The Don and Me
It was in those last few weeks that I decided that I did not want to stay here that things began to go bad. My father had an unrecoverable heart attack, and shortly there after my mother died of a broken heart. I grieved for four days before I began to dismantle my inheritance. I sold most everything, only keeping things that had sentimental value: my mothers tea cups, my father's guns. I sold many of my possessions, and I had spoke with the insurance company and was receiving my parent's life insurance.
It was strange, feeling nothing and walking through that empty house on the last day before I put it up for sale. My mother and I agreed that the house would always be the first to go, but I did not want to pay to store the contents. I left some things for the people who would eventually buy it.
A week after my mother died, I returned to work. The Don always kept an eye out for me while I was there. I was living with a friend from work, now, and she was taking me in because we had similar hours. But one night she was let off a few hours early and promised to come get me when I was finished.
After we had closed and left the building, I sat outside on the curb listening to the Don while waiting for my friend. He ended up getting me talking. I don't know how much time had passed but my cellphone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and read the text message from my friend: "I'm drunk LOL!!"
I sighed, audibly. And true to form, the Don looked at me and asked, "Whats wrong?"
"She went off and got drunk, and is likely going to get laid tonight and I won't hear the end of it tomorrow."
I stood and stretched, "I should just fuck her friend and get it over with. Take Kasyus over the mountains and just go."
The Don's face looked sad for a moment and he stepped closer and put his arm on my shoulder, "Do you want me to take you home?"
I snorted, "Do you know where that is?"
The Don laughed, "Fair enough. Do you want to go back to your friend's?"
"No."
There was a pause, a line was going to be crossed tonight. "Do you want to go out with me, instead?"
"Sure."
I picked up my bag and he walked me to his car, opening the trunk. I dropped it in, then he closed it before opening the passenger door for me. I stared inside. I had only sit in this car once before. We were listening to music after work and talking. He was depressed, and I didn't want to go home. This was before my parents died.
I carefully slipped into the car and he closed the door. I put on my seat belt. He got in and started the car. She burst into life. It made me smile, it made me miss my Kasyus. As he drove, fast I might add, he talked. He told me a lot of things that normally I wouldn't hear, and I listened. We drove and drove, he talked and I listened. Then it was my turn. When I began to talk, I fell apart. My voice caught, tears welled up in my eyes. I choked. We made a tight left turn and I found us in a driveway. He turned off the car, got out and proceeded to help me out.
We walked up to the house, he opened the door and ushered me in. I took off my shoes and got a funny look. I set my jacket down on a chair and took off my work shirt before being shown into a room with a TV, couch, and intricate sound system. There were video games and consoles everywhere. It made me smile. I sat down on the couch and tucked my feet up under myself.
"Are you hungry," he asked, leaning over the back of the couch to look at me.
I shrugged, "A little."
"Just a little? You didn't even take a lunch today and you worked nearly ten hours..."
I shrugged again, "I thought the deal was to not talk about work?"
He nodded and went into the kitchen. I heard him moving some stuff around and got up to investigate.
The Don had opened a bottle of white wine, and poured two glasses. He also had sliced up cheese and put it on a plate with crackers, he looked a little nervous. This was the first time I had smiled within the last month. I walked up behind him and touched his back, he looked over his shoulder at me and smiled.
"Is there anything I can help with?" I felt shy.
"Yes, grab the bottle and the glasses. I'll get the plate and bowls."
I hadn't noticed a the two bowls of cracker spread on the counter, but I went ahead and picked up the bottle of wine and the glasses. I walked back into his living room and set them down on the coffee table. He followed shortly, depositing the plate and bowls before setting up a movie for us to watch. I couldn't help but stare.
He sat back down on the couch next to me, him leaning against the arm rest. I carefully sipped my glass of wine, generally uninterested in the crackers or the movie. I felt his arm rest on the back of the couch and instinctively I leaned against his chest. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had forgotten what it was like to be so close to another person. Specifically a man.
