The Aroma Of Amor

Adding the oil and flour to the sautéed garlic I lean in to smell the aroma that reminded me of home.  A little surprised by the arm leaning across my back, gently resting his hand on my waist, I looked up to find him smiling down at me.  He looked me right in the eyes without hesitation, staring at me with his hazel grey eyes, that seemed to change colors with his mood.  At the moment they were a warm caramel like the sauce simmering in the pan.  His sharp features came in at his chin, accented with the smooth point of the bridge of his nose.  His hair was perfect without any work of his own, black as night with flawless spikes and a touch of careless hand combing.  I could tell he was hot by his ears.  Flushing to the same color of the tomato sauce I slowly poured into the sauce.  I tried hard to keep from smiling as I noticed the almost invisible dimples slowly forming.  I could tell he enjoyed watching, but his take charge personality couldn’t be suppressed as he reached to take the whisk from me, his eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the job at hand, completely absorbed in keeping the bubbles from forming with his shoulders held back proudly.

A Swing Dance

Flirting glances, hair curls, and batting eyelashes - accompanying giggles sounding out - stepped on toes and more flips and twirls - People spun, twirled - girls dipped and blushed - chaos - shy smiles - nervous steps - flaring skirts - blaring music - moments of bravery asking to dance - following relief as accepted

The Familiar Place In An Unfamiliar Place

Keeping my eyes open, feet softly padding over the soft carpeted hallways that were deserted at this hour of the night.  I yawned, feeling my shoulders ache under the weight of my heavily loaded backpack. Finally reaching my destination after walking the seemingly endless airport hallways, I took a deep breath and walked up to the bored looking desk tenant.  Giving her my most sympathetic smile, trying my best not to bite my lip from nervousness.  "Hey, I, umm.., I need a room please." I said with the slightest stutter tucking my hair behind my ear.  She responded with the slightest raise of her left eyebrow and violent typing that should have been labeled as keyboard abuse at the length she kept her nails.  I smiled and thanked her as she handed me the key card then walked quickly to the elevator, pressing the button.  I stood impatiently, feeling the growing ache in my shoulders under the weight of my backpack.  After an eternity the elevator door slid open and I stepped in.  My luck, never failing, caused the door to open one floor later to produce a young man dressed in a purple pair of footed pajamas with a monster in hand. I gave a slight smile then proceeded to slowly sway from standing on my heels to toes then back again, avoiding eye-contact.  I clenched my teeth trying my hardest not to yawn as we passed floor 10 in complete silence with only the elevator dings at each floor to let us know time hadn't suddenly paused without our knowing. The moment the doors opened on floor 13 I made a break for it and left with a small "Night" before heading down the hall.  As I walked I was completely caught up in the hypnotizing carpet patterns that always seem to line the floors of hotel halls, sadly forgotten and under appreciated  that I only just realized I was going the wrong way when I reached the end of the absurdly long hallway.  Backtracking, Careful not to get caught again by the intriguing carpet again I found my door and slid my key feeling like an agent and slipped into the room.  Honestly wiped out, I dropped my bags and fell onto the end of the bed slipping off my shoes before I curled up, letting out my breath.  Eventually I made my way to the top of the bed where I pulled open the stale feeling covers like a sardine tin and slid my feet in feeling the cool but soft sheets.  I laid my head down on the pillow and sank into it, smelling the familiar scent of hotels that I never could quite explain, except that it was that of hotel. Mildly like plastered walls and fresh linen, but also something else that will most probably always remain a mystery to me.  I laid there in the dark room with the lights from outside seeping through the edges of the thick curtains, trapping the room in prison bars of light. Letting out my breath trying to sink into the soft bed and relax my still complaining shoulders I said a silent prayer then passed out in moments to face the next day.

Curiosity Caught The Boy

He peered my way, the curiosity practically pooling around him.  Fidgeting, unable to pay any attention to his English, now that there was a secret to be heard.  I couldn’t help but smile, trying to keep from giggling like a little girl at a boy with cooties.  I accidentally slipped, teasing him with comments only to be met with even greater curiosity.  I could see it in his eyes, just bursting to know.  He grabbed the toe of my shoe, shaking it pleadingly, like an adorable child wishing with all his might for a toy in the window.  He threatened with joking, knowing it was useless.  His insistence, however, didn’t drain.  He continued, making it known that he intended to know my secret.  As the minutes slipped away before the starting of our class he tried frantically to get me to spill.  It was too enjoyable to see him be so unexpectedly curious that I could hardly give up such a small secret.  It was underwhelming compared to the mountain that now stood in its way. 

Night Walk

    

I walked up the hill towards the golf course, letting my shoes sink slightly into the snow with each new step.  The cold seeped through my shoes and kept my toes captive, but I hardly noticed as the wind demanded my attention, tugging at my scarf insistently.  It rushed past my ears filling the quiet night like the echoing trains in a deserted subway station, complete with the flickering lights of the campus left far behind. Lacing my numb fingers through the chain metal fence I peered through the smooth metal rings to see the familiar ever billowing smoke clouds push and shove as rude as always to make their way out of the smoke stacks, over the icy Ohio river and spread far and wide across the sky to keep all possible stars out of sight.  The river, however, was not put out.  It cleverly reflected just as brightly as the hidden stars, making due with the multicolored lights.  The waters continued the milky way of sparkling glimmers up the mountains on the other side of the flowing river of stolen lights.