Interruption in Paradise

We finished our cupcakes in due time and with a quarter of the mess. It was not as bad as having batter splattered on the wall and flour in our faces, but it was still messy. There were cupcake crumbs all over the floor and icing on the table when we dropped our food while talking.
“So, who are you really?” she asked as we cleaned up the kitchen.
“You don’t believe that I am a secret agent? Damn, I thought I had you fooled,” I replied.
“No, but you almost did,” she said with a smile.
“When I first turned eighteen, I bought a lottery ticket. I was lucky and won.”
“Wow, that is quite special.”
“Yeah. Other than that, I am just a graduate student. I am going into electrical engineering.”
“How is school going for you? I wish I continued to go to school, but I decided to drop when I began singing and acting.”
“You know, it isn’t too late and there are online classes.”
“Maybe I will go back to school,” she said as we finished.
“Well, it is 10 PM. Do you think there are still guys staking out your house?” I asked.
“Probably. Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit longer?”
“No, not at all, want to watch some television?”
“Sure, I haven’t done that in a while.”
We walked over to the living room and sat on my couch. My couch has three cushions. We sat on either end. All though that night was very intimate, I don’t think either of us felt comfortable enough to make any bold moves. It’s funny that I even say this; she did give me a peck on the cheek the first night I took her home but now we distance ourselves from each other.
“Uh, so what do you feel like watching?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Choose a random channel,” she said.
I randomly punched in a combination of numbers. The first thing to pop up was The Thing. Ironic, I thought to myself.
“This movie still terrifies me!” she exclaimed.
“How old are you? This movie isn’t as scary anymore,” I said, although I myself was afraid of the movie.
“Didn’t your mother tell you it was rude to ask a lady her age? Besides, this movie is scary no matter what!”
“Fine, I just hope that you don’t end up screaming in my ear,” I joked.
I couldn’t concentrate on the movie. It seemed as if my eyes would wander over to her every other second. Every time I would see her she would be chewing on her nails. She was absolutely terrified. It was comical to see her with her legs tucked under her and to see the childish expression of fear on her face. It was so difficult to hide my amusement.
“Don’t judge me!” she said.
“Haha, if only you could see yourself then you would understand,” I said.
She suddenly screamed and dived at me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she hid her face on my shoulder. I began to laugh at her.
“I am glad you find my fear so amusing!” she snapped.
“Sorry, but you are kinda choking me right now,” I coughed out.
“Whoops, I think I became a little bit too into the movie.”
“Yeah, you did, but that’s okay,” I gasped as she released me.
She gathered up herself and sat back down. This time, she sat on the cushion adjacent to me. She laid her head on my shoulder and I slowly put my arm around her shoulder. She was so warm. Her soft skin gave me goose bumps as we touched. I laid my head on hers. There was a slight fragrance of Head & Shoulders mixed with a very light scent of perfume. It was intoxicating. Each breathe I took pulled me deeper into a paradise that was unknown to me.
She tilted her head and looked into my eyes. Her eyes searched mine, looking for—something. I did not have a single hint at to what she was searching for. My eyes searched her as well. I searched for my soul mate that could possibly be hidden behind her brown eyes. I remember the next few moments so vividly. The Thing was over and there was an elderly man and woman trying to sell CD’s of songs that came from their youth. My kitchen light was flickering; it was time to change the fluorescent bulbs. Outside, there were sounds of crickets. Inside, all I could hear was my heart beating. Her eyes still searched me. There was a longing within them that called to me.
My head began to move on its own towards her. It was making a preemptive move without me fully comprehending the situation. Our lips touched. They were soft and wet. I could taste her berry chapstick. I pulled away, fearing that I made a mistake. A second after our lips parted, she moved forward and our lips reunited. We continued our previous engagement and now all my fears of being to bold were diminished. The kiss ended and all was silent. The television was off. We must have accidentally hit the remote. Neither of us minded. I was in paradise.
My paradise was suddenly shattered by my phone cell phone ringing. I grabbed in my pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Thomas. Did he know how to ruin a moment or what? I remember thinking to myself “this makes us even now”. I answered the phone.
“Hello?” I said into the phone.
“Mr. P?” a strange voice said from the other line.
“Yes, who is this?” I asked.
“Elizabeth. Thomas is in the hospital . . .” Elizabeth said. I could hear her suddenly bursting into tears on the other line.
“What? How? Where?” I asked.
“Please come down to the hospital, I don’t really know all the details yet,” she somehow managed to say.
“Okay, I will be there soon,” I said.
I hung up the phone and looked at Miss C.
“Do you mind coming with me to the hospital?” I asked.
“Sure. What happened?” she asked.
“I don’t really know, but a good friend of mine is in the hospital.”
“All right.”
We got up and left. The crickets have gone silent like the television. As I was heading out the door, I double checked the house. The light was flickering weekly. It was going to die soon. When I began to shut the door, it died. Darkness was all that remained in my house. I shut the door and got into my truck. We drove off and in my rear view mirror my house disappeared.