Pursuit For Lucidity (Crashing Waves) (2 page)

“
Um, I really have a lot of errands to run today,” I lied. Another minute in his gorgeous presence, I might have gotten weak in the knees and collapsed.

“
How about a rain check then?  Maybe we could exchange phone numbers and have coffee some other time,” he offered. How could I decline that?  After all, I owed him a cup of coffee for his help.

“O-Okay, sure, let me give you my phone number,” I said with a shaky voice.

He handed me his cell phone and aske
d me to dial my number, so he could save it.  I was feeling so anxious that it took me a few seconds to recall my own phone number.  Finally, it came to me, thank God.  I normally wouldn’t react that way to a random guy I just met at a mall parking lot.  After I was done, I handed the phone back to him and he dialed the number I had entered into his smartphone.  My phone began to ring.

“
Just making sure you didn’t input an incorrect phone number, and also to make sure you have my number, too,” he winked. I wasn’t sure if it was the heat adding to my sweaty palms or just my nerves.

“
Thanks again, Alex.  I should really get going now,” I said as I moved closer to the car door.  I hoped he hadn’t noticed how nervous I was in his presence.

“
My pleasure, Claire.  I will be calling you for that cup of coffee you promised me,” he smiled big, revealing his perfect dimples.

He opened the
car door for me like a perfect gentleman.  I made my way inside and sat down as he closed the door after me.  I started the car and rolled down my window to thank him one more time and say goodbye.  I noticed a distant look in his eyes when I looked at him.  Could he be daydreaming about me?  I laughed at the idea and how ridiculous that sounded.

“
Claire, if you have any problems with that tire, please don’t hesitate to call me.  I’ve changed a few tires before, but I’m no pro at it.  We can take the car to a shop,” he said, smiling again.  That confirmed he was not a mechanic.

“
I will call you for sure if this thing doesn’t make it home.  Thanks again, Alex,” I said and drove off.

On the drive home I was
daydreaming about his beautiful crystal blue eyes and how sweet it was of him to change the tire of a complete stranger. In some way, he did look familiar to me.  Maybe I had really seen him on a cover of a magazine.  My original guess had to be accurate.  He had to be a model.

I pulled into the parking garage of the condominium complex and parked my car in the usual spot.  I almost ran out of there to get away from the heat.  As soon as I unlocked t
he door and made my way inside my condo, the phone rang, not even giving me a chance to get settled.

“
Hello?” I said, short of breath.

“
Hey Claire, what’s up?  Haven’t heard from you all day. Is your cell phone working?  It went straight to voicemail when I called. Did you get everything done at your mom’s house?”  Katherine asked.  Katherine was my best friend since grade school.  We had been inseparable since we were five years old.  She was the sister I never had.  I could talk to Katherine about anything and she never criticized me.  She always had such an open mind about things.  She had a bachelor’s degree in communications from UCLA and has been working ever since.

“
Hey, Kathy!  Yeah, I hung out with my mom and helped her out a little for the party tomorrow.  I even got a manicure and pedicure on my way home.  Oh, and how could I forget to mention that I ran into the hottest guy ever in the mall parking lot who changed my flat tire,” I started to describe Alex before Katherine interrupted me.

“
Changed your tire?  Are you serious or is this just a joke, Claire?” asked Katherine.

“
Why would I make a joke about having a flat tire? Oh and when I offered to give him money for helping me out, he refused to take it and asked if
I
could join him for a cup of coffee,” I said.

“
Really?  He sounds hotter every second.  How was the coffee date?” she asked.

“
Uh, I declined,” I confessed.

“
Why?” she asked, with disappointment in her voice.

“
I told him he could have a rain check. I didn’t want to say yes right away.  I’m sure no woman has turned him down for coffee or anything before.  Besides, he’s a little intimidating, Kathy.  He’s so good looking and I’m a complete mess today.  I’d rather style my hair and put some make up on before a coffee date.  So we exchanged phone numbers and will do coffee some other day.  I think it’s a good idea to play hard to get with this guy.  Besides, I’m a little afraid to get involved with anyone right now.  He looks like he walked out of a magazine.  His face looks very familiar.  Chances are he really is a model.” I said, laughing.

“
Claire, you have to give people a chance, not everyone is an asshole like James.”

“
I know, I know.  It’s just that I’ve been skeptical after James, but you’re right, there are nice guys out there.  You did really well for yourself.  Maybe there’s hope for me,” I replied.

I loved talking to Katherine.  We could go on and on
, but I had to hang up, so I could do the necessary things before I showered and relaxed.  Saturday was going to be a big day and I didn’t want to be exhausted.  I did quite a bit of laundry, cleaned my condo, and organized anything that needed organization.  Before I knew it, it was very late and time for some sleep.  As I got into bed, I tossed and turned and just couldn’t get to sleep.  I couldn’t get Alex out of my mind.  His eyes kept popping up in my mind, so mesmerizing.  With those thoughts, I somehow drifted off to sleep after two in the morning.

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Saturday morning was beautiful with the sun glowing bright in the sky.  It was the perfect weather for an outdoor party.  Yoga was in order for that morning.  I felt so refreshed after yoga.  It helped me with stress and anxiety from school and the unstable jobs that kept changing.  Dancing was my first love, and yoga was number two.

After I exercised and showered, I thought I should try o
n the graduation dress my mother had gotten for me.  It was a beautiful lavender Mandalay dress, very tight fitting, revealing all my curves.  It seemed a bit sexy to me when I tried it on at the boutique, but my mother assured me it just showed off what other people didn’t have. “Claire, honey, if you have it, flaunt it.  With a body like yours, why would you hide in loose, unattractive clothing?”  I loved my mom.

