Dancing around

I opened my eyes to a pre-dawn light that flared and tormented with each pulse of blood through my head. I started to groan but then remembered I might not be alone. The thought triggered a flurry of self inspection - still drunk, rumpled, mouth not even a little fresh and no toothbrush available, embarrassed about the spilled beer, and a little nervous about her reaction when she saw me sober. No doubt about it, I had to get out of there.

I slid carefully out of bed and grabbed my shirt and shoes, eased my way through the door and just before it shut I peeked through the crack. A spray of lush brown hair emerged from under the covers and that was all I could see.

The cold outside was brutal, but it stopped my head from spinning. I stopped at a diner and choked down some food, then went home and slept till late afternoon. When I woke I thought about all that had gone on and decided it was just drunken silliness and the kissing didn't mean anything. I hoped she wasn't hurt by it and wondered who she was. I seemed to remember seeing her back in high school, but I couldn't quite place her. Maybe she was on the volleyball team? Sharon Something? Didn't matter I guess.

I put on my jacket and went out for a bite to eat. When I pulled my wallet out to pay a slip of lined paper fluttered out and I grabbed it. "Call Me!" it said, followed by a number. A brain cell fired before expiring, and I had a vague recollection of Darla and ...um, her, telling me I had to call and giving me the paper. Maybe it did mean something to her after all.

When I got home I called Thea and asked her if she knew anybody that fit my vague description. Thea laughed at the situation but couldn't help. I got down my yearbook and looked through my class. Nope, Sharon Something wasn't there. I went through the other years and didn't find her, then looked at the volleyball team group photo. There was a Sharon in the picture and she looked somewhat as I remembered. I decided it had to be her. I looked up the number in the phone book and it didn't match the number on the slip. I didn't know what that meant and I was tired so I went to bed.

I put off making the phone call on Monday and on Tuesday evening I found myself in a bar with some friends. After several drinks I had some courage so I went to the phone and called. A female voice answered, and I said "Hi, this is MW". The voice replied "Hi MW, Karen is in bed, but she really wants to talk to you - hold on.". I had a moment to try to figure that out and then there was a breathless "Hi MW. Mom, hang up the phone". Social lubrication slid me into the conversation and we talked a while and she asked me if I'd like to go watch some friends play hockey on Thursday. We agreed on a time and I let her go.

I worked on my car on Wednesday and Thursday and had it running almost well and somewhat clean when I picked her up. We drove to the parking lot at the ice rink and when I turned the car off she was in my arms. We kissed until the lot was empty.

Months passed and we talked and played in a halo of endlessly falling snow. As March drew to a close we were lying together in a post tobaggon crash tangle and she kissed me and declared "I love you". Everything in me surged together and without hesitation I happily declared my love for her.

Winter turned to summer and we were lying together watching clouds and talking about mysticism and she took a deep breath, and hesitantly said "I had a vision once..."