Post by Pocono Pariah on Apr 9, 2013 20:04:34 GMT -5
Children play with many toys, but there is that one toy that every child loves. They are alive to that child, something that can breathe and feel, and even die. But when we grow older, we forget those feelings, but still remember them deep inside. Does something that stays with you for so long really have a soul? Or is it just a toy that you played with long ago? Is it something to make you remember memories? Or does it have memories of it's own? She had moved away, he had been packed into a box with other toys and pieces of art she had done when she was young. Her mother refused to throw them away, because of their sentimental value.
She had moved way, just like every child does when they grow older. She was an adult, she had no more use for a tiny little stuffed bison named Tommy. But her mother had decided on something different, she had sent her a package in the mail. Inside was a photo album, some small trinkets, and at the bottom was little Tommy.
"I said NO! Get the Fuck OUT!"
Gina slammed the door, hard. Blocking off the latest dick she'd encountered in the past six months. She pressed her back to the door, slid down to the floor, and wrapped her arms around her knees. She was almost thirty, done with college and leading a successful life as a realtor in the city where she lived alone in a double-apartment for less than her parents lived on the ranch in the country back home. She was wasting time.
Sure, she had left the ranch to have a better life in the city. Yes, she left her family and her hick-past to become as her father would say, "a damn Yankee", and slowly but surely, she had lost her southern accent. Her fellow female co-workers were glowing in their success, and their goals were simple; climb the ranks and latter in a males world. Gina had the same goals, until a year ago, when she witnessed a cute little family in the park. She had suddenly longed for her little hick town, the warmth of a loving family, and a child of her own with a strong man beside her. And of course, these 'damn Yankees' were not in her taste. She often longed to be back home, watching the shirtless men wrangle the seasons cattle.
She sighed and rubbed her temples. She wished to be home, but she had it made up here in the city. Her financial situation and credit score was perfect and high, her savings were over flowing, and she had a large comfy place to live. Her parents were penny pinchers, and taught her the same values. Now she was drowning in money, and it didn't make her happy.
No, she wouldn't go home, she'd just have to keep looking here in the city for her happy ending while her bio-clock was ticking. She got up from the floor and walked through her living room which was pale with white carpet, furniture, and walls. She didn't spend any money decorating the place, because she was never there. She was usually working late and advising young couples how they could decorate the houses she tried to sell them.
She entered the kitchen, a soft blue sky color with dark marble counters, and poured herself a glass of milk and drank it in one chug. Replacing the glass on the counter, she eye'd the box her mother sent her the day before. Gina ran her fingers through her thick unruly blond hair that didn't cascade nicely over her shoulders. Instead, it frizzed everywhere, unable to be flattened down. She constantly wore silk scarves over her head or braided her hair to try to keep it at bay.
With a defeated sigh, she went to the box, grabbed Tommy, and looked him dead in the eye.
The little beaten buffalo looked back her with those two different colored beads of eyes. He had lost one of his black eyes while Gina had been playing with him outside in the grass, feeding him. She cried for hours because he was 'blind' now, since he was missing an eye. Gina tried to fix it, but secretly during the night her mother came in and sewed a new bead on to his left side. The beads didn't match, but now Tommy had one black eye and one grey blue eye. He remembered how happy Gina had been to see his eye was back, but it was different, and a little story was made up that since he lost his eye another grew back but a lighter color.
He had been through a lot with her, many stitches littered his body because of small tears and when the dog had bitten most of his right hind leg off. The little buffalo didn't move, just as a stuffed animal should do in the hands of it's owner. But he could feel the emotions running from his owner, he had missed her intensely since he had been put into that damnable box up in the attic. The buffalo survived through a flooding of the farm and a fire, but he still got to see Gina one last time. That was all that really mattered to him, but he wanted more, just like any childhood friend would want, to be with that person forever in that dream of child naivety.
Gina rubbed the bison's blue gray eye, unknowing that a slight smile pulled at her lips. He was still a bit dirty, stitched up an all from many days of use. She returned to the kitchen, grabbed a wash cloth, dampened it lightly, and began to clean the darker spots of his white coat. As she did, she spoke softly. "Mother was good to you, wasn't she? Fixing your eye up....stitching you each time. She had to have been the one that had done it. I'm glad she didn't toss you away like the others." She dried him off and rubbed his soft nose, suddenly feeling like she was home again. The little stuffed animal was her favorite, and held all of her childhood memories. She rubbed his head, fingered the curls of his horns, and put her face into his side, smelling the sweet scents of home held deep within. She held him tight, sighed, then placed him back down.
"Well Tommy, time to go out again." She said, ignoring the thoughts of Daniel, her last date. She wasn't going to waste more time. She quickly picked up her cell phone and called her best friend. The tall brunette answered, "Hello?"
"Kim? Hey, it's Gina. Daniel didn't work out..." She got straight to the point, hoping to ignore the details of her ugly date. "The nights young, want to stop at the Juice Bar?" She asked. Kim squealed in delight.
"Of course! I have another guy you could meet!" She said with too much enthusiasm. Gina rubbed her temple, "Can't it be a girls night for once?" She asked, tired of all the dates Kim set her up with.
"Oh, you never know when you'll find the right one. If you really wanna settle down, you gotta grab all the men folk and take a ride on each one until you know what you like." She advised. Kim blew a hay-like strand of hair out of her eyes.
"Fine. But I'm driving, no drinks for me tonight, and no more jocks," she quickly hung up the phone, rubbing Tommys head as he stood on her kitchen counter. "Cya later buddy," she cooed, happy to have her little boy back.
The bison was elated to be hugged once more, and the little bath was fantastic too. He had really missed Gina, thinking she no longer wanted or needed him because of the long time he spent in that box. No.. Now she was leaving him again, but she was at least smiling, but she smiled last time too. The bison's spirit twitched, not wanting her to go.
The usual barkeep, Frank, was behind the bar as usual in his white button down, black vest, and bow-tie. The night was pretty filled as there were a lot more people in the bar than usual, after all it was a Friday night. Frank saw the two girls come in, recognizing Gina and Kim, on occasion he would have conversations with Gina while she attempted to get rid of the various dates that Kim threw at her. Waving lightly at the two, "Hello ladies, whatcha' having tonight?" He chuckled, happy for the business, it was always like this on Fridays.
Frank smiled as he was getting the girls their drinks, "Well ladies, tonight I booked a new band for the weekend. They seemed pretty good on their tapes and what I've seen of them. On top of it, the ladies love'em, so I hope you two like them as well." He then gave them their two drinks.
Kim hustled in, excited about her new date, (and the man he'd bring as a 'wing man' that she could easily send away by using Gina). Gina was not exactly thrilled with another date so soon, (within hours of each other) but the juice bar was her favorite hot spot. She sat beside Kim, who was running her fingers threw her long locks. Gina tapped her fingers on the wood counter top, for her hair had been pinned tight to her head in a bun so her out of control curls would be held at bay. "A strawberry Dack for me Frankie," Kim waved a hand, scanning the crowd for her dates.
