Being Invisible (9 page)

“I know I’m not invincible, Luce.
I promise I will never believe that I can’t be hurt. But you also have to trust
me to protect myself. Have some faith in me that I can be smart about being
invisible.”

“I have faith in you.
 
You were amazing at Insomnia...at least
what I could tell by the flying coffee mug debris and the criminal being
caught. I couldn’t really see you in action. And I was on the edge of my seat
during your re-enactment."

"Well yeah." Colin
looked at me like that was obvious. I laughed before continuing.

“It’s just that...” I stopped,
having a difficult time choosing the right words. “Flying bullets don’t avoid
you because you are invisible. And if a bullet hits you, it will be your
invisible blood all over the floor you will be lying on. And no one will be
able to help you, because they won’t be able to find you.” I stopped for a
second to take a breath then continued.

 
“And if you die...do you even know what
will happen? I mean, will you suddenly become visible, or will nobody know
where you are until someone trips over your dead body?”

I was beginning to realize that my
‘well chosen’ words were quickly turning into a full on rant. Before Colin
could get a word in edgewise, I continued, gaining momentum as the words
spilled out.

“And you know if that happens then Drew is going to want to avenge
your death, or some stupid thing like that. And don’t even get me started on
the conniption Liz will spout if Drew got involved in any of that. She would
cut off your invisible...”

“Okay, Luce I get it.” Colin
finally interrupted. “You have clearly put a lot of thought into this.”

“These are the kind of things I
should put virtually no thought into Colin. Until I dated you, it never
occurred to me that Spiderman isn’t bulletproof. The other day, when we were watching
the Spiderman movie, I realized he could actually get shot. And yet, he wears a
bright red costume. The only thing missing is a bullseye. Why would he do that?
You know what? It's your fault that these things are going through my head. Now
this is what I think about. I think about all the ways a superhero could still
die.”

“Well, in Spiderman’s defense, he
is really freaking quick. He is a continually moving target.”

 
Of course that’s what
Colin would take from my rant.

 
At my death glare… my superpower if I had
one, Colin conceded.

“I get what you’re saying, Luce. I
didn't think about how much I am asking of you… to watch me while I put my life
on the line and ask you to trust me. I know it’s not fair of me, but for the
first time in my life, I feel like I have a purpose. I feel like it was, I
don’t know...meant to be. Kind of like meeting you.” He looked at me and
smiled, knowing that he got me with that.

“Okay. Well then, if meeting me
was meant to be, then me looking out for you is meant to be too. So, you have
to take me seriously when I worry...because me worrying is also meant to be.”

“Okay, okay. You’re right. My
invisibility, strength and cunning, combined with your good sense, will probably
be what keeps me alive.”

“Exactly.” I added, smiling.

“So, how about we make some
compromises?” Colin looked like he was ready to plan a merger.

“What did you have in mind?”

“How about I always wear a
bulletproof vest when I am on superhero duty, so that I don’t catch any flying
bullets? I would really hate to see what Drew avenging my death would look
like.”

“Yes. Good. What else you got?”

“Well, I know I said the fewer
people who know the better, but I was thinking of maybe talking to my cousin Rob
who’s on the police force. I know I can trust him, and having a couple of guys
on my side will help me be prepared.
 
Plus, I would have backup.”

“It would be good to know that you
had the police on your side.” I agreed. “Anything else?”

“What else do you want woman?”

“Well, you said before, that when
you’re sick, your invisibility goes haywire, right?”

“Right.” Colin’s tone told me that
he wasn't sure where I was going with my question.

“If you have a sniffle, an itch,
if your pee doesn’t come out clear, I don’t care what it is, I want you to stay
in. No being a hero until you’re well. No exceptions.”

“Fine Mom.”

“Don’t make me spank you.” I
teased. Clearly the wrong way to punish Colin, judging by his smile.

"Done?" Colin asked.
When I nodded, he continued.
 
"As we both know, compromise involves both parties giving in to
something.”

“I'm willing. What do you got?”

“I want you to stay as far away
from me as possible when I am doing anything superhero related.”

“But how am I going to...”

“Hey. My turn. You had your turn.
And when you are around, all I do is worry about you. I will be able to
concentrate better if I know you are somewhere safe. And if I can concentrate,
I can be a better superhero. That, in turn, will give you peace of mind that I
am focusing on the job at hand.” He seemed so proud of himself, I had to give
him that.

“Okay. I will stay away. As long
as you...”

“Nope. Again, not your turn.
Second...you are going to have to stay with me if I ever get sick. Day and
night. That way you can help me get better.”

“I think I can manage that.” I
leaned in to give him a kiss, suddenly feeling a lot lighter. “Is that all?”

“No. I gave you three. You give me
three. That’s how compromise works baby.”

“Ah, got it. So, what’s the
third?” I asked, snuggling into him a little more.

