Shreds of the Past

Written a long time ago...
I remember the faces I had in my head for these characters.
I remember the room
I remember the dress...

On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 2:59 PM, Leighann wrote:

Although two glasses of Dom Perignon were not quite enough to blur her vision, she did hold her chin up a little bit higher. The room was glowing, or was it just her? She embraced her secluded position on the west wall of the great room, and let herself be entertained my all that was going on around her.

The dance floor bustled and swooshed with elegant dresses and fine tuxedos. A meteor shower of gems and jewels glimmer against the walls and surroundings and candles flit and fluxed around the borders of the great hall. Teddy worked hard on her third helping of bubbly. Her yellow cream colored gown dipped so low and rested so delicately on the small of her back that she dared not engage in the celebrations whisking about on the dance floor at the center of the room. "How do those ladies do that?" She thought to herself. Besides, she didn't want to miss a single second in her surveying of a very handsome young gentleman on the opposite side of the hall.

He was young, laughing and joking with those among him. "Young and absolutely gorgeous!" Teddy thought out loud, but speaking to no one in particular. She silently analyzed: he's drinking draft beer; he's got to be ready for commitment. "How young could he really be?" Again aloud, but directed to no one. Teddy summarized that he was far too sophisticated, and must be of ripe age and maturity; perfect.

Teddy's observations had been noticed by the gent and would no go unaddressed. Swishing her bubbly around in her glass nervously ad he fought the maze of tables to reach her, she realized how dry her mouth had become in those minutes of analyzing. "Hi there" His voice was, as she had surmised, deep, intelligent, and extremely sexy. His confused and possibly irritated look told Teddy that it was her turn to speak, most appropriately an explanation. "I'm Teddy", she managed to stammer out. "And I'm an extremely interesting specimen, eh?" he joked, she blushed.

By the time there was no fluid left to swoosh in her glass, Teddy was convinced that this was the beginning of something refreshing. She liked this character, he wad cunning, he had a brain! And he was mature. The conversation had been pleasantly solid, appropriate for the event they were both a part of. "What a catch" she thought to herself, this time being sure not to speak aloud.

Teddy found that her expectations had not been far off. He was four years her senior, living in London, but primitive to Chicago. "Oh! I grew up in the states also!" Teddy indulged in the similarity. "Yes, I could tell by the way you talk. Please don't say Chicago, I'll kick myself!" "Manhattan". "Manhattan!" He echoed. "Would you like another glass?" "Please".

In his absence, Teddy's breath evened finally, She put her hand on her heart as if to keep it from pounding right out of her, Deciding it was safest, Teddy sat down on the satin covered chair at the round table behind her. With her hand still on her heart, she read her place setting. "I wonder if I can just change my name permanently." She spoke to herself, once again out loud. "Theodora", she cringed. It's time for another drink."

With Gabriel and Dom both returning, Teddy's mind raced for the new topic of conversation. "So what do you do?" she asked, "Oh gosh…I'm prying, he's going to hate me." She thought to herself. "I'm a civil engineer" "Oh you're civil alright" Teddy prayed she hadn't said it aloud. "So…what do you do?" she said again. They both laughed. Gabriel put his hands together on the table and began to passionately explain something about water and third world countries. He made just the cutest face when he was explaining things. His eyebrows rose up into thick dark arcs and certain syllables made his nose dip down ever so slightly. He must have realized how little she had actually been paying attention. For a moment the locked eyes. His big, dark brown eyes stared right through hers. It felt like they tore right into her just under the neck, ripped out her heart and let it sit flat on the table. The music came to a halt and Gabriel snapped out of the trance that the pair had been caught in; Teddy, still very much strapped tightly in.

Gabriel looked away, seemingly at nothing, and then quite clearly something. His eyes just lit right up and his lips stretched and parted into a brilliant smile. His hands reached forward for something and Teddy finally peeled her eyes off to look in the direction of that something. "Hi Gabe!". "Hey babe". Gabriel slinked his arm around her waist. A low area to be grasping, but a perfect height for his seated position with her standing beside. "Teddy, this is my wife Christy". Teddy digested these words slowly, and carefully, fearful that Dom would not appreciate such an elixir. Her heart sank further than a usual 'heart sinking' would. This time she was fairly certain that her heart sank down to the bottom of her feet and out on the floor, where she stomped on it. Kneading and jabbing at it with her high heels. Bold brown eyes stared at Teddy, polite, but hateful all at the same time. Christy was even more stunning than he was. Her straight, shiny black hair rested calmly on her shoulders and her perfect ivory skin stood out against the blackness. "I bet she's smart. Smarter than me, and doing very well." Teddy reluctantly admitted to herself. "It's a pleasure" Teddy lied. Christy was flawless, absolutely flawless, with a glass of white wine held carelessly in her hand.

 

 

 

Job

I don't want to ever grow old

And there's no way I can be considered young

timeless...


I just want to be timeless.
Like Marilyn Monroe, or Martha Graham.

I want no one to have any clue what my physical age is
I want my actions to speak louder than my words
I want to be wise

and I want to die old and full of days.

Good job.

Just wanted to take a moment to share with you a lesson I learned today.

I recently purchased a theater curtain and tracking from a company out of New Jersey. We cold called based on their large stock of used curtains, in attempt to gain a great piece, at a money conscious cost.
 

Originally, they had 3 large used curtains that would fit our space. After going through the motions, I was informed that the curtains were sold out from under us, but there was another set of three coming in, and I could instead have those. They were of a heavier material, and they would honor the originally quoted cost. With dismay due to the time constraints on me, we went through the paperwork a second time. This would set us back two weeks.
 

A third time, I could scarcely believe. I was told by the sales representative that the second set of curtains was sold out from under me. They were to get me a brand new curtain, built for me, at the same originally quoted cost. Fine, wonderful - but I needed it fast! The sales representative quickly became aware that I was not happy with the situation at all, and yet he remained graceful and professional. Two more weeks.
 

A third set of paperwork, and our fingers crossed, our curtain has come in and is beautiful.

In reflection, I realized that I was definitely very harsh to this sales represenative, who in my eyes couldn't push the paper work through fast enough for us to attain the proposed curtain each time! Come on! Yet, he remained poised and pleasurable throughout my clearly stated discontent.

 

Today I called the company and requested to speak to a supervisor, with intent to give a positive review to a very deserving sales representative. The woman who picked up the phone heard me out, and heard my compliments of an employee who handled a tough customer in a great way. She then said, "Leighann, you were lucky enough to have been dealing with the owner of the company himself". Shocked, and rather dumbfounded, I swiftly inserted my foot in my mouth and just sort of waited to hear what she would say next!

 

"That's just how we operate here, everyone lends a hand to get the customers what they need. We know you are all under time constraints, and we always do the best we can from top to bottom. I'm so glad you're happy with the curtain...etc."

 

....

They are going to be sending a photographer to photograph the beautiful curtain up on the track in our beautiful studio, to be placed on their "projects" page of their website, with a blurb about the studio; who we are and what we do.

 

I guess today's lesson is to give someone deserving - a pat on the back. Not just because it's good for them and feels good for you, but because it might actually really benefit you in ways beyond your imagination!