Unconditional Kiss

A Dinner

    We were in the car, moving towards my home. Enjoying slow romantic songs. I was looking outside through the window. I saw the Gift shop, I purchased a gift for Lucas from. 

    “Stop” I exclaimed immediately.

    “I had to purchase flowers for Linda,” I replied, pointing to the gift shop.

    “Cool, you scared me” He said, smiling.

    We stepped in the shop. An Old lady helped me with my gift for Lucas came to me, saying “Oh my girl, it is pleasant to see you.”

    “Hello” we shared a wide smile to each other.

    “What I can help you with” She asked, in her sweet tone.

    “Just some flowers” I replied, in the same way she asked.

    “I will see, you carry on” Denver replied, pointing at flowers kept outside the shop.

    “So, finally you found the unconditional love of your life, He is perfect” An old  lady said, looking at Denver. Denver smiled back, hearing us.

    “Yes” I smiled back at her.

    “Did you give him the statue I told you?” An old lady asked, curiously.

    “Not yet, we haven’t gone on a proper date yet.” I replied, making disappointed face at her,

    “Then what are you waiting for, young man, never make your girl wait for a date too long, mark my words” Lady sweetly scolded Denver, handing him over a bunch of flowers. I laughed at him.

    “I will never do that again” Denver replied, smiling back at me.

                                                                                                       ***

    We stepped into Linda’s house, and Linda welcomed us at the door. I handed her over the flowers.

    “So finally the busy girl is here” Linda’s mother said, stepping towards us.

    ‘Hello Mrs. Baker, you look so beautiful.” I replied, hugging her.

    “You look handsome young man, exactly how these girls described you”

    Denver smiled, I gave a strange look to Mrs. Baker wandered when I talked to her about Denver.

    We were sitting on the lawn of Linda’s house, after having a happy family dinner, discussing random things, unnecessarily smiling at each other, Denver was silent during the whole dinner and Linda’s mom was being extra nice to us. 

    “You guys really make a nice couple Austin” Mrs. Baker said to Denver, smiling.    

    Denver immediately looked at me shockingly, I looked in the same way at Linda, Linda turned to her mother, whispering to her “Denver, its Denver”

    “What Denver?” Mrs. Baker, asked loudly.

    “My name is Denver White, I am sorry you may get me to be someone else.” Denver replied to Mrs. Baker, with his voice numb.

    “It was just a slip of tongue” Linda said, trying to convince Denver. Mrs. Baker was still, looking at all our faces, trying to figure out whatever was happening.

    “I just forgot about tomorrow’s morning interview. I had to go for an interview before office time, I think we shall leave now.” I moved towards Denver and folded my hand around his.

    “It was really nice to have dinner with you both” Linda hugged me, whispering in my ears “I am sorry, I forget to inform mom” 

    “Good night, catch you again” I said hugging to Mrs. Baker. 

    “Yeah good night” she replied, with a confused expression.

                                                                                                    ***

    “Denver please slower” I screamed at Denver driving too fast.

    He stopped the car in the dark corner of the road. I looked outside the window, annoyed with Denver’s behaviour. This place reminds me of the time Denver kissed me for the first time. Denver too acted to be angry on me for some while. He looked at me, expecting me to convince him, but I did not react, and kept looking outside the window.

    “I Love you” He said, holding my hand.

    “But I don't,” I replied, removing his hand from mine. 

    “Please” He said, in convincing tone, holding my hand tighter this time,

    “Why are you so arrogant” I replied, turning to him, holding back his hand.

    “I was hurt, I am sorry” 

    “But for what, it was just a slip of tongue”

    “She meant it, she welcomed Austin, not me, she served dinner for Austin, not Denver, and you know it” He replied angrily, removing his hand from mine.

    “Yes, but it's not that big a reason to behave like this, Linda hardly shares anything about me with her.,” I replied, pulling his hand towards me again.

    “You asked me to see your world, to be part of it, but the truth is your world is full of your past, I have no place there, you world knows you dating Austin, but they not have clue about your breakup, they don’t know us dating, you social media still shows to be committed with him, your home still has picture with him on wall. I feel like, you were not out of that relation, but I pulled you out”

    “After our break up, I hardly had met Mrs. Baker, I did not open my social media since so long, and that photo was kept there by Linda, she kept asking me to think about Austin several times, I can explain anything that bothers you, but don’t ever feel like this again.” I said, folding my hand around his, tighter. 

    “If that night, I would have not stopped you, would you have kissed Austin back?,” Denver asked looking into my eyes, “I want to listen to the truth only,” he added further.

    “Maybe” I looked away from him. He stepped out of the car immediately, angrily, disappointed. “Denver” I stepped out following him, screaming, We stood outside, taking support of the car, Denver kept avoiding eye contact. I hold his hand in mine, firmly and continued, “I was broke, I was broke by you, not because you hide your identity, it never mattered to me who are you, I was broke because you did not meant touching me, you asked me to take it casual, you kissing me, touching me, we making out, everything I felt to be your love for me, but you said you did not meant anything, it hurt me Denver, I couldn’t forget your touch, I could never take it casual.” a tear dropped from my eye, I looked away from him and went back to the car. He followed me immediately and stepped in.

