Holly

I do plan on writing a mini-memoir about my surgery, post-op complications this week, and whatever else… but so far I’ve only felt like soaking in rest and relaxation, so I’ve not been inclined to do it yet. In the meantime, I would like to share a story I wrote a number of years ago and just found again. Unlike some re-postings, I have no other purpose for posting this again other than I thought it was pretty good.

Originally published elsewhere on January 17th, 2004

“Bottoms up.” she says as she told me she just found her ex-fiancé asleep in bed with her roommate. Also sleeping. Also topless. A shot of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum runs down her throat as she goes to sit back on the couch she just left from, when she decided she should get to bed.

I put down the shot glass she handed me. I had already had too much. I sat down again, still dizzy and disoriented from the alcohol I have had. I offer my condolences and try to help her look at things from a different perspective.
She smiles and calls me “sweetheart.”

It’s the decision he made. He had two bedrooms to choose from. He’s been picking Holly’s for the past 3 years since the marriage was called off. This time, he didn’t.

“Such a stupid little boy,” she says as she fixes herself to rest her head on my lap. I cradle her and take the hair from her eyes.

“You touch very well.” She says.

Time goes by as we talked. Eventually, I kiss her forehead to seal the connection we have discovered. We are two lovelorn souls with so much love to give but no one to give it to. The cat meows and we smile.
I kiss her lips. Dry and chapped they were, but soft and predictable. Her tiny tongue so sweet and I only tasted the tip. We smile. This is nice.
She nestles up under my chin and around my neck, lightly clawing at my sweater as she positions herself in a fetal-like position on my lap. We kiss some more. Like a kitten, she rubs her cheek against my chin and then shows me her tattoo. It’s the word “kitten” in Chinese and in so many ways this is a perfect tattoo for her. I am amused at her cuddling and fall in love with her familiar body, as I begin to explore it. I’ve touched this body before… it just had someone else’s face and name attached to it. She begins to get a little aggressive – she gently bites my lip — as the cat meows again. We laugh silently but are muted by the sound of an opening bedroom door.

He walks out. He sits on the adjacent couch and lights up a cigarette.
“I think I’m going to have that other shot, now.” she says, and he gets up to ask what’s wrong. They whisper for a minute or two. They sit back down.

Silence.

I light a cigarette. He gets up and walks down the short hallway and enters Holly’s bedroom.

Holly lets out a large sigh.

“Sweet dreams, sweetheart” she says as she gets up and follows the same path he took.

”Good luck to you” I say to no reply other than the flipping of the light switch.

And here I sit. It’s dark and I’m drunk.
I guess I’m going to bed now.

Coz

Create until nothing is left to create.

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