He Waits for Me

Agree to Disagree

After he left I lay there in my bed just trying to digest how my day had unfolded. Things were different with Pierre. Something had shifted in our strange relationship. His touch left a trail of warmth and pleasure across my skin. He had touched me in a way that a man touches a woman. And I was reeling from it. Part of me wanted to jump up and down on the bed like a teenager after being kissed for the first time. I resisted and smiled to myself instead. Perhaps he was finally beginning to notice that I was no longer a child. The shrill ringing of my phone pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID and groaned. I was going to have to deal with this sooner or later, so I might as well get it over with.

“ Hey Whitney...”

“ I wondered if you would take my calls. Can I come over?” She sounded slightly amused, which to be honest, kind of irritated me.

“ Depends. Are you going to make fun of my innocence or have try to have the sex talk with me?” I snipped.

“ Oh don't be so upset, I just wanted to apologize and make sure you weren't scarred for life or anything.”

I could hear the smile in her voice. She was having way too much fun with this. But I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to ask questions and she was the only one who could give them to me.

“ Fine, but if you laugh at me even one time I swear I will throw you out of my window.” I spoke calmly so she would know that I wasn't joking.

“ I'll be there in ten minutes.” She said and hung up.

I tidied my already immaculately clean room while I waited for her. It was a nervous habit I suppose. If things weren't clean, I felt frazzled and unorganized. Cleaning was soothing to me. I was bent over looking under the edge of my bed for dust bunnies when I heard her come in. I didn't even have time to raise my head up before I felt a sting across my bum. Typical Whitney.

“What was that for?” I asked incredulously

“ You have a nice butt, and I just can't help myself when you stick it in the air like that” She smiled innocently as she said it.

I rolled my eyes at her and grabbed her hand, “ Come on, let's make a cup of coffee first.”

Once we had our mugs in front of us she began to apologize for what I had walked in on. Apparently his name was Jeremy and they'd had a very good first date that had only just ended.

“I can't believe you slept with someone you barely know!” I exclaimed

“I wish you would have sex already. Then maybe you'd understand. He was nice, and I wanted to enjoy all of him. And boy, did I!” She got this dopey look on her face as she said it. I felt my cheeks go crimson at her confession.

“ I saw plenty, Whitney. No need to go into specifics.” I replied curtly.

“ Why do you get so upset whenever I talk about sex?” She asked looking kind of hurt.

I sighed. I had to put this delicately.

“You always talk about sex. But never love. I want to experience sex, but I want to be in love. I just feel differently about it than you do I guess.”

She shrugged “ Sex is wonderful. It doesn't have to be all romance and love. Sometimes, it just primal instinct between two people who are attracted to each other. No pressure.”

I nodded. I suppose to some that would make perfect sense. I just didn't see the point in giving myself to someone who didn't love me. I guess I was old-fashioned. I did envy the way she described things sometimes. But there seemed to be a certain intimacy lacking. I wanted it all. Love, romance and to be cherished. Not used as a means to an end. I expected more from it, and I wasn't going to settle. I shrugged.

“ I do admire your choice to wait until it feels right to you.” She said wistfully. “ I want to feel that warm lovey feeling someday too you know.”

“I don't understand... If you admire my choice to wait, then why didn't you?” I asked her.

She took a moment to answer and I waited, letting her collect her thoughts.

“ I guess I let my hormones get the better of me. I enjoy men. I know that someday I'll find a man that loves me. I just don't see a need to wait like you do. I'm more of a 'go with the flow' kinda girl.”

She cracked a large grin at that, and I knew the serious part of our conversation was over. That was too be expected. My sweet friend was never one to be too serious for too long. I suppose we just usually agree to disagree.

“Are you going to see Jeremy again?”

She had turned to my DVD collection and only glanced back at me.

“I'm not sure. If he wants to see me, he'll call me. If not, well, plenty of fish in the sea.”

“ And that doesn't hurt you? That he may not call? That perhaps he just wanted your body?”

She pulled out 'The Notebook' and turned to face me completely.

“Yes and No. It's not like I'm in love with him, but I guess the rejection does sting a bit. I figure it's better to know now that he's not interested in more than finding out later when I've developed more feelings.”

I nodded. I could argue more that if she waited she may weed out the men just the same, but I knew the point was moot. Whitney was nothing if not stubborn, and she wouldn't see a flaw in her ways until she was ready.

“Well press play then and I'll get the popcorn” I said closing the topic.

As I left the room I heard her yell. “ See! I know my sexy friend won't reject me! Who needs a man when you've got curves like that!”

I laughed at her while I descended the steps. I loved her carefree nature. As I entered the kitchen, I could smell it, faintly, but it was there anyway.

I looked around but I couldn't see it. It made me smile. I would find it soon. I walked the rest of the way to the pantry and pulled out the popcorn. Pierre had absolutely lifted my mood, as was usual. I almost didn't notice the flower. If I hadn't brushed my hand along it while putting my hand into the microwave, I probably would have cooked it with the popcorn. I giggled when I pulled it out. I'm not sure why he put it there. It made me wonder if he knew Whitney and I would end up having a popcorn and movie night. Perhaps we were a bit too predictable. I stood there smiling and smelling it for a second before a mass of brown curly hair was soon in between me and my lily.

“You always have flowers! Where do they come from? Do you have a secret admirer or something?”

“ Maybe. Who knows...” I replied coyly before dragging her back up the stairs with our snacks.

We watched several movies together before I ushered her out telling her that I had to finish my book before the weekend was out.

Once she was gone, I sighed at the calm that had settled around me. I read dutifully for the remainder of the evening before falling to sleep.

Sometime during the night I was awoken by someone taking the book from my hands. My eyes fluttered open to look into my mothers similar ones.

“ Hi honey. Just came to check on you and I noticed that you had fallen asleep with your lamp on.” She whispered.

“Mmm thanks.” I mumbled crawling under the covers.

“ I love you Marabel. Sweet dreams”

I was asleep again before she left my room. My thoughts of Pierre quickly turning into the sweet dreams she had wished me.