The day went by just like any normal day for Alex, since she was determined to put last night's encounter in the 'Dream' category. She wouldn't acknowledge it. It was simply a dream that had been induced from lack of sleep, alcohol, and emotional turmoil over her last beau. Since, of course, she was not crazy.
Wasn't she?
The crisp smell of coffee, incense, candles, freshly baked bread, and cappuccino drifted around her like a shroud. She was staring into space, her chin in both palms, a deep frown embedded between her eyebrows. She was going to have to dry clean her work clothes, because earlier she got coffee beans smeared on the deep purple shirt she wore, and on her crisp black pants. Oh well, typical day in the life of Alexandria.
"Hey Alex! Whassup?"
She mentally shook herself out of her little stupor, folding her hands in her lap, sitting up straight and blinking a few times. Focus on the present, Alex, not the past..... However short ago the past may be. "Oh, Hey Mandy. I'm just on my lunch break."
Her friend Mandy was a short little woman who only came up to her chin, though voluptuous in everything that was curve. She had short choppy little blonde, white curls that bounced when she walked. Like little corks on strings. "Well, I do hope" she was saying, setting herself in the opposite chair from her. "That you plan on eating soon, and not just daydreaming your precious break away. Come on, girl, you have to have something to eat!"
She shrugged, wiping a strand of her dark hair away from her eyes. "I really don't feel that hungry, Mandy."
Mandy, surprisingly, just sat there with a grin on her face and mischief in her doe-like emerald eyes.
"What's that look for?"
"What look, Alex, my dear?"
"The look you have right now, as if you are part of an inside joke you aren't telling me. Or as if you are about to do something crazy." she stared at her friend, looking at her closely. "Should I be trying to run away now?"
Mandy's dainty blonde curls bounced as she laughed, a hand going for her own. "Have you met someone I don't know about, my love?"
"Of course not!!" she said almost too quickly then lowered her pace. "I am not ready for another boyfriend just yet, Mandy.... I'm barely just getting over my last one."
"Not all men are like your ex, babe. He was just a pretty face, with old moves. He probably uses the same tricks with every poor woman who falls for him." Mandy gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.
She sighed softly, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of her own breathing. "That's just it, I don't want to be another woman in a man's group of women. For once I want to be selfish and only have a man who sees me!"
Her friend gave a nod, crossing her arms. "Don't we all, though? You'll never get the man of your dreams if you keep pushing them away."
"But that's just it, Mandy. I truly believe staying single is better than being with another guy like..... Well, you know who I'm talking about." she said, attempting a smile as she placed her working hat on her head.
"Alex, Alex." her friend tsked at her, leaning back in the chair she sat. "When will you ever learn?"
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Alex was just now coming home from going to the dry cleaners, having dropped off her work clothes. She wore a pair of blue jean shorts, a low-necked tank top, and sandals. Her hair was in a lot of disorder, and she was wary enough for a dozen people.
Work had been much harder to concentrate on today, because she kept dozing off and daydreaming about the encounter that did, or did not, happen the other night. Her body had gotten absorbed in the event then, and even more absorbed in the remembering.
She had even managed to nearly spill a cup of cappuccino on a really tall, body building kind of man who had been in a business suit. THAT would have been a total disaster! Not only would she have not gotten paid for the day, she would have had to pay to get his suit dry-cleaned. Damn, damn, damn.
Ah, but soon she would be home. Soon she would have a nice hot bubble bath. Soon she would indulge herself with candles, soft music, and a nice foot soaking. She sighed softly as she pulled up into her driveway, parked her car, and got out.
"Hey Mrs. Leavey" she called to her neighbor, cheerful to be home at last. "Lovely roses this year."
"Ah, yes, indeed. They are lovely aren't they?" Mrs. Leavey crooned, fluffing one of her roses with a white-gloved hand and smiling up at her. "Do go along and make yourself a cup of tea, my dear, you look dreadfully exhausted."
She smiled brightly at the woman, walking to her front door and bringing out her house key. "Yes, I am feeling quite exhausted. Nearly dumped a drink on one of our poor customers, that would have been the worst....." she trailed off, looking down at the top of her porch table.
