A Birthday Wish

This entry is another early attempt at sharing a story in the #BlogBattle monthly competition. Still not a member of the group, but secretly hanging around and checking the website weekly, reading other’s entries and staying on top of the new monthly prompt word.

The prompt word for this story is in the title, birthday. At the time, one of top Country Songs constantly playing on the radio was: Hotel Key by Old Dominion. The subject of that song became the core concept of the story and it developed slowly around that as I substituted the hotel key with another item and provided some back story to this one-night encounter.

I wanted to become a member of the #Blogbattle community officially and at first thought this story would be my first solo entry. However, life got in the way and the story wasn’t completed to my satisfaction to enter it. Not sure if it is still completed, but I have moved on from this story. It still provides some insight into my writing development curve.

Here is that “non-entry”. Prompt word was: Birthday

A Birthday Wish by Gerardo Ulloa

The laughter of hotel guests passing by in the hallway brings Allison out from her deep thoughts. She turns from the window, clutching a generic coffee mug close to her body with both hands, resting just below her chin. It has been three weeks since her 48^th birthday, three weeks since receiving a birthday post from him. An innocent little birthday wish, not unlike the others she received that day, except for the small revelation at the end – “from the boy who had a crush on you and never told you”.

She remembered sitting there, phone in hand, reading the post over and over again. Recalling that summer when he visited her for hours, he a new college man and she just 15 years old. Simply talking and laughing innocently, in her back yard. When the summer ended, so did his visits.

She refills her cup of coffee, and takes a sip. Three weeks ago, her life was a mess – a broken marriage, no place to call her very own, financial uncertainty, and kids depending on her. Today, none of that has changed one bit; except, he has provided a glimmer of hope, a rough draft of what can be a brighter future, and more importantly, a partner standing next to her for better or worse. She raises her cup, takes a deep breath and holds it, savoring the aroma of her coffee.

What had possessed her to reach out to him. Not just thank him for the birthday wish, but to let him know that she too had a crush that summer long ago, and had never spoken of it. Another sip, she closes her eyes and a wide smile takes residence on her face. That smile had been missing for a long time, as had the sparkle in her eyes. But last night, both were back to stay. He recalled how he had loved seeing her smile back then, with those eyes, and her infectious laugh. How good it was to have her back in his life. Thinking to herself, how good it was to have him back in her life.

It had been a whirlwind romance up to this point. He had responded to her reply and a conversation between the two of them developed with the ease of two friends having kept in touch throughout all those years. At first, it was about the revelation of the feelings each had for the other, and the memories of that summer. This lead to updates of each other’s life path – colleges, jobs, failed relationships, marriages, and children. These were conversations that lasted hours and robbed both of precious sleep.

Then came the evening when he apologized to her for just leaving. For never saying goodbye, and why he had never returned again. How the difficulties of life, in general, and college, specifically, had broken him.  Doubting himself, he felt unworthy of someone like her.

He opened up about what it was like being a Hispanic boy living in a mostly white world, and trying to find his place in it. Longing for the company of someone like her, a white girl, and not having it looked upon too favorably by some folks. Add the fact that she was 5 years younger at the time only added to the difficulty of the situation. How could he explore whether this innocent crush could grow into something more for the both of them, without him being made to feel dirty or perverted because of their respective ages? With all of these challenges, how could his initial affections for her result in anything positive for either of them. So he stayed away, and moved on.

After his confession, he asked to see her. Talking and texting were no longer satisfying, he needed to see her again and answer a question that had resurfaced from the deepest recesses of his soul. She had quickly agreed, and when he saw her a few days later, the answer was clear by the expression on his face.

“You are beautiful”, he had said. He loved her hair, although it had changed in length and color. And while her glasses were gone, the eyes were still magic in their color and depth. Her body called to him, his eyes constantly moving up and down studying her lines and curves. He had apologized to her about the staring, she recalls with a look of satisfaction.

She too had been surprised by her body’s reaction to seeing him for the first time. His dark hair, now peppered with grey. Warm chocolate brown eyes peeking thru rimmed glasses. His angled nose, and luscious tanned skin. Not a typical smile, but one all his own. The stubble on his chin was perfectly unkept. A lean, defined body suggesting a physically active lifestyle.

Both were moved beyond any expectations they had, but neither dared get to close as the conversation ebbed and flowed. Each had issues in their lives that would only get more complicated if a physical element were introduced to this rekindled friendship. But he was only mortal and could resist her no longer. Near the end of visit, he finally reached for her hand, pulled her in closely, and proceeded with a series of small kisses before and after expressing all the things about her physical appearance that he found alluring.

A second meeting was scheduled, no turning back at this point.  Their conversations now turned to wanting, to missing, to hoping, and to planning a future together. When they met again, a new level of intimacy was found between the two of them. With it, a sealing of the deal and understanding, that their futures were now entwined. Every decision moving forward now had its root in the same question, how would this get them closer to finally being together as a couple?

They saw each other last night, their third meeting. Again, to their surprise, their level of intimacy was raised to another level. He was scheduled to be out of town for a couple of days and needed to catch an early morning flight. To avoid the morning traffic headaches, he was planning to stay at the hotel near the airport. He had invited her to join him for an overnight date, and she gladly accepted.

The night was everything she had hoped. He was passionate and gentle with her. His focus was on her needs all night long, as neither got any sleep in the large king size bed. His control and stamina was a shock to her body and she welcomed the rest periods that he provided. During the rest periods, the conversation was light and pleasant, as they made themselves comfortable in each other’s arms. She felt beautiful and special, as he studied her with his eyes and his touch throughout the night.

But she stood alone now. He had left early in the morning, as had always been the plan, business called. His new job had scheduled him to tour a few of their manufacturing plants to better understand the process and improve his product knowledge. He would call her when he could but would be with others constantly from sunup to sundown. Additional loss of sleep was certainly an option he would have no problem considering, just to talk to her. Before he left, he promised her some more time together when he returned.

Allison suddenly hears another group of strangers, thru the hotel door, coming down the hallway.  Hearing them so clearly, she wonders if anybody had heard her last night thru that same thin hotel door. She places the coffee cup down on the counter. She lowers her head forward and with both hands, pulls the button shirt she is wearing upward, and draws a deep breath thru her nose. The very same shirt he wore during some of last night’s activities. He had packed the shirt this morning, but while he showered, she removed it from his luggage and hid it from view until he departed. She lets out a small laugh as she pictures the expression on his face, when he discovers the shirt is missing from his luggage.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she decides to jump in the shower and pack her own bag. It is time to check out and pick up her children back at her mom’s. She recalls her mother’s words spoken many times when she was younger.

“You’ll know when you have found the right man to love, for he will make hours feel like minutes when together. And minutes will feel like hours when apart.”

She finishes her cup, cradles it again with both hands and raises it to its resting spot below her chin. She glances again at the clock on the wall and stares at the second hand as it makes it slow, circular trek across the numbers.

She sighs, and whispers to herself, “The next two days are going to be torture.”