Steve finished his time behind the bar and found his way to the other side to join the Husker, Donna, and Christy, who was tolerating his presence almost as well as Donna was tolerating hers. Steve had a genuine boy like attraction to Christy, he despite his pedigree, was not the type of man she imagined herself with. As the night wore on her own sense of growing paranoia began creeping up her butt. She felt blocked, she felt separated from Robert. She had not received any of his attention other than trivial pleasant conversation since Donna had arrived. Christy had been separated physically by her nemesis’ position, emotionally by Robert’s lack of focus on her. He was not intending to ignore her but still it was if she wasn’t there. The Husker was lost in Donna, much the same way that so many people are lost in each other during those first intense and crucial lasting moments in a new relationship.

Still Christy felt ostracized, much the intention of Donna’s territorial behavior, physical contact, and relentless engagement of Robert’s conversation. She felt not like the Capulet’s and Montague’s separated from her lover by a misunderstanding and a foolish distrust and feud. She didn’t feel like she had been set aside temporarily, but was still loved and valued while something more urgent was tended to. Rather she felt like she had been cast out of heaven, damned to hell eternally separated from God’s love. For Satan was once also the son of the morning, he too was a thing of beauty an angel most high, his heart was lifted because of his beauty, because of pride and intention to sit not in the glory and power of God but because of the delusion to supplant it. Christy felt an unexplainable cold, a jealousy, and contempt that was growing. Why had she been cast aside like the morning star she had not risen against the power that she served, she had not risen against God but she had been risen against, still she in her own mind had not committed and act of mutiny, not an inkling of defiance. She continued to drink, her caution wavered, her coordination impaired, and her judgment diminished. As her feelings of isolation grew so did her desire to confront her tormentors but before that she had decided to disappear into the back of the restaurant. As she returned from the restroom Donna and the Husker had vanished in to the night like the demons she imagined them to be taunting her before slithering away into the night.

“Bitch!” Christy proclaimed raising her glass to her lips. Then for the first time needing an ear to listen she began to talk to Steve in earnest. “I hate her. Everything was perfect until that little slut came along.”

Steve innocently offered “She seems nice enough to me.”

Christy drew a troubled heaving breath “Well she’s not, she’s a jezebel, I hate everything about her. She’s always in the middle of everything, disrupting what is important changing how things are done to the point that he isn’t spending time where he needs to.” “Did you and Robert” pausing to look for her reaction “use to date?”

Christy growing angry at the stupidity of the man before her “No why?” her tone cruel like he was once again suddenly subhuman not worthy of the time they were spending together, he was suddenly once again an annoyance who was breathing her air.

“So why do you care?” he inquired.

He was a moron, why was she wasting her time but she needed to vent, some one to listen to and since her cat didn’t provide an ear he would have to continue to do.

“I used to know everything. I was part of every second of his life, everything he did. I knew his inner most thoughts and feelings I helped to shape his plans and goals. Now he’s with her disappearing, doing things that he has never done before, things that he never had an interest in.”

Steve had to ask “Does he know every second of your life?”

“No!” she snapped knowing damn well that it was a lie, Robert in fact knew every second of her life in painstaking detail. He knew her complete devotion to him although he had never asked for it, he knew all of her select group of friends and each and every social engagement that she kept both personal and professional although he never asked. Robert however, only knew these things because she told him, it was how she proved her devotion.

Christy finished her drink. “Let’s go” she said standing to her more than slightly intoxicated feet. “

Where?”

And in a bitter tone in her voice “Somewhere he would never expect.”

Soon after Steve was standing outside an apartment building as she opened the door looking back over her should asked “Are you coming or not?” Moments later they were in her modest living room talking away, alone, unencumbered and lost in each other. Across town the Husker and Donna were saying good night, three hours later as the last of Christy’s buzz faded, emotionally exhausted she leaned in and kissed Steve. The kiss was shallow and awkward, it did however tingle, her lips came alive with the soft sensation as her soul began to lighten. As their lips separated Steve waited, she thought about how long it had been since she had kissed anyone, not to mention with romantic intent, she thought more about how long it had been since a man’s touch had caressed her skin, the years had passed, she never could admit to herself how misguided and lonely her journey had become. Placing her arms around him she kissed him again.

“Thanks for listening.”

He kissed her back. “You’re welcome.” Steve stated as he began to stand, his feet uncomfortable his posture wavering and unsteady.

“Is something wrong?” She stood her arm around his neck.

“I just keep hoping I’m not dreaming.”

She leaned back arms still reaching up around him looked squarely at his face replied, “Why would this be a dream?”

Steve blushed embarrassed by his inevitable response, which despite his discomfort he gave honestly. “Because I’ve been behind that bar for a year, hoping someone would notice me, take the time to talk to me. It was something I was doing to create a life beyond my job.”

Christy focused the words were all too true, they cut her like a knife. Her grasp around him loosened, she stood phased by his answer as he offered, “I’d better go” he felt exposed, like he had said too much. The words however heartfelt and honest perhaps ruined the dream, in the seconds after they left his lips he thought he could feel the magic just disappear, that was after all the very nature of magic it often disappeared mysteriously into thin air.

“No” she answered softly, her own deepest fears from earlier in the week coursing through her mind. “I want you to stay” pausing “longer.” Steve was not use to being invited to a woman’s house. Now it has happened twice in two weeks he stepped towards her “If you don’t mind. Are you sure it’s OK?”

There was no answer at least not verbally instead she took him gently by the hand and led him back to the sofa where he sat instinctively. The pair talked until the light of day, each bearing their souls to each other openly allowing the other to see what was so beautiful inside of each of them. Steve eventually left and Christy once again not only woke up alone but went to bed the same way. Some things just take time but each them spent their last waking hours that early Saturday morning thinking that what had just happened was just like heaven.

Next Chapter Haunting Images

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