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                           A Suitor's Tilted Nightmare © 2000

 

                                      AUTHOR -- SHIRLEY D. STRADFORD

 

                      

 Chapter's Summary                                                                                          

                           

                                                                                   CHAPTER 1 of 38

     The year is 1992.  Janelle Greatone put her social life on hold to establish her business.  Now that it was established and running well, she made the decision to start dating again.  She flipped through her pocket secretary several times, but could not find anyone she could remember liking well enough to date again.  She finally made a choice and call her friend: Lester Brite.  It had been a while since she last saw him, so, what could possibly go wrong with a Monday night get together.

 

                                                                                           CHAPTER 2      

     Janelle invited Lester Brite over to enjoy his favorite, home-cooked, comfort foods at her dinner table.  After greeting him at her door, she remembered his wide, beautiful smile, and like that smile, nothing else had changed.  His belly still hung over his belt, his trousers hung a little low in the crouch, his shoes were slightly over-run and the lurkers still lurked!  Janelle and Lester spent a quiet evening reminiscing over dinner.  However, later that evening, his behavior changed.  Without hurting his feelings, Janelle strongly suggested he bid her goodnight.  Once gone, she placed her back against the door.  At that time, she wondered if the invite was indeed a bright idea.  Well, more than anything else, Lester was still her good friend.  With her back still against the front door, Janelle closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.  A long, hot, comforting, bubbly bath awaited her.  Forward and onward, she sighed!  

                                                                           

                                                                        CHAPTER 3

     “Good morning Ladies,” remarked Janelle on her way to her office.

       “Good morning Janelle,” said Myrtle and Marbie.

        Marbie followed Janelle into her office with her first cup of freshly brewed coffee.  Sitting at her desk, Janelle took a sip of coffee and sat it down on the cup warmer. This coffee always tastes so fresh. Thought Janelle.  She believed the coffee her office workers made every day seem to taste just like the last drip had just dropped into the pot right before they served it to her.  She put her purse in the bottom left drawer and was ready to start her day, but something didn’t feel right.  Janelle looked up and saw Marbie and Myrtle standing in her doorway.

      “Ladies?” said Janelle as she stopped what she was doing to address their presence.

       Marbie spoke first.  “Would you like some sugar for your coffee?”

       Janelle said, “No thank you,” and looked away.  She tried to work, but something still didn’t quite feel right.   Marbie and Myrtle were still standing in the doorway when Janelle looked up again.

     “Ladies?” remarked Janelle again.

      Myrtle said, “Would you like some cream for your coffee?

      Okay.  Janelle was perplexed and wondered why her office workers were lurking at her door.

      Janelle stopped trying to start her day, looked up at her office workers and said, “No, I do not want sugar and no, I don’t want cream for my coffee.  As both of you know, I like my coffee like I like my men, strong and black.  Nonetheless, let me quell my curiosity.  What can I do for your ladies in return for this delicious cup of coffee that you all serve me every morning?”

      Always the first to speak, Marbie said, “Well, we were just wondering about your date last night.”

      Janelle took a second sip of her coffee, relaxed, and leaned back into her chair.  “Well, it wasn’t a date.  Besides, yesterday was Monday. No one goes on a real date on a Monday night.”

     “Okay, so it wasn’t a date,” said Marbie and Myrtle in unison.  “And,” they added.

     Janelle sat forward in her chair and said, “Okay ladies, fine:  And.  It was a Monday night; it was not a date; I slaved over a hot stove and I did not have a good time!” emphasized Janelle.   She put her hand to her forehead and said, “From now on, I may need to incorporate light and sweet in my coffee and not just stick to strong and black, if I intend to increase my dating options.”

      Marbie put her hand to her temple and said, “What?”

      Janelle saw she was puzzled, and said, “Maybe I should start thinking about light and sweet like I think about black and strong if I want to expand my horizon of the kind of man I’m seeking.”

      Marbie and Myrtle looked at each other, nodded their heads in unison and said, “Well if you need some sugar and cream, we’ll have to buy some.  We certainly don’t have any in stock.

