Sitting on the balcony with his cigarette and coffee, Justin found himself lost in a haze. He sat in silence with a smile on his face, rather than the sounds of the city, he heard the early day birds in the trees. Instead of staring at a blank page, his mind was racing with questions regarding this new reality he was experiencing. "She can't be the one," he thought to himself, "She just might be THE ONE though. Who knows? No one." As the sun reached the rooftops, the shadows became brighter and the world around him woke up. There was much to do to get ready for his brothers wedding. Especially for the bachelor party. When they were younger, the two of them would sit and discuss this very night, speaking of it as one final legendary evening between brothers. "Lives will change forever after that night," his brother once told him. Justin never forgot hearing those words either, they stuck out in his mind like a sore thumb on a tired hitchhiker. Now that this night is finally coming upon them, he realized he had planned every last detail in his notebook except for one. Finding a date for the wedding.
Right on schedule, as was part of her daily morning routine, the phone rang and it was his mother. The wedding was less than a week away, the following Saturday on the eighth of the month. On the other end of the phone, his mother was freaking out about all the preparation that still needed to be done, none of which Justin was involved in. But he listened and told her everything would be fine and that there wouldn't be any unexpected surprises. "At least none I can see happening. I'll call you later Mom. I have to make a phone call." As he hung up the phone with one hand, Justin reached into his pants pocket, the same pants from the night before. There he found a piece of paper with a heart and a phone number. "Call me," he read aloud to himself, as he thought, "She has to be the one.
Now, the so called 'Laws of Attraction' all have varying opinions on the proper protocol for a man in this situation. Justin knew if he called to soon he would risk seeming needy and anxious, but if he waited too long, she might get away. "You can't let her get away," he convinced himself in a stern tone. As far back as his relationships go, the simple fact was none of them worked out before and he justified it as the path to the right person. Only, he had never thought about what would happen when he did find that right person. Nearly an hour had passed and there he sat, staring at the piece of paper, wondering what the heart means. He light a smoke and finished the bottom of his cold coffee. "Fuck it," he announced as he began to dial, "Laws are meant to be broken." He ashed his cigarette over the edge, possibly onto the people below. "HELLO?!" he suddenly heard in a voice that skipped his heart one beat.
The day became late afternoon, and despite his best intentions, he had failed to accomplish any of the tasks he had set out to do hours ago. Even worse, he didn't care because he was talking to one of the most amazing girls he had ever met. Even worse than that, not once in five hours did he ask her to be his date for the wedding. At that moment she mentioned that she had to go to LA the following Tuesday for business, and again Justin muttered to himself, "Fuck it." He finally gained the courage to ask her, reminding himself of the Cowardly Lion from 'The Wizard of Oz.' She asked him what was so funny and he went for the home run play. "Would you like to be my date to Oz this weekend? I mean, my brother's wedding." She laughed, which made him smile. "Of course I would. But under one condition." "Whats that," he asked. "You have to take me to dinner tonight." He sat both stunned and amazed. "Are you asking me out," he wondered. "Pick me up at eight." Then she hung up the phone as quickly as she answered, and again he sarcastically thought, "Style points."
Eight O'clock was a mere 3 hours away and Justin frantically started to brainstorm good restaurants in Boston, but he caught himself in time to realize that this was his one chance to make a great first impression, and since the girl he had met in the park was no ordinary girl, he knew just the place in the North End. There was this one place there, with great food and an enchanting atmosphere, it felt as though you were tucked away in Italy somewhere secret, but everyone around you still spoke English. Every table was lit my candle light and there was a classic brick oven in the kitchen, for their famous pizzas. He made reservations and gave himself a pat on the back for finally getting something productive done. The flower shops were all closed because it was Sunday night, so Justin decided to ready for his date, a shower and a shave, then began to walk to her apartment in Kenmore Square. About a block before her front door, he stopped to smell the flowers, one of the neighborhood gardeners homes. The roses were beautiful, the woman who lived there really knew how to impress a lady in September. He picked one at the bottom of the stem through the fence, took out a five dollar bill, and left a note. "Thanks for the great first impression. I picked a rose. Thank you," and left both in her mailbox. With a few more steps to go, his nerves began to take over and all the questions in his head were back again. Only this time each question made him smile, regardless of how fast his heart was beating. At the bottom step of her stoop, he paused and remember the night before. As the sun set and the shadows regained their darkness, his smile faded as he walked up the steps to ring the bell. He let out an uplifting breath of air, and pushed the door bell, took one step back, and put the rose behind his back. When she answered the door, she asked if he was ready. He presented her with the rose, a smile from ear to ear, and buckling at his knees, "I've been ready for this my whole life." She laughed at him, but smiled as she did, and he asked her, "Did that seemed rushed? I've been practicing it on my way over here." She took his hand and they walked together to the corner in order to hail a cab. His excitement screaming from within, but a silent expression with no more than a smile was all he could muster. As a gentlemen should do, and as Justin was taught, he opened the door of the cab for her and said, "Ladies first." He led her by hand into the cab, like a princess on her way to the ball. He took one last look up into the sky over Comm. Ave. and quietly thought, "Thank you."