"Strawberry Smoothie, with whip-cream please Frank," Gina replied with a small smile, keeping contact with the bar keep. "How's the week been going for you? Seems like a good night tonight," she stated obviously. "New band coming in?" She comment, brushing off a little dirt from her brown slacks. She had on a nice cream colored top that flowed at her shoulders. She liked the natural look with neutral colors, unlike Kim who sat beside her in a dark purple cock-tail dress. "Well, we'll just see how good they are." She smiled and sipped from her smoothie happily.
Frank looked up to the stage, "Ooh, I think they're starting." He chuckled, he was an older man around the age of fifty or so but he looked younger. His attitude was rather young as well, but he was responsible with his bar after all.
There was a loud growl that resounded twice, the lights turned on to reveal the men who had been setting up for the past fifteen minutes. It comprised of the usual: singer, drummer, bassist, lead guitar, and a turntable. The loud growl resounded twice more, and then lyrics began as the lights came on. The singer was dead center as he began singing "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. As the bass drum thumped, he would stomp a boot, he was energetic that ran with the music, versus being too much or too little, it was just right.
The singer had a black button down collared short sleeved shirt on with white stitching, his pants were a boot cut of dark blue jean that sunk into a pair of jet black riding boots, there was a black leather belt around his waist with a silver belt buckle that depicted a bison, and upon his wrists were various sized turquoise stones. His hair was stark white, but it looked natural, his eyes were a light gray-ish blue, skin was tanned as if he worked outside for his real job, he was tall but built and swaying from his left year was a white feather that looked like it had it's tip dipped into black paint. He belted out song after song, eventually he came to the final song, being "Living on a Prayer" and that damnable shirt was removed from his body.
The stage, the lighting, and the energy was all too much. When the chorus sounded, they stopped singing as he pushed out his arm, giving the microphone out for the audience to sing as they always did. They resumed the song, and cut the chorus, letting the audience sing the some for a bit. At the end of the song, all of them stood up and bowed, the singer waving out to the crowd.
"Thanks for the fantastic night ladies and gents! We'll be here all weekend here at Frank's Bar, best have some of those smoothies, they're to die for." He said that earnestly, not being paid to say so.
Frank on the other hand was making a motion of a fist pump, excited the man had said his drinks were good. "So didn't' have him say that."
"Oh, there they are!" Kim pointed and shouted over the crowd. She abandoned her drink and hopped off her bar stool, weaving through the crowd to reach the two men. Gina rolled her eyes and gave a weak smile towards Frank. She jumped and coughed a little at the sudden music that startled her, but she regained her posture and turned to the group.
The singer was a fresh sight on her 'yankee filled eyes'. He had a warm feeling around him, the country-western feel she missed. She leaned on the bar, sipping contently on her shake as he sang. "I like their voices, and they don't play bad either," she half-yelled to Frank over her shoulder, but keeping her soft brown eyes on the band. She stopped sipping and her brows knitted together as a line was sang, "For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down..."
She put her glass down, curious. She hadn't listened to much music that this genre was, and she wasn't familiar with the song. Still, it was a strange feeling she got from the man as he sang not one, but two songs that had her name and the name of her stuffed bison sitting contently at home. She watched the audience, which sang along with the words as if they were with a famous band everyone knew. Her heart picked up a bit at the words, "Tommy used to work at the Docks..." and "Gina works the diner all day...."
"Ugh, I hate this type of music."
The male voice beside her startled Gina, and she noticed the two Italian men before her, probably brothers. Their New-York type of accents were heavy, and Gina was instantly turned off by them. She was curious of the band, and was falling back into her old habits--country habits. The songs had ended, and the singer finished by complimenting the very drink she was partaking.
"Yah...?" She asked Frank, feeling slightly...-weird. Like she was having an out of body moment.
"Honey, you alright?" Kim asked, sitting between the two Italian brothers. "You know, you're supposed to be driving tonight, unless I can find a ride somewhere else?" She cooed to the taller brother. Gina ignored their flirting banter and turned to Frank.
"Where did you pick up this band?" She asked curiously.
Frank chuckled, "I found them by chance actually." He smiled, giving Gina another smoothie even though she didn't ask for one. "Try it, it's a new one I came up with. If you like it, you can name it." The smoothie was a mix of various berries with large chunks of strawberries and blueberries in it. At that point, a good twenty minutes floated by and the band members slithered into the floor unnoticed by a few and noticed by some.
The singer had appeared at the bar just beside Gina, brushing her lightly as he knocked on the bar to get Frank's attention. "Oy, uncle, we broke one of your lights back there," He was rather comical about it, laughing as he scratched the back of his head, "We'll be fixing it, don't worry. We had a little scuffle with our speakers is all." He smiled wide, then he realized he had bumped the woman beside him, "Oh, I'm very sorry miss, I'm rather bullheaded when I need to do something; I hope I didn't spill your drink." He was actually rather concerned about it. His scent was so much like home with a large hint of freshly cut grass.
Gina chewed her bottom lip in thought, but at the taste of the new smoothie and the idea of naming it chased all her anxiety away. She suckled at the straw hungrily, a broad smile spreading on her face. "You've outdone yourself Frank," she commented, taking another large slurp. "I'm going to have to sit and think on a name though,' she slowed on her sipping, savoring the taste of all the berries that soothed her taste-buds lovingly. She closed her eyes for a moment, ignoring the crowd, the Italian brothers, and her all too eager lady friend...until she was bumped. She quickly wiped a glob of smoothie off her bottom lip, not noticing who the man was as she popped her finger in her mouth. "Oh no, quite alright," she said quickly, then stumbled in her words as she saw that the man, up close, was the lead singer of the new country-like band. At this distance, she noticed his strange white hair and soft blue-gray eyes and seemed to simply galk at him. She waved her hand suddenly, "it's alright, no harm done." She sputtered and turned back to her smoothie, slurping it rapidly to keep her gaping mouth shut. He looked so....familiar...
He noticed her reaction as she quickly jumped to her smoothie, "Sorry again." He was scratching his rather poofy hair once more, extending a hand, "Name's Thomas Rhome." At that, Frank cracked Tommy in the head with an empty bottle. It was more of a shocker than a painful motion. Frank then spoke, "You better fix it boy." He snapped playfully as he withdrew the bottle.
Tommy rubbed his head as he looked from Frank to the lady he had bumped, motioning to the seat, "May I sit here or is it taken?" He asked politely, taking the seat if the answer was yes.
Gina swallowed her smoothie in enough time to think about extending her hand before Frank cracked him one. She covered her mouth in a, "oh my gosh" look, until she realized they were only messing with one another.
Feeling more comfortable, she gestured to the seat. "It's not taken help yourself," she offered quickly, feeling a slight blush touch her cheeks. She also felt a finger tap her shoulder, and when she turned, Kim was smiling smugly.
"Well, me and my boys here are going to take off, since you've found yourself something to do all on your own. Call me later honey-buns," she laughed like she told the funniest joke and left the table, leaving the shorter brother to pay for her drink and follow along grudgingly after his older, taller, brother and his date.
Gina turned back to her companion and cleared her throat, feeling a bit awkward, "You're not going to believe me, but my name is Gina," she laughed a bit. "I admired your songs, hopelessly catching my attention." She admitted.
