Knight Vision (4 page)

          When their lips parted, hers were swollen and her heart was racing.   She buried her face back into his neck, not giving a thought to their surroundings.  Standing in the middle of the quiet street on this cold January night, she felt secure, warm and a sense of peace in his embrace.  “Jeff,“ her voice throaty with emotions.  “I don’t want this evening to end.“  She felt his affirmative nod.

          “Jeff, I must tell you that I live with my parents,“ she felt his disappointment and continued quickly.  “I am a teacher by profession and have not landed a permanent position.  I am currently a substitute teacher and my income is too unsteady to be able to afford a place on my own.  At this time, it would be a financial disaster for me to have my own place.“

          “I understand,“ he said.  “Do you want to hear something funny?“  She nodded.            “I, also, live with my parents right now.  I am in kind of the same boat myself -- too new in a job to afford my own place,“ he explained.

          Now it was her turn to experience disappointment and a sort of relief; disappointment that their evening would end and relief at knowing she wasn’t going to have to let her emotions overrule her rational thoughts.  Right now, she knew it wouldn’t take much for him to convince her to go home with him.

          “Annie,“ he whispered in her hair.  “Tell me more about yourself.  I want to know everything.“  She stood there a moment, wondering why he wanted more details of her life.  Before she could answer or voice her concerns, he spoke gently,  “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want,“ he said, while his hand began to stroke her hair again.  “I just have this need to know you, to know every detail of your life, to know why it has taken us so long to find each other.  Just where you have been for all my life?“

          She responded by gathering him in her embrace and hugged him gently.  At that moment, Leah came driving up the street.  Her arrival made them aware of their surroundings.  They broke their embrace without a word being spoken.  Without looking, Annie reached and found Jeff’s hand.  She guided him over to where Leah was parking her car.  They reached her as she was getting out.

          “Leah, I want you to meet Jeff,“ Annie said as she introduced the two of them.  Turning to Jeff, she said, “Jeff, this is my best friend, Leah.“ 

          “We have already met,” Leah laughed at her. “Where is your mind?” 

          “Don’t ask,” Annie replied, blushing. “Leah, I am sorry for leaving you.“

          “Annie. Don’t worry about it,” Leah responded, smiling at her friend’s blush.  As she spoke, she glanced between Jeff and Annie, noticing their swollen lips.  “I told you he was sincere.”

          Annie heard Jeff chuckle.  “Annie,“ Jeff started,  “say goodbye to Leah and let’s be on our way.“  “Goodbye, Leah. It was nice meeting you, again,” he said, smiling and waited for Annie to move.  Annie found herself doing as he directed.  After saying goodbye to Leah, she promised she would call her in the morning. 

          As Jeff led Annie back to her car, they heard Leah’s humorous parting remarks.  “Be good, guys.“

          “We will, Leah.  Promise,“ Jeff called back.  Annie drug her feet to slow their walk.  She wasn’t ready for the night to end.  Jeff felt her reluctance to part.  “Annie, I am going to follow you home.  I have two good reasons: one, I want to make sure you get home safely, and two, I want to know where you live,“ he stated.

          Annie’s heart jumped for joy.  They hadn’t spoken about seeing each other again.  This would mean there was hope for continuing encounters.  Finding her voice, she said,  “I don’t live far.  It is about a mile down the street.“

          At this news, Jeff opened her door, surprising her because she knew it had been locked.  She had forgotten she had given her keys to him earlier.  He handed her into the car, releasing their almost constant contact for the first time in the past few hours.  He leaned into the car and gave her a quick kiss.  “Where you lead, I will follow,“ he said as his eyes sparkled mischievously in the dome light of the car.  Giggling, she started the motor as he closed the door.

***

          On the short drive to her house, she kept her eyes on the rearview mirror, still not truly believing he was sincere.  Yet, the headlights of his car were right on her tail.  While waiting for the traffic light to change, she began to shiver.  She didn’t know if it was from the cold or from fear of this strong attachment which she had already formed in her mind for this stranger.  She took out a piece of paper and quickly wrote down her name, address and phone number in the glow of his headlights. 

          When she pulled into her driveway, the headlights were still behind her.  She hurried out of the car, and made it to his car before he was able to fully emerge.  She gently pushed him back onto the seat and knelt between his legs, blocking his exit.  For some reason, even unknown to herself, she had to keep him in the vehicle.  She reached out with both hands and captured his face.  Without saying a word, she burned his image into her soul.  Closing her eyes, she traced his face as if she was blind.  If she never, ever laid eyes on him again, she would forever know him.  Jeff submitted to this intense search without a word. 

          As before, she saved his lips for last.  With the index finger of her right hand, she slowly traced his lips.  He captured her finger within his mouth.  She opened her eyes and looked at him.  His tongue played with her fingertip before releasing her finger.  Her heart took flight
.  This man is too good to be true
, she thought.

He reached for her and gathered her close to him in an embrace which expressed so much tenderness she began to cry softly.  She buried her face in his neck.  Startled, Jeff held her tighter and began to caress her hair.  “Annie?“ he inquired after several seconds.

          Without looking up she reached up with her left hand and placed it on the nape of his neck.  “I will be all right,“ she choked out.

