NaNoWriMo Story
Word Count: 30,183
Goal: 38,000
“That's really kind of ridiculous, isn't it,” I admit.
She nods. “Yeah, it kind of is. I believe that there have been bad people who have worn hats in the past.”
“Indeed, but if there were any justice in the world, their hats would be have been confiscated,” I declare with confidence.
“Were there any justice.” She looks at the piles of brochures around her. “Were there any justice, I would not have to plan this disaster.”
I chuckle. “Okay, it's not the invasion of Normandy. Let's take this one step at a time. How many people are coming?”
She thinks about it. Clearly, she is counting in her head. “I guess about 30 or 40.”
“Okay,” I continue. “What is your budget?”
We go on like this for a while. I eventually, get a pen and paper and start taking down notes on the event, until I have all of the critical details. I then start to compare what she is looking for to the information in the various pamphlets.
As I am sorting out the locations that are not suitable, she suddenly says, “Can I hire you to do this for me?”
“Um, hire me?” I ask.
“Yeah, like I pay you, and you put the event together. I can give you two hundred dollars for it,” she explains excitedly. No, not excited, more like desperate. Her tone puts me in mind of what a drowning person might sound like asking for rope from a passing boat.
I smile kindly at her. “Well, I can't think of anything else I'm doing these days,” I reply with a wink.
“What do you mean?” she asks, then realizes what I am talking about and adds, “Oh, I'm sorry. The whole memory thing. Oh, I shouldn't have asked you. You have all this other stuff going on. You don't want to worry about my silly dinner.”
“Actually, on the contrary, I would love to worry about your dinner. I only have little bits and pieces of memory so far, but this feels like something I know how to do. Maybe it's my side job, and you are getting the amnesia discount, or perhaps I'm overcharging you. Either way, I get a little rush out this planning stuff, so I really don't mind helping you out.”
She smiles a broad and relieved smile. “Oh, good. I could really use the help. It is really awesome that you came by, you know.”
Allison returns with a tray, carrying three cups of steaming hot tea. Setting the tray down on the coffee table, she says, “I kind of assumed you might want some.” She sits down with us.
“Sure. I've never heard of a tea allergy,” I joke.
She smiles. “That is not funny. No, it is funny.”
Suzanne looks confused, so Allison explains, “Since he can't remember anything, he was concerned that he might have allergies and not realize it. So far, nothing has killed him. No anaphylacsis so far.”
Suzanne gives her a look. “That is a terribly morbid thought, and totally sounds like something that you would think of.”
I interject, “Actually, I thought of that one.”
“Well, then, you are perfect for each other,” Suzanne replies.
We all laugh. Still chuckling, I say, “ I can't remember any woman better than her.”
Allison jabs me playfully with her elbow. “That joke is going to get old, sooner or later.”
“Naw,” I disagree. “I'll get my memory back before that happens.”
Allison replies with a half smile. “I suppose you will. That will be a very exciting time, I imagine.”
I do not immediately understand Allison's reaction, but Suzanne does. “Don't worry, Allison. He'll still be around when he gets his memory back. I just hired him to plan my parent's fiftieth anniversary party. He better not disappear on me.” She narrows her eyes at my dramatically. “You're not going anywhere, are you mister?”
“I'm not going anywhere. Even when the memory comes back, I'll be around.” I look Allison in the eye. “I don't know what kind of life I have back there, but you have done so incredibly much for me. No matter what happens, I will always appreciate what you have done for me.”
Apparently I said the right thing, because Allison gets this broad smile on her face. Then, not seeming to know what to do with herself, she leans in and gives me a lingering kiss.
As she sits back up, I notice Suzanne looks a little bit awkward, but she is obviously happy for her friend and house mate. “Now that I know that all this,” she waves her hands over the brochures with disgust, “is taken care of, I will be off to my room, and I will leave you two to each other.”
Allison and I look at each other, blushing slightly. “You don't have to,” Allison protests weakly.
“No, it's okay. I've got some cleaning to do. You two kids have fun,” she says with a wink, as she gets up to leave.
After she has left the room, Allison and I share and embarrassed laugh. “I really am not going to vanish on you, when I get better, you know.”