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
A New Day
Justin woke up with a jolt, sitting up so fast in his bed he got dizzy for a second. He looked at his clock and saw that it was nearly noon already. He sat for a moment faintly remembering a dream about a girl he had met in the park. He stretched his arms and yawned, got out of bed, and immediately made his way into the kitchen to make coffee. He put a fresh pot in the grinder and set his maker to brew. At the kitchen table he opened up his lap top so he could check his Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter; the same exact thing he did every morning when he got up. As he poured himself a hot mug, he added four spoonfuls of sugar and some milk, sat back down, and saw a new message from his mother. She wanted to talk to him about his younger brothers wedding the following weekend. He let out an audible sigh and simply closed the message. As he sipped his coffee and looked out the window onto the street, he noticed his notebook and camera sitting on the counter next to the front door. He grabbed them both and walked out onto the balcony to smoke a cigarette, another morning ritual Justin went through before actually beginning his day.
Monday, August 9, 2010
One September Day
September was Justin's favorite time of year, especially growing up in New England. He loved to be outside, walking around amidst the people of the city, living in each of life's little moments as they come and pass as quickly as the Boston cab drivers. Whenever he left the apartment, he was sure to have three things on him; his notebook and pen, along with a camera. Justin was a firm believer in capturing those little moments as a way to look back and smile on the yesterdays of tomorrow.
A short walk from Justin's apartment, down the center of Commonwealth Ave, lead him to his favorite spot to sit and write. Its a fact Boston Common has one of the most unique views of the entire city skyline because essentially, you are right in the middle of it all. But from that spot, sitting atop the hill not too far from Frog Pond, Justin sat almost every day late in the afternoon, working on some story he was attempting to launch off the first page.
The sun was high in the bright blue afternoon sky, and the city was loudly screaming the sounds of cars, horns, and sirens. The park was swarming with people all attempting to savor the fading days of decent weather and happy moods. As Justin had learned the year before, Bostonians become less friendly and even more sarcastic the lower the temperature gets. But that was not the case this day, the sun was shining, people were out and about, and even though the Red Sox were thirteen back of the Yankees for first place, life was still good.
The only thing Justin, a rather handsome twenty-something single guy living alone in the big city, did more than write while he was in the park was people watch. Truth be told, he drew a lot of inspiration from the people walking around him. Downtown was always a good source of entertainment; the people there almost never disappoint a writer sitting high on his block of nothingness. As was the case on this early September day, there he sat pen in hand, a blank page in front of him, and his eyes everywhere but on that page. And thats when he saw her there, a beautiful brunette in a Red Sox hat.
Justin watched her as she walked towards the giant oak tree he was sitting under. He sat there motionless, smiling at her as she approached him and asked, 'Do you have the time?' He thought to himself, 'The time for me to take you to dinner?' He checked his watch and responded, 'A quarter past three.' The girl seemed frustrated so he asked if there was anything he could do to help her and as it turned out, she believed she had been stood-up by a guy she really liked and didn't know what to do. She had never been stood-up before. 'You look out of this world amazing,' he said, 'and it's his loss for not wanting to come see you. I know the best part of my day has been the last two minutes that you have been talking to me, and if I was him, I'd always want to spend my life's little moments this happy.' She smiled and quickly forgot why she was even there in the park that September day. She sat down next to him under the giant oak tree and there they sat for hours, talking about who they were and where they had been. He explained that he was a writer, and she told him her passion was reading. And the one thing they shared more than anything else was a undying love of the Red Sox. She told him the story behind her hat, which was her first Red Sox hat because she was from New York and had grown up a Yankees fan. In the past, with any other girl, that would have been a deal breaker. Justin had one rule when it came to dating woman; No Yankees fans.