"Something wrong?" her neighbor called, stopping in the middle of trimming her rose bush.
"Oh, no..." she blinked rapidly, shaking her head and smiling up at Mrs. Leavey. "Nothings wrong, just been a long day for me."
The old woman went back to her gardening, leaving Alex to look back down at the table. There was a single white rose laid across it, a red envelope at the base of the stem. She picked them both up gingerly, hands shaking, and went inside her house.
Her head was swimming with caution. Who could have laid it there? There was no name on the envelope, no initials. Surely it couldn't be her ex, could it? He would have no right to send her anything, since they weren't together anymore. Dread engulfed her entire body as she stared at the envelope, then at the rose, and back again.
She sat on the edge of her living room sofa for quite some time before she got the courage to open the envelope, placing the rose in a vase with water before she did so. The moment she broke the seal a wind ran across the front of her, making her shiver, and carried with it the strong scent of a million rose blossoms.
"It's just my imagination getting carried away again." she assured herself, shrugging off the sensations that went through her. Determined, she slid the smooth pink paper out of the tiny envelope, unfolded it, and began to read what it said.
{Some men are wolves, my love, and some men are dogs. The wolves protect their loved ones, and stay true to their mates for all of time. The dogs protect and stay true to the women whom they like for a time, and then they are off to find another. Unfortunately, most men are that of dogs. Stay true to your instincts, my love, and never settle for a dog. You are worth much more than that.
Your loyal slave and admirer}
She read it twice over for good measure, blinking repeatedly and staring off to space. "Such a strange, strange letter..... But no, it's definitely not my ex.. " She sighed, holding both letter and envelope to her chest and laying back against the couch.
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The days went by as boring and dull as ever for Alex. Nothing at work really seemed to be too interesting, or too complicated for that matter. The only times she looked forward to had been lunch break with her best friend, and the inevitable drive to her house where she would encounter a rose, with or without a letter from her secret admirer. By Sunday she had six white roses, three perfumed letters, and a tiny silver chain necklace.
It didn't take long at all to find out that this day was doomed to be a horrid nightmare.
The air seemed to just sizzle with the impending doom of gloom and misery. The silence telling all but words into her ears.
No peace for the whicked, huh?
Dressed in khaki shorts, a blue off the shoulder t-shirt, sandals, and a baseball cap; she walked around the park in the early afternoon sunshine. Birds sang amongst the trees, water trickled along a river nearby, and a wonderful crisp breeze ruffled against the tree tops. Yet she felt so wary.
The morning had been a blissfully uneventful, boring Sunday of going to visit a few friends before she went for her noon walk. Now, walking about the green trees in the park, the hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand on end.
Just when you thought someone was going to leave you alone...
"Hey Alex. Long time no see." a smooth, deep voice called to her just as she rounded a corner of the park. There, right in front of her, stood Tommy Whilston; her ex beau.
The smile dropped from her face the moment she saw him. "Not today, Tom. I've got better fish to fry than you." she began to turn around but a hand grasped her shoulder, turning her back to the man.
His lukewarm smile hadn't changed at all, but something dark had appeared within his eyes. "Oh, come on baby. I thought you'd change your mind about me. Was I wrong?"
"Yes!" she all but growled, pulling her shoulder free of his hand and glaring at his pretty face. "Me and you are like oil and water. We just don't mix."
He had tilted his head to one side, crossing his arms against his chest, the smile never dying from his almost elegant lips. "It's not for lack of trying on my part, sweetheart. I was always good to you."
She narrowed her eyes at him, wishing she could wipe that look off his face. "Good to your many other women too, I recall. I don't have time for this." She placed a palm on her forehead and closed her eyes. "Have you been following me around all this time?"
He seemed to be smirking, lying through his pearly white teeth, "I've been looking for you all over the place, Alex. Been hoping, maybe to take you back."
"Take me back?!? Me? Oh no, mister." she hissed, placing her hands upon her hips as she faced him slightly. "You'd be very lucky if I ever took You back."