She picks up her tea and blows on it thoughtfully for a moment. “I know, but it's just that I really don't know what will become of you when you get back to yourself. I don't know how much you work, or what your mood tends to be like.”
She takes a sip of the tea before putting it back down and looking at me directly. “I don't even know if you have a girlfriend.”
“Well, I don't feel like...”
“Yeah, I know you don't feel like there is anyone you are in love with, but we just don't know.” She is silent for a moment, looking out the window. Suddenly, she turns back to me and declares, “You know what?”
I am a bit startled by her quick change of tone. “Um, what?”
“It doesn't matter.” She slides closer to me and puts her hand on my leg. “I have you now. Maybe you will return to a girlfriend or boyfriend or the priesthood when you get your memory back, but for now, you are here with me, and I intend to enjoy it.”
My heart beats a little faster when she says this. The thought does come to me that I might have a girlfriend, and maybe I should not be doing anything with Allison just in case. “I'm sorry honey, I didn't remember you,” I think to myself. The hell with it. I will take whatever life presents and deal with it as it comes.
She stands up and offers her hand to help me up. “Come here,” she says sweetly.
I take her hand and get to my feet. Without warning, she pushes me back against the living room wall, her lips passionately pressed against mine. I am alarmed for a moment, but then I decide to just go with it. Still kissing me, she pushes my jacket off of my shoulders and down my arms. As she takes a breath, I comment, “Ah, this is what you mean by 'having me.'”
Her hands move to the buttons on my shirt and start unbuttoning the buttons. “I have no idea what you mean,” she says as she kisses me again.
She takes my hand, and leads me, shirt half open and jacket lying on the ground, back to her room. After following me into the room, she kicks the door shut. As she stands facing me, I reach out and place my hands gently on her waist. I trace the curves up the side of her body, and she smiles back at me.
I move my hands back to the hem of her shirt and I slip the garment off over her head. Well, mostly over her head. It gets caught a bit on her chin, and we laugh as we struggle to get her unentangled. As we work the shirt over her head, I admire her smooth, light skin, emphasized by the red fabric of her modest bra.
Goal: 38,000
“That's really kind of ridiculous, isn't it,” I admit.
She nods. “Yeah, it kind of is. I believe that there have been bad people who have worn hats in the past.”
“Indeed, but if there were any justice in the world, their hats would be have been confiscated,” I declare with confidence.
“Were there any justice.” She looks at the piles of brochures around her. “Were there any justice, I would not have to plan this disaster.”
I chuckle. “Okay, it's not the invasion of Normandy. Let's take this one step at a time. How many people are coming?”
She thinks about it. Clearly, she is counting in her head. “I guess about 30 or 40.”
“Okay,” I continue. “What is your budget?”
We go on like this for a while. I eventually, get a pen and paper and start taking down notes on the event, until I have all of the critical details. I then start to compare what she is looking for to the information in the various pamphlets.
As I am sorting out the locations that are not suitable, she suddenly says, “Can I hire you to do this for me?”
“Um, hire me?” I ask.
“Yeah, like I pay you, and you put the event together. I can give you two hundred dollars for it,” she explains excitedly. No, not excited, more like desperate. Her tone puts me in mind of what a drowning person might sound like asking for rope from a passing boat.
I smile kindly at her. “Well, I can't think of anything else I'm doing these days,” I reply with a wink.
“What do you mean?” she asks, then realizes what I am talking about and adds, “Oh, I'm sorry. The whole memory thing. Oh, I shouldn't have asked you. You have all this other stuff going on. You don't want to worry about my silly dinner.”
“Actually, on the contrary, I would love to worry about your dinner. I only have little bits and pieces of memory so far, but this feels like something I know how to do. Maybe it's my side job, and you are getting the amnesia discount, or perhaps I'm overcharging you. Either way, I get a little rush out this planning stuff, so I really don't mind helping you out.”
She smiles a broad and relieved smile. “Oh, good. I could really use the help. It is really awesome that you came by, you know.”
Allison returns with a tray, carrying three cups of steaming hot tea. Setting the tray down on the coffee table, she says, “I kind of assumed you might want some.” She sits down with us.
