March 1998
The thump of her heartbeat echoed in her ears as her running shoes hit the pavement with each stride. A sleek black ponytail swayed back and forth. The salty smell of sweat permeated the air as it dripped from her olive skin. With eyes fixed forward on the path, she thought, ‘Left, right, left, right.’ The Goo Goo Dolls were finishing up ‘Iris’ when Sarah stopped to take a minute and flip the tape over. She stood there enjoying the quiet solitude when her legs were whipped out from under her. She landed hard on the unforgiving asphalt, her body aching from the impact. Her Walkman flew out of her hands, skipping across the street, sliding underneath a parked car.
Face down on the road, she thought, ‘What the hell just happened?’ As anger was rising in her face, she looked up to see what idiot had just ran her over. The bumper of a 70’s iridescent purple Bronco sat inches from her. A tall, muscular man with blonde hair emerged from the driver’s side. The sunlight illuminated him from the back, making him look like a chiseled Greek God. He ran to her side.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! I am so sorry. Ms.? Ms.? Are you ok? I am so sorry!” He bent down and put his arms around her to help her up. They encompassed her as she got to her feet. “Man, I am so, so sorry. I didn’t look. I should’ve looked. It’s just…” As he bent down, she noticed he smelt of being freshly showered, in clean clothes, with a hint of cologne. She wanted to lay her face in his chest and just stay in that moment. As he was blabbering, she found it hard to not be taken by him. She shook the cobwebs from her head, determined to not let him off easily.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I think anyway. What the hell happened? I was just standing here. Don’t you look before you back up?”
“Yes. Yes, of course I do. But I just…I wasn’t thinking and…in a hurry…” She was brushing the asphalt off of her body when he grabbed her hand. “You’re bleeding.” She looked down to see her hand covered in blood.
“What the…Where am I bleeding from?” Sarah stepped forward to check her lower body, putting pressure on her left foot. “Ow. Oh God, that hurts.” Sarah started to fall forward, but the handsome stranger grabbed her.
“I got you. I got you.” Blood was dripping down her calf. A small piece of glass cut the side of her knee. Sarah wrapped her arms around his muscular chest, putting all her weight on him. He removed his shirt and used it to wipe away the blood before applying pressure to the wound. Momentarily, all the pain went away when she saw his rippling muscles. His python arms wrapped themselves around her body and lifted her into the air. With a hint of resistance, she said,
“What are you doing?” He walked her to the passenger side of his Bronco.
“You need to go to the hospital. Open the door for me, please.” Sarah reached out and opened the door. He placed her on the passenger seat. They stared at one another for a moment. His blue eyes sparkled in the morning light.
“No. Nononono. Honestly, really. I am fine.”
“Well, at least let me drive you home.”
“That’s probably the least you can do after running me over.” She smiled, so he knew she was playing with him. It was her best attempt at flirting. When he did not smile back, she cleared her throat and said, “I just live down the street in the apartments.”
“That isn’t a problem.” He shut her door and swiftly hopped into the driver’s seat. Taking off, he continued. “How’s your cut? Has the bleeding stopped?”
“I don’t think so yet, and I think this shirt is ruined.”
“Keep pressure on it. Which set of apartments are you?” He asked as he took the last turn into her apartments.
“Right over there. On the left. 2229.”
“2229?”
“Yeah.” He smiled and chuckled. As he pulled his Bronco into a guest parking space, he remarked.
“My address is 2229.”
“Wait? What? Your address. The address where you hit me with your car and probably broke my ankle?”
“Broke your ankle now, huh?”
“Yeah. I might have to file a claim with your car insurance.” His chuckle turned into a hearty laugh.
“Ok then. But yes. My address is 2229. Just like yours.”
“Wow. That is so weird. I really appreciate the ride, even though you’re the reason I needed it.” She gave him a slight smile.
“Seriously?” The seriousness in his face concerned her.
“I’m sorry what?”
