The following story contains explicit situations, and pairings which may offend some readers. Please proceed accordingly.
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Once upon a time
, a young woman stood, talking to herself.
"Crap!" Goldie looked around at the deserted streets. "Today's Sunday. Sunday schedule." She reached into her purse pulled out a wrinkled pamphlet—of course, she had missed the last bus. She dug into her purse again, until she found her cell phone. A cab would get her out of there. Goldie flipped the phone open, and nothing happened: no light, no sound, no
Hello Gorgeous
to greet her on the screen. "Seriously," she asked to the night around her, "what is this? Universe against Goldie Day?"
Well, that would teach her to explore random little towns on Sundays. Now she was stranded for the night, in a place where she knew no one. Not that anyone was waiting for her at home either. Just her books and her small studio apartment. It wasn't always easy to discern freedom from happiness.
Goldie looked around. Despite the lighted windows, all the shops were closed. On cue, the sky released a downpour upon the girl, drenching her in an instant. "That's just perfect." She rolled her eyes and ran for the cover of one of the shops' awnings.
As she waited for the rain to subside, Goldie noticed a glowing sign across the street. Curved neon letters spelled out the name of the establishment: Three Bears Pub. Unlike those of the other shops, the lights were off in the tavern. The intermittent glow of the sign bounced off the darkness to reveal what seemed like an apartment above. Goldie squinted until she was able to discern furniture in the window. It was an apartment.
Finally, things are looking up
, she thought,
if the owners live upstairs, I'll be able to use their phone.
When the rain diminished, Goldie walked up the pub's door. There was a note on it. "Off on our annual vacation. See you soon. Love, BBB."
Goldie stomped her foot. "Give me a break," she said. Don't tell me they aren't here." She walked around the building until she found stairs on the side of the building. Hoping that perhaps the owners had simply forgotten to take down the sign, she took the stairs two at a time. It wouldn't cost her anything to check.
At the top of the stairs, Goldie knocked on the door. "Hello?" she called, "anyone home?"
There was no answer. She leaned against wood to listen for movement inside—and fell right in.
The apartment was dark, and seemingly empty, yet Goldie called out one more time. "Anybody home? I need to use your phone." She thought of turning around and leaving, but the rain had resumed, and she was still soaked from the first wave. Besides, by staying awhile and guarding the place, she would be doing the residents a favor. After all, it was not very safe to leave the door unlocked. Who would it harm if she stayed and warmed up?
***
Goldie did not find a phone in the apartment, so she decided to make herself comfortable while waiting for the rain to subside. First, she needed to get warm. She headed to the bathroom, looking for a towel to dry her hair. As much as she loved the thick, wooly ropes that teased the small of her back, water seemed to take ages to evaporate from the gold and brown mass.
She had intended to simply grab a towel and move on, but when she saw the custom bathtub in the center of the room, she couldn't keep her eyes from it. It was of flawless enamel, supported by curved, gilded legs. Had it not been large enough to fit several adults, it would have passed for an antique. Suddenly, a hot bath seemed like the most heavenly of prospects. Goldie stepped forward and turned on the hot water. She untied the shoulder knots that held up her dress, and watched the wet fabric pool at her feet.
Next to the tub, stood three bottles of bath oil on a small table.
Goldie picked up the first, uncapped it, and grimaced as she took a whiff. "Too spicy," she said.
So, she put it down and repeated her actions with the second. "Too sweet."
Finally, she tried the third bottle and smiled as she smelled mild cocoa. "Just right," she said as she poured the contents into the rising water.
While she waited for her bath to be ready, Goldie grabbed a towel from a shelf and wrapped up her hair. When the water reached an acceptable level, she turned it off and stepped into the tub. It was just what she needed. The warmth seeped into her body, melting away the chill from the rain. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the moment.
***
Clad only in bronze skin and the towel holding her hair, Goldie looked into the fridge. Aside from condiments and three bottles of wine, it was empty. Well, it would be wine for dinner then. She took the three bottles and lined them up on the counter. She looked through the drawers and cupboards until she found a bottle opener and a glass.
She opened the Chardonnay first and took a sip. "Too bitter." She put the bottle down.
So, she opened the White Zinfandel next and tasted it. "Too sweet." She put it down as well.
Finally, she opened a Cabernet Sauvignon and took a sip. "Just right," she said, and she poured herself a full glass.
Goldie took the glass and the bottle to the living room. Now all she needed was a book. Beside a nice steak, a book was the best complement to a good wine. Hopefully, she would find something to her taste. When she saw the bookcase, Goldie fell in love. Before her were rows upon rows of books, encompassing an entire wall. Old tomes, magazines, paperbacks, this was a booklover's dream. This night was turning out much better than she had expected.
