Speak of the Devil

I was so mesmerized by the illuminating television screen that I didn’t even perceive the time. I was practically hypnotized by the countless episodes of the Golden Girls I was gunning at until the phone reverberated and hindered my conscience. I glommed the phone in my hands and cleared my throat.

“Hello?”
“Hey, uh, Carly?”
“That’s my name.”
“It’s Monte. I’m just lettin you know that I’ll be at your house in about fifteen minutes.” Fifteen minutes? What time is it? I glimpsed at the clock. Seven forty.
“Damn.” I talked under my breath.
“What?”
“Oh! I said I’ll be ready! Bye!” I spieled out a mile a minute and hastily hung up. Was I drugged or something? I lost track of seven and a half hours without even knowing it. I still hadn’t showered or even changed out of my dress.

As I shot over to the bathroom, I danced out of my stockings and shimmied out of my dress. I chucked my dress onto my bed and flew into the shower.
I toiled the knob out and dipped my hands under the water.

“Yo! That is too freakin’ hot!” I twisted the knob downward toward the colder side. I dunked my fingers in the now cooler water and panted out a breath of relief. I scrutinized the trickling shower water that reminded me of rain. But I resumed into the shower and I ascended into rain. I was about to slip in the water and knock myself out, but thankfully saved myself from a wet injury.

I scrubbed my body down in suds and rinsed myself off. I cleansed my hair thoroughly and splashed water down my head. I stopped the rain from falling and wrapped myself in a towel to clash into my room.

“Oh damn! Forgot to shave!” I sprinted back into the bathroom and scanned around for my razor until I sniffed it out. I rapidly skidded the razor up and down my legs and ignored the cuts and scratches I gave myself and abandoned the razor in the sink. Once again, I clashed back into my room to once again, try and get dressed. I waved my closet door open and explored for another dress to wear. I judged dress after dress until I soon chose out my little black dress that I hadn’t worn for as long as I could remember. It was one of those dresses that you really love but then your love for the dress fades and you forget about it. But tonight was the night to remember it again and take it out for a drive.

I purchased the dress when I was about fourteen years old. I was madly in love with the dress. It was like a layered cake. The first layer was a charcoal black mesh material that blended together with the bottom beige layer that was thicker and heavier than the top. The top fitted admirably around my waist and showed off my curves. The bottom was puffy and was light as a feather.

As I scouted for a pair of tights to wear while I was also hurried into my dress, I blinked at the clock.

“Seven fifty six.” I warned myself. I zipped up my dress, and stretched my tights up my legs and thighs. I fixed myself up as I ogled into the mirror. My jaw dropped and I rolled my eyes. My chest was about to bust out of the dress and the bottom just about covered my bottom. The one thing I should’ve remembered was that when I bought that dress seven years ago, it fit without an issue, and once seven years past, it obviously wasn’t going to fit the same way it did seven years ago. I reasoned with myself and agreed that as long as I didn’t jump or bend over, I wouldn’t look skanky. I faithfully trusted myself to act natural and pretend I wasn’t even wearing a dress.

I impelled back into the bathroom to scribble on some make up and tweak any flaws with the last few minutes I had. I drew a thin line of black eyeliner on each of the bottom borders of my eyelids and swept some natural blush on my cheeks. I colored my lips with a scarlet red lipstick and brushed my eyelashes with mascara. I plugged my hair dryer into an outlet and blew some warm air through my straight ink black hair. My unnatural blond highlights glowed in the bathroom light as I ruffled my mop of a hair-do to add some volume. I ran my nails through my locks and cherished my quick preparation.

KNOCK! KNOCK! It must’ve been Monte. Just in time. I tumbled to the door to greet Monte and go on our date. With my hand on the doorknob, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and preyed for this to be worth it. I twined the knob open to see Monte standing in a suit with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. My face lit up at the sight of the flowers. I was so delighted that I now had a second bouquet of flowers that replaced Ashlyn’s dead bouquet that I misplaced in the back seat of my car. Monte grinned as I signaled him that I was most satisfied with the flowers.

“Thank you so much! That was so sweet of you!” I praised as I stood on my tippy toes to give him an affectionate hug.
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome.”

“Let me go put these in a vase, and we’ll leave.” I elucidated as I slid on my tights into the kitchen across the room. As I substantiated that all my vases were in the bottom cabinets, I was giving second thoughts of even using a vase. I knew that I’d be bending over at the wrong time, the wrong place, and in front of the wrong man.

I appreciated the gift he had bought for me, but wondered why he would even ask me out on a second date after a one night stand. I was attracted to him at the first look at him, but after he had gotten me drunk and made a fool out of me, why should I trust him? I’ve been told I’m a very forgiving person, but I’ve also been told I’m very modest. I’ll give this guy one shot and one date, and if he wants to keep seeing me, I’ll think about it before I blurt out an answer. All these thoughts jumped around in my head, brooding if I’ll regret any choices I could make with this guy. I’m giving him a test. If he passes, he can see me again after tonight. If not, then he’ll be another regret.

I stood in the kitchen staring down at the tiled flooring, and I just couldn’t stop thinking.
“You ok?” Monte canvassed from the door.
“Yeah, I’m fine, just…getting a vase.” I didn’t care if bending down made me looks like I’m offering anything. I bent down, expanded the cabinet door open, reached for a vase, and pulled it out. I shut the cabinet door with my toes, filled the vase half-way full with sink water and set the bouquet in the glass. I held the vase with two hands over to my dining room table and placed it as the centerpiece.

“Ok.” I said with a smile. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, I am, but um…Aren’t you forgetting something?” Monte stated as he pointed to my feet. I followed the trace of his finger down to my feet that were only covered in my tights.
“Oh. Right. Shoes.” I mumbled, embarrassed. I scraped my feet on the hardwood floor without taking a step to my front closet and shoved my feet into the first pair of black heels I found.

“Let’s go.” I commanded as I snatched the keys out of the window sill and headed out the door with Monte.
“Who’s car are we taking?” I asked as I secured the front door.
“We’re walking, if you don’t mind.” How romantic, really, taking a stroll in the midst of the night under the stars as we hold hands and we both hesitantly get closer and closer.
“You walked here?”
“Yeah, once I read your address, I noticed I only lived a few miles away.” I cocked my head back at him as I led him down the steps of my porch.
“A few miles? Monte, that’s quite a walk.”
“Yeah, well, you’re worth it,” I didn’t know if he was just being a suck up or if he really meant that. But when he did say that, I was flattered. “And I’m planning to take you to a lovely restaurant for a quiet dinner and a pleasant night.”
“That sounds terrific!” I confirmed with enthusiasm.
“And I thought since I wasn’t able to talk to you much last night, I figured I’d be able to talk to you and chat tonight.”
“Thanks Monte…That’s really thoughtful of you…” I smirked at him as he smiled back.
“What restaurant are we going to?”
“You’ll see.” I chuckled.

“Ok.” I hid my disappointment with a smile. I hated surprises or just not knowing things.
As we cruised down the street, we quizzed each other with miscellaneous questions about our lives, birthdays, and such. We soon both asked each other anything we could think of without getting personal. Just his social standings are very intriguing to me, and I’m hungry for more.