“I’m not just going to drop you off. Let’s get you to your apartment so we can get a proper look at that cut and your ankle.” He was hopping out of the car before she even had a moment to object. Sarah smiled to herself. She was in pain, but it was almost worth it. Opening the door, he went to wrap his arms around her to carry her. She stopped him.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the chivalry, but maybe I could just use you as a crutch this time?” His laugh reverberated through the Bronco. It was a deep, manly, contagious laugh.
“Ok. Sure. An independent woman. I like that.” He let Sarah guide how much help she needed. Standing by her side, he made sure that he was available to her. It took 30 minutes, but they managed to get from his Bronco to her apartment. Opening the door, she was happy that yesterday was cleaning day.
“The bathroom is straight ahead.” Together they made it to the bathroom and, without thinking, he lifted her up onto the counter.
“Where is your first aid kit?” Sarah spread her legs and pointed to the cabinet beneath her. “Let’s get a look at that cut and your ankle.” He bent down, looking for a first aid kit. “This is all you have?” He questioned as he pulled out an empty Band-Aid box. Sarah shrugged.
“Um…I guess. I don’t get hurt that often, so I don’t think of it too much.”
“Ok.” He looked around for a second with his hands on his hips and finally proclaimed. “Alright. You keep the shirt on the cut. Walgreens is right across the street. I’m going to get you to a more comfortable spot and I am going to run and get some supplies.
“Hey, come on now. You don’t have to do that.” She started to get up to protest, and he stopped her.
“I insist. It’s fine. I couldn’t possibly leave you like this.”
“Well, they aren’t going to let you in the store with no shirt on. And if you walk in wearing this one,” she held up the blood-soaked t-shirt, “they might call the cops.”
“You are definitely right about that. Um…well.”
“You could wear one of my shirts.” Sarah said, half-joking.
“I appreciate it.”
“Oh. Oh. Ok. Great. There is a clothes basket right around the corner in the bedroom. There should be some shirts in there.”
“Fantastic.” He walked into the bedroom and called out to her, “By the way. I don’t think I ever told you my name. I’m Colby.”
“Oh. Yeah, sorry. Nice to meet you. I’m Sarah. I’m not sure if there is anything in there that will fit, but you never know.”
“I think I found something.” Colby walked back into the bathroom in a too small Foo Fighters’ t-shirt. It took all of Sarah’s willpower to not laugh.
“This was the best option. How do I look?” He made a little pose.
“You look great.” She slipped herself off of the counter and he helped her to the couch. “Thanks.”
“You stay there. I am going to go get some bandages and maybe an ice pack for your ankle.”
“Ok. I’ll be right here.” He glanced back at her with his deep blue eyes from the door and smiled at her. When the door shut behind him, Sarah’s heart melted. She grabbed her phone and immediately called her best friend, Tina.
“Hello?”
“Oh, my god Tina! You won’t believe what just happened.” Sarah recounted the entire ordeal for her best friend since fifth grade. Twenty minutes later, she was deep into describing his abs when she heard a soft tap at her front door. Whispering into the phone, she said, “I have to go. He is back. Call you later.” She hung up the phone and called to the front door. “Come on in, Colby. It’s open.”
“How’s the patient doing?” She could smell the Taco Bell before he even walked fully into the apartment. Her stomach immediately perked up.
“I smell Taco Bell.”
“Good sniffer there. Yeah. I didn’t know if you were hungry and I know I was, so I just ran through drive thru quick and grabbed a few things.”
“Ooohhh. That is amazing. I am starving. I guess coming face to face with your own mortality can really rev up an appetite.” His laughter filled the room.
“Your mortality now, huh? I guess we should have called the whambulance!”
“That’s it buddy. All the burritos are mine.”
“Jokes on you. It’s all tacos. And one Mexican pizza.”
“Then that pizza is all me, brutha.”
“Deal.” They sat together, chatted, laughed, and ate. Luckily, her cut wasn’t deep and her ankle was just slightly twisted. As they shared their life stories, she marveled at how amazing this man was. Colby worked in an office doing sales during the day and at night he played guitar in a band. He loved the outdoors in all seasons. Camping, fishing, snowmobiling, water skiing, he was just the type of guy Sarah had been looking for. Sarah told him how she had been planning on moving to Georgia with her boyfriend, but he broke up with her when he found someone new. Unfortunately, she had already put in her notice for her job, apartment, and dance team. Luckily, her dance team let her stay on, but the apartment had already been rented and her job had already hired someone new.
