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She had had the worst sleep yet - waking up at midnight and then deciding at 5:13AM to just fuck it - let's get the fuck up and carpe this diem.
She had spent the rotisserie hours thinking of the past. The part that stunned her was wondering if she might have stunted growth like her mother did - like was she stuck in the pain point of her first marriage - stuck in a time warp.
She was headed back to Wilmington theoretically, and this would be another scooping up of the fictitious mojo.
"God you can be a pain in the ass" she muttered to the orange cat who still didn't want to go outside. Earlier, she had of course been blessing the animal thanking it so much for cuddling with her with its soft fur.
The exercise she did was a short one, and it always reminded her of that picture she took of Sandy and Cullen because there was a door?
She's headed to Athens to see the man she's in love with - and he is a real man. She's nervous as fuck because it's an unknown. He texts her his address after she had suggested a hotel if that's easier.
The second drive back to Athens as a fifty year-old was a bit different. She was going to the suburbs. She finally found the destination and parked and rested for a beat before she texted him "I'm here." She got out of her car and headed for the door. It was an interior townhouse, and she loved the trees trees trees. She knocked on the door, and he opened it.
She said, "Oh, you're here."
He replied, "I thought you were going to come through the back, I just moved my car."
They laughed. It was nervousness.
She entered his domicile for the first time and proceeded to judge - it was dark, and not gorgeous, but not bad at all. The sofas were very wonderful. He gave her a tour a bit of the one room downstairs as he straightened up stuff. The door fell off of the locker he stuffed stuff into.
"Would you like a beer?"
"sure. If you're having one."
He offered her two kinds and asked if she wanted a glass. "yes, I like to see the color."
Then she wanted to recalibrate. "May I use your bathroom?"
"Of course, it's right here."
"You know, in the olden days, boys' bathrooms were hazard zones. My how you've probably grown."
While she was in there, she checked her thin hair and her face. It was all she could do. She loved the products he had. She didn't snoop, but they looked quality.
After she was out, she sipped the beer, and they headed towards the sofas. He sat on one. She sat on the other.
"Are you hungry? I'm not. I just got done with tacos with my son."
She hadn't eaten all day. She had been so nervous, and she loved Mexican food. Oh well. "yes, I'm hungry, but I can wait."
They chatted like they always do. He was an excellent conversationist as was she.
"well, do you want pizza? there's a great pizza place in town."
"I could even go back to the globe, but I"m hungry and pizza is fine too."
They headed to the pizza place after dallying a bit. No kissing. He was not affectionate unless he was drunk.
He described all the things in the short drive to the place.
"there's the place I buy my zyns.... here's my liquor store... I do go to that Publix."
She was entranced. She had loved this man from the first moment she encountered him, and really loved him when he opened his mouth.
They arrived at a hospital parking lot adjacent to a town block.
"they let you park here."
She gets out, and she's nervous, but she is in the game. The walk towards the place after he checks his car locking twice.
"oh shit. there's my ex. We have to go."
they immediately turn on their heels. She always regrets that she didn't get a look at her predecessor but oh well.
"Does this happen to you often? running into her?"
"only at the most awkward times."
They get back in the car, and he asks if she wants to go to the English pub at the end of mileage.
"of course. that sounds fine."
They proceed. He narrates as they drive - never mentioning the ex. It burns in her a little.
She sees a glimpse of the old house she lived in on Milledge avenue - with chuck the drummer and the place she hung gloves on the wall and had a grease fire and wet her pants on the porch when she lost the key.... "oh my god. there's my apartment" she gasps, "this was the only stations of the housing cross I didn't see when I was here before. how wonderful."
He goes on.
They reach the pub. She orders curry and a guiness. There are two gorgeous college coeds and loads of other people to watch in the close space. They talk. They eat. They go back to his house.
Once there, she tells him she's going to get in her night clothes. It's evening already. They are such good talkers. They never really say anything.
She gets in her dark peacock blue gown, and he pours bourbon over ice. "IS this ok?"
"perfect."
In a few minutes, they make out. She gets to see the upstairs for the first time when he suggests they take it to the next level.
They make out like fire. They fall off the bed with a bruised thud. They get back on the bed and fuck more. She loves him. He's responding to what she's giving.
She doesn't sleep great, but she pees in the middle of the night in his sons' bathroom. She passes the beautiful momentos of loved boys - a guitar, several posters.
She wakes up and notices he's already on his crossword. She doesnt' talk to him. He's not a morning person. She just puts her shift on eventually and heads downstairs. She gets out her journal and writes like talking to someone.
He comes down after she hears him using the bathroom. She's very regular and has already taken a shit in his ground floor lavatory. He comes down the stairs and heads for their mutual addiction.
"want some coffee."
"Of course"
His smells much better than her instant - because it's real.
He had said the day before he was going to make her breakfast, but he obviously changes his mind.
"Let's go out after this. I know a place we can get a bagel."
"OK."
They wake up and drink coffee and he plays his crossword and she reads. It's so peaceful to her. She loves it. She took a photo while he went upstairs so she would always remember it.
They go to the breakfast place, "there's a cool bar there". (they'd go there on her third trip).
they order and then eat outside. A train passes, she takes a video. He says "that was the other obstacle that first day we met. Besides the fire I showed you, the train was crossing."
"well, I was glad for the time. I was a hot mess and enjoyed cooling down."
They head to his home after passing a flea market on the way to the car. She wants to buy a t-shirt, but feels it's not the right timing or that he's anxious. She regrets it. They're only a dollar, but she'll add it to the list.
They sit in the living room for forty minutes reading while he puzzles. She says at 11am. "well, I'm going to hit the road in a few."
"you're welcome to stay. stay."
"thank you. but I'll go."
They kiss goodbye chastely. She warms up her car like her brother instructed. She was glad it started the old thing. She heads out.
The smile can not be wiped off her face for the two hours towards home.
alive. in.
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