He watched out of the side of his eye the things going on with the brothers, Kim, and Gina. Frank had given him a glass of clear liquid with chunks of clear globs in it. Blinking a few times, he fiddled inside his pants pockets and pulled out a container as she was speaking. "Why wouldn't I believe your name was Gina?" He chuckled as he popped the little container open, listening to her continue as he opened his right eye wide and removed a colored contact lens from his orbital. Placing the little gray-blue piece into the cleaning liquid he deposited it back into his pocket, blinking his eye a good twenty times as he rubbed it. "Why thank you," He chuckled at her confession of how she liked the songs he sung. Thomas was leaning on his palm, elbow upon the bar as he watched Gina talk. His right eye was jet black, his left was the gray-ish blue much like someone that was waiting at home.
"Sorry if my eyes freak you out, I can't handle the bright lights without one of those contacts in." He motioned to his eyes with his free hand, "I had an accident when I was young, and my one eye changed color." He had a light scar over his left eye, the blue one.
Gina stirred her smoothie slowly, watching the thick cream sway. "I bet you have a lot of fans say they're your Gina." She joked, looking up at him as he rubbed his eye. He wore contacts? She wouldn't have guessed. It must have been hard to sing on stage if you wore glasses or an eye defect. He had turned to her, relaxed and content with talking to her, and she smiled softly at him. "You remind me of home, I'm actually from a ranc-" she stopped, froze for a moment, as he looked at her with one dark eye and one light one. His white hair complementing those two-toned eyes. She suddenly felt off balance, as if she was about to fall off her chair.
Thomas...Tommy...
Two toned eyes, in the right place, the right colors...
The white hair...
The homey feel....
She thought of the stuffed bison her mother sent her the day before.
Her childhood appearing right when she needed it...
"Excuse me, I uh-have to go." She said quickly, pulling out a twenty as she placed it next to her smoothie glasses, she rushed from the bar and hurried between the swaying crowd. She needed to get home, to feel her stuffed animal, to know that she wasn't going crazy and that it was just a stuffed toy sitting on her counter and nothing that would make her crazy was going on.
Thomas watched as she silently freaked out, excusing herself and leaving, and with that he dropped his shoulders with a deep sigh. Looking down over at the almost gone smoothie, he pulled it over and fingered the straw then put it into his mouth, finishing it as he took the twenty from the bar and pocketing it. "She could have at least let me pay for it." He muttered while looking over at Frank who had finished serving a large line of people, "Oy, what's wrong Tommy?"
The man looked over at him with a jaw shifted hard to the right, "She ran away."
"Oh really? That's not good, maybe you should run after her." Frank was now cleaning a glass.
"Nnnh, I think my eyes freaked her out. I really wanted to have a conversation with her, for the first time."
Frank waved a hand, "Go get her, but be nice about it." He waved that glass at him, "Or I'll hit you with one of my biggest bottles."
The man smiled and gave him money for the drinks, "There," He then got up and began his search for the pretty Gina that already owned him.
~~~
At the apartment, the little bison was still there. Fluffy and cold, sadly missing it's owner as it was upon the counter where it had been left.
Gina entered her apartment and locked the door, pacing a bit in her semi-high heels, which she kicked off as she kneaded her hands. She felt like she was going crazy, and if not, oddly blessed and freaked out.
Yes, her mother knew she was missing home and sent said box of mementos, including Tommy, but having met a country-like rock singer, who sun songs with her name and looked like her childhood toy to a T just randomly appear outta the blue like some blessed gift from god appear WHILE she was looking for a man to settle down with?
She untied her tight bun, letting her wild hay-like hair unravel and frizz the way it liked to. She marched for the kitchen and found Tommy, the stuffed animal bison, contently sitting where she had left him. She paced the kitchen twice, kneading her hands and starring at the stuffed animal until she finally picked him up and looked him over for any type of voodoo or witch craft.
"I'm going crazy, that's all." She said clearly, putting the bison back and kneading her hands. "I'm tired, it's late, and I'm over thinking, right Tommy?" She said quickly, then face-palmed when she realized she was an adult, still talking to her childhood-play-thing.
"I need a shower, a hot bathe with some incense and a long nights sleep." She said firmly, happy it was Friday and she'd be able to sleep in the following morning. She departed the kitchen, making her way to the bathroom and running a hot bath. She'd rather soak then stand, so she added bubbles and lit candles and stripped until she was bare.
She wasn't tall and thin, she was actually middle height and curvy, being a woman that actually enjoyed her meals and ate food whenever offered. She stepped into the hot water, sighing contently. She was just over-worked....right?
At the moment that Gina was coming out of the bath, a hard knock rapt upon her door thrice. Thomas had found her, easily enough since his real body was inside. He waited out there, giving a few minutes from that knock and rapt thrice more on the door. The man was leaning on the frame of the door with his finger on the eyehole, it was a pet peeve of his to cover those things. "Hello?" He called out, waiting for the door to hopefully be open.
He wanted to talk with her, actually interact with her physically, no not that dirty way, well, there was a little of those thoughts in his mind, but you have to remember he comes from a child's perspective. He was biting at his tongue and the sides of his mouth as he waited, it was really painful for him. It bothered him how she was on the other side of that door, how he did talk to her but she freaked out. It bothered him. He wanted her to like him, because he loved her, he loved her since she picked him out from all the puppies, cats, birds, and other animals. She picked a bison of all things, and he just wanted to hold her for once.
Stepped out of the bath and let it drain nosily. She thought she heard a knock at the door, but dismissed it, assuming it was nothing but the loud gargles of the tub.
She left her bathroom and shimmied over to her bed room across the hall, throwing a lush and thick robe of her that was made out of fluffy white towels. She heard a second set of knocks barely and quickly made her way to the door. She didn't look through the hole, only assumed who it was.
She grabbed the handle, "Kim, if you think I'm going to let-"
She cut off quickly with a 'eep' sound and covered her mouth when she saw Tommy. She flushed red instantly, realizing that the man before her could see what embarrassed her most.
1. Her standing there wet as can be in a towel.
2. Her stuffed bison on the counter in full view of the door across the kitchen.
He was growing impatient up until he heard her speaking, but the surprise he got blew his mind away. Thomas had been leaning on the frame looking down, but once he saw her he immediately flipped his body around to show her his back. His hands were up on his face, he couldn't understand why his face was so hot, he was beat red. "…S-sorry…!" He called out again, knowing how a situation like this would be embarrassing. One of the few things he never witnessed was her in the tub or nude. He'd seen her in her pj's, he'd seen her do lots of things, but he was a stuffed animal and he grew up with her.
Waving a hand low to his side, "…Please go get dressed…" He barely whispered it, not that he didn't want to see her in such a state, but he didn't want to just jump into things. The man had grew up with her, like stated before, so his mind had grown along with hers. He was aggravated when boys came into her room, because they took the attention away from him to the boy. The bison knew the feelings of jealous and want, and he wanted to hold his Gina for once. Goddamn his pants were starting to feel tight.
"Oh, uh, um, c-come in," she sputtered. "I'll just be a moment," she quickly departed the doorway, letting it swing open as she hurriedly rushed to her bed room. She slammed the door shut, pacing violently once more as she began to sputter a bit. Why was he here? Why did she let him in? Oh god, she left Tommy--the stuffed one, on the counter! He was going to think she was some crazy-fan-girl that made him into some sort of plushie!
