Ariel

Don’t look at me and not see me for who I am…

 

 

 

Watching my mom and Dillon together today was a sight to behold. They have a special bond that is much different than the one I have with her, I’m not jealous… I’m happy for them. That being said, I am beginning to feel like an intruder, which isn’t setting well with me. I don’t need to be the center of attention, but they are both acting like I’m not in the same room as them. Keeping myself busy and out of their way, I’m sitting in the corner playing games on my phone when I receive an incoming text message.

 

Unknown: You look ravishing today

 

The fuck? This is odd. I’ve never received any messages like this before, maybe it’s not for me.

 

Me: I think you have the wrong number buddy

Unknown: Oh no Ariel, I have the right number

Me: Who is this?

Unknown: You’ll soon find out my love

Me: If this is some sort of joke it’s sick and you need help

Unknown: The only help I need is the kind you can give me

Me: Dude you’re seriously psycho, go find yourself a woman down at the looney bin, I promise you I’m not who you think I am

 

I wait a few minutes and when I don’t get a reply back I shrug it off and go back to playing my game, the strange encounter all but forgotten.

 

 

Dillon left a couple of hours ago to start his shift in the ER. Mom has been asleep for most of that time and I’ve kept myself occupied with reading on my kindle app. I look up when I hear a noise at the door and am surprised to see who’s standing there.

“Marcus, what are you doing here?”

“Came to bring your mom some flowers, did I miss Emory again?” I’ve known Marcus is sweet on Em for a while now, but the fact that he drove all the way over here to use the excuse of bringing Mom flowers to see her has me smiling at him. I want so badly to sing out—Marcus and Em, sitting in a tree…k.i.s.s.i.n.g—yes, even I have a tendency to revert back to childhood every once in awhile.

Instead I decide to ask him, “When are you going to pull up your big boy britches and finally put her and yourself out of y’alls misery and ask her out on an actual date? You two are constantly pussy footing around each other, it’s sickening actually.”

“It’s that obvious huh? Wait a minute, did you say put her out of her misery as well?” He asks me hopefully. “And we do not pussy foot around each other.”

“Come on Marcus, you don’t notice all the flirting she does with you? Only a blind man wouldn’t have caught on to the looks she sends your way whenever you’re in the same vicinity as she is. And yes, you both do, thank you very much.”

“She doesn’t give me looks.”

“She doesn’t huh?” I ask him, rolling my eyes. “Open up your eyes buddy and pay attention, that girl wants in your pants just as badly as you want in hers.”

He gets lost in thought for a few minutes then asks me, “When is Emory’s next day off?”

“I’m not sure, with Mom being up here we’re kind of splitting our time between being here with her and running the shop. How about this, you tell me when your next day off from your shift is, and I’ll make it to where she’s off the same day and available for you to take out.”

“I go in the morning for my next forty-eight-hour shift. Today is Wednesday so Friday or Saturday works for me.” The excitement on his face and in his voice at the possibility of taking my baby sister out on a date is priceless.

“Tell you what, why don’t you make the date for Friday night, that way if all goes well she’s available Saturday during the day?”

“I do not need to be hearing this,” Mom says.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Masters, I didn’t realize you were awake. Here I brought these for you,” he says placing the flowers down on her bedside table.

“Well, wasn’t that thoughtful of you, Marcus, and please call me Glory, all these Mrs. Masters I’m hearing is making me feel old.” We both laugh at her statement.

“Yes ma’am,” he tells her.

“None of that ma’am shit either,” she huffs out.

“Alright then ma’…” she gives him the evil eye, so he finishes his sentence off with, “Glory it is.”

Marcus stays and visits for another twenty-minutes then leaves, but not without getting Em’s number from me first.

“Ariel, are you sure you should’ve given Marcus your sister’s number without asking her first?”

“I did ask her, Mom, I sent her a text and told her he was here asking about her. I wouldn’t do that to either one of my sisters.”

“You girls and that technology, I’ll never understand why people don’t use actual phone conversations anymore.”

“Don’t worry, Mom, one day you’ll get down the art of texting.”

“I don’t see it happening,” she harrumphs out.

Mom falls back to sleep, and it isn’t too much later that Rainey shows up and I leave after giving Mom a kiss on her cheek. “Let her know I’ll be back in the morning.”

“Will do, sis, have a good night.”

