart.
My mental ramblings were coming to a climax causing my head to spin when my phone rang. I picked it up off the table next to me, and called into the receiver without seeing who it was.
"Hello?"
"Ah, ahem..Harmony.." The voice was deep but a little flustered. It was Rafael, he was clearing his throat constantly. "I understand that you - ah - called in today. I wanted to just apologize for what happened, uhm yesterday - that's not who I really am."
I had no idea what to say. He sounded so embarrassed. Am I not what he thought I was? "That's alright...Rafael, I'm sorry I called in. This recklessness won't happen again, I promise."
He picked up on how let down I sounded, and picked up his voice a little. "Oh no, I mean...I was hoping that maybe it would. Only this time the recklessness would be planned," He paused and cleared his throat a little deeper this time. "What I'm trying to ask is, would you meet me at the Prosper Room at about 7:00 PM?"
What? First I thought he was reprimanding me for calling in because I drank yesterday, and now he was asking me out on a date? I almost didn't know how to react. Did I want to go? My heart thumping in my chest said yes. Without thinking much more about it, I answered him. "Yes, I will meet you there."
"Great!" He boomed into the phone, gaining that firm sound back to his voice. "Wear that dress you wore last night, it will match great."
The line went dead, and I sighed as I sat down on the couch. I was going on a date with my boss. My first real date, and it was with my boss! Oh god what was wrong with me? I just got in this great place and I was already going to mess things up. Why couldn't I just do something simple, like date someone else in the town?
The answer was simple. I didn't want anyone else in the town. Rafael was firm, he was ambitious, gorgeous, and he knew how to make his words sound like poetry. He was so sweet, caring and strong that I couldn't resist. Who could, really?
I decided I should probably get myself around, so I jumped in the shower and worked on getting back on my feet. This hang over was really doing terrible things to me.
Wearing my newly crisp, clean dress, I headed over to the Prosper Room. It was such a high class lounge that I just knew I didn't belong. I rode in the elevator up to the 26th floor, which is where Rafael had wanted me to meet him. Surely enough, there he waited. He looked so nice with his hair combed back, wearing a V neck silk shirt and black dress pants. I almost didn't recognize him, if it wasn't for the air of importance that he demanded.
"Harmony!" He called, and rushed right over. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around me. Pressed against his body I felt the same safety that I felt the night before, his strong arms enveloping me. He pulled away from me and smiled. "I am so sorry to do this, but I have to go attend to a family matter. I'll be back by the end of the week though for work and we will be able to go out on a real date."
I just smiled at him. I had been so excited about this date that I was really let down when he said he had to go. I didn't want to let him know that, so I just smiled and nodded my head. "Of course, lets do this some other time."
He brought me into another embrace before departing. I still remember what he whispered in my ear. "I will woo you so much that you won't be able to stand up."
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The week seemed to drag on and on. I went to work every day and worked at my office, always glancing at my phone to see if Rafael was going to call me to tell me he had returned from dealing with his family. I didn't even know where he went. All I knew was that it had something to do with his family. Work dragged by the slowest. I had very few tasks that I needed to complete, and I spent most of my time down in the office break room watching the television. When I went home, I tended to my grandmother's garden, watched some television and cleaned my house.
By the time Friday came around I was ready to jump out of my skin and scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted him to call me so badly that it was nearly driving my insane. Every time that my phone rang I practically mauled it just to answer it. When it rang at the end of my shift it was no different. I jumped and picked it up.
"Harmony Smith, how can I help you?"
"Yes, hi, I was wondering if there was a cute, bubbly, blond that I might be able to speak to? I have seen her a few times and left her stranded earlier this week. She's absolutely wonderful, and I really wanted her to meet me at the Butterfly Esplanade in an hour."
It was Rafael. The minute he started to speak I felt my lips curl into a smile and my heart jumped into my throat. I laughed softly into the phone as he spoke, twirling the cord around my finger. "Yes! Yes, I'll meet you."
"Good, see you then."
An hour later, I arrived at the Butterfly Esplanade. It was a beautiful structure that mirrored a natural habitat. There butterflies fluttered everywhere that you could find. Flowers spilled out of every corner of this place, and just the atmosphere smelled different. It was absolutely beautiful. I walked up the path to look for Rafael, but I could not see him through the glass in the actual Butterfly sphere.
Then I heard the whistling from a small gazebo in the back of the butterfly sphere. I knew it was Rafael from the deep sound under the whistle. I followed that sound to the gazebo to find Rafael sitting and gazing up at the stars. I smiled to myself as I moved up the stairs behind him.
Sensing that I was there, he tilted his head back and smiled at me. "Harmony, so nice of you to join me. Come on, sit next to me." He patted the floor next to him.
Still wearing my work clothes I sat down next to him and he scooted next to me, placing his arms behind mine so that he could be close. He pointed up at the sky with a smile. "There's not much for stars tonight, but you can see the Big Dipper."
I laughed softly and nodded my head, looking over at him. "It's beautiful Rafael, absolutely stunning out here."
"No," He answered me in a soft voice, "Now it's stunning, with you sitting next to me."
I blushed and looked down at the ground. He leaned over and caught my chin beneath his strong fingers, turning my eyes to look at his. "Harmony, I don't do this a lot, but I really like you. You have really stolen my heart. I never meant anything to happen when I first invited you out to the bar, honestly. I knew your grandmother, and I just wanted you to feel welcome." He paused for a moment, "but I am so glad that it happened." He moved his other hand over top of mine.
I smiled a smile that even touched my eyes. I could feel him melting my heart again like he had done last week. He had been gone for a week and yet he could still set my skin on fire and stir feelings I had never felt before. "I'm happy too Rafael. You are fantastic. You make me feel so many things that I have never felt."
"Then lets experience them together." He answered in a very peppy voice, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. He leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Be my girlfriend Harmony and we can figure this out together."
My heart jumped a million miles into my throat, but I smiled and nodded my head. "Rafael, I would love to be your girlfriend."
And with the sweetest smile I had ever seen, he leaned in and kissed me.
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