Tied Up

2007-01-04 4:40 a.m.
These past two weeks have made a parody of my recent forays into meeting people. It sometimes felt desperate, even with the knowledge that it was mostly for general interest rather than necessity. Of course, just as anyone, I would love to chance into meeting someone specifically amazing, but how could one sanely make such a goal with any seriousness?

First day in town, I saw my most recent ex. Hmm. I think I�ll come back to this one�

After a week of holiday debauchery with my family, I met with KB. She was suffering a fever through the holiday and it took a while to get the chance to see her, but it was well worth the wait. She�s made her way to these pages in the past. On the rare occasion that thoughts of settling down sneak through the mental filters, she�s one of the first to pop into my head.

Every time I see her, she�s more breathtaking - in beauty and mind. I�m afraid she may still be in love with my brother who is now under a dual economic sentence to our child support system.

Dinner was incredible, as was a bit of Christmas shopping. We got along as well as always � as when we were running around the city in our early teens painting walls, and rocking parties together. These days it�s a bit more flirtatious, but we never cross the line. Back then, it was hard to believe she would be come the woman she is now. I suppose I�m not quite what I seemed I would be either.

�Twas a great evening.

And then for my last night in town�

Where to start with A�

During my first attempt at college - in the days that I was still named after a drug- VTD introduced me to this gorgeous philipino girl. I was generally stoned back then, but I recall a mutual attraction. At least I know I was absolutely intrigued, but I'd been with my girl for about 3 years by then. I had to cut off communications with her ASAP as we were a jealous couple, though I still asked VTD about her constantly. Well, at least until I heard she had a kid a couple years later and figured my interest was trivial.

She contacted me out of the blue about 6 months ago and since then we've been keeping in touch over email / myspace. I hadn't called many non-family members during this Chicago trip, and finally got hold of her a couple days before I left...

She wanted to hook up for a drink on Thursday - my last night in town. I said hell yes, but then got a call from my cousin. They planned to take me out in a blaze for my last night in town. Invited A, but she was going to be with friends�

Fortunately, my tolerance these days left my cousins swerving while I was ready to get the night started. My cousin AA wanted to come with to the Salsa club, and so we put her big brother and wife in a cab, then my other cousin and his girl in another and got into our own headed the other way.

The club was packed and they wouldn�t let us in until 2 people left. Called A, she came down to wait with us. Absolutely Stunning. Picked my jaw from the ground and laid the compliments with a warm hello. She mentioned a bit of added weight. I reminded her that we were both too damned skinny 9 years ago. We finally get in, I buy a round, A starts teaching my cousin how to dance salsa, and I sit back watching them and the live band.

Didn�t think much was going to come of the evening. Especially on this turf. She tried to convince me to hit the dance floor� �Yeah, well we�re grown, but I�m still a Chicago mothafucker, dear. No dancing.� She giggled, got up and danced with her friend and AA a lil more and then came back over. Things seemed a bit friendlier than expected.

She showed me pictures of her beautiful daughter and step son. Turns out her husband (father of both) died in a motorcycle accident a few years ago. She�d been with her current guy a little over a year - who was out of town (she was flying out to spend new years with him that Saturday). Gave her my summary of the past 9 years, grabbed another round and let the evening wind down.

She brought up a story about walking through china town with VTD one day and VTD pointed to a poster of my girlfriend at the time. A week later she�d seen the two of us together and said hello and she says I just sort of nodded to her. I don�t recall doing that, as I�ve never ignored a friend, but I do recall Needing to keep distance from this incredible woman back then.

She wanted to drive home but she wasn�t walking too well. We stepped into another bar as I coerced her keys into my pocket. She orders a round of shots and drinks, which put her over the line and AA was about done. Shit, I was about done by then.

We stumble out, argue over the driving situation on the way to her car a block away. I drive us back to where my car is parked, trying to convince her that I�ll follow her home � which I�d no intention of doing. The plan was to park her car next to mine and get a hotel room so we could sleep off the drinks.

She was too stubborn and adorable for that to work. A ten minute silly argument ensued, AA jumped out to grab a cab as she knew she wasn�t getting home via her drunken chauffeurs.

A finally fell asleep in the passenger seat, and I drove us to G�s place about 10 minutes away (my second home in Chicago). Worst thing about couch surfing (with a dwindling budget) is that bringing a girl home means bringing a girl to your boy�s couch. She knocked out on my lap while G and I had a drink. He was about to drive his girl to the airport.

I tried to wake her at 6am as promised, which was the perfect practice in futility. She moaned and grunted and went back to sleep. Finally around 9am, the day began to beckon. I had a plane to catch, and she had shit to get done before she got on her flight the next day.

I�d little choice but to lay a sweet kiss upon this beautiful forbidden neck I�d been destined to carouse. I rubbed her shoulders knowing this was a dead end. She would awaken in a minute and the awkwardness of waking next to �someone else� on some miscellaneous couch would throw the morning down a long flight of concrete stairs.

She held my hand for a moment, and I knew the realization would soon follow. Fuck it. Moved my hand down her back to set her at ease with gentle backrub. She adjusted a bit, twisted and turned and like a magician�s rabbit, slipped her bra through her sleeve. Slowly caressing her shoulders, my fingers tingled with the excitement that can only be known as a beautiful woman�s soft skin.

She turned to me and kissed my neck, giggled and led her nipple between my fingers. I was eighteen again, nearly emotional from the excitement of caressing her beautiful bosom that I�d hoped to know so long ago. Kissed her with care to ensure no evidence would remain. My hand made way to her stomach, and then further. Unlooped her belt, and she softly held my wrist.

�I can�t.�

I thought I understood immediately, but not quite. She led my hand beyond her belt and moaned as I began my discovery.

�Is that a� piercing?�

She lent a sultry giggle in response� �Nooo�

�I uh� hmm... Ohhh�

Damnit! It was a string.

We kissed and teased some more, both of us in obvious need of a bucket of ice water. Held each other for a bit, had a beer and a smoke and she drove me to my car. A kiss on the cheek and a bid farewell. Doubt such an opportunity will arise again, but one can remain hopeful.

Passed a couple sweet text messages back and forth and I was off to the airport the head back to NY.

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Got a text from the Christian girl while I was boarding the plane� �Should I still save you a loaf of banana nut bread?�

I didn�t respond as I was suddenly reminded of her silly little tests and games. Our conversations about who pays for dinner and taking her to Hawaii flooded my thoughts of her.

If you actually want to know how a person will act then hang around them, be yourself and let them be as well. Hold judgments. Don't ask silly questions with 'right' answers, especially when dealing with the intelligent and cynical. I promise you'll be disappointed. More likely (hopefully), offended. Unfortunately that offense will translate to a judgment of them rather than an indication that you shouldn't ask stupid questions.

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And with that� well, who knows what�s next. I think I�m still a fan of being single for a while longer, though I remain an affection whore. The girl from Chile still has some potential, if at least as someone to spend some time with. We�ll see if / how that goes when she gets back next week. Otherwise, all the others are getting cut off. Well, except for PJ, the british girl. As long as she can stay friendly, I�d like to keep her around as she�s fun to drink with.