The Day I Felt Alive

10

Arlene

"Remember you had said you would cook for me?" after the sunset we went inside the house, she looked at me and nodded, "lets do that tonight?" I motion for her to follow me towards the stairs that led to my room, yes my balcony has access to the pool area, and the pool is deep enough to jump from my balcony to the pool. Major party killer.

She turned to look up at me now, she was mid-step. Her face was pink from the afternoon sun, she looked more beautiful each time I see her. Each time is something different I find on her face, freckles by her ear leading towards he back. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her white hairs shinning with the last drops of sun left.

She was about to move up one more step to be next to me when Wanda interrupted, I look back to the patio, "yes?" Hailee kept walking up the stairs. Possibly embarrassed.

"Will you like us to start preparing dinner?"

I looked back at Hailee, "No," I looked back at Wanda, "We will be cooking, you can take the night off, and tomorrow too please."

"Ok thank you."

"Lets go get change," I followed Hailee at my own pace.

"Are you going to show me your goods again?" she said jokingly, raising her eyebrows at me. "so I can be ready." I threw her a change of clothes.

I stopped before I went into the restroom. I looked at her dead in the eyes, with a smirk and mischievous smile I lifted my eyebrow, "I have something much better than a peak at my boobs, it consist of me being naked, in the shower, while you watch me." If the phrase 'red as a tomato' had a face it would be Hailee's, I laughed at her and walked into the restroom to change.

When I came out of the restroom Hailee had changed, but she was still very much red, she got out of the bed, "you serious about tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I showed her my wrist, "you will help me wrap this up in a plastic bag, get me naked and help me shower." I was so serious, her eyes were big, "as much as I enjoyed seeing you very nervous," I laughed at her expression, I walked out the room towards the kitchen. I heard her follow,  "I was able to change today, I just need a little help tomorrow." We reached the bottom of the stairs, I turned to look at her, smiling of course, "good luck to us tomorrow right?"

"Ye..yes."

I was enjoying every single minute of this, "the fridge is behind those doors, everything you need will be in there."

She went to open the doors, "how do you have so much food but you get takeout every day?"

"Because that restaurant is mine,"

"What restaurant?" She thought about for a second, "wait, what?"

"Yeah, so left over food is brought here, shared among the coworkers, their families. My restaurant gets fresh food every day, its meant to be healthy."

"You impress me every time we talk, something new about you today." She dug through the food and vegetables.

"Yes, that's what talking does. It lets you get to know the person." I sat on the tall stools that faced the cooking area. "Are you sure you can cook? you're like a celebrity do you even cook your own food?"

She gave me a face, "yes I cook! you're the one who takes food from her own restaurant and doesn't cook at home."

I chuckle at her, "I cook on my days off ok!" 

Smiling she started getting all the things she needed for whatever she was cooking and kept looking at me every change she would get.

"Take a picture it last longer."

"I have one remember?"

I blushed, she was creating a confusion in my brain, my little isolated heart. Those smiles she throws my way when she looks up from cutting the vegetables, the side eyes looking back at me while I watched her every move, I thought I would see her smiling to herself.

"Do you write your own music?"

She closed the pan she was working on, "yes, all my music."

"Inspirations?"

"My life, numerous heartbreaks. People, the world."

"Hmm."

"Same for you right?"

I thought about that for a moment, "yes and no." I looked at one of the painting right outside the kitchen area, "that one," I pointed it out to her, "was inspired by a dream I had, so not inspired by any event in my life," she nodded and went back to her cooking, "every single one of this paintings has a story, it may not be mine but someone else's. With permission, copy rights, and of course compensation yearly- if any."

"Oh, wow that's crazy. My music does have back story, to get to know them would be to get to know me." She poured one last ingredient over the plates she had prepared for us and she handed me one, and placed the other next to mine, "where is your wine?"

"I can't drink,"

"I know, I will grab juice for you." Laughing at me, she grabbed herself a bottle of wine, and a soda for me.

She came around the counter and she sat down next to me, our knees and shoulders almost touching, "enjoy, its an Italian recipe I learn when I was in Italy."

I took a bite it was delicious, "oh wow this is incredible," smiling we both ate and talked as we smiled back and forth with each other.

My heart was growing nervous the longer I sat here talking to her, her energy was one to match mine. We had so much in common, I didn't want this- whatever it was- to end.

After we finished eating, I tried to help her clean but my writs would only allow me to clean the counter.

After she had left my kitchen spotless she came to sit next to me again, this time I was on my chair but she had manage to leave me between her legs, occasionally she would touch my thighs, leaving her hand to rest once in a while till she had to pour another glass of wine for herself and more water for me. We laughed and joked about life. Our good moments, our bad moments, our most embarrassing times on TV -well for her.

Around midnight, she joked that she was starting to feel dizzy. "You're light weight!"

"SHHH!!" she definitely was getting to the drunk point.

"OK, lets get you to the room because I wont be able to carry you if you pass out on the floor."

We both walked up the stairs, she changed into new sleeping clothes and laid in bed. I laid next to her, and started running my fingers through her hair. In no time she drifted to sleep and was snoring lightly, my mind, my heart, my whole body wanted to lean in and kiss her soft cheek, a goodnight kiss. I was leaning to kiss her when she moved her hand looking for me, she got closer to me and placed her arm across my chest. Cuddling we both slept through the night.