Requiem for a Dream

It’s been over a month and I believe that I have almost recovered from my…ahem…relaxing Arizona holiday. What is it about younger guys?  I can’t seem to find a guy who is a bit older…or even my age.  As I sit here at 5:30 pm, just about to ask Cole if he needs anything before I leave at six, Kayla knocks on the glass partition which separates our cubicles.  “We are going to head out for Natasha’s birthday next Friday.  Will you come out?”, she asked.

“Sure”, I replied, “Where are we going?”

“Oh I figure Lucky Strike; we took Cole out there for his 26th birthday last year and it was such a great time.  Fun and games!  Oh and booze, of course.”, said Kayla.

“Wait.  What? Cole is 27 years old?  Seriously?,” I asked, absolutely shocked.

Kayla chuckled and batted her eyelashes at me, “Yes he is.  Awwwww….are you OK with that?”

“Yes, I am fine. It’s just, I thought, well, he…I thought he was at least 29,” I answered disappointed.

Kayla said goodnight and as she walked through the office door, Cole rushed over to my cube.

“Frankie, I need your help, would you please make these copies and turn the tabbed pages into .pdf files???  I apologize for not asking sooner, though got so caught up…and well…”, he said, trying to regain his breath.

I laughed, “Yes, of course, no worries.  You never ask me for anything.  Go finish whatever you were working on.  I have this.”

He smiled, “You’re the best, Frankie, though I am not finishing anytime soon.  Another midnight end of day for me.”

I finished the copies and scanned his requested pages to my inbox.  While looking them over, I couldn’t help but weigh this age issue in my mind.  I guess it couldn’t hurt if the guy were mature and had his life together.  This guy is 27 and busting his amazing ass until ten, eleven, sometimes midnight.  He has so much going for him.  AND I have been accused of seeing myself as much older and experienced than my actual age.  Perhaps I am being silly.  I was still thinking about this dilemma as I walked to Cole’s office with his copies.  Everyone had left for the evening; we were the only people in the office.

Looking through the papers, he asked if I could help him with an issue regarding his Outlook.  I leaned over him and grabbed his…mouse and as I was trying to fix the problem, there was a moment when I could feel his eyes on me.  I couldn’t help but look back…and take in a deep breath.  He stood from his chair and pushed my body against the edge of the desk with his.  He lifted my chin and kissed me gently…and I kissed him back.  This was happening, flowing like a film.  Lifting me onto the desk, his hands lifting the hem of my skirt while exploring the skin of my outer thigh.  My lips on his neck, fingers finding their way from his biceps to his pecs to the button of those trousers… “Frankie,” he whispered softly in my ear…”Frankie, Frankie….Hey, Frankie are you ok??”

Oh shit!  I shook myself from the reverie…breathing heavily-not realizing what-had…where-am-I?

“Cole!”, I said, as I recognized him standing over me at the corner of my cube and finally joined the rest of the world in a little place called reality.

“Are you alright Frankie?”, he repeated his question, “You’re all red…and slightly trembling…”

“Uhhhhmmmm, yes; I…must have been daydreaming while waiting for these files to load.  Oh and look at that!,” Did my voice just crack?!?!  “They are all ready to send to you; haha…I apologize.  Lame, I know.”, I decided for a condensed version of the truth.  Jeez, my face was on fire.

“No worries, why are you apologizing?  I am the one who is keeping you here late.  I appreciate you staying behind to help,” he said, smiling…with that smile.

“It’s fine, my pleasure, really Cole.  Though I should be going.  Unless you need anything else?”, I offered.  Oh please…I could think of a few lewd responses to that question, I laughed to myself.

“No, I’m all set.  Seriously Frankie, thank you.”, he repeated.

“Goodnight Cole.  See you in the morning.  And don’t stay too late!”, I joked.  I am such a dork sometimes!  I feel like such a kid with the type of childhood crush that makes you feel, well, dopey and so…young again.

“Goodnight Frankie,” he said as I made my way to the door,”And, Frankie, whoever he is…well he’s lucky.”

My heart fluttered, “Thanks Cole.  Goodnight”, I said thinking about an ice cold shower while Taylor Swift’s Teardrops on My Guitar played in my head.

Yes, Taylor Swift.  And I wonder why I end up with the young ones.–Frankie

What a drag…queen. That is.

I decided I might try the online dating thing, against Frankie’s wishes. I know, I know, it sounds desperate, right? But everyone is on Facebook and Twitter so where is the harm in a little online dating? I went on a date with this girl from Curve. Her screen name was Abracadabra. My question when I saw her profile: Can you find magic from online dating?

We emailed for the first week, started texting the second week and by the third week we were set to meet. So we did, at Cubbyhole.  The bar was packed so we slid into the booth at the back of the club and tried to talk over the crowd.

Abracadabra was extremely pretty, thin and very serious. She was a reporter for a newspaper and a part-time poet. Quite the combination. Anyways, we had Hemingway in common. I knew she liked his novels from her Curve profile and we had not yet covered literature in our discussions. I debated that The Sun Also Rises was his defining work while she was arguing that it was The Old Man and The Sea.

In the midst of our Hemingway discussion, a trannie or drag queen in a purple mini-skirt and a silver shirt named Glinda that was crammed between our table and a neighboring one joined in our conversation.

“No, no. You have it all wrong. It was A Farewell To Arms that made his career, ladies,” Glinda interrupted and then squeezed into the booth next to my date. “Oh, thank god. So are you gals here often?” she asked.

“Um…no,” replied Abracadabra, looking awkward. “We are on our first date.”

“Oh,  how adorable. And you are both so pretty. What an amazing couple you would make,” Glinda said. “So what do you do?” she asked me.

“I’m in publishing,” I replied a bit taken off gaurd.

“And you?” she asked Abracadabra.

“I’m a reporter, why?” Abracadabra replied.

“Ah, so you are both people that cling to words. Words can make or break a relationship for you,” she said.

“I suppose,” I replied. “but, it depends upon the actions that go along with it…”

“I’ll be right back,” announced Abracadabra.”Have to go to the girl’s room.”

“Ok,” I replied. Since Glinda was there we continued talking a bit philosophically about relationships that is until I got a text from Abracadabra:

Pissed. Meet me outside.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked when I went met her outside the bar.

“Only that you would rather talk to some drag queen then me!” exclaimed Abracadabra.”I can’t believe you would sit there and start carrying on a conversation with her on our first date.”

“But the bar is jam packed and you went to the bathroom…” I tried to rebuttle.

Abracadabra started crying. All I wanted was a normal relationship with someone and now I find out you are into drag queens…” she sobbed.

I was a bit confused. “Huh? We aren’t in a relationship and no I like girls. I’m not into drag queens,” I said.

Abracadabra was hysterical crying. I tried to console her but she pushed me away and then slapped my arm. Now I know when someone is acting possessive. I did date Elizabeth after all, but  this was way beyond that. This was insane.

“You know what,” I said. “You’re right. Glinda is kinda cute. I’m sorry I bothered meeting you. But I’m glad I did come because I’m going to hang out with her instead.”  I went inside the bar and bought Glinda a drink. She was good company. I suppose that’s why I think there’s no magic in online dating, but now that I hear Lindsay Lohan is on eHarmony I might change my mind.  That is if they are not back on. - Ruby.