They sat next to one another for hours. Occasionally, Sarah would reach over and put her hand on his knee, but he was either oblivious to the gesture or wasn’t interested. She did not push it any further and as the night was winding down; she resigned herself to the fact that this might be her only moment with this amazing human being. Like the gentleman he was, he made sure that she was ok to be alone.
“I’m fine.” Sarah replied. “I am a strong, independent 21-year-old woman, who is only scared of the dark and deep water. But I blame that on my dad showing me ‘Gremlins’ and ‘Jaws’ when I was young. Not to you mowing me down with your truck.”
“It’s a classic Bronco that deserves to be respected.”
“Ok. Mowing me down with your classic Bronco. But as for my little owies, I think I will make it through the night.” As he stood up, he remarked,
“I hate to leave, but I have work in the morning. Otherwise, I’d be happy to keep this conversation going.”
“Hey no. I totally get it. I have work in the morning, too.” He moved to the door. She stood up and hobbled to the door with him. He turned around and said,
“It was really cool to meet you, Sarah.”
“You too.” He leaned in for a hug. She closed her eyes, trying to memorize every scent and feeling that she was having in that moment. As he walked down the stairs, she locked the door behind him. Sarah wondered if she would ever see Colby again. That night when she went to bed, she dreamt of that handsome man.
The days passed, and the memory of that special chance meeting started to fade. As she stood at the counter of her job near closing time, she contemplated what was next for her. In a few weeks, she would be unemployed and she needed to be out of her apartment by the end of the month. The sound of the bell on the door broke her from her daze. Blinking back the cobwebs, Sarah was immediately taken aback. Standing at the door was Colby. Before she could even catch her breath, he said,
“Hi. I’m here to see Bobby.” From the back of the bakery came Sarah’s manager, Bobby. Sarah stood there with her mouth agape.
“Colby! Man, good to see you! Where’s Kim? Come on back to the office.” As they walked to the back together, Colby responded.
“Dude. She broke up with me.”
“What??” That was all Sarah heard before the door shut. She felt devastated. He didn’t even give her a second look. All hope she had slipped away from her. As she clocked out for the night, she could see Bobby and Colby still talking in the office. With a deep breath, she started her walk home.
As soon as she got home, she took her work clothes and hat off. Allowing her hair to finally be free of its prison. ‘Maybe he didn’t recognize me?’ She thought. It was possible. She was wearing baggy work clothes and a hat. Years of negative comments about her appearance left her thinking Colby wouldn’t find her attractive. To him, she was probably just another girl.
Time came and went. Day passed again, and she tried to put him out of her mind. On her last week at the bakery, she was standing with Bobby having a conversation about her future when the bell on the door breaks the conversation. From behind her, Sarah heard a familiar voice.
“Hey Bobby!”
“Colby! Dude!” They shook hands. Sarah turned around. “This is Sarah. She works here at least for the next couple of days.”
“We have actually met before.” Sarah responded.
Bobby snapped back with, “Oh yeah. That’s right, he came in before.”
“No.” Sarah replied. She gave Colby a sly look, wondering if he would catch on, but he looked as confused as Bobby. Reaching up, she removed her hat, letting her long black hair spill out over her uniform. After a moment, his eyes got wide,
“Saarraahh!! Yes.”
“How easily you forget the first person you ever ran over.”
“Who ever said it was my first time? Maybe that’s how I get dates. I run over pretty girls.”
‘Did he just call me pretty?’ Sarah thought to herself. “Yeah. I heard they had a meeting about a rash of pretty woman being run over and then helped by a handsome stranger.” Colby smiled at her. Bobby looked at the both of them, confused.
“Ran over. Who? What?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Colby remarked without taking his eyes off of Sarah.
“So, did Kim move out yet?” Bobby interjected. Colby turned his attention to his friend.