We were watching the movie when I felt his arm move down onto my shoulder, his finger tips playing against my cheek. His hand then cupped my chin and tilted my head up. I looked up into his eyes. They were blue. He tilted his head down and kissed me. I felt my heart stop. His mustache and beard tickled me a little, but for some reason I found it reassuring. I lifted my hand and touched his cheek, kissing him back. I felt his tongue against my lips, it was slightly cool.
My cell phone rang and I jumped, pulling myself away quickly. I fumbled with it trying to get it free from my pocket. I glared at it, having a hard time seeing who it was. It was my friend. I answered.
"What?"
-- "I'm sooooo druuuunnnkkk... I'm sorry I forgot about you...hehehee..."
I sighed, "Its fine."
-- "I asked James to go see if you were there or hooommmeee.... But he called and said you were neither... Where are you?"
"Its irrelevant."
-- "Your mother would kill me if I let you get hurt..."
"My mother is dead, Angelica. And therefor, it doesn't matter. Go back to your party. I'm safe."
I hung up my phone then turned it off. I was very angry. I wanted to throw it. The Don sensed my anger and took my phone from me, setting it on the table. His fingertips again tilted my head to look at him.
"Did I make you angry?" His voice was soft, it made my heart ache. My skin ached more, his fingers warm.
"No. I'm fine. I promise." I smiled to convince him.
"If you want me to take you home, I will."
I quickly shook my head, "I would like to stay here. I..." My voice caught. I swallowed and reached for my wine, he moved it out of reach. I glared.
"What is it that you want?"
I took a deep breath, "My life has literally fallen apart. I'm alone now, seemingly abandoned by everyone who I had ever known. I am on the verge of running away, going some place where the sun may shine a little brighter and things may be a little better. But..." I trailed off. Where was I going with this.
"But?"
"Its been three years that I've worked for you, and every single time we got off work together I wanted you to do what you had done tonight. And now, after things have gone bad to worse, you do. And I don't want to leave anymore."
"So stay." He said simply, his hands taking mine. He kissed my finger tips. "Ever since I met you I wanted to do something to ease that suffering you have endured. And now that I have, I don't want you to leave."
His words hit like a bullet to the chest. I couldn't breathe. He looked at me, and his skin flushed a little.
"Caryn?" He whispered my name.
I whispered softly in return, "Take me to bed."
He stood, and gently pulled me up. The Don had changed my mind. I would stay.
It was strange, feeling nothing and walking through that empty house on the last day before I put it up for sale. My mother and I agreed that the house would always be the first to go, but I did not want to pay to store the contents. I left some things for the people who would eventually buy it.
A week after my mother died, I returned to work. The Don always kept an eye out for me while I was there. I was living with a friend from work, now, and she was taking me in because we had similar hours. But one night she was let off a few hours early and promised to come get me when I was finished.
After we had closed and left the building, I sat outside on the curb listening to the Don while waiting for my friend. He ended up getting me talking. I don't know how much time had passed but my cellphone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and read the text message from my friend: "I'm drunk LOL!!"
I sighed, audibly. And true to form, the Don looked at me and asked, "Whats wrong?"
"She went off and got drunk, and is likely going to get laid tonight and I won't hear the end of it tomorrow."
I stood and stretched, "I should just fuck her friend and get it over with. Take Kasyus over the mountains and just go."
The Don's face looked sad for a moment and he stepped closer and put his arm on my shoulder, "Do you want me to take you home?"
I snorted, "Do you know where that is?"
The Don laughed, "Fair enough. Do you want to go back to your friend's?"
"No."
There was a pause, a line was going to be crossed tonight. "Do you want to go out with me, instead?"
"Sure."
I picked up my bag and he walked me to his car, opening the trunk. I dropped it in, then he closed it before opening the passenger door for me. I stared inside. I had only sit in this car once before. We were listening to music after work and talking. He was depressed, and I didn't want to go home. This was before my parents died.
I carefully slipped into the car and he closed the door. I put on my seat belt. He got in and started the car. She burst into life. It made me smile, it made me miss my Kasyus. As he drove, fast I might add, he talked. He told me a lot of things that normally I wouldn't hear, and I listened. We drove and drove, he talked and I listened. Then it was my turn. When I began to talk, I fell apart. My voice caught, tears welled up in my eyes. I choked. We made a tight left turn and I found us in a driveway. He turned off the car, got out and proceeded to help me out.