     “Now may we all start our day?”  Asked Janel.

     Walking through the door, Marbie said, “I’m working.”

     Myrtle said, “I’m working,” as she hurried to her desk. 

 

                                                                                                   CHAPTER 4 

     When Janelle got home after work that day, she called Mimi.

     “Hi, Ms. Lady.  How was your day,” asked Janelle?

     “Great, and how was yours,’” asked Mimi?             
     “I had a good day.  Sometimes, I don’t know what I’m going to do with those twins.  They have a tendency to gain up on me at times.      However, I don’t think I could manage my business without them.  Anyway, did I tell you about a flier I found the other day on my windshield,” asked Janelle?

     “No, you probably forgot.  What’s on it,” asked Mimi? 

      “There’s a single party at the Arena this Saturday night,” answered Janelle.

       “I know that place; it’s nice.  I’ve eaten dinner at their restaurant next door to it,” remarked Mimi. 

       “Well, I want to go to that party, but I don’t want to go alone.  Can you come with me,” asked Janelle?

       “I wish I could, but I can’t.  My boyfriend would have a conniption.  Wait a sec.  Arcia may want to go with you.” said Mimi.

       “Okay,” answered Janelle.

       “As we know, Arcia loves a party and he especially loves meeting women.  He may be a womanizer, but that’s not for me to say.   I can ask him if he wants to go with you.  Chances are, he’ll probably say yes,” said Mimi.  " I’ll call him, give him the information and then I’ll let you know.”

      “Okay, that sounds great!  I’ll talk to you later,” said Janelle.  “Bye for now.”

      “Bye-buy,” remarked Mimi.

       Janelle went to her closet and pulled out her red, high heel shoes.  She was ready to party!

       It was Saturday night and Janelle ate dinner at that restaurant.  After dinner, she walked down the hallway to the single's party in the Arena.  The place was not crowded and she thought she may have been a bit early.  She sat at the bar and waited for Arcia.  Time passed and Janelle was getting nervous.   What if Arcia is a no-show, she thought?  Dismayed for the moment, she left the bar stool and casually walked around the Arena looking for Arcia.  He was not there.  Janelle felt even more out of place as she walked back to her stool.

     “May I help you,” asked the bartender?

     “Yes, of course,” replied Janelle.  “I’ll have a glass of tonic water with a twist of line and a cherry please?”

     The bartender was coy and said, “Sure.  That’s a tall order.  I’ll go easy on the twist,” he said. 

      They laughed.

      “Can’t drink and drive,” replied Janelle.  Where is Arcia, she thought. It was late and she was tired.  Nonetheless, she decided to wait a little longer.  It may still be early for him, she thought. Absorbed in her misery, Janelle did not notice when a Blonde sat on the stool next to her, until she said, “May I have a glass of water please?”

      Janelle was startled!  She looked at the Blonde and thought, another alone soul like myself.  Looks like we’re both going home just like we came; alone! 

     Janelle looked past the Blonde and caught her breath.  Everything around her came to a screeching halt.  Her world stood silently still!  She saw a tall, masculine, slim gentleman in a tight, white, dress shirt.  To her surprise, he was walking directly toward her and he was not Arcia.   Janelle sat upright on her stool and locked eyes with that predator.  The closer he got, the more she felt confident that they were thinking alike:  I'm not going anywhere without you.  

     All of a sudden, the lady on the stool stood up and blocked Janelle's view of that gorgeous creature.  Janelle stood up; not so fast, she thought.  Before she could make another move, that gorgeous creature was upon them.  Janelle wanted to say something to him, but she was tongue-tied.  Before she could formulate a thought, that tall hunk, that unbelievably masculine warrior, the Prince who belonged to her, embraced that Blonde.  Janelle world came tumbling down, she felt faint and sat back down on her stool.  She couldn’t feel her legs or anything else as she saw them cuddly walked hand in hand toward and out the door.   

     Janelle didn’t know how she made it to the ladies’ room, but after a while, she realized she was running cold water on her wrists.  "What just happened," she screamed out loud?    