“You too,” I say walking out the door. Thank goodness snooty nurse isn’t here any longer, she’s the last person I feel like dealing with right now. As I make my way into the elevators and eventually exit once I hit the bottom floor, a sense of relief washes over me. Mom waking up is the best medicine I could personally hope for.

With a renewed pep in my step, I make my way through the lobby and out into the parking garage. As I am lost in thought I make my way to my car not paying attention to my surroundings.

“Ariel!” Being caught off guard at my name being called, I whirl around to see who it could possibly be. Seeing that it’s Dillon, my body relaxes and I’m excited to see him. “Hey, I just got off and was wondering if you’d like to go to dinner with me. I know it’s late, but I didn’t get a chance to grab anything tonight, the ER was crazy busy. This flu going around has the beds filled to capacity.”

“I would love to.” I can’t believe he’s asking me out to eat.

“Want to ride with me and we can come back by and grab your car once we’re done?”

“As much as I’d love to, I need to leave as soon as we eat. I’ve got a dog who needs to be fed and let out as soon as we’re done.”

“How about I follow you home, we let your dog out and get her fed while we’re at it and then we’ll ride together to eat.”

“Now that I can do,” I say and let out a giggle like a damn teenage girl flirting with her first crush. Which technically he is, pathetic... right?

 

 

“That’s not a dog, that’s a beast!” Dillon hollers out when my Sassy girl jumps up on him to get his attention.

“Aww, she’s just a big baby, you’re going to hurt her feelings.” He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“No offense, but I kinda pictured a small lap dog, not a human wrecking ball. She’s a big girl.”

“That she is, and what is it about me that gives you the impression I’d want a dog that you can carry around in a purse? In case you haven’t noticed I’m not your typical girly girl.”

“I noticed, that’s what draws me to you.”

“What!” I say twirling around to face him.

“I’ve been floating lately, Ariel, knowing that something was missing from my life. Then I see you and it’s as if I’ve been hit in the gut with a wrecking ball and now I know what it is I’ve been missing. I’m tired of endless relationships, I haven’t ever felt an attraction to someone like I do with you. I’d like to spend some time with you and explore where these feelings take us.”

“I had an upfront view of your recent float, and I’ve gotta say, I’m nowhere near as prim and proper looking as she is. I’m filled with tattoos and sass and I am not one to sit back and let someone dictate how I dress and act.” I feel like I need to explain this to him for some reason.

“I don’t care about what does and doesn’t cover your skin…I find it extremely fascinating. I don’t want some robotic, Beverly Hills plastic wanna be woman who will sit idly back and let me control them in any way, shape or form. I want someone who’s real and will be honest with me about who they are and what they want out of life. I’m not going to lie, I’m extrememly attracted to you, inked skin, piercings and all. Let’s take this one day at a time and see if it could grow into something amazing. I know you feel this attraction between us, give it a chance.”

“Kind of fast for you to be feeling like we could be something special isn’t it?” What am I talking about, I’ve been fantasizing about Dillon since I was a teenager!

“You have?”

“What? Oh fuck, I said that out, loud didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did, and I’m actually quite glad you did…that statement alone lets me know it hasn’t only been me all these years.”

“All these years? You didn’t even know I existed in high school, Dillon.”

“Trust me, I knew you existed, but you were untouchable in my eyes.”

“Because of my mom?”

“No, because I wasn’t a good person or in a good place back then. I never felt like I could be good enough for you.”

“And now?” I ask, needing to hear what he has to say.

“Now, I’ve worked really hard to become the man I am. I’m not perfect, hell I may still not be good enough for you, but I want to be. Give me a chance Ariel.”

“You’ve always been good enough in my eyes, just a little troubled back then. But Dillon, if I give you this chance, there can’t be any other nurses…. hell, there can’t be any other women—period.”

“Don’t need any other woman if I have you. I can explain about what you saw earlier.”

“Your past is just that, Dillon. I don’t want to, nor do I need to, hear about any other women before today. We start over from this point on if we’re going to do this.”

“We’re going to do this.”

“Alrighty then, let’s start with dinner, or early breakfast we should say, seeing what the time is.”

“The only thing open at this hour with decent food is Carlotta’s diner, sound good to you?”

“I love that place! I go there a lot after we close down for the night.”

“I go there sometimes after a shift as well, good food, friendly people and the atmosphere is relaxing.”

“That it is… let’s go already.” I let Sassy girl in and we leave, locking the door behind us.