She paced, mumbling to herself as she threw off her rob and slipped into black Pj slacks and a gray college sweatshirt. She tried once again to pulled back her unruly wet hair in a pony tail, but chose looking sloppy and wet over ripping her hair out from her scalp to get it to tie right.
She thought about him, being in the kitchen or living room, and thought of the way he reacted. He also turned bright red, had turned around instead of eyeing her. Was it respect, or was he completely not interested in her? The second thought made her heart a little heavy, but..-wait, why did she think that? She shook her head quickly and made her way out of her room to face him.
--But she didn't really face him, she kept her head down and walked passed him and into the kitchen, "Drink? Snack?" She asked, like a good host, before she'd ask him what he was doing here. She made herself busy, opening the cabinets and fridge to find something for her sudden guest.
She noted her stuffed bison was still on the counter and quickly grabbed him and but him on a bottom shelf behind the counter without looking at the living Thomas.
After he heard her walk away, he turned around to see that almost everything in her home was white much like his hair. Stepping in, he closed the door behind him, surveying what her new home was like. Blinking, his eyes narrowed as he smiled lightly, seeing the little bison on the counter in the kitchen. Next thing he saw her rushing out from what he assumed was her bedroom to ask a few quick questions and run into the bathroom opening up cabinets like a mad woman. His black socks wiggled against the carpet as he watched her, his boots were next to the door. "…No thank you." He said politely, leaning against the frame once more with a leg bent slightly, and hands in pockets. When she came near him again, he held out his hand in front of her face, holding up a folded twenty that was in the shape of a fish. "…Next time, the pretty lady can pay." He smiled, closing his eyes.
She chuckled nervously, "well. I could use a drink," she said to herself, opening the fridge for the third time to take out a jug of milk and pour herself a glass with her back to him. When she returned the milk jug, she sipped from it and face him. His comment caught her off guard and she looked down, fussing with her hair a bit. "Oh, uh, ahem, thank you." She said, a bit embarrassed with herself as she took the twenty bill. She was usually very blunt and forward with men, a strong type, but she was so caught off guard by this man and his traits that she felt like she was a flopping fish outta water. "So, is this all you came by for, Thomas?" She asked, tapping the folded twenty on the counter and trying to regain her footing on the situation. She felt a little giddy saying his name and from the other side of the counter, across from him, she brushed her knee on Tommys nose, where he now sat under the counter and on a shelf next to her cooking pans.
She probably wanted him out of the room. There was a sense of rejection in his mind as he thought about what he wanted to say to her, to tell her. He had been silent for so long, and now he actually had a chance to talk. Opening up his mouth to speak, she rubbed the nose of the little bison, and he found himself sneezing. Catching himself, "Excuse me…" He said, now standing instead of leaning. The man moved his dual colored eyes over to her, "…As creepy as this might sound, I just wanted a conversation, but than you ran away from me. I wanted to apologize if it was my eyes… a lot of people tend to not like the fact of their color."
Gina froze for a moment, realizing what she had just done. Her mind was swirling, too many thoughts hitting her all at once. Was...Thomas really Tommy? Was this all a dream? Had she been drugged with that orgasmic new smoothie Frank had made? She quickly changed her shocked look as her spoke. "Oh, it wasn't your colors that..." she stopped, realizing she was admitting that she indeed was freaked out by him, then sighed heavily. "You just, remind me of someone, and I got a little startled. I apologize, that was rude of me," she waved her hand, leaning down to sit at one of her stools, one of four that wrapped around the counter. "I've just been a bit stressed lately, so you're appearance sorta tipped me over the edge," she chuckled nervously then decided to ask him a few questions to try and figure out if she was dreaming, tripping, or actually crazy. "So, a conversation....where are you from?" She asked politely, though her heart was pounding furiously.
"Hmmm.." His eyes were closed as he stood there, between the junction of her living room and kitchen. Hands still in his pockets, when he opened his eyes he was looking off to the far right, "Well, I was born in Massachusetts, but my home was in Kentucky." He narrowed his eyes, looking at her, loving the fact he could move on his own. Not that he mind having had her move him in the grass, oh how he loved it when they rolled in the grass.
Snapping from the memory, he was fearful of touching her, he had waited so long to do so but now, it was here and he was afraid of the rejection. There was a heavy sigh from him as he placed a palm upon his temple, "God I must be one hell of a creep just coming into your house after a five minute introduction." He was getting intense cold feet and was ready to leave up until he saw her eyes once more, which melted him in place. She would think and could think that she was a mess, but to him Gina could be covered in mud and grass and still be beautiful.
Gina tapped her fingers on the counter. Yep, she was either drugged or crazy or dreaming, so she took a shot in the dark and let it out. "I'm assuming I'm just going crazy, that you're not a creeper, that you're a childhood friend from my past." She laughed. "So don't feel so out of place," she waved her hand, her face bright red and burning. "I'm just nuts probably, so I wouldn't waste your time on someone like me. You got a 'lotta ladies out 'there that fancy 'yah." She said with her normal southern accent that seemed to ease out as she talked to him. She touched the rim of her glass and pouted her lips for a second.
"I assume you met this guy when you walked in?" She said, leaning over and grabbing her stuffed white bison and placing him on the counter. "I'm not a creeper eithor, I've had this for a while now. You two look awfully familiar," she giggled suddenly, from stress and lack of sleep. "This is what freaked me out, you resemble my old toy," she sighed with a dopy look on her face, rubbing her temples. "I was acting mighty childish, again, I apologize."
His face grew warm as she spoke of the little bison, and with those even warmer words he chuckled out loud for her to hear. "…If we don't cherish the things from the past, how can we ever love what comes to us in the future?" The man than walked over and sat on one of the stools away from her. His hands made a tent against the counter as he looked at the bison, "He's a handsome fellow, and I guess I can see the resemblance." He gently took the bison and held it up against his face making a face to mimic the bison. "After all we got the same eyes and poofy hair. At least I don't have horns coming out of my head." He then handed her the bison back. "..or do I?" He arched a brow and tilted his head so one eye focused on her.
Gina smiled, glad he didn't think she was crazy, "that's the way my mother thinks, then again, I always thought of her to be the hoarding type." She admitted and rubbed the little bison's tail. She stopped and watched as her most prized possession was lifted and mirrored by the mans face. She laughed lightly, covering her gaping mouth before taking the stuffed toy back. "So far, I don't see any horns," she rested her chin on her fist which was propped up on her elbow to the counter. "I'm glad you didn't call me crazy and simply leave," she mused.
"Nnnh..." It was a noise made through a set of sneering lips as he waved her off as if crazy to say such a thing. "In my mind, I would hope a pretty lady has a personality to joke around." Both hands were waving lightly i the air as he leaned back. "After all, there's no fun if comedy is sucked from the world." He murmured out as he opened his eyes to look over at her, then his eyes shifted to the clock within the room. "Hmmm, it's two in the morning, I think I have to excuse myself and let the pretty lady sleep." He said sadly but with a smile.
A smile was brought to Gina's lips as he spot. "You're quiet the talker," she chuckled lightly. "Thank you for making my night, it had started off not so well, but you changed that. It was nice to meet you and I'm glad you stopped by to get to know me better." She commented, getting up from her stool. "It's that late already?" She rubbed her right eye and held back a yawn. "Well, you know where I live, and I assume you'll hold your word and be at the juice bar this whole weekend." She stretched and made her way to the door. "Sorry to kick you out, but you're right, it is late and though it sounds lame, it's the honest truth that I have a client tomorrow in the afternoon, so I'll see you around." She opened the door and stood asighed, a friendly but tired look on her face.