“Yeah. A few days ago. So, now I have to make up her part of the rent. I think I am going to sell my truck.”
“Oh, that beautiful beast of a vehicle that almost killed me?” Colby’s laughter filled the room.
“Awww..it barely kissed you.”
“Tell that to my ankle. I can barely stand here. It’s excruciating.”
“Yeah, you look like you are in a terrible amount of pain.” Colby joked. Bobby was slowly growing bored with this back and forth. He tried to redirect the conversation.
“How much are you selling your truck for?”
“$3500.”
“Great price. I could use a vehicle.” Sarah said. She was willing to say anything to keep the conversation going.
“Really?” Colby remarked.
“I walk to and from work. But I guess I only have to do that for a few more days.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. I’m sorry to hear that you won’t be here anymore.”
“Eh. It’s ok.” Sarah said off-hand.
“Colby and I are going to go next door and grab some lunch. Are you good to hold things down?” Sarah took a deep breath, a little annoyed that Bobby was trying so hard to leave with Colby.
“Yeah sure. I mean, I’m not sure my ankle can take much more…” Colby broke in with a sarcastic,
“Ha, ha, ha.”
“.. but I am sure I’ll be fine. You guys have a pleasant lunch.” Together, the two of them headed next door to a sandwich shop. After a moment, Sarah kicked herself. She should have asked him for his phone number so they could talk about “the truck”. Obviously, she had no intention of buying his truck. She didn’t have $3500. Sighing at another lost opportunity, she thought. ‘Would it be stupid to just go next door and ask him for his number? Would that seem too desperate?’ She felt like a starving dog watching others enjoy a thick, juicy steak and she wasn’t even privy to a doggy bag. Shaking her head, she decided the fantasy was worth more than the disappointment of being rejected.
The following Wednesday, she stood alone in her apartment, staring at the empty boxes that had yet to be filled. Her phone broke the silence, startling her slightly. Walking over to the couch, she picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Sarah?”
“Yes?”
“Hey. This is Colby.” She felt her breath get stuck in her throat.
“Um…” For a moment, she was speechless. “Hi?”
“I hope you don’t mind. I asked Bobby for your number.”
“No, that is fine.” ‘What the actual…’ She started to think before he broke in and said,
“You mentioned you might be interested in my truck.” Her heart sank.
“Oh. Yeah, I’m really sorry, but I can’t. I am still trying to find a new job and a new apartment. I might end up just having to move back in with my parents.”
“Oh. No problem. Sorry to hear that you are not having any luck.” The silence grew between them. “Sooo… What are you up to?” Sarah smiled. Inside, the butterflies burst forth. She knew now. He wanted something more than just to sell her his truck.
“Packing. What are you doing?”
“Working.”
“So…you are getting paid to talk to me. I see how you are.”
“I think my bosses would be ok if they knew I was talking to a pretty girl.”
“Stop. I’m blushing.” The smile on Sarah’s face would not go away. “You sound stuffy. Do you have a cold?”
“Yeah. Or allergies. I’m not sure. I have been taking cold medicine all day. It makes it hard to concentrate on working.”
“I don’t have that problem anymore because I am officially unemployed. So, that means I can stay up as late as I want now. No early bedtime for me.”
“Must be nice.”
“Kind of is. I even rented a movie to watch tonight.”
“What movie?”
“’The Man in the Iron Mask’. It has Leonardo DiCaprio in it and looks ok.” ‘Here is my chance.’ She thought. “Do…do you maybe want to come over and watch it with me?”
“That’d be cool. I’d love that. I get off of work at 5. I can run home and be there by 7. Is that cool?”
“Absolutely. I’ll put the popcorn on.”
“Great. Let me finish up all this work and I’ll see you tonight.”
“Ok. Talk to you then.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.” As Sarah hung up the phone, she was stunned. He was coming over. As she looked around her apartment and herself, she realized that neither she nor her apartment were in any condition to be seen. Quickly, she hopped off of the couch and headed to the shower to get ready. Four hours came and went by quickly. Before she knew it, there was a knock on the door. Standing with her hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath and glanced at her reflection in the hall mirror. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders, slightly curling at the ends. She kept her look simple, with a white tank top and jeans. Although this time she added a touch of makeup. With a deep breath, she opened the door. There in a Corona Hoodie, jeans and a baseball cap was Colby.
