Cathy's Game is a short story about the different paths life can take sometimes, the ones that leave us wondering what if? Enjoy!
Rain
“Have we met before?”
A smile tugged at Amy’s lips. Was this guy for real? Pick-up lines like that were beyond cliché, they probably started being cheesy in the eighties and had since progressed to something beyond even the typical bar jargon. He was kind of cute though. All that glossy black hair and green eyes ... green eyes? Something tweaked at her memory.
“Paul?”
“Amy?”
Oh no, it was him, her blind date from three years ago. To say the night was a disaster could possibly be the understatement of the century. Not his fault, hers. It started with a stuffy nose, hence the Sudafed. She didn’t want to meet the guy her friend Cathy called a ‘dream boat’ sniffing and dribbling. Unfortunately, decongestants and very expensive cabernet don’t mix. She got loopy in short order. Like before they were even seated. And, oh yes, she couldn’t forget that was the night she discovered a mild allergy to wine. Turned out it put her to sleep. Ugh.
“It is you. I thought so but your hair is different now.”
“Um, yeah, I got tired of all the blond jokes.” She suppressed the urge to check if her auburn curls were in their usual disarray in the mirror behind the bar. “So, how have you been?”
“I waited for your call. I didn’t have your number or I would have called you.” A small smile filled with mischief played near the corners of his eyes. “You broke my heart you know.”
Her smile froze. Oh God, he was going to remind her of her idiocy. As if she needed the help remembering.
“Oh, hey,” his warm hand rested lightly on her shoulder, his head dipping to make eye contact with her. “I didn’t mean to upset you, honest. I was only teasing.”
She nodded with a pursed lipped smile and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow.
“Really? ‘Cause I wouldn’t have thought you wanted anything to do with me after I spilled Alfredo noodles down my shirt and into my lap –“
“Don’t forget your hair,” he chuckled. “You got some in your hair too.”
“And then you took my plate onto your side and cut my food for me so I wouldn’t have to deal with the long pasta. I swear those noodles wanted nothing to do with my fork. And then to cap the night off I -”
"You fell asleep."
"I fell asleep."
“You snore.”
“I do not!”
“Yes you do. It’s an adorable combination of snorts and then sighs.”
Amy could feel heat suffuse her face. How could she not know she snored? No, wait, she was asleep for the snoring portion of the evening, and that would be why she didn’t know. Doh! She mentally slapped her forehead.
“Um, I don’t actually remember how I got home that night. It was kind of a blur.”
“I called Cathy since you were in no shape to tell me where you lived. She came to the restaurant and took you home. You really don’t remember?”
“Nope, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you are not some crazed maniac with a fetish for incoherent women.”
A crease formed between his eyes. “Didn’t Cathy tell you?”
The genuine concern radiating from Paul warmed her. “No, and if I think about it that was the beginning of the end of our friendship.”
“God, what a bitch. You must have been so scared and worried about what happened. You were so helpless that night. And you couldn’t remember?” When she shook her head his face firmed. “All that happened is you fell asleep on my shoulder while we walked in circles and waited for her to get there.” He smiled. “You even drooled on me a little bit. I was worried about your reaction to the wine. That’s the only reason I kept trying to make you eat and walk around. I told Cathy she should take you to the emergency room if she couldn’t get you to wake up. My guess is she didn’t?”
Resentment at her former friend’s pettiness bubbled up her throat. “No, she didn’t. But she did say you were angry with me for blowing our date so spectacularly.”
“She told me you were upset about the whole evening and never wanted to see me again. I guess I should have known she was lying when she tried to get me in the sack. She said her and her boyfriend had an ‘open relationship’ and she could help me forget how unfair you were being about the whole thing.”
A snort escaped before she could stop it. “Yeah, it was so ‘open’ he broke up with her a few weeks later when he found out she was cheating on him.”
“I’ll never understand people like her. The ones who play games, both sexual and mental.” He let out a small harrumph and shook his head.
Their eyes connected. She could read all the same 'what if' questions in Paul’s eyes; all the ones flowing through her own mind. A different kind of heat filled her now. He was hot, downright sexy, truth be told. Educated, wealthy if the cut of his suit was anything to judge by and to top it all off he was a gentleman. An answering flare of attraction lit in his eyes. She watched it feed and grow as her heart picked up tempo.
The simple gold band on her left hand grew cold and heavy. And for a single, frozen moment, she wished she could play Cathy’s game for just one night.
Rain
“Have we met before?”
