Flying Blind

The Uninvited

I wake up to the smell of fresh brewing coffee. The scent of it makes my stomach growl as I yawn and run my hands through my hair. It is chilly this morning. I grab my robe tying the sash as I bound barefoot down the hall and head towards the kitchen. I am in hot pursuit of the aromas that are tempting me.

I enter the kitchen ready to embrace my mother in a thank you bear hug. But instead of my mother standing there is a very striking man holding a cup to his lips and blowing on the rim.

"What the..?"

Here I was in my robe hair sticking out all over the place mouth agape staring at a man who is staring back at me with an annoying grin on his face.

He speaks. "You must be Emily."

"Yes and who are you?" I reply.

"I'm Charlie."

"So Charlie what have you done with my mother?"

"I'm a friend of your mother's." He must be joking.

"Your way too young be a friend of my mother's." I am thinking.

It must have been written all over my face because he bursts out laughing. "Let me make myself clear," he says with that grin again. "I'm a friend of your mother's through a friend of hers."

"Your mother went to fetch the mail." Charlie sits his cup on the counter and goes to pour another.

"Do you always come calling so early as a habit?" I huffed.

"Actually Emily it's noon." My mother answers as she comes into the room sorting through the mail.

She is separating her customer orders from bills and junk mail. "I see you've met Charlie."

"How do you like to take your coffee Emily?" his hand lingers near the creamer.

I couldn't help but notice the big ruby he is sporting on his ring finger. It is encased within intricately woven silver. Charlie is stirring the spoon around the cup. The tinkling sound it makes is mesmerizing. He then hands it to me and I take a sip. It tastes just the way I like it.

Wait, had I answered his coffee question? I could not recall if I did. My mother interrupts my thoughts with her banter.

"Charlie is Cecilia's nephew from out of town." she says as she sits a plate of muffins on the table.

"We were thinking maybe if you met that blind date you refused to let us set you up with it might change your mind."

Of course...

My mother is standing there with a wicked smile on her face. I vow to kill her later. Meanwhile, Charlie is staring me down and nibbling on a scone. I mumble that I will think about it. Then I walk out with my coffee and leave them sitting in the kitchen.

Later that night I had a vivid dream about me and Charlie. I was riding with him in his convertible. We were no longer in the city. We were now in what appeared to be the countryside.

Uninvited by Alanis Morisette was playing on the radio. The wind whipping through my hair sounded like it was whispering to me. There was dark forest surrounding us as we sped down the road.

He stopped to show me around his home which included an ancient looking mansion. I woke up thinking it all seemed strangely familiar.