    “I did mean it, I sent you hundreds of text telling you I love you, I am sorry,  I should have asked for permission, I should have propose you first, questioning whether I disappointed you making love, maybe you had more expectation from me physically, or maybe it was too fast and sudden to make you nervous, hundreds of texts I sent, but you did not answered any, so to sort everything shortly, I asked you to take it casual, at least I would have not lose you as a friend. 

    “74” I replied, looking at him “Texts you sent were 74 and not 100”

    Denver held my head between his palms saying “fine I will send you 26 more” and kissed me. He pulled me over him and we kissed as long as we could kiss, caressing each other, he moved his hand trying to pull my dress off, I stopped and whispered “I remember, we have 2 homes empty for us.” 

    I went back to the passenger seat, he drove us to his home.

                                                                                                    ***

    Night spent well, I felt addicted to his touch, I removed his hands from my body, and moved to get out of the bed, Denver pulled me back, and folded his hand around me tighter, I pushed him back, to wake him up and left to the hall, to get clothes from my  bag. 

    I saw on white envelope lying at the main door, I picked it up, it had a trademark saying “Janson’s Medical Services”, I tore the top of the envelope and pulled the paper inside out. It was for “Denver T. White” I opened it to read.

    “It is just routine check up reports of my dad” Denver snatched the report paper from my hand, and folded it. 

    “All good?” I asked him, pointing at Report.

    “Yeah, it is just a formality of Old Age home, get ready fast, we need to leave for office, otherwise my boss would kick me out” Denver winked at me, reminding me his words from our first talk at the garden of ADC.

                                                                                                ***

    Whatever happened since Austin’s party, made it more difficult for me to face him, and this time there is no chance to sort things out. Me and Denver ruined his party, created a scene there and I broke his heart the second time, maybe third. But I don’t even want to sort things out, the more we talk, the more it will be awkward for me to work here. I just don’t want him to act like an enemy to me, even acting like a stranger will be ok.

    “All done” I asked Linda, with a bag on my shoulder to leave the office.

    “Yeah almost” Linda replied, saving the file she was working on.

    I kept looking at Austin’s cabin, the door was shut, lights were off. I did not see him the whole day. I feel sorry for whatever happened on party night.

    “He is on leave for some days” Linda said, she saw me staring at his door, 

    “Have you guys talked since that evening?” I asked. Stepping towards exit.

    “No, I called but he did not pick,” Linda replied in a vanilla tone.

    We stepped in the elevator.

    “Did you tell your mom about Denver after we left?” I asked, breaking the awkward silence. 

    “Yeah, I'm sorry for yesterday, I wasn’t prepared for him coming,” Linda replied in a rude tone, without looking at me.

    “He was dropping me your place, so I invited him to join”

    “Its fine, have you guys moved in”

    “Not yet, I mean no” I replied stuttering, though I have already moved my half wardrobe to his place. 

    I felt that she was upset, of course she must be, Austin is a good friend of hers and Denver is a complete stranger, and since I broke up with Austin, all she was trying to see us back together. 

    I remained silent on her last words. We stepped out of ADC premises and moved towards Bus stop. Linda did not talk to me for half of the journey, kept avoiding eye contact with me, with her headphones on, we had thousands of fights till date but she never behaved in such a way with me ever. 

    “You know I love him right?” I asked, pulling her headphones off.

    “I do, so?” She replied switching music off.

    “Why don’t you just accept that, I know Austin is your friend, but try to understand me, I love Denver, and for me my own feeling matters more than Austin’s heart break, why don’t you get it?” I said, frustrated.

    “I am not upset because of Austin, I know you already have broke him thousand times but I am upset because you did not tell me all this earlier, you lied to me thousand times for Denver, I am happy for you, but you broke me too, it will take some time to get normal for me please.” Linda replied, putting her headphones back on his head.

    Bus reached my stop, I left without saying ‘goodbye’ to Linda.

                                                                                                ***

    I stepped in my house, threw my bag on couch, and played the voice mails I received, 

    “Its been almost 2 days since due date of your rent, please pay it as soon as possible” the stupid voice mail of the owner of flat, which I receive immediately from due date till I choke her mouth with rent amount. I moved towards the washroom, listening the voice mails.

    “Hey Helena, my love, please check your Email, I have been trying to contact you and Emily since many days” It was my mom’s voice, I immediately got back to the phone and replayed the voice mail, and tapped to save. 

    I was overwhelmed by hearing her voice after so long, she sounded old, tired and numb.

    I redialed her on the number I received voice mail from, it was unreachable, I opened my laptop immediately, I logged in into mail, I looked for her mail, found it, she sent it to me on Saturday night, when I was with Denver.