Vivian had gave way, mournfully taking it out from the shopping bag , with the price tag still intact. Before she handed the dress to my eagerly stretched out hands, she gave me a warning; should anything...ANYTHING happen to the dress, a little tear, a little thread sticking out, even a speck of bread crumb, I would be sure the punishment would be severe.
My tissue was already wet with dark stain. I tilted my head upwards hoping that it would stop the liquid from flowing out.
"Janey?"
My first instinct was to turn towards the voice but I was so afraid of Vivian's threat. My eyes tried to look vainly at the owner of the voice without turning my head. I was getting dizzy and my neck was cramming up.
"Yes?" I answered feeling foolish.
"Is there something interesting up there?" asked the voice. I sighed and slowly, very slowly, afraid that my nose would bleed again, I turned my head towards him. My heart nearly stopped. For the past 20 minutes while waiting for him, I had imagined him in all different form and sizes, a bald man with a huge potbelly , a skinny man with rabbit teeth but never this.....He was gorgeous!
I swooned.
He was wearing an Armani t-shirt which literally showed off his toned body. He was tanned with little stubs on his chin and his eyes.... His beautiful hazel brown eyes were looking directly at me. i was speechless as he smiled shyly and took a seat.
I looked at him from across the table .
Was this Luis? Sweet little Luis, with his goofy grin, scruffy hair, big innocent hazel brown eyes and tanned skin showing his Hispanic heritage.
"L-U-I-S?" I croaked. He grinned at me. I couldn't help smiling. It was still there, the goofy grin that I loved.
My mind wandered off back to the time when I first met Luis.....24 years ago. The image of an eight year old Hispanic boy appeared , wearing a hooded sweater underneath a thick winter jacket, waving in front of the school gate.
His voice brought me back to the present.
"Shall we order?" he asked motioning to the waiter.
It was great seeing Luis there. We talked a lot that nigh through dinner. Reminiscing on old times and catching up on our present lives. Luis was a head engineer for an oil company. I cocked my head to one side, impressed. Luis saw my expression and gave a big smile.
"I wasn't the sloppy, book-hater boy that I used to be," he said still smiling.
I couldn't help starring at him. It had been a long time and he had changes so much!
I blushed when he caught me starting at him. I missed those 3 years which was the best time that I ever had when my family moved to America.
Dad was assigned there to look over some project for his company.
My brother and I would walk to Alcott Elementary school from our apartment near Lake Michigan, Chicago.
I remembered the first time I step foot in the building , I was five at that time. It looked gigantic, the school hall , the office and the corridors stretched endlessly. The two of us were at awe and a bit scared by our surroundings. We wandered around the halls until we met the principal, Mr. Henry, a tall man with thick hair and equally thick white beard. His eyes were blue, they were gentle kind eyes which twinkle when he smiled. He looked like a thin version of Santa Claus. It was Mr Henry that took me to my class and introduced me to everyone.
I remembered him so well..... Dear kind old Mr. Henry, adored by students and a talented music conductor. Best principal I ever had.
It was summer when first step foot at Alcott Elementary School.
"Is it still there?"I asked out loud. As if reading my mind, he nodded.
"Still strong although I doubted our teachers would still be there."
Did I say I had fun? I had so much fun that night. We talked , we laughed , we were so comfortable with each other. I didn't realized that it was close to two hours that we have been talking. Dinner was taken away and desert was brought in. I had totally forgotten Vivian's advice before I left the house.
"Remember Janey.......You're wearing that dress you're a lady. Don't grin too much, smile politely and nod when he talks. Don't get too excited and talk too fast or too loud like your in a disco . Be gentle and graceful and for goodness sake don't take any chocolate as that makes you more hyper that you normally are!"
Well.......... I did grin....I grinned like an idiot because I was so happy. The two of us were so in synch that we can even complete each others sentences without meaning it. As for not talking so loudly, I think our table was the loudest in that posh restaurant , we didn't even notice the glares from other tables.
"I swear to you that I really thought I was in my dad's car and when I turned to the driver it was a lady , she had this mortified face , with the phone in her hand......" Luis gaffowed loudly and told me the time he had run away from home at the age of fifteen.
It felt so good to meet a guy that didn't glance worriedly around when you talked or excuse himself to the washroom when he was actually trying to slip out through the kitchen. I prayed that wasn't his plan , with the amount of food we had eaten I doubted my crumpled fifty ringgit would be enough to cover the bill in this high class restaurant !
Drat!I should have played safe and suggested pizza.
"Hello , earth to Janey. What's wrong ? Your frowning ," said Luis waving his hand in front of me to get my attention. I got out of my dazed and realize I was biting my bottom lip nervously. Luis smiled warmly and I melted forgetting whatever concerns I had in my head. Our empty plates was replace with warm chocolate cakes with warm fudge in the middle and vanilla ice cream on top. I smiled delight, he told me that he had not forgotten how I adored chocolate.
Pinch me! I must have choked on the food , died and gone to heaven.
We had to leave after finishing the cake. Not that we didn't want to stay , we would but the restaurant had to close by 12 o 'clock.
Luis paid the bill and drove me home.
He opened my door and as I got out he reached for something at the back of the car. He pulled out a bouquet of roses wrapped in colorful plastic wrappers and put it in my arm.
"24 roses for 24 years, " he said softly and got into the car. I just stared at him unable to speak. I didn't say goodbye, I just stood there as he drove off.
Roses........I had never had roses before.(well not counting the time my cousin Annie gave me one for my diploma graduation)but this was a bouquet of them!
Excuse me as I melt on the driveway.......
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