                                                            

                                                                                          CHAPTER 5  

    Janelle finally left the bathroom and went back to the bar.  A tall, strawberry blond gentleman saw her and he couldn't take his eyes off her.

    Raymond Mandownn was a tall strawberry blond gentleman with a restless soul.  He was accustom to getting what he wanted, but as of late, he just couldn’t find what he needed.  He read a flier her found on the passenger’s side of his car.  “Come out this Saturday night for some fun time and meet someone single.”  Raymond thought that kind of night out might be a better scenery than eating alone.  He would go.  
     Raymond walked into the Arena, scoped out the room and spotted a gorgeous, raven-hair beauty sitting at the bar alone; just waiting for the chance to meet him.  He went to the men’s room to make sure all his pretty curls were in their perspective place.  When he returned, that raven-hair beauty was no longer sitting at the bar.  Raymond wasn’t exactly happy.  She was the only lady he eyed and now she was gone. He hurriedly walked into the foyer and saw her.  Janelle handed her parking ticket to the attendant.  Raymond rushed next to her and said, “Hello.  Are you leaving so soon?  The night is still young!" 

     “Yes I am,” said Janelle. 

     “I don’t mean to be forward, but, would you mind staying a litter longer, I’ll like to talk to you.” 

     Janelle looked at him:  He was not her prince charming who just got away, but he was tall and handsome.  Nonetheless, she was exhausted and all she wanted to do was take her hair down and relax in a hot bubble bath. 

     “Thank you, but I’m past exhausted.” 

     “I truly understand.  May I have your number if that not too intrusive?” 

     Of course, it was intrusive, but Janelle did not have the strength to tell him.

     “I’ll take your number if you like,” stated Janelle.  Raymond jumped at that chance! 

     “Sure, but I don’t have a pen nor anything to write on.  Wait,” said Raymond.  He hurried back inside, went to the bar and asked the bartender to borrow a pen.  He saw one of the same fliers he removed from his car and hurried back to where Janelle was still waiting for her car. 

     “Okay.  I put my number on one of their fliers.  Now promise you’ll call me.” 

     Just then, the attendant pulled up with Janelle’s car.  She got into her car, buckled her seatbelt and said, “I’ll call you.” 

     That was good enough for Raymond, since he, at that time, could not control the situation without turning her off completely.  He waited and he waited for that call.

                                                                                             

                                                                                  CHAPTER 6                                        

     Janelle did not give Raymond her phone number, but she accepted his' when they first met.  He didn't have a business a card, so he got a flier from the maître d’ and wrote his phone number on the back of it.  

     That party was a flop, Arcia didn’t show up and Janelle didn’t tell her friend Mimi about the experience of losing her, “Night in shining armor.”  Although disappointed, Janelle thought she may want to go to another party.  She kept the flier Raymond gave her, forgot about him and definitely forgot about his phone number on the back of it.   Raymond did not impress her.

     Some time went by and Janelle felt empty.  After a lot of trepidation and a chat with Mimi, Janelle found the courage to call the number again on the same flier Raymond wrote his number on and inquired about the next single’s party.  When she got the information, she threw that flier away in her bedroom trash can.  Raymond’s number was on the back of that flier.     

     Raymond was furious. Weeks passed and he had not gotten a phone call from Janelle.  How much longer could he wait?  How much longer would he wait?  He was a patient man and he knew he would eventually get what he needed since he had already gotten what he wanted. 

                                                            

                                                                                    CHAPTER 7

     

     Janelle finally told Mimi about the night she invited Lester over for dinner and her desire to go to another Singles' party.   Mimi thought it was a good idea and offered to call Arcia again.  Unfortunately, the best Mimi could do was leave a message on his answering machine.  She and her boyfriend left town for Palm Springs late Thursday and she wasn't sure if Arcia had gotten the message. 

     Janelle called Mimi, but she didn't answer her phone:  Janelle left a message and asked Mimi to make sure Arcia got the message to meet her at the party.  Again, Arcia was a no-show. 

     Raymond was hesitant, but he decided to attend another Single's party and hoped Janelle would be there as well.. He believed that was his only chance of ever seeing her again.