“Sure. I've never heard of a tea allergy,” I joke.
She smiles. “That is not funny. No, it is funny.”
Suzanne looks confused, so Allison explains, “Since he can't remember anything, he was concerned that he might have allergies and not realize it. So far, nothing has killed him. No anaphylacsis so far.”
Suzanne gives her a look. “That is a terribly morbid thought, and totally sounds like something that you would think of.”
I interject, “Actually, I thought of that one.”
“Well, then, you are perfect for each other,” Suzanne replies.
We all laugh. Still chuckling, I say, “ I can't remember any woman better than her.”
Allison jabs me playfully with her elbow. “That joke is going to get old, sooner or later.”
“Naw,” I disagree. “I'll get my memory back before that happens.”
Allison replies with a half smile. “I suppose you will. That will be a very exciting time, I imagine.”
I do not immediately understand Allison's reaction, but Suzanne does. “Don't worry, Allison. He'll still be around when he gets his memory back. I just hired him to plan my parent's fiftieth anniversary party. He better not disappear on me.” She narrows her eyes at my dramatically. “You're not going anywhere, are you mister?”
“I'm not going anywhere. Even when the memory comes back, I'll be around.” I look Allison in the eye. “I don't know what kind of life I have back there, but you have done so incredibly much for me. No matter what happens, I will always appreciate what you have done for me.”
Apparently I said the right thing, because Allison gets this broad smile on her face. Then, not seeming to know what to do with herself, she leans in and gives me a lingering kiss.
As she sits back up, I notice Suzanne looks a little bit awkward, but she is obviously happy for her friend and house mate. “Now that I know that all this,” she waves her hands over the brochures with disgust, “is taken care of, I will be off to my room, and I will leave you two to each other.”
Allison and I look at each other, blushing slightly. “You don't have to,” Allison protests weakly.
“No, it's okay. I've got some cleaning to do. You two kids have fun,” she says with a wink, as she gets up to leave.
After she has left the room, Allison and I share and embarrassed laugh. “I really am not going to vanish on you, when I get better, you know.”
She picks up her tea and blows on it thoughtfully for a moment. “I know, but it's just that I really don't know what will become of you when you get back to yourself. I don't know how much you work, or what your mood tends to be like.”
She takes a sip of the tea before putting it back down and looking at me directly. “I don't even know if you have a girlfriend.”
“Well, I don't feel like...”
“Yeah, I know you don't feel like there is anyone you are in love with, but we just don't know.” She is silent for a moment, looking out the window. Suddenly, she turns back to me and declares, “You know what?”
I am a bit startled by her quick change of tone. “Um, what?”
“It doesn't matter.” She slides closer to me and puts her hand on my leg. “I have you now. Maybe you will return to a girlfriend or boyfriend or the priesthood when you get your memory back, but for now, you are here with me, and I intend to enjoy it.”
My heart beats a little faster when she says this. The thought does come to me that I might have a girlfriend, and maybe I should not be doing anything with Allison just in case. “I'm sorry honey, I didn't remember you,” I think to myself. The hell with it. I will take whatever life presents and deal with it as it comes.
She stands up and offers her hand to help me up. “Come here,” she says sweetly.
I take her hand and get to my feet. Without warning, she pushes me back against the living room wall, her lips passionately pressed against mine. I am alarmed for a moment, but then I decide to just go with it. Still kissing me, she pushes my jacket off of my shoulders and down my arms. As she takes a breath, I comment, “Ah, this is what you mean by 'having me.'”
Her hands move to the buttons on my shirt and start unbuttoning the buttons. “I have no idea what you mean,” she says as she kisses me again.
She takes my hand, and leads me, shirt half open and jacket lying on the ground, back to her room. After following me into the room, she kicks the door shut. As she stands facing me, I reach out and place my hands gently on her waist. I trace the curves up the side of her body, and she smiles back at me.
I move my hands back to the hem of her shirt and I slip the garment off over her head. Well, mostly over her head. It gets caught a bit on her chin, and we laugh as we struggle to get her unentangled. As we work the shirt over her head, I admire her smooth, light skin, emphasized by the red fabric of her modest bra.