The dress was a perfect fit
, but I didn’t have shoes to match.  My mother’s closet would do.  Anytime I needed to borrow shoes, my mother’s closet was where I shopped.  It was filled from top to bottom with premier designer shoes such as Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, and Gucci.  I was so glad we wore the same shoe size.

Just then, my
phone beeped to notify me of a new text message.

Hi Claire, it’s Alex.  Is everything to
your satisfaction with your tire?

Hi Alex, my hero…everything is fine and dandy with my car, thanks to you.

That’s just what I wanted to hear.  Listen, I was interested in cashing my rain check this weekend.

My weekend is packed, Alex. How does next Friday evening sound?

Well, in that case, since I don’t drink coffee in the evenings, how about dinner?

He had a point there.  I didn’t drink coffee at night either.  It had to be dinner and I wasn’t going to decline that.

Dinner sounds great.  You pick the place and just let me know.

You will be hearing from me soon, Claire.

I pleaded with my heart to slow down.  This was a good thing.  I had a whole week to plan.  He wouldn’t see me in such a mess as he did that day.

My stomach began
to growl as I was starving and had skipped dinner the night before.  I made myself a sandwich and prepared to head out, so I didn’t miss my hair appointment.

I drove to
the hair salon and made it twenty minutes early.  Melvin, my hairdresser for years greeted me with his usual smile. “Claire, it’s so good to see you.  How have you been?  Are you ready for your big day?” he asked.

“
I will be ready after you make me glamorous with your magic touch,” I replied.

I decided to have my hair
curled loosely.  I didn’t want an up do, that would be too fancy.  I liked my hair down most of the time unless I was exercising.  Melvin worked his magic and I was out of there in less than an hour. My mother would start calling every two minutes if I were running late.

I parked my car in the driveway and made my way inside the house.  I love
d the entrance, double staircase, huge foyer and cathedral ceilings.  It was the kind of home I would love to have a large family in.  “Hey, sweetheart!”  My dad was just walking out of his office.  He probably had to work that Saturday, which was very common in his field.

“
Daddy!  I’ve missed you.  You’ve been working too hard these days.  I’m going to come and steal you one of these days so I can have a few hours with you,” I said.  He laughed, hugging me hard.

“
You like what your mother has done with the place in preparation for the party?” he asked.

How could I have not liked it?
  My mother had it decorated as if it were my wedding reception.  Covered tents filled the large space in the back yard, with chiffons covering the sides.  The beautiful centerpieces made with orchids would catch anyone’s eye.

I decided I should go upstairs and start my makeup and get dres
sed.  My mother said I could borrow any one of her beautiful shoes to complete my look.  After I was dressed and in her six inch platform Christian Louboutin’s, I took a look at myself in the mirror and wondered if it were a bit too much for a graduation party.  It was too late to change anyway, so my attire would have to do for the evening.

As I made my way downstairs, I caught my mother at the foot of the stairs gaping at me with her mouth open.
“Claire, honey, oh my, you look stunning!”

“
Thanks, mom.  I knew you would like it,” I smiled.

“
Honey, take a look at our daughter.  Doesn’t she look stunning?” she asked.

My dad came out of the office to look at me.
“I can’t believe this is my little girl,” he said, a sad smile on his face.

The
Mandalay dress fit perfect that day, even better than the day my mother purchased it for me.  The heels were going to be a problem, though.  I felt my feet throbbing and it hadn’t even been ten minutes since I first put them on.  Oh, the things women had to put up with to look good.

I gre
eted the guests as they began to arrive.  The wonderful compliments kept pouring in about how great I looked and how beautiful my hair was, how beautiful my dress was, and the beautiful shoes.

“
Claire! Congratulations, girl!”  My brother Kyle hugged me hard.  I hadn’t seen him in months so it felt great to finally be together with the whole family.  He had brought his girlfriend, Molly, with him.  I really liked Molly.  She was so sweet and caring and I was glad my brother was dating someone who loved him so much.

“
Hey Kyle, I missed you so much.  Hi Molly, it’s so good to see you again.  Gosh, it’s been so long, we need to get together more often,” I said, hugging both of them. “Where’s Calvin?  Have you heard from him?” I asked.

“
I just spoke with him, he’s on his way.  He should arrive shortly,” Kyle informed me.

Just as we were speaking about him, he arrived.
“Sis!  Congratulations!  How have you been?  You look great by the way.  Did you get taller or is it those shoes?”  Calvin asked, staring at my shoes, “Those are mom’s shoes, aren’t they?” he asked, whispering.

I laughed.
“Hey Calvin, I missed you, silly.  I was just telling Kyle and Molly how we should get together more often, and not only on formal occasions such as this,” I replied.

We all agreed that meeting for dinner once in a while to catch up would not be such a bad idea.

“Claire, you look gorgeous!” Cynthia Crow, my parent’s neighbor had just arrived with her husband, Peter.  “Congratulations, dear.  We are very proud of your accomplishments,” she said, with a warm smile.

“
Thank you, Mrs. Crow, Mr. Crow.  Welcome, please make yourselves comfortable,” I said.

As the guest
s started pouring in, I was constantly reminded of my throbbing feet.  How did women dance in those high shoes all night?  I wondered if I would have blisters on my feet the next morning.  I hoped not, but my mother always says that beauty sometimes involves pain.  I begged to differ at that moment and really missed my tennis shoes.

My dad had booked a DJ
, so my fellow graduates from school looked like they were having a blast.  I loved to dance.  I had been dancing since I was four years old.  Ballet, jazz, a little hip hop, tap, and salsa.  Dancing was always something I was good at so my parents encouraged me to dance until the college workload began to get difficult. Then, studying left no time for dance class.