Fiction
- Click to the carnival
Tues. through Sat. of this week I’m participating in a blog carnival, “What About Love,” that’s headquartered over at The Other Mother’s blog. Each of the days has a post assignment, and I’m weaving these together into a 5-part story. This is the fifth, and final, installment:
Part V: Something Worth Celebrating (that would be love…)
Margot answered the phone on the second ring.
“I guess patience pays off,” Jamie said.
“Is that you?” Margot asked.
“It is.”
“It’s really you?”
“It really is.”
“Well then, what are you wearing right now?”
Jamie looked down at the open leather jacket and her light blue bikini panties.
“Uh, why do you want to know?”
“I’m only kidding. I was trying to break the ice.”
“Oh.”
“You didn’t think it was funny?”
“I just didn’t want to answer.”
“Hey. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” Jamie sounded a little sheepish. “I’m guess I’m not dressed for that kind of phone call.”
“Now my curiosity is piqued. What are you wearing?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“No. ‘Nothing’ as in ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’”
“Jamie, what’s going on? Do you wear something funny at home that I should know about?”
“Not usually.”
“What do you have on?”
Jamie swallowed. She hadn’t seen where this conversation would go.
“I read your letter.”
“I know, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“I was wearing your jacket when I found the letter.”
“That’s sweet.”
“I guess.”
“What do you mean ‘you guess’. Why wouldn’t it be sweet?”
Jamie took a deep breath.
“I wasn’t wearing anything else.”
There was silence on the line. Jamie waited.
Finally Margot whistled a low whistle.
“Margot?” Jamie said.
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shock you.”
“I am a little shocked, but let me emphasize this: it’s in a really good way.”
“Oh.” Jamie let that sink in.
“So are you still wearing my jacket?”
“I am.”
“Are you wearing anything else?”
“Panties.”
“Jamie?”
“Yes?”
“You can’t possibly know that last night, after I kissed you good night, and after I came home, showered, and got into bed, I laid awake, thinking about… okay, fantasizing about… you wearing my jacket… and not much else.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, wow.”
“There’s some powerful magic in this jacket.”
“It seems that way.”
They fell silent again, and for a minute or so there was nothing but the ambient hiss of the phone line.
Finally, Margot spoke.
“So you read the whole letter?”
“I did.”
“Did I scare you away, just putting it all out there like that?”
Jamie laughed. “You said you were wearing your heart on your sleeve.”
“Now it’s on yours.”
“Come again?”
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Well… I feel a little overwhelmed, but in a good way. I woke up feeling indescribably happy before I even realized why. I feel scared, and a little shaky. I feel like I’m bursting and I want to tell someone about it.”
“Did you?”
“Well, I called you.”
“So do you think we can make this work?”
“I don’t know, Margot, but I think we can choose to try.”
“Is it that easy?”
“With what little experience I have, I’d say it’s 50 percent effort and 50 percent luck.”
“We’ve been lucky so far, but what about attraction?”
“I’m plenty attracted to you.”
“That’s a good thing.”
There was a pause and Jamie heard Margot take a deep breath.
“It seems like maybe we should celebrate.”
Jamie giggled.
“Celebrate agreeing to give it a try?”
“Something like that… Jamie?”
“Yes?”
“Can I come over?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, good. I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Why?”
“I’m in the hall outside your door.”
Jamie heard a knock, both at her door, and in the receiver of the phone.
She looked down at her bare skin, pale against the black leather jacket, and felt a small rise of panic that made her heart speed up.
“Hang on Margot, I’ve got to get dressed.”
“Jamie. Wait. What can I do to talk you out of that?”
“Out of what?”
“Out of getting dressed.”
Jamie stood, and once again looked in the mirror.
“But all I’m wearing is your leather jacket. I can’t greet you like that.”
“Oh my god, I wish you would.”
“Ask nicely.”
Margot groaned.
“This is how it’s going to be? Okay. Please open the door… just the way you are.”
Jamie leaned again the front door. She could hear Margot through the door and in her phone.
“I’ve never done anything this crazy.”
“You mean the jacket?”
“I mean the whole thing.”
“Neither have I.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
There was a moment where Jamie could heart her own heartbeat.
“Okay. I’m hanging up now,” Jamie said.
“I guess that’s a good thing.”
Jamie put the phone down and peered though her peep hole. Margot stood in the hallway, waiting – as always – patiently. She had a big bunch of roses in one hand and bottle of champagne in the other.
Jamie turned the knob and opened the door slowly.
“You actually brought champagne. Now, tell me again, exactly what are we celebrating?”
Margot stood looking at her, rooted to the spot. Her chest rose and fell with her breath and she bit her lower lip.
“I’d say, your taste in fashion.”
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