do.
Don’t know what I’m doing. Have 2 ask u something.
Been waiting for that.
U might not like it.
K. Do it in person then.
Tomorrow?
Unless I can c u 2nite.
Ha. Ha. Cute.
That you are.
Have 2 go.
K. I have so much to say. But I’ll wait. But not much longer. Xoxo.
I smiled, quickly deleting any traces of my conversation with Ava. Hot gumbo was waiting for me in the kitchen and my appetite was whetted. But it would be tomorrow before it was either sated or soured. Options I neither expected nor asked for. For everything has a price, whether we can afford it or not.
14
Her directions were perfect, even down to which parking spots would be vacant at this time of day.
My hand trembled as I buzzed Ava’s unit. I was here an hour later than I’d promised. But my doubts had scored a fleeting victory. Tried to stay away, but couldn’t. A foolish man driven by something beyond his understanding. A fresh breeze kicked up, rustling the leaves on the full oaks that dotted the sidewalk in front of her townhome. I adjusted my tie that felt more like a noose.
“It’s open,” she replied over the speaker without even asking who it was.
“It’s me, by the way. Don’t want you thinking it’s some killer or something,” I joked, more for my benefit. A loser’s levity.
“I know,” she said softly, her mad sexy voice reverberating through the intercom. “And if it wasn’t you, I would prefer not to live anyway. Now…come on up.” Her words chilled me. Blind, undiluted passion for me evident in every sweet syllable. Perhaps Jacobi’s suggestion that I check her closets for shrines wasn’t far off course.
I crossed the threshold of her home onto the deep-stained cherrywood floor; noticed the soft candlelight and calming piano music next. Could imagine returning here from a hard day’s work in another life, perhaps. As my apprehension eased, I smiled at her, trying to ignore the seductive atmosphere. Ava seemed perturbed by my lack of punctuality, but handed me a glass of wine anyway. I held the non-stemmed tumbler, moving the white wine in tight circles before putting it to my nose. I took a sip, recognizing the familiar dry texture on my tongue as Gewürztraminer, a particular favorite of mine among the German wines. Another in a string of way too many coincidences with this woman. What was next? A fresh new pack of my favorite underwear atop her bed?
She closed the door, standing between me and any sure means of escape. Taking another sip, I took in her magnificence. Ava wore her tresses pinned back, dazzling diamond earrings hanging from her lobes. The short, black silk asymmetric dress gorgeously accentuated her frame while revealing a single bare shoulder. She drank of her wine and cut her eyes at me as though I were wounded prey. Damn seductive. Felt like I needed to smoke a cigarette just from my thoughts.
“Wow,” I said, raising my glass in a toast. I took a few discreet breaths, to try to maintain my composure, but could feel my heart revving unrestrained.
“The wine? You’re lucky I kept it chilled,” she teased.
“I was referring to it…and you. And I apologize for being late, but I have to ask you something.” Had to focus just to get it out, but was glad I did.
“Ah, yes. The infamous question you’ve been dying to ask.” She swirled her wine around this time, grinning as she looked into her glass, then back at me. “I’m all ears.”
“Did my wife put you up to this?”
“Excuse me?” she replied, disgusted. Apparently not the question she was expecting. Score one for my surprising her. “I don’t even know this woman. Are you kettled?”
“ Kettled ? I’m lost.”
“Um…drunk,” she explained. “Sorry. Some of the words here are different.”
“Here? You mean in Houston?”
Ava chuckled, but some hint of anger at herself due to that strange phrase was still evident. Odd. “Yes. I was living somewhere else before arriving here,” she replied with another
Don’t know what I’m doing. Have 2 ask u something.
Been waiting for that.
U might not like it.
K. Do it in person then.
Tomorrow?
Unless I can c u 2nite.
Ha. Ha. Cute.
That you are.
Have 2 go.
K. I have so much to say. But I’ll wait. But not much longer. Xoxo.
I smiled, quickly deleting any traces of my conversation with Ava. Hot gumbo was waiting for me in the kitchen and my appetite was whetted. But it would be tomorrow before it was either sated or soured. Options I neither expected nor asked for. For everything has a price, whether we can afford it or not.
14
Her directions were perfect, even down to which parking spots would be vacant at this time of day.
My hand trembled as I buzzed Ava’s unit. I was here an hour later than I’d promised. But my doubts had scored a fleeting victory. Tried to stay away, but couldn’t. A foolish man driven by something beyond his understanding. A fresh breeze kicked up, rustling the leaves on the full oaks that dotted the sidewalk in front of her townhome. I adjusted my tie that felt more like a noose.
“It’s open,” she replied over the speaker without even asking who it was.
“It’s me, by the way. Don’t want you thinking it’s some killer or something,” I joked, more for my benefit. A loser’s levity.
“I know,” she said softly, her mad sexy voice reverberating through the intercom. “And if it wasn’t you, I would prefer not to live anyway. Now…come on up.” Her words chilled me. Blind, undiluted passion for me evident in every sweet syllable. Perhaps Jacobi’s suggestion that I check her closets for shrines wasn’t far off course.
I crossed the threshold of her home onto the deep-stained cherrywood floor; noticed the soft candlelight and calming piano music next. Could imagine returning here from a hard day’s work in another life, perhaps. As my apprehension eased, I smiled at her, trying to ignore the seductive atmosphere. Ava seemed perturbed by my lack of punctuality, but handed me a glass of wine anyway. I held the non-stemmed tumbler, moving the white wine in tight circles before putting it to my nose. I took a sip, recognizing the familiar dry texture on my tongue as Gewürztraminer, a particular favorite of mine among the German wines. Another in a string of way too many coincidences with this woman. What was next? A fresh new pack of my favorite underwear atop her bed?
She closed the door, standing between me and any sure means of escape. Taking another sip, I took in her magnificence. Ava wore her tresses pinned back, dazzling diamond earrings hanging from her lobes. The short, black silk asymmetric dress gorgeously accentuated her frame while revealing a single bare shoulder. She drank of her wine and cut her eyes at me as though I were wounded prey. Damn seductive. Felt like I needed to smoke a cigarette just from my thoughts.
“Wow,” I said, raising my glass in a toast. I took a few discreet breaths, to try to maintain my composure, but could feel my heart revving unrestrained.
“The wine? You’re lucky I kept it chilled,” she teased.
“I was referring to it…and you. And I apologize for being late, but I have to ask you something.” Had to focus just to get it out, but was glad I did.
“Ah, yes. The infamous question you’ve been dying to ask.” She swirled her wine around this time, grinning as she looked into her glass, then back at me. “I’m all ears.”
“Did my wife put you up to this?”
“Excuse me?” she replied, disgusted. Apparently not the question she was expecting. Score one for my surprising her. “I don’t even know this woman. Are you kettled?”
“ Kettled ? I’m lost.”
“Um…drunk,” she explained. “Sorry. Some of the words here are different.”
“Here? You mean in Houston?”
Ava chuckled, but some hint of anger at herself due to that strange phrase was still evident. Odd. “Yes. I was living somewhere else before arriving here,” she replied with another
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