Randa (14 page)

John offered to let his lady go first. She drew a card. Turning it over, she saw that it was red, so she moved her gingerbread man to the first red spot. She whispered into John’s ear, “c’mere to me handsome man.” He leaned over toward her, she licked his top lip slowly, and then she continued down, licking his bottom lip from one side across to the other. Then she smiled and sat back down. John felt fortunate just to be able to breathe.

Drawing a card, John saw that it was green, so he moved his gingerbread man to the green spot, which also just happened to be the beginning of the Rainbow Trail, which was a shortcut! To fulfill the green, he stood up, leaned in close to Randa, and breathed a warm sultry breath into her ear. It sent chills throughout her body and she let out a sweet little moan. Sliding across the trail, he then landed on the blue spot, which meant he could request from Randa whatever he wanted. “How about doing that one favorite thing that I really love?” John asked.

“It will be my pleasure,” Randa replied. She stood up, walked behind John, and bent down putting her arms around him. She began kissing his neck as he savored every moment of it.”Thank you Baby Doll. That was perfect.” John said when she was finished.

Randa flashed her dazzling smile at him as she drew the next card, which was orange. Her task was to eat a piece of candy off John’s necklace via whatever means was necessary, but she couldn’t use her hands. John tossed his head back , she leaned in and sucked one of the candy pieces into her mouth thinking that she might be able to bite it off, but she didn’t want to hurt her teeth, so she sucked on it.

Shortly John said, “You are driving me crazy girl.”

“How?” she mouthed while continuing to suck on the piece of candy.

“Because you are so sweet and your sumptuous breasts keep just barely grazing my chest.”

“I know,” Randa finally said as the piece of candy broke free from the thread and vanished into her mouth. “The point is that we finish the game.”

“Maybe I can’t make it,” John told her.

“Of course you can! Just be strong!” she teased him.

John laughed and drew the next card. It was purple, so he leaned over and kissed Randa as passionately as he could and she started giggling.

“We are going to finish the game John.”

“Okay, if you insist.”

Randa drew a yellow card. This meant that she could caress John wherever she wanted. She didn’t want to make things too difficult for him, so she pushed the short sleeves on his shirt up and caressed his sexy biceps. She was a sucker for those anytime, day or night.

John grinned at her, happy that she loved his biceps. He drew the next card, which was red. Face to face with Randa, he looked into her cocoa colored eyes and got lost in the craving that he felt for her. He licked her top lip as slowly as he could, then he licked her bottom lip even slower, and then he returned to the top one and began again. She started to open her mouth in protest, but then he began kissing her ravenously, like a starving wild animal. Randa became so caught up in John’s passion that she forgot all about finishing the board game when he picked her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

Randa casually mentioned to John that her younger brother became engaged over the weekend.

“Really? Is he ready to get married?”

“He’s twenty.”

“Isn’t that kind of young?” John remarked.

“I don’t think so. He and Macie, his fiancé, seem to be sure.”

“It’s easy to think that you are sure of yourself when you are that age. Some people aren’t even mature adults with one iota of whom they are or who they are trying to become. People change.”

Randa looked down in silence. Somewhat thrown off balance by John’s tone, she knew that any conversation about marriage and divorce was a sensitive spot for him due to his parents’ breakup. Nevertheless, she also knew that she and John had a relationship that was the exception.

John continued, apparently not finished with speaking his peace. “I guess it might be easiest to look at the end result. Is the return worth the cost? To be married for a few years until the feelings of love, mutual respect and newness wear off eventually leaving shreds of memories, pain, and broken hearts. And that’s not even factoring in the damage to their children if the couple has any.”

Staring at him, Randa stated, “So you ask if the return is worth the cost. Sometimes it is and to some people, it’s the only thing that matters. On those few, rare occasions for certain people, it just doesn’t matter and you don’t count the cost.”

“Sometimes it’s easiest to calculate things in terms of black and white, not color,” John said continuing to try to bolster his argument.

