"Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Part II
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
– John Steinbeck –
In case you missed Part I:
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Duncan Cary Palmer
Although this tale was inspired by a contest,
and though I had not intended to write more, by popular demand I return now with Part II.
I suspected from the start, and have now strongly been made to understand, that it was unkind—nay, cruel—of me to leave readers hanging, holding their breath, at the front door of a beautiful woman...
Will my reading audience ever forgive me? I hope they'll let me know after reading further.
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Image courtesy of 453169 and http://pixabay.com
"Baby, It's Cold Outside - Part II"
~by Duncan Cary Palmer~
As he stands on the front stoop, colored lights decorating the evergreen in the bay window facing the street play across his expectant face. He scarcely notices the gusts of biting cold wind tugging at his collar. His mind is instead filled with the memory, earlier in the day, of her warm hands nestled in the crook of his arm, and he focuses on the footsteps now approaching the door.
The entryway to her Tudor-style cottage dominates the corner of the home. The footsteps stop, and the porch light comes on, revealing an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. The sound of the deadbolt turning draws his attention back to the door, and he blinks in anticipation. One glimpse of her face will more than repay his long trek through the falling snow.
The door swings open.
"May I help you?"
He scarcely notices the biting wind.
Image courtesy of Hide Obara and http://unsplash.com
Before him stands a strapping young man in a tan cardigan sweater vest and dress slacks. The man, no more than half his age, holds the door with a well-muscled right arm.
Palpably shaken, his voice wavers.
"I... must be... in the wrong place." Confusion clouds his face. "I'm sorry, I thought this was the home of a St. Albans student I know."
"Forgive my manners. Won't you come in out of the cold?"
"Uhhh, thank you."
Stepping past the stranger, he finds himself in a sizable and well-appointed foyer. He stomps off the snow clinging to sandals and socks. Hearing the door close behind him, he relishes the stillness and warmth.
"You're definitely in the right place, assuming it's Liz you're looking for."
Liz! Hearing her name makes his heart race. Who is this fellow? As if he can't guess. I've made a complete ass of myself, showing up here.
"Let me take your coat."
It's really only a light jacket, but he hands it over nonetheless. The young man hangs it alongside the bright yellow, fur-collared coat that Liz had been wearing earlier. How could I know her all these weeks and not know about a boyfriend?
"Please, come sit by the fire and warm up." Noticing his sandals, the stranger looks away.
The glory of the Christmas tree.
Image courtesy of louis magnotti and http://unsplash.com
They enter an impeccably decorated living room. He scans the wainscoted walls, eyes coming to rest on a well-executed watercolor of a minaret reflected in an oasis. Candles flicker on a side table, and the glory of the Christmas tree is enhanced by reflections from the bay window. An angel in lace graces the top.
The young man shows him to one of a pair of corduroy upholstered wing chairs on opposite flanks of a large stone fireplace, then restarts the stereo at a reduced volume and seats himself in the other chair.
"Liz is showering, but she should be out soon." His expression is pleasant enough, though noncommittal.
Despite an awkward silence, the prospect of seeing Liz any moment is invigorating. They sit quietly for a minute, gazing into the fire. The fragrance and the occasional pops and sparkles tell him it's real wood, not one of those ceramic log and gas flame simulations. As gradually returning warmth takes the edge off, the other man breaks the silence.
"So, what are you pursuing at St. Albans?"
Gathering his thoughts, he tries to put the best face on an embarrassing situation.
"I've always been fascinated by biblical archaeology. I'm an entrepreneur, and after launching and selling several successful enterprises, I was able to retire a bit early and begin pursuing that interest. I signed up for a Near Eastern Studies course at St. Albans, and, well, that's how I met Liz."
"That sounds quite interesting."
"Thanks. May I ask what it is that you do?"
"Sure. I coach the varsity football team at Central High."
Oh, just great. Tall, dark, handsome, and a jock to boot. But, before he can respond to this latest revelation, the sound of footsteps from the oak-floored hallway announce Liz's approach. He turns that way just in time to see her emerge into the living room.
Liz is an angelic vision.
Image courtesy of Jacob Postuma and http://unsplash.com
Image courtesy of Jacob Postuma and http://unsplash.com
An absolute vision, Liz is looking downward, still brushing her freshly washed, strawberry blonde tresses. They cover the shoulders of an off-white chenille blouse that compliments the natural beauty of her form. Breathless, he rises to face her. She hasn't seen him yet, preoccupied with her hair. What should he say? How will she react?
After a few steps toward the fireplace, she finally raises her head. Catching sight of him for the first time, her brush stops in mid-stroke. Then, like a sudden burst of sunlight, Liz breaks into a smile. Dropping her brush on the carpet, she closes the remaining distance in a few rapid steps and throws her arms around him, leaning her glowing face against his chest.
Pulling back and looking up, "What are you doing here? It's such a nice surprise to see you."
