I Hadn't Anyone Till You - [Susan Grieve - Daisy Kenyon]

The Girl From Minnesota

It was just a regular tuesday. The sky was of a blackish - grayish hue and it appeared to be windy outside as the flame in my chimney was moving erratically at times.

I was sitting down in front of the fire in the big leather chair and drinking a nice warm cup of coffee after a day at the office. I was already in my comfortable robe and slippers glancing through this morning's paper that I hadn't gotten a chance to read earlier. I scanned the pages out of pure boredom, casting an eye over this week's news so far and trying to make sense out of some quite humdrum columns that made me question how many people actually read them and took pleasure in them.

As my eyes followed the printed words on that gray paper, the doorbell rang. I frowned as I quickly sat straight like a dog on high alert with their ears up. I left the newspaper on the seat to go and check my overall look in a nearby mirror before heading downstairs. My hair seemed to still look well styled like it did this morning when I left, so I just moved my bangs around a bit to present them in a more acceptable state to whomever was at my door. After that I left my apartment, went down the stairs to the main door of the building. I checked in the peephole to see a woman standing outside trying to bear the bitter cold wind. It was Daisy.

I didn't delay any further and immediately opened the door. The cold draft infiltrated the now open doorway, once again making me shrink as the frigidity overcame me. I greeted her through the slight chattering of my teeth.

─ "Hi" My voice sounded smaller than what I expected it to be. She beamed up as soon as I opened the door, straightening her posture and feigning a quick smile, acting as if she wasn't absolutely freezing.

─ "Hello" She then stared at me for a quick second. "I'm sorry if I came at a bad time but... I was just finishing up unpacking everything... And I pulled out my china and I thought it would be nice to have some tea or coffee with someone... Then I thought... Why not Susan?"

Daisy then, as the wind picked up even more and exhibited that much colder days are fast approaching, seemed to mirror me and too made herself quite small. Still, despite the harsh weather, a fixed smile stayed on her face.

I looked down at my unattractive outfit.

─ "I would love to, just give me five minutes to change my clothes and I'll be there"

─ "Alright, see you in a few..." She then quickly headed back to her apartment and I quickly made my way back to mine to swiftly get changed before any more embarrassment at her viewing me in my loungewear ensemble could settle in any further.

I ended up putting on a pair of tailored beige pants, with a white long-sleeved shirt, brown loafers and a wool coat. Before I left, I figured I should take something over with me to eat, as a good neighbor would do. But once I got to the kitchen, I realized I didn't have anything left that was homemade, just a jar of cookies that looked too deplorable to bring over. So I decided to make a quick little escape to the bakery that was just two blocks away.

Ten minutes later I was knocking on her door, heaving a bit.

─ "Hello! Come in!" Daisy said gleefully as she gave me some space to walk in.

─ "Sorry for my tardiness, I just figured that coffee would be best paired with these" I briefly glanced at her as I walked in to give her the bag and she took it. She looked even more well put together than she did when she was at my doorstep. In comparison to my humble attire, if viewed by another she could earnestly be discerned as some grandee awaiting her cue to appear in front of the masses waiting for her entrance.

─ "Oh thanks, you can leave your coat here" She said as she pointed to the hanger next to the door that I hadn't seen until then. So, I did as she instructed and after that she walked around the living room into another room I couldn't yet see. I guessed she was making her way to the kitchen with her pastries. Right before she did so she pronounced another direction, "Sit please, I'll be right back"