          Using his left hand, he reached for her chin.  He tilted her tear-stained face up.  His eyes searched her face; it was his turn to do the same intense search.  He ever so gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs.  He then traced her face, starting at her widow’s peak, at the top of her forehead, and ending at the point of her chin.  As his fingers found her lips, his eyes gazed into hers.  The same desire he was experiencing was coursing through her.  She pulled his head down to her and kissed him, believing this was truly her first real kiss.  She had been kissed before this one, but she was always on the receiving side.  This time she was the aggressor. 

          The kiss startled him a little at the extreme intensity, but it only lasted a brief second before he returned it with matching force.  This kiss represented many things to her -- thankfulness, gratitude, lust, desire, needing, but most of all love.  She broke off the kiss and backed away slowly.  Cupping his chin in her right hand, she kissed the tip of his nose and then reached for the paper on which she had written her personal information.   She pressed the paper in his hand and without a word, got to her feet and walked in the house.

***

         
That was a strange ending to the night
, she thought as she leaned back against the front door, inside her house. Yet, she knew it had to end.  They hadn’t made plans to meet again, but she knew in her heart they would.  He had her number and knew where she lived; sh
e also had his card which told her how to reach him.

          Hearing his car start, she turned and almost ran out after him, but knew if she did, she would never be able to part from him that evening.    She watched him drive away through the drawn-back curtain on the window of the door. She expected to feel remorsefulness or sadness, but she didn’t feel that way at all.  Granted, she really didn’t want him to go, but knew if they continued on the same path they were on, she would be in serious trouble.

          As she stared after his car, she knew sleep would be impossible for that night.  So, she decided to head for her room and to her journal.  She felt driven by forces to write everything down before she forgot.  It was rather silly because she didn’t think she’d ever forget this night.   After she finished writing, she glanced at the clock, and saw it was 4:00 AM.  She had been lost in her thoughts for well over five hours.  During that time, she had written in her journal, but she had also spent time staring out into space as she tried to come up with the right words for her thoughts and feelings. 

          She knew she had to stop her daydreaming soon for the school districts, for which she substituted, would begin to start calling around 5:00 AM.  Moving slowly, as if coming out of a trance, she headed directly to the phone and took the receiver off the hook.  She placed it under her pillow to muffle the ’off the hook’ signal, preferring the school personnel get a busy signal rather than to lie to them.

          She was playing with fire by this action for her father was a physician and needed the phone available for emergency calls, but she needed the day off.  Besides, she would place it back on the hook at 7:00 AM.  Satisfied, she stretched out on the bed, still fully dressed.  She wasn’t at all sleepy.  While she reclined there, she closed her eyes and pictured Jeff before her.  Her hands literally shot skyward. Laughing softly at her reaction, she brought her hands to her face and retraced the path Jeff’s fingers had taken earlier. She saved her lips for last and caught a hint of his cologne still present on her hands as it passed under her nose.  This very real reminder of the night caused a wave of desire deep within her.  He is REAL.  She had to see him again. 

          Slowly, a plan developed.  He worked at a car dealership.  She’d enlist Leah’s help and go to the dealership.  They would pose as prospective buyers, but they wouldn’t stay long, as she was not the type to keep anyone from their work.  She just needed to find out if the attraction was real or only in her imagination.  This would be a huge step for her, as she was not known for boldness and this action was indeed bold.

          With this plan set in her mind, she daydreamed about Jeff until 7:00 AM.  Replacing the phone receiver on the hook, she got out of bed, grabbed clean clothes, and headed for the shower before the rest of the house began to stir.

          After emerging from the luxury of a nice hot shower, she managed to act pretty normal.  Feeling a bit guilty, she told her parents that since she didn’t receive a call to work, she would use the day to run errands.  This was odd for her; she usually didn’t keep things from her mother.  It just seemed that if she spoke about it, a pin would burst her bubble.  She danced around questions regarding the previous nights’ activities, directing the conversation to other topics.  She successfully achieved this diversion until her parents left for the office.

          The minute her parents crossed the threshold of the door, she was on the phone, calling Leah.  Leah answered the phone on the first ring.  “Leah!  Can you believe it?“ Annie asked excitedly.  “Did last night really happen?“

          “Annie, calm down,“ Leah directed.  “Tell me everything that happened.“

          “Where should I start?“

          “Start at the club,“ Leah suggested.  “What happened when he came back?“     

          “Before I start,“ Annie began, “why not come over?  My parents have already gone to work.  We’ll have the house to ourselves.  Besides, I want to talk to you in person.  I also have a plan and I need your help.“  Leah agreed, as Annie knew she would.

          Within ten minutes, Leah was at Annie’s door.  Awful quick for Leah, but Annie knew she would be quick, for her curiosity would be killing her.  As Annie greeted her at the door, Leah’s questions came hard and fast.  “What is going on?  What do you know about him? Why did he come back?  What time did he leave?  Are you going to tell me or not?  What is your plan?“

          “Wait!“ Annie cried.  “You aren’t giving me a chance to answer.“

          “Okay, I will wait, but before I forget to tell you, my father wants me to thank you for the show the two of you performed outside my house last night,“ Leah said, giggling.  Embarrassment flooded Annie.  She never thought about being seen.  Leah sensed her embarrassment.  “Don’t worry about it.  I want details.  I want to know everything,“ she implored.