As the sun set and the park grew dark and empty, Justin did what any other decent guy would have done in that situation, he offered to walk her home. 'Nobody has ever offered to walk me home before, not even once.' He looked back at her in disbelief, pausing in his steps and saying, 'Thats a shame, the walk home is the best part of the night.' She lived just a few blocks away from Justin in Kenmore Square, which was part of the Fenway Park neighborhood, a personal favorite of his since he was a little kid and first stepped foot there, coming to Boston for the very first time from Cape Cod, for his very first Red Sox game. Coming from New York, she had never been inside the ballpark before, though she did admit to walking over there during games just to be part of the magic of Fenway, which he had done so many times since moving to the city he had lost track. Justin was quickly realizing how lucky he felt he had met this girl, even though they had been together for nearly five hours now and he still didn't know her name.
When they arrived at the foot of the stoop in front of her apartment, she lit a cigarette and leaned against the railing. Justin sat on the top step, quietly sneaking a picture of this girl as she silently smoked a Marlboro. The night was silent and still, very few cars in the street, and if not for one old man in a hat and his tiny dog, nobody walking the sidewalks. The tree along the street we swaying in the light breeze, and under the street light sat an alley cat. They took it all for a few moments and as Justin took one final drag of his cigarette, she did the same. They both tossed their butt into the street, turned, and caught each others eye. She stood there in front of him, a few inches shorter that he was, but seemingly the perfect size for his arms. He said not a word, and she squeezed tightly, as though she was holding onto something more than just some stranger she had met in the park. He looked at their reflection in the glass door leading into her building and saw himself smiling as he held on to her, afraid to let go, fearing he may never see her again. As much as he hated that thought, in the back of his mind he saw himself with someone he was comfortable with, as though he had known her for years. He leaned back, took both of her hands into his, and looked directly into her eyes. He felt his knees weaken and a pit at the bottom of his stomach, a feeling he had not felt since high school moments before his very first kiss. She looked back at him, with her hair in her face he let go of one hand, brushed back her hair, and he kissed her with such a slow passion that chills shot down his spine and he knew right there in her kiss that she was the one for him.
The night had become the very early morning, and there they sat quietly on the stoop, side by side, watching the world pass them by all around. For the first time in his life, Justin found himself content. He wasn't looking for inspiration on a page, nor was he consumed with the pressures of making a first impression. None of those things mattered to him anymore, which sounds absurd for a guy who doesn't even believe in love at first sight. He always thought in order to love someone, you must first get to know them. All of his past relationships had followed that simple golden rule, and because of that he had never experienced falling so fast for someone the entire world stops. Yet there he was, with a beautiful girl without a name, watching the early morning sun brighten the sky. 'I think I should go to bed,' she said in a faint whisper. He paused, and then just kissed her forehead, stood up and reached for her hand, and then said, 'Sleep tight beautiful.' She smiled at him and turned towards the door to go inside. When she began to step inside, he shouted, 'Wait! Before you go I need to know something.' 'What's that?' she questioned. 'Your name,' he said. Without hesitation, she blew him a kiss and closed the door, looking back just once to see if he was still standing there. He was still standing there, completely dumbfounded and speechless. But he thought to himself, "You got to give her style points." He then reached for a cigarette and his zippo and started down the street towards the subway. Morning was suddenly upon him, with birds chirping and car horns honking. It was a new day in the city, and so far, it was the best damn day Justin had ever had.
A short walk from Justin's apartment, down the center of Commonwealth Ave, lead him to his favorite spot to sit and write. Its a fact Boston Common has one of the most unique views of the entire city skyline because essentially, you are right in the middle of it all. But from that spot, sitting atop the hill not too far from Frog Pond, Justin sat almost every day late in the afternoon, working on some story he was attempting to launch off the first page.
The sun was high in the bright blue afternoon sky, and the city was loudly screaming the sounds of cars, horns, and sirens. The park was swarming with people all attempting to savor the fading days of decent weather and happy moods. As Justin had learned the year before, Bostonians become less friendly and even more sarcastic the lower the temperature gets. But that was not the case this day, the sun was shining, people were out and about, and even though the Red Sox were thirteen back of the Yankees for first place, life was still good.
The only thing Justin, a rather handsome twenty-something single guy living alone in the big city, did more than write while he was in the park was people watch. Truth be told, he drew a lot of inspiration from the people walking around him. Downtown was always a good source of entertainment; the people there almost never disappoint a writer sitting high on his block of nothingness. As was the case on this early September day, there he sat pen in hand, a blank page in front of him, and his eyes everywhere but on that page. And thats when he saw her there, a beautiful brunette in a Red Sox hat.