“Naked Tuesdays.”

“What does that have to do with
helping you be a superhero?” I asked.

“I didn’t say it had to help me be
a superhero, I said it was a compromise. And after all of the things I am
willing to do for you, I think the least you could do would be to be naked in
my home, one day a week.”

I tried to give him my superhero
glare, but he kissed me instead.

“I notice that we are, in fact, at
my apartment on a Tuesday. We have only been compromising for about 45 seconds,
and you are already failing. If you want us to work out, clothes gotta go.”

Next thing I knew, he threw me
over his shoulder and headed upstairs.

That night he held me close to him
and told me that he didn’t want me to forget that we are in this together. He wanted
my promise that we would always be a team.

I fell into a relaxed sleep
knowing no matter what came our way, we had each other and we could handle it.

“I really don't think I can
freaking handle this.”

As a woman I have the natural
tendency to inadvertently let things simmer. And for the past three weeks, ever
since Colin left me in the middle of proposing to me, I have simmered the hell
out of the situation.

Yes, I know that I said I was fine
with it. And yes, him proposing to me might have been all in my head, but I
felt like he was, so it still counts. Especially since I have seen him all of
twice in the past three weeks. The final straw was when I read a newspaper with
the headline ‘Is The Vapor Single?’

First of all, “The
Vapor
?” Some bleached blonde in tight
pants was interviewed after she swore she saw him "right before he became
invisible." Then she said he “turned into vapor.” And guess what? It
stuck.

So now my boyfriend gets to be
written in history as “The Vapor”, because someone who wants her thirty seconds
of fame claims that he kissed her and told her that he would “come back for her
soon.” Which I’m sure is true considering that she also described him as
“looking a lot like Chris Hemsworth.” I could see that if Thor had been about four
inches shorter, twenty pounds lighter, and had a completely different hair
color.

 
Not
only do I have a constant reminder of the woman who lied about Colin, but now I
get to hear in a “legitimate” newspaper about how he is looking for the right
girl, and that women are lined up to be ‘the one’ for him. They don’t even know
what he looks like. In fact, they have probably passed him on the streets and
thought, “cute guy,” and never gave him a second glance.

Ever since word got out that there
is a guy who turns invisible and helps the police, everyone’s an expert.
Everyone has seen something, heard something- except for the fact that they
don’t know anything.

They don’t know that he is in
love, or that any day now he is going to ask the woman he loves to marry him.
Of course, right now, I don’t know that for sure either, so who am I to talk?

My frustration is getting the better of me, so
today I’m doing the total woman thing. I invited Annie and Liz to lunch to get
their opinion on the matter. And by that I mean that I am going to let them
know my thoughts so they can agree, in turn validating my opinion.

We are at our favorite pub, McCallahans, for our lunch hour.

Liz just started her second
semester at graduate school; so meeting up is sometimes tricky. Annie, on the
other hand, is waiting for a call from an architecture firm about a job, so she
loves to meet the girls whenever she can. We graduated about four months ago,
so she’s been chomping at the bit to get a job. Of course, her advice isn’t as
helpful as it use to be.

"Just get rid of him. Men are
so not worth the trouble. Ever since Annie and James broke up at graduation,
her advice has become pretty one-dimensional.

Liz ignores Annie, and begins
questioning me instead.

“How sure are you that he was
planning on proposing?” In situations like this, she becomes Super-Logical Friend.
I think that’s her superhero power. Dirty rooms being her arch nemesis, of
course.

“Well...” I thought about it,
trying to decide. “He took me to Insomnia.”

“Insomnia? You haven’t been there
since...that day.”

“I know.”

“Even when they offered us free
coffee for life you never went back.”

“Again, I know.”

“But he took you there?”

“Exactly. That’s what I’m saying.
He ordered the drinks we had the first time we met. He talked about how all the
great things we share have happened when we least expect it. And he talked
about how we are meant to be.”

“Well, that damn well better have
been a proposal. You don’t say things like that unless you’re serious.”

Liz’s words are getting my hopes
up, which is making me nervous.

“I’m sorry. Your boyfriend takes
you to out for terrible coffee that he doesn’t even have to pay for, at a place
where you were both held up at gunpoint, and this all equates to a marriage
proposal how?” Leave it to Annie’s newfound man-rage to bring me back down.

“It’s special to them Annie. Lucy
gets it.” Liz ignores Annie’s eye roll, continuing her investigation into
Colin’s mind.

“But he hasn’t mentioned anything
about it since then? No reschedule, no hints?” Liz’s wheels are turning.

“No. But he told me as soon as work
dies down we could have a Scrabble weekend.”

“Well that’s sexy.” Annie
deadpans.

 
“He knows I love Scrabble. He’s doing it
for me. And… ” I pause for dramatic effect. “He told me we could play Clue
too.”

Even Annie realizes the impact of
this. “Clue? As in the game Colin burned in the bonfire?”