She had moved way, just like every child does when they grow older. She was an adult, she had no more use for a tiny little stuffed bison named Tommy. But her mother had decided on something different, she had sent her a package in the mail. Inside was a photo album, some small trinkets, and at the bottom was little Tommy.
"I said NO! Get the Fuck OUT!"
Gina slammed the door, hard. Blocking off the latest dick she'd encountered in the past six months. She pressed her back to the door, slid down to the floor, and wrapped her arms around her knees. She was almost thirty, done with college and leading a successful life as a realtor in the city where she lived alone in a double-apartment for less than her parents lived on the ranch in the country back home. She was wasting time.
Sure, she had left the ranch to have a better life in the city. Yes, she left her family and her hick-past to become as her father would say, "a damn Yankee", and slowly but surely, she had lost her southern accent. Her fellow female co-workers were glowing in their success, and their goals were simple; climb the ranks and latter in a males world. Gina had the same goals, until a year ago, when she witnessed a cute little family in the park. She had suddenly longed for her little hick town, the warmth of a loving family, and a child of her own with a strong man beside her. And of course, these 'damn Yankees' were not in her taste. She often longed to be back home, watching the shirtless men wrangle the seasons cattle.
She sighed and rubbed her temples. She wished to be home, but she had it made up here in the city. Her financial situation and credit score was perfect and high, her savings were over flowing, and she had a large comfy place to live. Her parents were penny pinchers, and taught her the same values. Now she was drowning in money, and it didn't make her happy.
No, she wouldn't go home, she'd just have to keep looking here in the city for her happy ending while her bio-clock was ticking. She got up from the floor and walked through her living room which was pale with white carpet, furniture, and walls. She didn't spend any money decorating the place, because she was never there. She was usually working late and advising young couples how they could decorate the houses she tried to sell them.
She entered the kitchen, a soft blue sky color with dark marble counters, and poured herself a glass of milk and drank it in one chug. Replacing the glass on the counter, she eye'd the box her mother sent her the day before. Gina ran her fingers through her thick unruly blond hair that didn't cascade nicely over her shoulders. Instead, it frizzed everywhere, unable to be flattened down. She constantly wore silk scarves over her head or braided her hair to try to keep it at bay.
With a defeated sigh, she went to the box, grabbed Tommy, and looked him dead in the eye.
The little beaten buffalo looked back her with those two different colored beads of eyes. He had lost one of his black eyes while Gina had been playing with him outside in the grass, feeding him. She cried for hours because he was 'blind' now, since he was missing an eye. Gina tried to fix it, but secretly during the night her mother came in and sewed a new bead on to his left side. The beads didn't match, but now Tommy had one black eye and one grey blue eye. He remembered how happy Gina had been to see his eye was back, but it was different, and a little story was made up that since he lost his eye another grew back but a lighter color.
He had been through a lot with her, many stitches littered his body because of small tears and when the dog had bitten most of his right hind leg off. The little buffalo didn't move, just as a stuffed animal should do in the hands of it's owner. But he could feel the emotions running from his owner, he had missed her intensely since he had been put into that damnable box up in the attic. The buffalo survived through a flooding of the farm and a fire, but he still got to see Gina one last time. That was all that really mattered to him, but he wanted more, just like any childhood friend would want, to be with that person forever in that dream of child naivety.
Gina rubbed the bison's blue gray eye, unknowing that a slight smile pulled at her lips. He was still a bit dirty, stitched up an all from many days of use. She returned to the kitchen, grabbed a wash cloth, dampened it lightly, and began to clean the darker spots of his white coat. As she did, she spoke softly. "Mother was good to you, wasn't she? Fixing your eye up....stitching you each time. She had to have been the one that had done it. I'm glad she didn't toss you away like the others." She dried him off and rubbed his soft nose, suddenly feeling like she was home again. The little stuffed animal was her favorite, and held all of her childhood memories. She rubbed his head, fingered the curls of his horns, and put her face into his side, smelling the sweet scents of home held deep within. She held him tight, sighed, then placed him back down.
"Well Tommy, time to go out again." She said, ignoring the thoughts of Daniel, her last date. She wasn't going to waste more time. She quickly picked up her cell phone and called her best friend. The tall brunette answered, "Hello?"
"Kim? Hey, it's Gina. Daniel didn't work out..." She got straight to the point, hoping to ignore the details of her ugly date. "The nights young, want to stop at the Juice Bar?" She asked. Kim squealed in delight.
"Of course! I have another guy you could meet!" She said with too much enthusiasm. Gina rubbed her temple, "Can't it be a girls night for once?" She asked, tired of all the dates Kim set her up with.
"Oh, you never know when you'll find the right one. If you really wanna settle down, you gotta grab all the men folk and take a ride on each one until you know what you like." She advised. Kim blew a hay-like strand of hair out of her eyes.
"Fine. But I'm driving, no drinks for me tonight, and no more jocks," she quickly hung up the phone, rubbing Tommys head as he stood on her kitchen counter. "Cya later buddy," she cooed, happy to have her little boy back.
The bison was elated to be hugged once more, and the little bath was fantastic too. He had really missed Gina, thinking she no longer wanted or needed him because of the long time he spent in that box. No.. Now she was leaving him again, but she was at least smiling, but she smiled last time too. The bison's spirit twitched, not wanting her to go.
The usual barkeep, Frank, was behind the bar as usual in his white button down, black vest, and bow-tie. The night was pretty filled as there were a lot more people in the bar than usual, after all it was a Friday night. Frank saw the two girls come in, recognizing Gina and Kim, on occasion he would have conversations with Gina while she attempted to get rid of the various dates that Kim threw at her. Waving lightly at the two, "Hello ladies, whatcha' having tonight?" He chuckled, happy for the business, it was always like this on Fridays.
Frank smiled as he was getting the girls their drinks, "Well ladies, tonight I booked a new band for the weekend. They seemed pretty good on their tapes and what I've seen of them. On top of it, the ladies love'em, so I hope you two like them as well." He then gave them their two drinks.
Kim hustled in, excited about her new date, (and the man he'd bring as a 'wing man' that she could easily send away by using Gina). Gina was not exactly thrilled with another date so soon, (within hours of each other) but the juice bar was her favorite hot spot. She sat beside Kim, who was running her fingers threw her long locks. Gina tapped her fingers on the wood counter top, for her hair had been pinned tight to her head in a bun so her out of control curls would be held at bay. "A strawberry Dack for me Frankie," Kim waved a hand, scanning the crowd for her dates.
"Strawberry Smoothie, with whip-cream please Frank," Gina replied with a small smile, keeping contact with the bar keep. "How's the week been going for you? Seems like a good night tonight," she stated obviously. "New band coming in?" She comment, brushing off a little dirt from her brown slacks. She had on a nice cream colored top that flowed at her shoulders. She liked the natural look with neutral colors, unlike Kim who sat beside her in a dark purple cock-tail dress. "Well, we'll just see how good they are." She smiled and sipped from her smoothie happily.