Returning the hug, somewhat embarrassed but relieved by the warm welcome, he braces her at arms length and smiles back.
"I don't know. I just got it in my head to take a walk, I guess. When I got caught out in the snow, I remembered you'd mentioned that you live on this corner, so I came and knocked on your door." I can't tell her why I really stopped by.
"Well, I guess I'd better introduce you two. You haven't met somewhere else before, have you?"
It's time to face the music. He steels himself for what is about to come next.
To Be Concluded
~FIN~
For more stories, please visit our Library Stories Shelf - Just CLICK the shelf below.
Introducing: The SILVERengines proton - Image by @creatr
You are why I'm here on Steemit!
I have very eclectic interests and hope, over time, to write about them all.
⬇️To Check Out @creatr's World⬇️CLICK Each Image Below⬇️
|
|
|
Absolutely helpful for us ...This is great story..I appreciate your post...My friend...Carry on your story writing. .Thanks
Resteemit...
Thank you for the re-steem.
wow awesome story writing dear @creatr thank you for shering. dear @creat i just resteem yor post
Thank you for the re-steem.
wow!this story very nice..
i like your fiction..i appreciate your writing story.
thanks for sharing this post,,best of luck.
Thank you.
So true that the winter gives us so much appreciation for summer when it comes. Just as the same with hard work. Once we accomplish it, we feel so satisfied we did it.
Thanks.
No problem buddy! :)
Wow! Making the best of an awkward situation. You are a wonderful story writer. I am dabbling in that too as of late. Thanks again for sharing. Can't wait for the third installment.
Thank you, my friend. :D
A beautiful story, great work, your thoughts are so beautiful,
fantastic photos,
https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://source.unsplash.com/Qh6wsKk1HWg
thanks for sharing
Thanks.
When i started reading it i was like yay finally part two but when i got to the end i was like NOOOOO. you did not just do that to me. Now im waiting impatiently for part three. Great story.
Fear not! Part III, the conclusion of the story, is already in the works and will be here soon...
I'm glad you find it interesting, Thanks! :D
face palm*
Patience, my friend...
How are your plans for another meetup at Torrey Pines? :D
I started a new paragliding talk show and so I have been pretty busy with that, but I will be setting it up very soon. Its difficult to get good weather these days. Last saturday it was too windy to fly so I did some practice at the park. But, in the next two months the flying days are going to be really good. I will send you over a text when I have a firm date. How has the surfing been?
Sad to report, I have not been out surfing. I need to go do that to sweep the cobwebs out of my brain... ;)
Thanks for the update on a Steemit get together. I hope that I'll be able to make this next one. ;)
Kudos on the talk show, and I wish you the best with it! :D
Heheh, keep them keen style! Nice easy read for a short story, turned longer;) I liked the video at the end too. Difficult to get the timing right on something like that but he did great job.
Greetings, @ricia,
Thank you so much for reading my "story plus."
Public demand brought the story out of retirement, and I hope to soon be done with the final installment.
Yes, I thought that this rendition of "Lo, How A Rose" to be well worth sharing.
Cheers!
Upvoted & followed
Thank you very much, Nick, and welcome aboard.
At your leisure, please check out my Steemit Library - just click on the GIF below.
I apologize in advance that it is in disrepair; unexpected changes to the Steemit U/I (a.k.a. Condenser) seem to have broken it, resulting in superfluous 'https//' strings injected into the links... If you "copy link" and edit out the extra string, you can still find any articles of interest.
Meanwhile, I'm working on a new, improved version of the library... ;)
😄😇😄
I have no idea what the technical stuff all means - I'm just a simple writer. Where can I get my own library? I was thinking of creating a simple link back to a hidden page on my Wordpress website that links back into individual Steemit articles. Otherwise, as you say in your Library article, Steemit will not properly serve writers.
I understand Emmanuel Nataf of Reedsy is interested in Steemit & blockchain technology. I found Steemit via a link in an interview with Nataf onthe Creative Penn, so maybe there will be something better along soon. Nick
Hi, Nick... Thanks for your feedback.
Apologies about the tech stuff... I just have to get my library fixed.
That is what some other people and groups have done. It certainly works, and can work well. My goal, however, is slightly different.
If Steemit is the success we all hope it may become, then I view it as an archive for my writing for future generations to see. I'm don't expect to be around for a great deal longer, and certainly not permanently. Therefore, I am working on ways to create and maintain a library interface that actually exists on the Steemit blockchain.
With the library itself on the blockchain, it won't matter if I'm around to tend it. It will just "be there" for my heirs, successors, and assigns to peruse. In case this is of greater interest to you, here's a more thorough article about my vision for this:
I hadn't heard of Readsy... Thank you, looks interesting. :D
A sound reason. The whole issue of passing on copyright and bequesting writing/book income is something that blockchains will hopefully solve in the not too distant future.
Nick