Brigit's Flame Entry - Week 3 - Happiness Is . . .
My entry this week didn't come to me as easily as the others. I had the idea, but not the motivation. I need to thank my boyfriend, Lou, for his encouragement and inspiration. And now, the entry:
Nadine smiled.
Peter watched her, jealous of the sweetness being bestowed on another customer. She had such an endearing smile, and, when she focused it on him, it ignited his world. Peter looked around him. There were two tellers working, Nadine and some fairy-type guy wearing a suit. His hair was perfectly sculpted. “Probably uses gel,” Peter thought dismissively. He was third in line, standing behind a slightly overweight woman in a blue flowered skirt that made her look even rounder, and an Hispanic dad with two sweet-faced little girls in tow. Peter fidgeted, pushing his thick black glasses back up to the bridge of his nose with his knuckle. He had to get to Nadine’s window.
It was the Hispanic dad’s turn. He went to Nadine, and quickly withdrew some cash from his account. That dazzling smile was focused on him for the moment. Peter bit his lip and ran his thin fingers through the sparse strands of his goatee. She called for the next customer, the lady in the flowered skirt. Damn! He was going to get fairy-boy! Peter looked behind him to let the next person go ahead. No one. Damn again! “Sir,” said the young man, “I can help you now.” Peter tried to catch Nadine’s eye, then reluctantly gave his paycheck to the sculpted- hair guy. He would have to wait for her outside. He adjusted his backpack strap on his shoulder and left the bank, glancing back once to see if Nadine was watching.
The bank was in a small strip mall near the apartment Peter had lived in for the past three months, ever since his mother had finally kicked him out. That still rankled. She’d said that after raising four kids she was done and, at 24, he was old enough to manage on his own. So he’d found a cramped one-bedroom basement apartment for pretty cheap. It was all he could really afford on his salary from Savvy Circuit, the electronics superstore at the mall. It was also all he really needed. It was dark, but Peter like that. It was a much better ambience in which to play video games and watch horror movies, which occupied most of his time at home. Peter never had been much of a reader.
Sitting on a bench in the artfully contrived greenspace the city demanded of the strip mall, Peter waited for Nadine to take her lunch break. It was August-hot, and the neophyte tree did little to shade Peter from the midday sun. His thoughts, however, were too focused on Nadine to mind about a little glare and sweat. He had first seen her a few weeks ago, on his weekly trip to the bank to cash his paycheck. She had taken care of his deposit and then added, “And have a great day, Peter Collins,” with an enchanting smile that revealed a dimple in her right cheek. Peter was charmed, literally. He had stammered, “Uh, you, too, umm . . .” and glanced at the business card on the ledge next to her station, “Nadine Spencer” he’d finished. He grabbed one of the cards as she beckoned for the next customer in line.
Peter had increased his banking visits to two a week, one to cash his paycheck, and one to make a small withdrawal. No ATMs for him, not with Nadine to look forward to. He had taped the business card with her name to the wall next to his bed. The next week, he had sat on this same bench and taken a picture of her with a quickly purchased disposable camera, but she appeared far off and indistinct. Harry, one of the guys he worked with at Savvy Circuit, saw him looking at it during a break a few weeks ago, and had begun teasing Peter about his “new girlfriend.” Peter felt proud to think about her in that way. Now, waiting in the broiling sun, he began to imagine what it would be like to talk to her about something other than his banking needs. Like, what her favorite color was; what she ate for breakfast; or especially, where she lived. He was getting desperate to find out where she lived. “Take it slow, buddy,” Peter cautioned himself. “These things take time.” He glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes until her lunch. He had that much of her schedule down. He had something special to do today, too. He took his new digital Canon with zoom, bought with his employee discount at Savvy Circuit, out of his backpack and began to sight through it, practicing. Today he would get a good shot of Nadine, a close-up of her pretty, dimpled face.
There she was, exiting the bank. Peter excitedly focused the camera, pressed the Zoom button, and Nadine’s features came into range. He clicked, then clicked the camera again. Two face shots! As she turned right toward the nearby Subway, Peter got up from the bench and followed at what he assumed was a safe distance, keeping the zoom in position. He got several more pictures, one of her rounded ass in the slim skirt she was wearing, one a profile as she slid her fingers through her hair to keep it out of her face, and a third as she glanced around, as if she had noticed him. Peter stopped where he was then turned around and dropped the camera into his backpack. He had thought of following her into the restaurant, standing behind her in line and smelling her perfume. Noticing what she ordered, what she liked. He needed to become familiar with what she liked - that’s what would finally impress her. That he’d taken the time to find out so much about her.
After walking the several blocks home, Peter clambered down the cement steps to his apartment. He found the cable for the camera and plugged it into his computer and soon he had them. Five pictures of Nadine! He printed out 8”x10”s and taped four of them to the wall around his unmade bed, kissing each as he did. Laying back against the pillow, Peter held the remaining picture and stroked Nadine’s cheek. “I’m going to take care of you, pretty girl,” he whispered. He felt himself stiffen, and the familiar warm tingling in his groin. He stroked Nadine’s cheek again, then slowly stroked himself and kissed her Polaroid lips. He groaned as liquid spattered the photograph.