Frank looked up to the stage, "Ooh, I think they're starting." He chuckled, he was an older man around the age of fifty or so but he looked younger. His attitude was rather young as well, but he was responsible with his bar after all.
There was a loud growl that resounded twice, the lights turned on to reveal the men who had been setting up for the past fifteen minutes. It comprised of the usual: singer, drummer, bassist, lead guitar, and a turntable. The loud growl resounded twice more, and then lyrics began as the lights came on. The singer was dead center as he began singing "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. As the bass drum thumped, he would stomp a boot, he was energetic that ran with the music, versus being too much or too little, it was just right.
The singer had a black button down collared short sleeved shirt on with white stitching, his pants were a boot cut of dark blue jean that sunk into a pair of jet black riding boots, there was a black leather belt around his waist with a silver belt buckle that depicted a bison, and upon his wrists were various sized turquoise stones. His hair was stark white, but it looked natural, his eyes were a light gray-ish blue, skin was tanned as if he worked outside for his real job, he was tall but built and swaying from his left year was a white feather that looked like it had it's tip dipped into black paint. He belted out song after song, eventually he came to the final song, being "Living on a Prayer" and that damnable shirt was removed from his body.
The stage, the lighting, and the energy was all too much. When the chorus sounded, they stopped singing as he pushed out his arm, giving the microphone out for the audience to sing as they always did. They resumed the song, and cut the chorus, letting the audience sing the some for a bit. At the end of the song, all of them stood up and bowed, the singer waving out to the crowd.
"Thanks for the fantastic night ladies and gents! We'll be here all weekend here at Frank's Bar, best have some of those smoothies, they're to die for." He said that earnestly, not being paid to say so.
Frank on the other hand was making a motion of a fist pump, excited the man had said his drinks were good. "So didn't' have him say that."
"Oh, there they are!" Kim pointed and shouted over the crowd. She abandoned her drink and hopped off her bar stool, weaving through the crowd to reach the two men. Gina rolled her eyes and gave a weak smile towards Frank. She jumped and coughed a little at the sudden music that startled her, but she regained her posture and turned to the group.
The singer was a fresh sight on her 'yankee filled eyes'. He had a warm feeling around him, the country-western feel she missed. She leaned on the bar, sipping contently on her shake as he sang. "I like their voices, and they don't play bad either," she half-yelled to Frank over her shoulder, but keeping her soft brown eyes on the band. She stopped sipping and her brows knitted together as a line was sang, "For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down..."
She put her glass down, curious. She hadn't listened to much music that this genre was, and she wasn't familiar with the song. Still, it was a strange feeling she got from the man as he sang not one, but two songs that had her name and the name of her stuffed bison sitting contently at home. She watched the audience, which sang along with the words as if they were with a famous band everyone knew. Her heart picked up a bit at the words, "Tommy used to work at the Docks..." and "Gina works the diner all day...."
"Ugh, I hate this type of music."
The male voice beside her startled Gina, and she noticed the two Italian men before her, probably brothers. Their New-York type of accents were heavy, and Gina was instantly turned off by them. She was curious of the band, and was falling back into her old habits--country habits. The songs had ended, and the singer finished by complimenting the very drink she was partaking.
"Yah...?" She asked Frank, feeling slightly...-weird. Like she was having an out of body moment.
"Honey, you alright?" Kim asked, sitting between the two Italian brothers. "You know, you're supposed to be driving tonight, unless I can find a ride somewhere else?" She cooed to the taller brother. Gina ignored their flirting banter and turned to Frank.
"Where did you pick up this band?" She asked curiously.
Frank chuckled, "I found them by chance actually." He smiled, giving Gina another smoothie even though she didn't ask for one. "Try it, it's a new one I came up with. If you like it, you can name it." The smoothie was a mix of various berries with large chunks of strawberries and blueberries in it. At that point, a good twenty minutes floated by and the band members slithered into the floor unnoticed by a few and noticed by some.
The singer had appeared at the bar just beside Gina, brushing her lightly as he knocked on the bar to get Frank's attention. "Oy, uncle, we broke one of your lights back there," He was rather comical about it, laughing as he scratched the back of his head, "We'll be fixing it, don't worry. We had a little scuffle with our speakers is all." He smiled wide, then he realized he had bumped the woman beside him, "Oh, I'm very sorry miss, I'm rather bullheaded when I need to do something; I hope I didn't spill your drink." He was actually rather concerned about it. His scent was so much like home with a large hint of freshly cut grass.
Gina chewed her bottom lip in thought, but at the taste of the new smoothie and the idea of naming it chased all her anxiety away. She suckled at the straw hungrily, a broad smile spreading on her face. "You've outdone yourself Frank," she commented, taking another large slurp. "I'm going to have to sit and think on a name though,' she slowed on her sipping, savoring the taste of all the berries that soothed her taste-buds lovingly. She closed her eyes for a moment, ignoring the crowd, the Italian brothers, and her all too eager lady friend...until she was bumped. She quickly wiped a glob of smoothie off her bottom lip, not noticing who the man was as she popped her finger in her mouth. "Oh no, quite alright," she said quickly, then stumbled in her words as she saw that the man, up close, was the lead singer of the new country-like band. At this distance, she noticed his strange white hair and soft blue-gray eyes and seemed to simply galk at him. She waved her hand suddenly, "it's alright, no harm done." She sputtered and turned back to her smoothie, slurping it rapidly to keep her gaping mouth shut. He looked so....familiar...
He noticed her reaction as she quickly jumped to her smoothie, "Sorry again." He was scratching his rather poofy hair once more, extending a hand, "Name's Thomas Rhome." At that, Frank cracked Tommy in the head with an empty bottle. It was more of a shocker than a painful motion. Frank then spoke, "You better fix it boy." He snapped playfully as he withdrew the bottle.
Tommy rubbed his head as he looked from Frank to the lady he had bumped, motioning to the seat, "May I sit here or is it taken?" He asked politely, taking the seat if the answer was yes.
Gina swallowed her smoothie in enough time to think about extending her hand before Frank cracked him one. She covered her mouth in a, "oh my gosh" look, until she realized they were only messing with one another.
Feeling more comfortable, she gestured to the seat. "It's not taken help yourself," she offered quickly, feeling a slight blush touch her cheeks. She also felt a finger tap her shoulder, and when she turned, Kim was smiling smugly.
"Well, me and my boys here are going to take off, since you've found yourself something to do all on your own. Call me later honey-buns," she laughed like she told the funniest joke and left the table, leaving the shorter brother to pay for her drink and follow along grudgingly after his older, taller, brother and his date.
Gina turned back to her companion and cleared her throat, feeling a bit awkward, "You're not going to believe me, but my name is Gina," she laughed a bit. "I admired your songs, hopelessly catching my attention." She admitted.
He watched out of the side of his eye the things going on with the brothers, Kim, and Gina. Frank had given him a glass of clear liquid with chunks of clear globs in it. Blinking a few times, he fiddled inside his pants pockets and pulled out a container as she was speaking. "Why wouldn't I believe your name was Gina?" He chuckled as he popped the little container open, listening to her continue as he opened his right eye wide and removed a colored contact lens from his orbital. Placing the little gray-blue piece into the cleaning liquid he deposited it back into his pocket, blinking his eye a good twenty times as he rubbed it. "Why thank you," He chuckled at her confession of how she liked the songs he sung. Thomas was leaning on his palm, elbow upon the bar as he watched Gina talk. His right eye was jet black, his left was the gray-ish blue much like someone that was waiting at home.