“That is true, but easiest isn’t always the best. Black and white omits the small things. Many times, those small things brought together
make
something big. When something is 99% correct, I don’t look at it and say, ‘Okay, that’s good enough.’, I focus on that one percent, that little something extra and that is what sets me apart John Williams!” Randa quipped. “Besides, most people don’t set out to hurt the ones they love. Yes, unfortunately things happen. That’s just part of life.” Randa continued, “what I primarily see wrong is people giving up too easily. If things don’t work out with one person, they move onto the next person without realizing that the same issues or even harder issues very well may arise. I’m not advocating staying with someone who isn’t fundamentally right for you, but if things are really, really, good hold on tightly through the rough spots. We Americans have come to expect perfection, but it’s rarely that simple to acquire and maintain.”

John didn’t say anything. He just looked at her.

For some reason Randa felt that she had to defend herself and her essence. “Look at me John. I am only 26, but I know what I want and the kind of love that will always be essential to me. I’m not talking about the kind of love where the couple loves each other for a while and then it turns to tolerating each other. I’m talking about the kind of love where the couple is on fire for each other every single day. Some days it might just be a small flickering soulful flame and some days it’s a raging bonfire, but it’s always there, day after day. It’s being able to be secure in the knowledge that your partner is always by your side no matter what. It’s the effusive comfort of having that infallible trust. Loving someone so deeply and receiving so much more than you ever dreamed of in return. It’s actually enjoying a loving and healthy relationship and wanting nothing more than to nurture it, protect it, and watch it grow beyond anything you could ever imagine. That’s what I want John. I won’t settle for less. I don’t fear having a love most people can’t even fathom and living happily ever after within that sacred love.” Randa took a deep breath and continued, “And I will stand here and tell you, my desire for those things will never change. I will fight for it with all of my might if ever the need arises.”

John’s demeanor softened. “Goodness Randa, I didn’t mean to strike a nerve and ruffle your feathers. You know that I love you and absolutely adore you Baby Doll.”

“I’m just very passionate about love. You know that John.”

“Yes, I do,” he stated as he wrapped his arms firmly around her slender waist and planted a kiss in her lustrous hair.

Randa walked over to the hallway linen closet and took out two blankets. One of them was from her childhood. The other one, well, it would keep her warm. Stepping out the back door, she walked over to the porch swing. The coolness of the night made her shiver. First, she wrapped the smaller coral-colored blanket around her shoulders and then she pulled the larger blanket around her covering her from her head down to her feet. Then she sat down. Closing her eyes, she exhaled deeply and reveled in the quiet stillness. There were absolutely no sounds, only the blowing of the wind and it was silent other than the occasional whisper through the trees. The cold, cool crispness of it was pleasing to Randa. The peacefulness that it provided quieted her mind and soothed her soul.

Earlier she was working on a song, but the lyrics were coming out jumbled. She relaxed. Naturally, her thoughts ran to John and what an amazingly great relationship they were having. He was such a good man and he truly cared so much about her in a gentle way. He respected her and treated her, not only like a lady, but also like the vibrant and talented woman that she was. Randa was doing really well before they met, but since that day she had flourished and blossomed even more professionally. Taylor and another singer took two of her songs to the very top of the charts. Her songs were now very much sought after. She was beginning to feel the pressure to continue her successes with additional hits, but she was not only dedicated she was disciplined. Other than her rendezvous with John, she was focused. Experiencing real love with John was actually giving her even more thoughts, ideas, and feelings to work with.