Then, Peter smiled.
Nadine smiled.
Peter watched her, jealous of the sweetness being bestowed on another customer. She had such an endearing smile, and, when she focused it on him, it ignited his world. Peter looked around him. There were two tellers working, Nadine and some fairy-type guy wearing a suit. His hair was perfectly sculpted. “Probably uses gel,” Peter thought dismissively. He was third in line, standing behind a slightly overweight woman in a blue flowered skirt that made her look even rounder, and an Hispanic dad with two sweet-faced little girls in tow. Peter fidgeted, pushing his thick black glasses back up to the bridge of his nose with his knuckle. He had to get to Nadine’s window.
It was the Hispanic dad’s turn. He went to Nadine, and quickly withdrew some cash from his account. That dazzling smile was focused on him for the moment. Peter bit his lip and ran his thin fingers through the sparse strands of his goatee. She called for the next customer, the lady in the flowered skirt. Damn! He was going to get fairy-boy! Peter looked behind him to let the next person go ahead. No one. Damn again! “Sir,” said the young man, “I can help you now.” Peter tried to catch Nadine’s eye, then reluctantly gave his paycheck to the sculpted- hair guy. He would have to wait for her outside. He adjusted his backpack strap on his shoulder and left the bank, glancing back once to see if Nadine was watching.
The bank was in a small strip mall near the apartment Peter had lived in for the past three months, ever since his mother had finally kicked him out. That still rankled. She’d said that after raising four kids she was done and, at 24, he was old enough to manage on his own. So he’d found a cramped one-bedroom basement apartment for pretty cheap. It was all he could really afford on his salary from Savvy Circuit, the electronics superstore at the mall. It was also all he really needed. It was dark, but Peter like that. It was a much better ambience in which to play video games and watch horror movies, which occupied most of his time at home. Peter never had been much of a reader.
Sitting on a bench in the artfully contrived greenspace the city demanded of the strip mall, Peter waited for Nadine to take her lunch break. It was August-hot, and the neophyte tree did little to shade Peter from the midday sun. His thoughts, however, were too focused on Nadine to mind about a little glare and sweat. He had first seen her a few weeks ago, on his weekly trip to the bank to cash his paycheck. She had taken care of his deposit and then added, “And have a great day, Peter Collins,” with an enchanting smile that revealed a dimple in her right cheek. Peter was charmed, literally. He had stammered, “Uh, you, too, umm . . .” and glanced at the business card on the ledge next to her station, “Nadine Spencer” he’d finished. He grabbed one of the cards as she beckoned for the next customer in line.
Peter had increased his banking visits to two a week, one to cash his paycheck, and one to make a small withdrawal. No ATMs for him, not with Nadine to look forward to. He had taped the business card with her name to the wall next to his bed. The next week, he had sat on this same bench and taken a picture of her with a quickly purchased disposable camera, but she appeared far off and indistinct. Harry, one of the guys he worked with at Savvy Circuit, saw him looking at it during a break a few weeks ago, and had begun teasing Peter about his “new girlfriend.” Peter felt proud to think about her in that way. Now, waiting in the broiling sun, he began to imagine what it would be like to talk to her about something other than his banking needs. Like, what her favorite color was; what she ate for breakfast; or especially, where she lived. He was getting desperate to find out where she lived. “Take it slow, buddy,” Peter cautioned himself. “These things take time.” He glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes until her lunch. He had that much of her schedule down. He had something special to do today, too. He took his new digital Canon with zoom, bought with his employee discount at Savvy Circuit, out of his backpack and began to sight through it, practicing. Today he would get a good shot of Nadine, a close-up of her pretty, dimpled face.
There she was, exiting the bank. Peter excitedly focused the camera, pressed the Zoom button, and Nadine’s features came into range. He clicked, then clicked the camera again. Two face shots! As she turned right toward the nearby Subway, Peter got up from the bench and followed at what he assumed was a safe distance, keeping the zoom in position. He got several more pictures, one of her rounded ass in the slim skirt she was wearing, one a profile as she slid her fingers through her hair to keep it out of her face, and a third as she glanced around, as if she had noticed him. Peter stopped where he was then turned around and dropped the camera into his backpack. He had thought of following her into the restaurant, standing behind her in line and smelling her perfume. Noticing what she ordered, what she liked. He needed to become familiar with what she liked - that’s what would finally impress her. That he’d taken the time to find out so much about her.
After walking the several blocks home, Peter clambered down the cement steps to his apartment. He found the cable for the camera and plugged it into his computer and soon he had them. Five pictures of Nadine! He printed out 8”x10”s and taped four of them to the wall around his unmade bed, kissing each as he did. Laying back against the pillow, Peter held the remaining picture and stroked Nadine’s cheek. “I’m going to take care of you, pretty girl,” he whispered. He felt himself stiffen, and the familiar warm tingling in his groin. He stroked Nadine’s cheek again, then slowly stroked himself and kissed her Polaroid lips. He groaned as liquid spattered the photograph.
Then, Peter smiled.