"Sorry if my eyes freak you out, I can't handle the bright lights without one of those contacts in." He motioned to his eyes with his free hand, "I had an accident when I was young, and my one eye changed color." He had a light scar over his left eye, the blue one.
Gina stirred her smoothie slowly, watching the thick cream sway. "I bet you have a lot of fans say they're your Gina." She joked, looking up at him as he rubbed his eye. He wore contacts? She wouldn't have guessed. It must have been hard to sing on stage if you wore glasses or an eye defect. He had turned to her, relaxed and content with talking to her, and she smiled softly at him. "You remind me of home, I'm actually from a ranc-" she stopped, froze for a moment, as he looked at her with one dark eye and one light one. His white hair complementing those two-toned eyes. She suddenly felt off balance, as if she was about to fall off her chair.
Thomas...Tommy...
Two toned eyes, in the right place, the right colors...
The white hair...
The homey feel....
She thought of the stuffed bison her mother sent her the day before.
Her childhood appearing right when she needed it...
"Excuse me, I uh-have to go." She said quickly, pulling out a twenty as she placed it next to her smoothie glasses, she rushed from the bar and hurried between the swaying crowd. She needed to get home, to feel her stuffed animal, to know that she wasn't going crazy and that it was just a stuffed toy sitting on her counter and nothing that would make her crazy was going on.
Thomas watched as she silently freaked out, excusing herself and leaving, and with that he dropped his shoulders with a deep sigh. Looking down over at the almost gone smoothie, he pulled it over and fingered the straw then put it into his mouth, finishing it as he took the twenty from the bar and pocketing it. "She could have at least let me pay for it." He muttered while looking over at Frank who had finished serving a large line of people, "Oy, what's wrong Tommy?"
The man looked over at him with a jaw shifted hard to the right, "She ran away."
"Oh really? That's not good, maybe you should run after her." Frank was now cleaning a glass.
"Nnnh, I think my eyes freaked her out. I really wanted to have a conversation with her, for the first time."
Frank waved a hand, "Go get her, but be nice about it." He waved that glass at him, "Or I'll hit you with one of my biggest bottles."
The man smiled and gave him money for the drinks, "There," He then got up and began his search for the pretty Gina that already owned him.
~~~
At the apartment, the little bison was still there. Fluffy and cold, sadly missing it's owner as it was upon the counter where it had been left.
Gina entered her apartment and locked the door, pacing a bit in her semi-high heels, which she kicked off as she kneaded her hands. She felt like she was going crazy, and if not, oddly blessed and freaked out.
Yes, her mother knew she was missing home and sent said box of mementos, including Tommy, but having met a country-like rock singer, who sun songs with her name and looked like her childhood toy to a T just randomly appear outta the blue like some blessed gift from god appear WHILE she was looking for a man to settle down with?
She untied her tight bun, letting her wild hay-like hair unravel and frizz the way it liked to. She marched for the kitchen and found Tommy, the stuffed animal bison, contently sitting where she had left him. She paced the kitchen twice, kneading her hands and starring at the stuffed animal until she finally picked him up and looked him over for any type of voodoo or witch craft.
"I'm going crazy, that's all." She said clearly, putting the bison back and kneading her hands. "I'm tired, it's late, and I'm over thinking, right Tommy?" She said quickly, then face-palmed when she realized she was an adult, still talking to her childhood-play-thing.
"I need a shower, a hot bathe with some incense and a long nights sleep." She said firmly, happy it was Friday and she'd be able to sleep in the following morning. She departed the kitchen, making her way to the bathroom and running a hot bath. She'd rather soak then stand, so she added bubbles and lit candles and stripped until she was bare.
She wasn't tall and thin, she was actually middle height and curvy, being a woman that actually enjoyed her meals and ate food whenever offered. She stepped into the hot water, sighing contently. She was just over-worked....right?
At the moment that Gina was coming out of the bath, a hard knock rapt upon her door thrice. Thomas had found her, easily enough since his real body was inside. He waited out there, giving a few minutes from that knock and rapt thrice more on the door. The man was leaning on the frame of the door with his finger on the eyehole, it was a pet peeve of his to cover those things. "Hello?" He called out, waiting for the door to hopefully be open.
He wanted to talk with her, actually interact with her physically, no not that dirty way, well, there was a little of those thoughts in his mind, but you have to remember he comes from a child's perspective. He was biting at his tongue and the sides of his mouth as he waited, it was really painful for him. It bothered him how she was on the other side of that door, how he did talk to her but she freaked out. It bothered him. He wanted her to like him, because he loved her, he loved her since she picked him out from all the puppies, cats, birds, and other animals. She picked a bison of all things, and he just wanted to hold her for once.
Stepped out of the bath and let it drain nosily. She thought she heard a knock at the door, but dismissed it, assuming it was nothing but the loud gargles of the tub.
She left her bathroom and shimmied over to her bed room across the hall, throwing a lush and thick robe of her that was made out of fluffy white towels. She heard a second set of knocks barely and quickly made her way to the door. She didn't look through the hole, only assumed who it was.
She grabbed the handle, "Kim, if you think I'm going to let-"
She cut off quickly with a 'eep' sound and covered her mouth when she saw Tommy. She flushed red instantly, realizing that the man before her could see what embarrassed her most.
1. Her standing there wet as can be in a towel.
2. Her stuffed bison on the counter in full view of the door across the kitchen.
He was growing impatient up until he heard her speaking, but the surprise he got blew his mind away. Thomas had been leaning on the frame looking down, but once he saw her he immediately flipped his body around to show her his back. His hands were up on his face, he couldn't understand why his face was so hot, he was beat red. "…S-sorry…!" He called out again, knowing how a situation like this would be embarrassing. One of the few things he never witnessed was her in the tub or nude. He'd seen her in her pj's, he'd seen her do lots of things, but he was a stuffed animal and he grew up with her.
Waving a hand low to his side, "…Please go get dressed…" He barely whispered it, not that he didn't want to see her in such a state, but he didn't want to just jump into things. The man had grew up with her, like stated before, so his mind had grown along with hers. He was aggravated when boys came into her room, because they took the attention away from him to the boy. The bison knew the feelings of jealous and want, and he wanted to hold his Gina for once. Goddamn his pants were starting to feel tight.
"Oh, uh, um, c-come in," she sputtered. "I'll just be a moment," she quickly departed the doorway, letting it swing open as she hurriedly rushed to her bed room. She slammed the door shut, pacing violently once more as she began to sputter a bit. Why was he here? Why did she let him in? Oh god, she left Tommy--the stuffed one, on the counter! He was going to think she was some crazy-fan-girl that made him into some sort of plushie!
She paced, mumbling to herself as she threw off her rob and slipped into black Pj slacks and a gray college sweatshirt. She tried once again to pulled back her unruly wet hair in a pony tail, but chose looking sloppy and wet over ripping her hair out from her scalp to get it to tie right.
