"21"

One and Only

Warren slammed the jar down in frustration.  He could not open a pickle jar.  This would be embarrassing if he had an audience.  He was a well-muscled ranch hand and could handle animals and equipment, but could not open a pickle jar.  Mom’s trick of knocking the lid with the butt end of a knife did not work.  His sister’s trick of slamming his palm on the bottom did not work.  He reluctantly admitted defeat and put it on the counter with the three other jars he could not open.  Pride prevented him from returning them to the store.  He would just keep working on them because that’s the way he did things.

He stood tapping his fingers on his hips, staring at the four jars wondering if it would be okay to donate the rebel jars to a food shelf.  His thoughts were interrupted by three loud knocks and three light taps on the door. That would be his best friend Laurie.  That was her ‘I need to talk’ knock.  Over the last few months, she had been sharing her thrills and spills and ultimate break up with Jim, her latest boyfriend.  He did not like hearing it, but at least he got to see her and talk to her.
 
Laurie did not bother to return his greeting.  She pushed by him and started in with her tirade right away.  He could only listen to the same rant for so long.  He quietly returned to the pickle jar.  Laurie must have noticed that she no longer had an audience, because she entered the kitchen from the other side, still in her rage.  “Give me that.”  Still giving her blistering verbal assault on the inadequacies of Jim, she twisted the top and gave the opened jar back to Warren. She was still muttering obscenity-laced descriptives of Jim as Warren handed her the remaining three jars to open.  Her rage must have been winding down by the fourth jar, because it was a bit of a struggle for her to open.  He’d have to remember to get Laurie lathered up if he needed something unstuck.

With no more jars to open, Laurie’s rant about Jim started taking off again.  Warren tried to slide away to his living room, but Laurie followed.  With cowboy boots propped up on the well scuffed table in front of him, he propped his arm on the couch and leaned his head into the fist while he watched Laurie pace and throw her arms into the air with exaggerated motions. 

She turned in time to see him stifle a yawn.  “Am I boring you?”

Warren had his opportunity, “Yes!  This is the 15th time you have complained about your break-up with Bullshit Jim. I had to put up with the wonders of Dreamboat Jim.  I listened to the inadequacies of Pathetic Jim when he fell off his pedestal.  I can’t stand to hear about him anymore!”

“What?  Where did that come from?  I don’t get it.”

Warren thought twice before deciding to jump straight in, “What is it about me that you never thought of me as anything more than a friend?”

“Your name starts with W.” 

The remark was meant to be light-hearted and funny, but Warren rebuked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”  Now Warren jerked to a standing position and it was his turn to pace. 

“I just don’t like any names that start with W.  It’s why I won’t go into politics.  I don’t want to move to Washington.”  She thought she was teasing, but his reaction was disconcerting.  Her smile faded.
 
“That’s not funny.”  His hands were on his tapered hips when he came to a halt in front of Laurie.
“You asked, I gave you the honest answer.”

He maneuvered her without touching her to the far wall near the patio door.  In an intense whisper, he informed, “My middle name is Thomas.  Do you object to that name?”

Laurie’s hands flew to his chest and tried to push him. “No.  I just didn’t know you felt this way.  Please don’t.”

Warren’s voice threatened to crack, “God, I’m not going to hurt you.  I just want to know why you fling all your boyfriends in my face.  Why won’t you at least let me have a shot?”

“We have such a good friendship, I don’t want to screw it up.”

Warren stood back.  “That’s a hell of a future to live into.”

Laurie looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

Warren returned to the couch, and rested his chin in the hand that was propped up on the arm of the couch.  Without looking at Laurie, he moaned, “This is all bullshit.  If you say hooking up with me is going to be a disaster, then that’s what happens because you will make it happen.  If you say it’s going to be the best thing you lucked into, then that’s what happens.  Because you said so.  It’s that’s simple.”

Laurie crept up to him and knelt before him. She coaxed, “Tommie, are you crying?  Can I start calling you Tommie?”

He had to swallow hard to talk, “I am not crying.  I have something in my eye, that’s all.”

“Will you give me a little time to get used to the idea of amping this up?  I mean, it’s so fresh and rebounds very rarely work out.”

“Declare it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Say out loud what you want.  What would be ideal?”

Laurie would only commit to, “I am willing to give us a chance.”

Warren Tommie did his best John Wayne imitation, “Willing to let me be your one and only?  No new boyfriends to run by me?  No new boyfriends to complain about?”

Laurie tossed her head as she answered the questions, falling into a cascade of giggles when he added John Wayne gestures as well with each question.  She sure was pretty when she was happy.

[word count:991]

*****

You've been on my mind
I grow fonder every day
Lose myself in time
Just thinking of your face
God only knows why it's taken me
So long to let my doubts go
You're the only one that I want

I don't know why I'm scared
I've been here before
Every feeling, every word
I've imagined it all
You'll never know if you never try
To forget your past and simply be mine

I dare you to let me be your, your one and only
I promise I'm worthy
To hold in your arms
So come on and give me the chance
To prove I am the one who can walk that mile
Until the end starts

If I've been on your mind
You hang on every word I say
Lose yourself in time
At the mention of my name
Will I ever know how it feels to hold you close
And have you tell me
Whichever road I choose, you'll go?

I don't know why I'm scared
'Cause I've been here before
Every feeling, every word
I've imagined it all
You'll never know if you never try
To forget your past and simply be mine

I dare you to let me be your, your one and only
I promise I'm worthy, mm
To hold in your arms
So come on and give me the chance
To prove I am the one who can walk that mile
Until the end starts

I know it ain't easy giving up your heart
I know it ain't easy giving up your heart
Nobody's perfect
(I know it ain't easy giving up your heart)
Trust me I've learned it
Nobody's perfect
(I know it ain't easy giving up your heart)
Trust me I've learned it
Nobody's perfect
(I know it ain't easy giving up your heart)
Trust me I've learned it
Nobody's perfect
(I know it ain't easy giving up your heart)
Trust me I've learned it

So I dare you to let me be your, your one and only
I promise I'm worthy
To hold in your arms
So come on and give me the chance
To prove that I am the, one who can walk that mile
Until the end starts

Come on and give me the chance
To prove that I am the one who can, walk that mile
Until the end starts