Justin watched her as she walked towards the giant oak tree he was sitting under. He sat there motionless, smiling at her as she approached him and asked, 'Do you have the time?' He thought to himself, 'The time for me to take you to dinner?' He checked his watch and responded, 'A quarter past three.' The girl seemed frustrated so he asked if there was anything he could do to help her and as it turned out, she believed she had been stood-up by a guy she really liked and didn't know what to do. She had never been stood-up before. 'You look out of this world amazing,' he said, 'and it's his loss for not wanting to come see you. I know the best part of my day has been the last two minutes that you have been talking to me, and if I was him, I'd always want to spend my life's little moments this happy.' She smiled and quickly forgot why she was even there in the park that September day. She sat down next to him under the giant oak tree and there they sat for hours, talking about who they were and where they had been. He explained that he was a writer, and she told him her passion was reading. And the one thing they shared more than anything else was a undying love of the Red Sox. She told him the story behind her hat, which was her first Red Sox hat because she was from New York and had grown up a Yankees fan. In the past, with any other girl, that would have been a deal breaker. Justin had one rule when it came to dating woman; No Yankees fans.
As the sun set and the park grew dark and empty, Justin did what any other decent guy would have done in that situation, he offered to walk her home. 'Nobody has ever offered to walk me home before, not even once.' He looked back at her in disbelief, pausing in his steps and saying, 'Thats a shame, the walk home is the best part of the night.' She lived just a few blocks away from Justin in Kenmore Square, which was part of the Fenway Park neighborhood, a personal favorite of his since he was a little kid and first stepped foot there, coming to Boston for the very first time from Cape Cod, for his very first Red Sox game. Coming from New York, she had never been inside the ballpark before, though she did admit to walking over there during games just to be part of the magic of Fenway, which he had done so many times since moving to the city he had lost track. Justin was quickly realizing how lucky he felt he had met this girl, even though they had been together for nearly five hours now and he still didn't know her name.
When they arrived at the foot of the stoop in front of her apartment, she lit a cigarette and leaned against the railing. Justin sat on the top step, quietly sneaking a picture of this girl as she silently smoked a Marlboro. The night was silent and still, very few cars in the street, and if not for one old man in a hat and his tiny dog, nobody walking the sidewalks. The tree along the street we swaying in the light breeze, and under the street light sat an alley cat. They took it all for a few moments and as Justin took one final drag of his cigarette, she did the same. They both tossed their butt into the street, turned, and caught each others eye. She stood there in front of him, a few inches shorter that he was, but seemingly the perfect size for his arms. He said not a word, and she squeezed tightly, as though she was holding onto something more than just some stranger she had met in the park. He looked at their reflection in the glass door leading into her building and saw himself smiling as he held on to her, afraid to let go, fearing he may never see her again. As much as he hated that thought, in the back of his mind he saw himself with someone he was comfortable with, as though he had known her for years. He leaned back, took both of her hands into his, and looked directly into her eyes. He felt his knees weaken and a pit at the bottom of his stomach, a feeling he had not felt since high school moments before his very first kiss. She looked back at him, with her hair in her face he let go of one hand, brushed back her hair, and he kissed her with such a slow passion that chills shot down his spine and he knew right there in her kiss that she was the one for him.
The night had become the very early morning, and there they sat quietly on the stoop, side by side, watching the world pass them by all around. For the first time in his life, Justin found himself content. He wasn't looking for inspiration on a page, nor was he consumed with the pressures of making a first impression. None of those things mattered to him anymore, which sounds absurd for a guy who doesn't even believe in love at first sight. He always thought in order to love someone, you must first get to know them. All of his past relationships had followed that simple golden rule, and because of that he had never experienced falling so fast for someone the entire world stops. Yet there he was, with a beautiful girl without a name, watching the early morning sun brighten the sky. 'I think I should go to bed,' she said in a faint whisper. He paused, and then just kissed her forehead, stood up and reached for her hand, and then said, 'Sleep tight beautiful.' She smiled at him and turned towards the door to go inside. When she began to step inside, he shouted, 'Wait! Before you go I need to know something.' 'What's that?' she questioned. 'Your name,' he said. Without hesitation, she blew him a kiss and closed the door, looking back just once to see if he was still standing there. He was still standing there, completely dumbfounded and speechless. But he thought to himself, "You got to give her style points." He then reached for a cigarette and his zippo and started down the street towards the subway. Morning was suddenly upon him, with birds chirping and car horns honking. It was a new day in the city, and so far, it was the best damn day Justin had ever had.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)