I wrote furiously in my diary about my latest spat with Len. Len is my boyfriend and we've been getting into so many arguments lately.
Usually what will happen is that we will get in a fight about something stupid, I'll vow never to speak to him again and he and I will get back together when he calls me to apologize.
I'm 22, and having just graduated college. I am now working as a secretary for a pediatrician. That was how Len and I met, he was bringing his little niece in, Emily, because she had an earache. I thought back to that day, sixth months ago.
I stood at the fax machine that day, organizing a fax that just came in, when the most beautiful man I ever saw came into the office area. I swallowed and came up to him, smiling.
"Hello Miss," he said. "My name is Len Greenburg, this is my niece Emily, we have an eleven o'clock appointment with Dr. Palazzo."
I sat down at my desk and looked up their appointment and nodded, "Yes, Mr. Greenburg please fill this out." I handed him a clipboard with papers on it that he needed to fill out.
He looked through the papers, "All this?"
I smiled, "I'm sorry, I know it's very long."
Emily took him by the hand and dragged him to the waiting room. Len winked at me as he went in with her. I grinned back at him.
I organized the fax and filled out some of the paperwork that needed to be done. Len was a very handsome man. Maybe late 30's or early 40's, I guessed. He had the most gorgeous dark brown eyes I'd ever seen.
I heard the nurse out in the waiting room ask for Len and his niece to come back to the examining room. I then heard a little girl shrieking. I went out into the waiting area to see what was the matter. Emily was shrieking, scared of going into the doctor's office.
Both the nurse and Len were trying to get Emily into the examining room, but she was a strong little cuss and was not going to have any of it.
I held one of Emily's hands and Len held the other as we made our way down the hall to the room. The nurse walked ahead of us with a clipboard, while Emily shrieked and cried. We finally got to the room and Len set her up on the examining table.
"You did great Emily," I said to her. "You certainly are a big, brave girl to go to the doctor's like this. You know what I did when I was a little girl?"
She shook her head.
"Why I'd wiggle and squirm around so much that the nurses couldn't even handle me!"
Emily giggled.
"Now will you be an extra good girl for your Uncle Len?"
She nodded. "Lady," she said to me. "That's a really pretty bracelet!"
I moved closer to her so she could examine my bracelet. She held my hand with her little ones and studied the jewelry.
During this whole time, Len was standing in the room with his hands in pockets, smiling at the little conversation that Emily and I were having. I smiled at Len. His thick dark hair was nicely combed back. Or at least it once was. With his struggle with Emily, it was kind of out of place.
"Tell you what," I said to Emily. "If you be a good girl, I'll give you my bracelet."
Here face lit up, "You will?"
"I sure will."
She squealed in delight.
At that point the head nurse, Pauline, came in and needed to do her work. I started to leave when Len stopped me.
"Miss, um -"
"Valerie. Valerie Briggston."
"Thank you, Miss Briggston," he said.
"It's no problem," I replied and made my way back down the hallway and then turned into the ladies' bathroom.
I looked in the mirror. I didn't look too bad. I'm about 5'6", fair-haired with a slender figure and big baby-blue eyes.
About forty-five minutes later, Emily and Len was ready to go. Or at least Len was. Emily was out like a light from her exhausting struggle of the morning.
After paying his bill, Len quietly asked me to help him carry Emily out to his car, so as not to wake her. I agreed, and he gently scooped up Emily as I held the doors open for him and such. Once we got to his Ford, he put her in the backseat.
We walked a few feet from the car so we could talk for a few minutes.
"Mr. Greenburg, it certainly has been eventful morning with Emily here," I said laughing.
He chuckled, "Yeah, she's a stubborn little thing."
We talked for a few minutes and then he asked me out for dinner. I said yes, and I gave him my address and phone number. He was to pick me up that Friday evening at 7 o'clock. We said our good-byes and went our separate ways.
Almost inside the building, I ran back to Len.
"Did I forget something?" he asked.
"Yes," I said, taking off my bracelet. "Be sure she gets this," I handed it to him.
He smiled, "I'll do. Bye."
"Bye," I waved and went back in the building.
It was a wonderful day, but that was six months ago. Now my eyes and nose were red from crying, I looked like hell. I dug up my old diary and read my entry about the first date for Len and I. It read:
November 12th, 2006
Dear Diary,
I just got back from my first date with Len, and it was wonderful! He took me for dinner and dancing. We didn't go dancing in a nightclub, we went to a place that played mostly slow dance songs. The way he held me in his arms, and the way he led as we danced, you would've thought it was 50 years ago, but I loved it.
After a few dances, he held me close and I could swear I felt something in his pants up against my tummy. Could it have been? I hope it was!
He looked so sexy tonight. He was wearing nice tan slacks and a white button up shirt, that was just a little unbuttoned at the top, so I could see a little chest hair. Most young girls like smooth chests, but I like the chests with hair on them.
Those dark brown eyes of his are so glittery and beautiful. During dinner he kept looking at me in a way that I think meant he liked me. He looked so handsome. During the date I found out the he was 42. His age didn't bother me and I asked him if mine bothered him, and he said no.
It's too early to tell if I love him. Much too early! But I know I already like him a lot. He twirled me around the dance floor like he owned it and we had such a nice time, talking and laughing.
But the end of the night was really the best part. He walked me upstairs to the apartment door and gave me a soft kiss good night. He made no effort to try and get me into bed, which I like. He was a respectful young gentleman (he maybe 20 years my senior, but he's still young!)
After he kissed me good night, he wrapped his arms around my waist and told me I was one of the prettiest girls that he ever knew. I swear my heart was going to pound right out of my chest! I had these rush of butterflies, which I still have now just thinking about him.
I stood there with the diary in my hands. It was about three months after that entry that Len and I started to have sex. The sex is great. He's such a gentleman, I never would've thought he'd be such an animal in bed. Not that I'm complaining though.
The telephone rang and I went to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Honey, it's me," Len sounded odd.
"Len, what's wrong?"
"I've just been in an accident, I'm ok though. I'm in room 518 at St. Eve's hospital."
I started to cry, "I'll be right here."
I drove to the hospital and panicked on the way there. I parked my car into a space and rushed into the hospital. The elevator ride seemed to take forever, but finally it stopped on the fifth floor.
I ran down the hallway to room 518. The room was open, so I quietly went on in. Len laid there in a hospital gown, with a blanket up to his waist. He had cuts and bruises on his arms and a big bruise on his head.
"Oh god, Len, what happened?" I sat at the edge of his bed.
"Sweetie, I'm so glad you came. I parked outside the Hallmark downtown, and you know that part of town, you always have to park parallel. And I got out of the car, and this truck, this Chevy truck, glided right into me and I fell on the ground. I lost consciousness, but I woke up when they were taking me into the ambulance."