The Flavor of Surprises | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Flavor of Surprises | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sheldon Bass
07/15/13
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I'd prepared for every conceivable contingency, yet I was nervous. You never know when something unexpected will happen and throw a wrench into the best laid plans.

For too long I'd been alone. It felt like a heavy iron blanket crushing down upon me squeezing the tears of loneliness from my eyes. There I was, a thirty-three year old man and had still never found that special someone to walk beside me. I'd prayed,

"Lord for several years I've asked for a life mate. If Darlene is the one you've chosen for me, please reveal it on this next date."

We met at Bible College. When I first saw her, she smiled, and drew me into her heart. In that brief moment, in passing each other, we communicated without words, without touch, but only with a look. The mutual attraction was evident right out of the gate. Thoughts of her dominated my mind: the sweetness of her scent, and the sensation of her long, silken-black hair sweeping across my arm, which accentuated the smoothly tanned complexion of her angelic face. Her eyes were a mesmerizing brown and deeper than the grandest of canyons. We each seemed to have an aura that reached out to infuse with the other, pulling at our souls, drawing them together as if the two were meant to be together, destined to become one.

This next date, a picnic, must be special.

The day arrived and the setting was gorgeous. Our blanket, decorated in Aztec motif, lay on the grass alongside a magnificent lake, replete with a perfect mirrored image of the blue and white sky. I chewed the sandwich slowly, enraptured by her every expression, memorizing every centimeter of her face. As the breeze picked up, her thin yellow blouse rippled for a moment, then pressed tight against her torso, revealing her model-like form. She elegantly sipped at her iced-tea.

When she leaned toward me our lips came together. It was a powerful and passionate kiss, pleasing my mind with a warm neuro-massage. A prickly tingle began in my legs, crawling upward. I scolded myself.

"No, this is not right. You're not supposed to be having those feelings. She is far too good for that."

But the sensation continued, until...

"ANTS!"

Leaping to my feet I jumped around doing an ants in the pants dance and began beating about my legs leaving sizable bruises. It was akin to killing flies with a cannon. Darlene put a hand over her mouth and stifled a giggle.

"The lake!" She yelled. "Jump in the lake!"

I charged the water like a bull toward an infuriating matador. At waist level the pants were tugged off, hiding my embarrassing red welts below the surface. Dozens of the little red devils came floating to the surface and I splashed them away. Glancing at Darlene she stood looking like a statue of Pocahontas, a cute grin on her face. She was so beautiful standing there in the sun, with verdant foliage as her backdrop. Wildflowers splashed the scene with pale hues of blue and purple. I said,

"For my next performance..." Which, elicited hearty laughter from the woman of my dreams.

"I'm sorry Darlene—I tried to plan for everything, but I didn't expect ants!"

Her sweet smile and gracious attitude melted my brain into a glob of warm goo.
"Everything is alright. I thought we might go swimming anyway."

My heart leapt as she stripped off her blouse to reveal a one piece swimming suit underneath. Her trot toward the water was graceful and her dive perfectly timed. When she surfaced I yelled.

"Wait! I have to put my pants back on." She waited.

The coolness of the water felt good on the stinging bites, and being with Darlene made me forget them. After our refreshing swim we sat on the relocated blanket watching the sun begin to set, the face of the sky taking on a pink hue.

She laid her head on my shoulder and spoke sweetly.

"I think it's the unexpected events in life, that make it most memorable, don't you?"

"You are amazing Darlene. I think you've taught me something."

"What's that?"

"To not worry so much about the unexpected things that could go wrong. In fact, the only thing I expect from now on is for life to be a whole lot sweeter with you by my side."

Her soft answer was bit coy.

"Maybe I can accept that expectation."

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