We walked up to the house, he opened the door and ushered me in. I took off my shoes and got a funny look. I set my jacket down on a chair and took off my work shirt before being shown into a room with a TV, couch, and intricate sound system. There were video games and consoles everywhere. It made me smile. I sat down on the couch and tucked my feet up under myself.
"Are you hungry," he asked, leaning over the back of the couch to look at me.
I shrugged, "A little."
"Just a little? You didn't even take a lunch today and you worked nearly ten hours..."
I shrugged again, "I thought the deal was to not talk about work?"
He nodded and went into the kitchen. I heard him moving some stuff around and got up to investigate.
The Don had opened a bottle of white wine, and poured two glasses. He also had sliced up cheese and put it on a plate with crackers, he looked a little nervous. This was the first time I had smiled within the last month. I walked up behind him and touched his back, he looked over his shoulder at me and smiled.
"Is there anything I can help with?" I felt shy.
"Yes, grab the bottle and the glasses. I'll get the plate and bowls."
I hadn't noticed a the two bowls of cracker spread on the counter, but I went ahead and picked up the bottle of wine and the glasses. I walked back into his living room and set them down on the coffee table. He followed shortly, depositing the plate and bowls before setting up a movie for us to watch. I couldn't help but stare.
He sat back down on the couch next to me, him leaning against the arm rest. I carefully sipped my glass of wine, generally uninterested in the crackers or the movie. I felt his arm rest on the back of the couch and instinctively I leaned against his chest. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had forgotten what it was like to be so close to another person. Specifically a man.
We were watching the movie when I felt his arm move down onto my shoulder, his finger tips playing against my cheek. His hand then cupped my chin and tilted my head up. I looked up into his eyes. They were blue. He tilted his head down and kissed me. I felt my heart stop. His mustache and beard tickled me a little, but for some reason I found it reassuring. I lifted my hand and touched his cheek, kissing him back. I felt his tongue against my lips, it was slightly cool.
My cell phone rang and I jumped, pulling myself away quickly. I fumbled with it trying to get it free from my pocket. I glared at it, having a hard time seeing who it was. It was my friend. I answered.
"What?"
-- "I'm sooooo druuuunnnkkk... I'm sorry I forgot about you...hehehee..."
I sighed, "Its fine."
-- "I asked James to go see if you were there or hooommmeee.... But he called and said you were neither... Where are you?"
"Its irrelevant."
-- "Your mother would kill me if I let you get hurt..."
"My mother is dead, Angelica. And therefor, it doesn't matter. Go back to your party. I'm safe."
I hung up my phone then turned it off. I was very angry. I wanted to throw it. The Don sensed my anger and took my phone from me, setting it on the table. His fingertips again tilted my head to look at him.
"Did I make you angry?" His voice was soft, it made my heart ache. My skin ached more, his fingers warm.
"No. I'm fine. I promise." I smiled to convince him.
"If you want me to take you home, I will."
I quickly shook my head, "I would like to stay here. I..." My voice caught. I swallowed and reached for my wine, he moved it out of reach. I glared.
"What is it that you want?"
I took a deep breath, "My life has literally fallen apart. I'm alone now, seemingly abandoned by everyone who I had ever known. I am on the verge of running away, going some place where the sun may shine a little brighter and things may be a little better. But..." I trailed off. Where was I going with this.
"But?"
"Its been three years that I've worked for you, and every single time we got off work together I wanted you to do what you had done tonight. And now, after things have gone bad to worse, you do. And I don't want to leave anymore."
"So stay." He said simply, his hands taking mine. He kissed my finger tips. "Ever since I met you I wanted to do something to ease that suffering you have endured. And now that I have, I don't want you to leave."
His words hit like a bullet to the chest. I couldn't breathe. He looked at me, and his skin flushed a little.
"Caryn?" He whispered my name.
I whispered softly in return, "Take me to bed."
He stood, and gently pulled me up. The Don had changed my mind. I would stay.