Even in the cold, San Francisco air, I sweated.Even in the cold, San Francisco air, I sweated. Fortunately, the bus stopped across the street from her house. We dragged 2 sets of luggage apiece, inside. Hers was a 1-story home, with modern furniture and a few pictures, landscape-style, on her walls. The first place we went to, after leaving the bags behind, was her kitchen. "..and then I moved here." she was saying as we put two pizzas into the microwave oven. "As you probably know, Alison's married. Her husband's a developer." "Figures." I said. "Rich guys." "He's 34." Kami shook her head. "Alison's just a month ahead of you where age is concerned. Talk about your classical May-December type." "Well," I explained, "when it's colored deep green.." "You sound more cynical about it than as if you believed in it.." she turned towards me. "Hah! It's the only way I can stay sane anymore." I sneered. "I always thought optimism was for the inexperienced.." She touched me on my chest again. Suddenly, I sucked in my breath, and my mind started racing with thoughts. I should have realized what would happen when it finally came to the day that someone would as much as touch me like she did. I faced the sudden shock of receiving a loving touch from a woman, and it threw me into an unexpected confusion. I flinched from her touch. "Whoo!" she gasped. "What's wrong? Fingers too cold?" "I'm sorry.." I replied. "It's not that your fingers are cold. It's just.." Just then, the microwave went off. "Ah!" I announced nervously. "The pizzas are ready." I breathed easily as I tightened up my defenses, making sure not to open up so much again, in front of a "sympathetic" woman, even like Kami. I sort of acknowledged that I wasn't really ready for what I perceived that she was leading us to. "You know," she said as we took the pizzas out, and began cutting them, "you act like you're scared of a little affection." *She knew.* "I'm sorry, Kami" I repeated myself, "I really am. |