She thought about him, being in the kitchen or living room, and thought of the way he reacted. He also turned bright red, had turned around instead of eyeing her. Was it respect, or was he completely not interested in her? The second thought made her heart a little heavy, but..-wait, why did she think that? She shook her head quickly and made her way out of her room to face him.
--But she didn't really face him, she kept her head down and walked passed him and into the kitchen, "Drink? Snack?" She asked, like a good host, before she'd ask him what he was doing here. She made herself busy, opening the cabinets and fridge to find something for her sudden guest.
She noted her stuffed bison was still on the counter and quickly grabbed him and but him on a bottom shelf behind the counter without looking at the living Thomas.
After he heard her walk away, he turned around to see that almost everything in her home was white much like his hair. Stepping in, he closed the door behind him, surveying what her new home was like. Blinking, his eyes narrowed as he smiled lightly, seeing the little bison on the counter in the kitchen. Next thing he saw her rushing out from what he assumed was her bedroom to ask a few quick questions and run into the bathroom opening up cabinets like a mad woman. His black socks wiggled against the carpet as he watched her, his boots were next to the door. "…No thank you." He said politely, leaning against the frame once more with a leg bent slightly, and hands in pockets. When she came near him again, he held out his hand in front of her face, holding up a folded twenty that was in the shape of a fish. "…Next time, the pretty lady can pay." He smiled, closing his eyes.
She chuckled nervously, "well. I could use a drink," she said to herself, opening the fridge for the third time to take out a jug of milk and pour herself a glass with her back to him. When she returned the milk jug, she sipped from it and face him. His comment caught her off guard and she looked down, fussing with her hair a bit. "Oh, uh, ahem, thank you." She said, a bit embarrassed with herself as she took the twenty bill. She was usually very blunt and forward with men, a strong type, but she was so caught off guard by this man and his traits that she felt like she was a flopping fish outta water. "So, is this all you came by for, Thomas?" She asked, tapping the folded twenty on the counter and trying to regain her footing on the situation. She felt a little giddy saying his name and from the other side of the counter, across from him, she brushed her knee on Tommys nose, where he now sat under the counter and on a shelf next to her cooking pans.
She probably wanted him out of the room. There was a sense of rejection in his mind as he thought about what he wanted to say to her, to tell her. He had been silent for so long, and now he actually had a chance to talk. Opening up his mouth to speak, she rubbed the nose of the little bison, and he found himself sneezing. Catching himself, "Excuse me…" He said, now standing instead of leaning. The man moved his dual colored eyes over to her, "…As creepy as this might sound, I just wanted a conversation, but than you ran away from me. I wanted to apologize if it was my eyes… a lot of people tend to not like the fact of their color."
Gina froze for a moment, realizing what she had just done. Her mind was swirling, too many thoughts hitting her all at once. Was...Thomas really Tommy? Was this all a dream? Had she been drugged with that orgasmic new smoothie Frank had made? She quickly changed her shocked look as her spoke. "Oh, it wasn't your colors that..." she stopped, realizing she was admitting that she indeed was freaked out by him, then sighed heavily. "You just, remind me of someone, and I got a little startled. I apologize, that was rude of me," she waved her hand, leaning down to sit at one of her stools, one of four that wrapped around the counter. "I've just been a bit stressed lately, so you're appearance sorta tipped me over the edge," she chuckled nervously then decided to ask him a few questions to try and figure out if she was dreaming, tripping, or actually crazy. "So, a conversation....where are you from?" She asked politely, though her heart was pounding furiously.
"Hmmm.." His eyes were closed as he stood there, between the junction of her living room and kitchen. Hands still in his pockets, when he opened his eyes he was looking off to the far right, "Well, I was born in Massachusetts, but my home was in Kentucky." He narrowed his eyes, looking at her, loving the fact he could move on his own. Not that he mind having had her move him in the grass, oh how he loved it when they rolled in the grass.
Snapping from the memory, he was fearful of touching her, he had waited so long to do so but now, it was here and he was afraid of the rejection. There was a heavy sigh from him as he placed a palm upon his temple, "God I must be one hell of a creep just coming into your house after a five minute introduction." He was getting intense cold feet and was ready to leave up until he saw her eyes once more, which melted him in place. She would think and could think that she was a mess, but to him Gina could be covered in mud and grass and still be beautiful.
Gina tapped her fingers on the counter. Yep, she was either drugged or crazy or dreaming, so she took a shot in the dark and let it out. "I'm assuming I'm just going crazy, that you're not a creeper, that you're a childhood friend from my past." She laughed. "So don't feel so out of place," she waved her hand, her face bright red and burning. "I'm just nuts probably, so I wouldn't waste your time on someone like me. You got a 'lotta ladies out 'there that fancy 'yah." She said with her normal southern accent that seemed to ease out as she talked to him. She touched the rim of her glass and pouted her lips for a second.
"I assume you met this guy when you walked in?" She said, leaning over and grabbing her stuffed white bison and placing him on the counter. "I'm not a creeper eithor, I've had this for a while now. You two look awfully familiar," she giggled suddenly, from stress and lack of sleep. "This is what freaked me out, you resemble my old toy," she sighed with a dopy look on her face, rubbing her temples. "I was acting mighty childish, again, I apologize."
His face grew warm as she spoke of the little bison, and with those even warmer words he chuckled out loud for her to hear. "…If we don't cherish the things from the past, how can we ever love what comes to us in the future?" The man than walked over and sat on one of the stools away from her. His hands made a tent against the counter as he looked at the bison, "He's a handsome fellow, and I guess I can see the resemblance." He gently took the bison and held it up against his face making a face to mimic the bison. "After all we got the same eyes and poofy hair. At least I don't have horns coming out of my head." He then handed her the bison back. "..or do I?" He arched a brow and tilted his head so one eye focused on her.
Gina smiled, glad he didn't think she was crazy, "that's the way my mother thinks, then again, I always thought of her to be the hoarding type." She admitted and rubbed the little bison's tail. She stopped and watched as her most prized possession was lifted and mirrored by the mans face. She laughed lightly, covering her gaping mouth before taking the stuffed toy back. "So far, I don't see any horns," she rested her chin on her fist which was propped up on her elbow to the counter. "I'm glad you didn't call me crazy and simply leave," she mused.
"Nnnh..." It was a noise made through a set of sneering lips as he waved her off as if crazy to say such a thing. "In my mind, I would hope a pretty lady has a personality to joke around." Both hands were waving lightly i the air as he leaned back. "After all, there's no fun if comedy is sucked from the world." He murmured out as he opened his eyes to look over at her, then his eyes shifted to the clock within the room. "Hmmm, it's two in the morning, I think I have to excuse myself and let the pretty lady sleep." He said sadly but with a smile.
A smile was brought to Gina's lips as he spot. "You're quiet the talker," she chuckled lightly. "Thank you for making my night, it had started off not so well, but you changed that. It was nice to meet you and I'm glad you stopped by to get to know me better." She commented, getting up from her stool. "It's that late already?" She rubbed her right eye and held back a yawn. "Well, you know where I live, and I assume you'll hold your word and be at the juice bar this whole weekend." She stretched and made her way to the door. "Sorry to kick you out, but you're right, it is late and though it sounds lame, it's the honest truth that I have a client tomorrow in the afternoon, so I'll see you around." She opened the door and stood asighed, a friendly but tired look on her face.
