Fag Hag [#Wattys 2016]

16. I Break. For Love?

Rays of sunshine filtered into my bedroom the following morning and I awoke in a bright blinded confusion.  Something felt different, but I couldn't put my just-out-of-bed finger on what had changed. Uncertain, I made my way to my kitchen for coffee. 

I noticed a tiny red bird, perched outside my window and thrusting it open we exchanged pleasantries through a series of whistles.  I mimicked him and he rhymed me, back and forth, and I laughed aloud at the strange interaction.

It hit me.  I was in a good mood.  All of the symptoms were there.  I felt light and cheerful and full of possibilities for the day. I wore a smile before nine o'clock a.m.  I was whistling to birds for God's sake. 

A huge weight seemed to have fallen from my shoulders.  Inhaling deeply, I enjoyed the dewy fresh smell of a new morning.  It seemed that last night's horrific event was my rock bottom and I was moving into recovery.  This was an entirely unfamiliar mood to me. Feeling as though it might dissolve at any moment, I set about getting ready for a productive day.

I chose an outfit I felt befitting of my new enhanced state-of-mind.  An hour later I was out the door, dressed in a flowy, pale yellow Chloe dress, YSL espadrilles, and over-sized Kate Spade sunglasses. I headed to the local Starbucks to work on my résumé, a task I'd been avoiding for months. 

Mary Sweet, the head of SMU's journalism department, had graciously arranged for me to interview for an internship with the Dallas Morning News.  I was determined to be prepared.  Who needs a stupid guy if I'm a writer for the Dallas News? 

Settling into a darkened corner booth I felt thankful for the cooled air and my iced mocha frappuccino in the midst of a full blown Texas heatwave.  I engrossed myself in the tedious task of resume fluffing.  As I worked, the hair on the back of my neck began to tickle. 

Feeling I was being watched, I whirled around to locate the source of the prickly sensation and--Jaime Knox. 

It was him.

My breath stopped short. My heart beat spastically beneath my designer dress. My body threatened to give out entirely--pop my head right off its top.

"Annie?" his Jaime voice called out. "Annie Paige, wow, it's so good to see you!"  His Jaime voice continued, heading my way.  Eventually I recovered my ability to function and leapt into his Jaime arms, hugging him a tight hello while absorbing his essence through his powder blue polo tee.

My brain fluttered with frantic intensity, my heart hammered dangerously loud, my palms felt clammy, and I was smiling like Little Orphan Annie upon viewing Daddy Warbuck's estate.  "I can't believe it's you," I said, finally breaking what may have been an awkwardly long hug-filled silence.  "It's you." I couldn't stop myself--utter delight.

Age had served him well, as he looked almost exactly as I remembered. Boyishly handsome, cute as a button, now mixed with perfectly placed, character-filled laugh lines, a deliriously delicious combination.  Jaime smiled at me brightly, his teeth strikingly white and even and perfect. 

"How are you? You look amazing." His words caressed me and I absorbed each one with eagerness, committing his sentences to memory, branding them into my soul. 

"Great! I've been great," I said.  "I'm finishing up grad school in Journalism at SMU. And thank you, you look amazing too.  Do you live in Dallas?" It came out in a rush. Every piece of me braced myself for his answer, knowing the importance of his response. 

"Yeah, I still live in Dallas.  I got a big promotion with Merrill Lynch.  I love my job and have family close, so I...yup. Dallas it is.  Texas forever," he finished with a cocky confidence.  "Hey, would you like to grab dinner sometime? Catch up?" he asked, his green eyes twinkling.