A smile tugged at Amy’s lips. Was this guy for real? Pick-up lines like that were beyond cliché, they probably started being cheesy in the eighties and had since progressed to something beyond even the typical bar jargon. He was kind of cute though. All that glossy black hair and green eyes ... green eyes? Something tweaked at her memory.
“Paul?”
“Amy?”
Oh no, it was him, her blind date from three years ago. To say the night was a disaster could possibly be the understatement of the century. Not his fault, hers. It started with a stuffy nose, hence the Sudafed. She didn’t want to meet the guy her friend Cathy called a ‘dream boat’ sniffing and dribbling. Unfortunately, decongestants and very expensive cabernet don’t mix. She got loopy in short order. Like before they were even seated. And, oh yes, she couldn’t forget that was the night she discovered a mild allergy to wine. Turned out it put her to sleep. Ugh.
“It is you. I thought so but your hair is different now.”
“Um, yeah, I got tired of all the blond jokes.” She suppressed the urge to check if her auburn curls were in their usual disarray in the mirror behind the bar. “So, how have you been?”
“I waited for your call. I didn’t have your number or I would have called you.” A small smile filled with mischief played near the corners of his eyes. “You broke my heart you know.”
Her smile froze. Oh God, he was going to remind her of her idiocy. As if she needed the help remembering.
“Oh, hey,” his warm hand rested lightly on her shoulder, his head dipping to make eye contact with her. “I didn’t mean to upset you, honest. I was only teasing.”
She nodded with a pursed lipped smile and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow.
“Really? ‘Cause I wouldn’t have thought you wanted anything to do with me after I spilled Alfredo noodles down my shirt and into my lap –“
“Don’t forget your hair,” he chuckled. “You got some in your hair too.”
“And then you took my plate onto your side and cut my food for me so I wouldn’t have to deal with the long pasta. I swear those noodles wanted nothing to do with my fork. And then to cap the night off I -”
"You fell asleep."
"I fell asleep."
“You snore.”
“I do not!”
“Yes you do. It’s an adorable combination of snorts and then sighs.”
Amy could feel heat suffuse her face. How could she not know she snored? No, wait, she was asleep for the snoring portion of the evening, and that would be why she didn’t know. Doh! She mentally slapped her forehead.
“Um, I don’t actually remember how I got home that night. It was kind of a blur.”
“I called Cathy since you were in no shape to tell me where you lived. She came to the restaurant and took you home. You really don’t remember?”
“Nope, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you are not some crazed maniac with a fetish for incoherent women.”
A crease formed between his eyes. “Didn’t Cathy tell you?”
The genuine concern radiating from Paul warmed her. “No, and if I think about it that was the beginning of the end of our friendship.”
“God, what a bitch. You must have been so scared and worried about what happened. You were so helpless that night. And you couldn’t remember?” When she shook her head his face firmed. “All that happened is you fell asleep on my shoulder while we walked in circles and waited for her to get there.” He smiled. “You even drooled on me a little bit. I was worried about your reaction to the wine. That’s the only reason I kept trying to make you eat and walk around. I told Cathy she should take you to the emergency room if she couldn’t get you to wake up. My guess is she didn’t?”
Resentment at her former friend’s pettiness bubbled up her throat. “No, she didn’t. But she did say you were angry with me for blowing our date so spectacularly.”
“She told me you were upset about the whole evening and never wanted to see me again. I guess I should have known she was lying when she tried to get me in the sack. She said her and her boyfriend had an ‘open relationship’ and she could help me forget how unfair you were being about the whole thing.”
A snort escaped before she could stop it. “Yeah, it was so ‘open’ he broke up with her a few weeks later when he found out she was cheating on him.”
“I’ll never understand people like her. The ones who play games, both sexual and mental.” He let out a small harrumph and shook his head.
Their eyes connected. She could read all the same 'what if' questions in Paul’s eyes; all the ones flowing through her own mind. A different kind of heat filled her now. He was hot, downright sexy, truth be told. Educated, wealthy if the cut of his suit was anything to judge by and to top it all off he was a gentleman. An answering flare of attraction lit in his eyes. She watched it feed and grow as her heart picked up tempo.
The simple gold band on her left hand grew cold and heavy. And for a single, frozen moment, she wished she could play Cathy’s game for just one night.
Rain
ReplyDeleteThis is really, really good. Your style of writing is easy to read. Your dialogue is spot on. You convey the emotions of the characters with just the right choice of words.
Only ONE thing I would suggest and this may just be a personal choice. In the sentence - "She could read all the same what if questions in Paul's eyes;" I would put in quotes around 'what if' (like that). The only reason I mention it is because I had to read the sentence twice.
Other wise - this is terrific! Great job
Margaret