“Hi.” Sarah said.
“Sarah?” Colby questioned.
“Yeess?” Sarah was confused.
“You just look…different.”
“Good different? Or bad?”
“Good, of course.” He replied.
“Well, I guess every time we meet I have a ponytail, frumpy clothes and no makeup. This is me in all my date glory.”
“Oh, is this a date?” Colby asked as he walked in.
“We are too adults meeting at a certain time to watch a movie. Kind of sounds like a date.” He laughed as she responded.
“Good point.” He walked to the couch and sat down.
“I see you haven’t gotten much packing done.” Sarah responded as she put the VHS tape in the VCR.
“Well, I don’t have many things that technically need to be packed. In fact, I don’t have much. This was my first apartment, and I shared it with my boyfriend at the time. When he moved, he took about a quarter of our stuff.”
“I remember you saying that you were supposed to move with him, I think to Georgia, at the end of this month. Then he broke up with you.” She made her way to the couch and sat next to him.
“Yeah. It stunk, but I feel better off for it. He was a real jerk. You know, he actually told me once that he was having a party here at my apartment and I wasn’t allowed to be there.”
“Wow.”
“And he used to tell me that I was too fat. I was like dude, I am only 125 pounds and I am a dancer. I mean geez.”
“He told you what? That you were fat?”
“Yeah.”
“That is ridiculous. You look amazing.”
“Wow. Thank you. That is so nice to hear.”
The movie came and went, but the two of them were too interested in talking and getting to know one another to pay much attention to it. As the night wore on, they got closer. Towards the end of the night, Colby excused himself to use the bathroom and Sarah laid down on the couch. She felt intoxicated by his company. Pulling a peacock feather from the vase on her end table, she ran it through her fingers and down her arm, basking in the feel of the softness. Colby walked back in and stared at her for a second. Sarah looked up at him and smiled.
“Mind if I lay down next to you?” He asked.
“No.” she replied coyly as she moved over to make room. He slid down onto the couch with his body pressed against her. At the feel of his body behind her, her heart quickly picked up its pace. Taking the feather, she traced it down her arm and up his. Goosebumps appeared. He took the feather from her hands and continued to run it up and down her arm, over her neck, across her cheek. She loved every second. Sarah felt his breath quicken against the back of her neck. Then his lips pressed themselves to her shoulder and moved their way up her body. She leaned into it as she turned around to face him. Their lips found one another instantly. Colby’s kiss was full of passion and desire. Sarah pulled away, placing her hand on his cheek. Looking deep into his eyes, she whispered. “Softer.” When their lips met again, his kiss was soft and gentle. Her body melted into his. As they peeled each other’s clothes away, the skin beneath felt warm and soft against their fingertips. She desired him with every fiber of her being. Their legs intertwined, and he pulled her on top of him. Her black hair fell onto his naked chest. They stared into each other eyes as he caressed her face. Her fingers traced the curve of his chest to his belly button and further down. What she found was surprising. She looked at him, confused.
“What’s wrong?” She asked “ Is it me?”
“Oh, my god. No. Of course not. I swear.” She sat up and moved to the side of the couch, unsure of what to do next. This was an unfamiliar experience for her. “This cold has been really kicking my butt, and I wanted to be here tonight more than anything. I took a lot of cold medicine and well…..” He glanced down. “I guess it affected me more than just taking away my sniffles.”
“Oh.” is all that Sarah could think of to say. “It’s ok. We can just lay here together.” He pulled her to him and whispered.
“Ok, but how about one last kiss?” She leaned in to him and as they shared a gentle and longing kiss, she whispered,
“Until we meet again in our dreams.” She rested her head on his chest, and he ran his fingers through her hair.
As they drifted off to sleep together, she felt more at home with him than she ever did with anyone. That night marked the beginning of the rest of their lives.
