Got To Be Good-looking ('cause he's so hard to see)

~21~

John

If looks could kill, I would be dead, gooonne, her face, when I drove to the other cottage, priceless. 

So utterly dismayed by my proximity.

Why am I laughing? I sorta like the guitar girl, why does making her dismayed seem so entertaining?

I need smokes, the three I was 'gifted' are long gone, so I pack my things into the bedroom, grab an apple and head to town. I'll head to Maccas tomorrow.

The tulip, I was going to deliver to her hand, it was a lovely blooming bud of orange sunset but as soon as I knocked on the door I chickened out, dropping it to the ground, letting the hedge by the roadway cover me up. But I saw her, the pure elation, the cupid's lips turning up smiling, making all the bad stuff disappear from view.

I felt like a little kid pleasing his teacher.

I arrive back to darkness her place and mine, not a bad idea, sleep early, catch the sunrise as she lights another day.

Sitting up with a start, moonlight streaming in, the little alarm clock showing 4am, rubbing my stubbly face and trying to roll over for more of a kip, I wrestle my thoughts and abandon the bed.

Pacing the cliff watching moonlight waves has me humming 'Moonlight Bay', Morecambe and Wise sang that, couple of funny buggers them pair.

The path to the beach leads towards her pathway in a Y shape, her path banging into mine as I hit half way, a dim glow lights her cottage, maybe the fireplace but otherwise silence except for waves crashing.
It's a bit dark in spots and I wish I had a torch. Swinging round a corner I crash and fall, it's her, wrapped in that throw she had on by the door.

"Shit, Holy Mackeral. Are you alright" She's grasping about in the dark and pulling me back up off the ground. Fingers curling around my arms, holding both, she helps me rise. "Can you walk, Cappy?"

"Yeah I'm fine. You?" I'm a hare's breath away from her, she drops her arms away and I drag the throw back to her shoulders "midnight strolls too?"

"Aha, couldn't sleep any longer, so went for a slide to the beach"

"Slide?"

"Just a section round here it's a bit steep, come on I'll show you" She turned and started back down the slope toward the beach, dark hair, dark clothing, darkness and me.

Shit my disguise! I'm fumbling in my pocket searching, I took it off in the car and shoved it deep. Now I'm plastering it on haphazardly as we move along the track. Sand in my toes, cold, maybe the throw was a good idea.

I slide and squawk in surprise and she laughs into the night, her eyes dark pools. My muse that's what she is. I can't help thinking romantic stuff when she smiles or laughs in the moment, perhaps I can squeeze a song out of all this.

Pretty comical really because we send each other mental, though I want to tease more than annoy.

At the bottom, she waves one hand, clutching the throw with the other and utters her word "Nirvana"

The rocks framing the picture of sand meeting ocean, I've stepped into a moonlit paradise. She's got me by the elbow tugging me up the beach, she's scurrying up onto a rocky outcrop I follow her with my eyes as she stands, the moon is fading into the dawn as I watch her touching the sky.

"Thank you for the flower, Cappy" She is smiling down upon me. Not the flower now; and I want to capture the moment, nothing forced or hidden by the night and no teasing anywhere in sight.

She was coming undone before my eyes, the lemon becoming strawberry.

The sour turning sweet.