Randa snuggled up in her blankets and decided to write a song about her and John.
One Cool Woman
came to life that night. She picked up her laptop and began typing. She was enjoying remembering how even though she was alone before she met John, she always very confident that she would meet the love of her life. She always trusted her instincts and once again, they proved to be correct. When Randa met John, she was more than ready for his wondrous love. She didn’t have any emotional scars or hidden agendas. Her professional success was tempered with just enough desire to live happily ever after with someone in a marriage. She and John enjoyed each other and knew how to play and have fun, sometimes just giggling like kids. Content with the amount of writing that she completed that night, Randa wrote a short email and attached a picture of herself nestled in the blankets and sent it to John who was in Prudhoe Bay. She missed him desperately, but Randa could wait as long as need be. She would wait the rest of her life if necessary.

Three days later the song was finished. Randa wanted to give Taylor the first peek at it, not only because they were best friends, but to see if she would guess that Randa wrote it about she and John.

It wasn’t long until Randa’s phone was ringing, but of course, Taylor always made anything from Randa a priority.

Knowing who it was, Randa answered with, “do you like it?”

“Hi to you too and I absolutely love it,” Taylor responded.

“Thank you.”

“It’s another serious love song made into fun like
Hitchin’
is.”

“You got it. Anything else stand out about it?” Randa asked.

“It’s about you and John?”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Yes, but it is only because someone who is experiencing love that is so pure and so good and oh-so-hot could have written that song.”

Randa smiled, “Do you want first chance at it then?”

“You know I do. Every song of yours that I have recorded has made it into the top ten on the charts. You practically guarantee me a smash hit.”

“What can I say? We make a great team and I’m truly blessed.”

“Yes we do and yes you are, as I am.”

“I feel like I’m standing on the edge of having everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“You are Randa!”

“Marriage to John and a couple of kiddos and there is your ‘happily ever after.’”

“It seems so surreal that each piece of the puzzle is falling into place just as it should.”

“It does and I am so happy to be able to witness it. I don’t know anyone who deserves it more than you do.”

“Hah! You do too!”

“Yeah, but for some reason, Fate seems to think that I don’t need romantic love. Since I became famous and successful, my love life has been almost non-existent.”

“There could be worse things.”

“Like?”

“I know. I am just teasing. Your time will come and in the meantime you have me and Fox and John and your family and all of your adoring fans.”

“Yes, I do.”

“When does John get to come in?”

“It’s going to be about four weeks.”

“Wow.”

“I have no problem waiting for my hard working man. I’ve got lots of work to do anyway.”

“Any talk of marriage yet?”

“Not a word.”

“Just checking as it is inevitable.”

“You will be one of the first to know.”

“Yes, I will.”

One month later Randa’s phone was ringing incessantly. She was working in her flowerbeds without gloves on. Thinking that it must be something urgent, Randa washed her hands and returned the call.

“Hi,” was all Randa had to say before Taylor began talking quickly in her ecstatic voice.

“I came up with the best idea ever and you aren’t going to believe it.”

“Try me.”

“It is soooo good.”

“Okay, I’m sure it is.”

“This is going to blow your mind. It’s so wonderful.”

“Taylor! Just tell me.”

“Alright. I want you and John to star in the video for
One Cool Woman.
”

“What?”

“Yeah, isn’t it truly perfect?”

Randa was thrown for a loop. She was kind of excited about the idea, but a bit horrified too.”I’m not an actress Taylor.”

“You don’t have to be. It will primarily be video of you and John doing some of the things that you love with those gorgeous smiles that you two always have planted on your faces when you are together.”

“Oh gosh, I wonder if John will want to do it.”

“If anyone can talk him into it, it’s you.”

“I’m going to have to think about this.”

“There is nothing to think about. You know the finished product will be fantastic. If I hadn’t thought that it would be great, I wouldn’t have proposed it to you, would I?”

“No you wouldn’t and everything you do does seem to turn into gold, so to speak.”

“Yes, it does. When John comes home next week discuss it with him and let me know. There won’t be anything that either of you would be uncomfortable with. I know better than that.”

“Okay, I will. Actually, you are starting to talk me into it.”

“Great! Now for John to agree.”

Randa smiled and Taylor could almost see it through the phone. She knew her best friend.