“Yep.”

“As in the game-that shall not be
named? Liz adds in a low voice, almost afraid to say it even now.

“That’s the one.”

“I’m not sure if that is the work
of a man in love, or intent on a murder-suicide.” Liz shook her head in
confusion.

“I have grown up over the last
year. I am no longer nearly as competitive. I think Colin recognizes this, and
wants to give me a second chance.” I don’t think I even believe it as I say it.

Liz and Annie give each other a
knowing look, one that I can only imagine means that they agree that I have
matured.

“So when is this lust filled
weekend of board games?” Annie asks.

“It’s supposed to be next weekend.
By then he should be done with all the work stuff.” I have to remain pretty
vague when it comes to what keeps Colin so busy. Annie thinks his job in
marketing is what keeps him tied up.

“Okay. So, that would be the
perfect time for him to ask you.” Maybe Annie is starting to believe it too.
“You just need to push him over the edge.”

“How do I do that?” I ask,
genuinely interested in any and all ideas.

“Well, first of all, you could
not
accuse him of cheating at Clue.” Liz
mentions.

“Oh, and you could also avoid
throwing the lead pipe at him…” They are loving this.

"And if you do happen to
throw a game piece in his direction, try to avoid the eye because he could, you
know, have to go to the ER and end up wearing an eye patch for a week.”

“First of all, I was trying to
throw it in the box.
 
He just
happened to be in the way of my bad aim. Second of all, can you maybe give me
some advice that will actually help me? Or at least isn’t advice that would
have really helped me a year ago?”

“Okay, Okay.” Annie laughs. “I
know. You should make it interesting. Like strip Scrabble or something.”

“Yeah, like every time you get
double points you take off an article of clothing.” Liz adds.

“Just make it a whole love-game
weekend, where you play games, then come up with sexy prizes. Maybe it will
inspire him to make one of the prizes an engagement ring.” Seeing Annie get into
helping me is making me smile. There’s hope for her yet.

We continue to discuss my
relationship right up until I am in danger of being late getting back to work.
I leave feeling much better than when I came in.

After work, I decide to stop by to
see Colin at his job.

"Hi,hon. What brings you to
this side of town?" Colin kisses me on the cheek and gives me a quick hug.

"I finished work a little
early, so I thought I would stop by and see you in action. How's work
today?"

"Good. Long, but good."
He pulls the chair in front of his desk out for me and sits on the other side.

Now that we have graduated, Colin
works with Drew at a vaccine testing facility called NionCorp. While Drew is a
Chemist, Colin works in the Marketing Department… because they don’t spend
enough time together as it is.
 

“How about you? Did you get to
break any big leads?” Colin likes to tease me, since most of the research I do
involves pet shows and local fairs.

“Well, I almost did, but then I
was scooped by The Dispatch.”

“Oh yeah?” Colin grabs my hand
loosely and rubs his thumb over my knuckles.

“Yeah. I heard that Vapor is
looking to meet his one true love.”

Colin lets out a frustrated
breath. “Why do you even pay attention to that?”

“Because it’s everywhere. Where
can I go where there isn’t something about The Vapor and all the broken hearts
he is leaving behind?”

“So what? It’s fiction. That’s not
even me. Those women have no idea who I really am.”

“I know that Colin. But sometimes,
they really are where you are. Sometimes they get that part right, because they
were near you when you saved someone. And I get jealous that they were close to
you, and I don’t get to be. I read the paper, and I find out that you gave a scared
child a stuffed bear. The witness said that the child was just sitting there,
and suddenly sees the little dog on his lap. And I know it's true because it's
exactly the kind of thing you would do. But I have to hear it from a ‘reliable
source.’”

“I know, Luce. I know you want to
spend more time together. You think I don’t? But, if I wasn’t there saving that
child from his stepfather, who knows what would have happened to him? I can’t
just turn my back.”

“I don’t want you to turn your
back, Colin. But you can’t save everyone. You need to take time to be with
people who love you.”

“You mean you right? I need to
make time to be with you.”

“What is wrong with wanting to
spend time with you, Colin? Do you have a problem with me missing you?"

“No. Of course not. I miss you
too. And I promise that we’re going to have some time alone. I just can’t do it
right now.”

“Are we still on for our game
weekend?”

Colin looks confused, and like
every other time he seems to be on another page, it feels like he is slipping
away a little bit. In his defense, he quickly recovers.

“Game weekend. Yes. I am totally
stoked. I got a new dictionary and everything. I can’t wait to show you all the
new words I learned.”

I want to tease him back and laugh
with him like we used to. I want to tell him how much better I am than him,
then kiss him when he pouts.
 

I don’t though. The most I can
give him is a small smile and a nod, because right now all I can think about is
how he must not be planning to ask me to marry him, because if he was, he
wouldn’t have forgotten we had plans in the first place.