Two Worlds
PART 2
I was having a dream. A warm, comfy, snuggly dream which somehow put me into an
ultimate state of peace. I smiled and snuggled deeper into my pillow and with a
sudden panicked realization, I felt my pillow breathing softly beneath me.
Somehow overnight I had tangled my body with Katie's and as my eyes snapped
open, I realized why I was so comfortable. My body had become acutely aware of
her chest rise and fall beneath my head, her comforting hand at the small of my
back, and our legs intertwined to the point where neither of us could pick out
where mine ended and hers began. Our embrace was far beyond friendship, and
infinitely beyond an acquaintance which only had begun last night.
"Oh god!" I yelped and quickly jumped from our embrace.
Katie smiled up at me and when she whispered, "It's okay," I had to wonder if
she had been awake for quite sometime.
"It's not okay, I just used you for a teddy bear," I continued to look at her
wide eyed.
"I thought it was cute," she smiled. I was amazed at how brilliant Katie's smile
was, even at the earliest hours of the day.
"You hardly know me," I said, and if possible, my cheeks reddened even more.
"I feel like I've known you forever," Katie said, and the look in her eyes made
me forget how to breathe.
I paused. It was true, "I do too."
**********
After washing up in the bathroom, I followed the
shuffling noises to where I found Katie in the kitchen peering into the
refrigerator.
"Are you hungry?" she called out to me, her head still in the fridge, searching
for whatever she was looking for.
I hopped onto the counter and was distracted by the toaster popping up beside
me. I couldn't help but smile. "Eggos huh?" I chuckled.
Katie smiled goofily and triumphantly held up what she was looking for, a bottle
of syrup. "Breakfast is not my forte," she admitted and shrugged.
I giggled and couldn't help but tease her, "apparently."
"Hey! I can cook!" Katie insisted.
I raised my hands in surrender. "Now, now, I didn't say you couldn't," and
unable to hold my next comment any longer, I added, "frozen waffles and a
toaster *totally* qualifies you to be a master chef." I burst out laughing at
the mock-hurt look on her face.
"I can cook!" Katie insisted again, "I'll prove it to you." At the moment, all I
could think about is how cute the determined look on her face was.
"Will you now?" I went along with the game, my eyes sparkling with a challenge
that I was hoping she would take.
"What are you doing tonight?" Katie said steadily, and I melted at the hopeful
look in her eyes.
"I have to go to a gallery this afternoon, but other than that, my night is
free." I felt like cursing at my faltering voice. I felt naked, my voice openly
showing her that I was just as nervous as she was.
"Pasta is my specialty," was all Katie said. I felt a shudder run through me at
the tone of her voice. It was soft as she tried to control her breathing. The
chemistry around us flickered making the mood suddenly serious, and the tension
in the room was about to drive me crazy.
My eyes momentarily shut and I saw fireworks explode behind my shut lids,
complementing the lightening I felt course though my body, running through my
veins, and straight to my heart. I was faced with a couple of options, and
chickening out at the last second, I took the safer route. "Why Katie," I said
lightly, hoping to brighten the mood, "are you asking me out on a date?" I
teased, wanting nothing more to see that beautiful smile again.
She needed no further persuading. "And if I was?" she asked smiling.
Mission accomplished. To this day, her smile makes my heart rate speed up but at
that moment, with the newness of it all, I was certain that my heart was going
to beat right out of my chest.
"If you were," I said, my breath quickening, "well then, you got yourself a
date."
"Then I definitely am."
**********
I was losing my mind. That had to be it. Katie had driven
me insane. All day since the moment that I left her apartment she was
everywhere. She was every girl who had butterscotch colored hair, or had green
eyes, or waved her hands emphatically when she talked. She was everywhere, but
she wasn't. No one had butterscotch hair that looked as soft as hers, nor did
their green eyes shine as brilliantly, nor did they look as cute as Katie does
when she waves her hands in emphasis.
Insanity. That had to be it.
Katie had performed a miracle without even knowing it. Her lingering presence in
my mind was so powerful that it somehow rendered each and every person in that
gallery that night unworthy of their proximity to me. I was surrounded by people
I didn't want to be around, and the only one I wanted to be with was too far
away.
I looked down at my watch and tapped my foot impatiently. I couldn't wait to be
with her again.
I was absolutely insane. There was no other way to describe it.
**********
Knock on the door. Just knock on the door. Knock already. Knock!
My god, I *was* insane. All day I had waited to be with Katie again, and here I
was, at her door, and I couldn't even knock.
Lift hand, close fist, knock on do-…
"Jessie!" Katie exclaimed as the door flung open. I must have looked like a deer
in the headlights, but upon further inspection, I noticed that she did as well.
"What are you-… ?" we both started at the same time. Katie giggled and I felt
the tension between us lessen and both of us fall at ease with each other once
again. "You're early," she said simply.
"I know, sorry, I hope you don't mind, I couldn't wait," I said and was rewarded
with a smile. "What are you doing out here?"
Katie smiled sheepishly and held up a bag, "Hiding the evidence?" I chuckled as
I saw the contents of the bag appeared to be empty pastry boxes, probably from
the local bakery.
I laughed even harder at the bashful look on her face and her feeble attempts to
hide the bag behind her back, "Dessert's not my forte," she said, and my
laughter grew, effectively making me look like a maniac.
Katie rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand. My laughing ceased, but my smile
remained, huge and goofy as a looked into her eyes.
She pulled me inside, "There's no use trying to hide the evidence now that
you've caught me."
I giggled, "Breakfast isn't your forte, dessert is isn't your forte, you say
`pasta' *is* your forte, but do I dare ask if anything else that comes along
with it *isn't* your forte? How about a salad? Do I get a salad with my dinner?
Or is *that* not your forte either?" I teased her mercilessly. It wasn't my
fault, the mock look on her face was priceless - not to mention the most
adorable thing I've ever seen. I was so comfortable with Katie. Comfortable
enough to tease her and know that it was okay to do so. I couldn't get over how
much I loved being around her. She amazed me. What she made me feel amazed me.
She grabbed my other hand, and the teasing look that shone in my eyes melted
(and so did I) because now we were face to face, hand in hand, both hands in
fact, looking deep into each other's eyes. It was making me feel faint, making
me want to be closer, making me want her more.
She sure as hell knew how to shut me up.
Before either of us knew it, we were leaning into each other, the space between
us getting smaller and smaller, our lips getting closer and closer. I could feel
her heat that her body radiated so close to mine. I could feel her breath blow
softly on my face. I could see her shaky hand rise to caress my cheek, and a
millisecond later as my vision blurred I watched her eyes shut. And as the last
bit of distance between us slowly vanished, and the world around us disappeared,
and I could feel my heart beat like crazy (progressively getting louder and
louder in my own ears), and I could feel my knees go weak, and my body start to
shake, and I could almost feel Katie's lips brush against mine…
…the phone rang.