The First Pear

Another mundane day at the office starts. The office fluorescent lights and desktop computers humming with exertion. I should be focusing on the report that is due in two days time but its not happening today. I find myself staring at the water cooler with bits of excitement when one of my co workers would fill their cups. The bubbles were magical and reminded me of a beautiful fish tank. I sigh deeply and turn back to my desk that has a beautiful mural of a fall landscape with an old dilapidated barn house in the background. I begin dreaming of sitting in the middle of this beautiful sight with an all white Adirondack chair. I can smell the fall breeze wet with fall leaves and the promise of snow. I can’t wait to pull out my hoodie and over sized mug, warm some locally produced apple cider, and just enjoy until this scene switches to snow.

For now I was stuck behind this desk, the filtered air system sucking in contaminated summer fog and dispersing it throughout the office. I had heard at least 7 times today alone about how hot it was and just when I thought I would scream and start ripping file cabinets down, in you walk. Your strut, slow, sultry. Your business suit tailored to emphasize your perfectly chiseled body. Your eyes, well I can’t see them now. If I look at you I am afraid that you will hypnotize me and make me tell you all the things that I had been dreaming about since the day I met you. Perfect smile, warm and inviting. I’m not sure you know that I exist. My heart stops when you do, halfway up my aisle. I think that you are about to turn and go into your cubicle. Instead it seems like you feel me watching. You turn and bless me with that seductive smile. I smile back sheepishly, I’ve been caught no way around it. You wave and walk up to my desk. “Hey Sheri, good morning! Hot huh?” I hated that question but when you ask I answer eagerly as though if I don’t answer quick enough the sun will scorch us both. “Hey Grant, good morning! And yea I hate the summer time.” I said that last line a bit too quickly and almost tripped over my words. You smiled sweetly and motioned with your coffee mug, “I noticed you have a love for fall? That is a beautiful picture you have. I meant to tell you how much I liked it when you first placed it at your desk.” “Ah!” I think, “you have noticed me and you watch too. Wonderful.” A small roar erupts in victory somewhere deep. “Oh yes I love the country side. You?” That amazing smile, “Yes, in truth I grew up in the country. My family own a farm about an hour north of here. Want to see it?” Your eyes light up and sparkle while speaking about your childhood home. Do I want to see it? You have me under your control and yes I want to see the farm and you. I want to peel back the layers of who you are and I want you to do the same to me. But first things first.

“Yes!” I exclaim a bit too loudly, “I would love to go.” “Ok well give me your Snap and we will get together Saturday!” I give you my information and we add each other. I’m suddenly not so sure about you. Red flag #1, Snapchat? One of the most frustrating apps I have on my phone. I was ready to delete it three days after the download. We will see if it is worth the trouble. The rest of the week flies by with the thought of your invitation. You send me a random Snap every so often and my phone freezes so I stopped opening them. This may be a problem. I am so excited Friday night when I get home I begin washing all the possible combination of outfits I could wear without being fried alive. I settle finally at 11:30pm on a white tank top and a floral, summer skirt. Perfect! I will have to watch the white though I have a history of ruining it quickly.

You send me another Snap around 10:00am in the morning and I am exhausted but once I open it my energy is renewed. You said you are close and electricity shoots into me. I dress quickly and decide to wear my hair up. I’m ready to go by 10:30 and you send another Snap, my phone freezes. I almost throw it out of my window. Miraculously, it works and you say you are downstairs. I bounce down barely feeling a step much to my regret. I almost miss the last step in front of you. You have shown up in an old F-150, plenty of room for us but still very cozy. The drive is easy going and the hour it takes to get to the farm grows wings and leaves us. We laugh, joke, and learn about one another. Perfect. We park on your property, I step out and it looks exactly how my picture looks. I tell you so, you say I told you so. Off in the distance I lock eyes with an amazing pear tree and instinctively I start walking towards it. You follow me, silently, understanding where I am headed. I reach the tree, fragrant, beautiful, full. You come up behind me and for the first time wrap your strong arms around me. I snuggle against you wordless. You come around the front of me, reach high, pick the perfect pear, break off the stem and offer it to me. I must literally eat from your hands. I take a deep luxurious bite, the juice slides down my face. I open my eyes to see you staring at me as if you have just realized something life altering. You reach for my lips with your large thumb and gently wipe the liquid from my lips. I kiss your thumb and then you kiss me. Perfect.

A screeching noise begins to go off right next to me and I am rudely interrupted from my day dream of you. It’s a fire drill and we must all exit the building. Yay, I’m over joyed. This will be the most exciting thing to happen to me today, except that amazing vision of you. I walk out with the rest of my co workers into the scorching sun until we are away from the building. We manage to find a shady spot and everyone complains about how hot it is. I look up, you are standing in front of me, we lock eyes, and you walk over. “Hey Sheri! This is crazy huh?” “Hey Grant yea not what I wanted today for sure. Hot out huh?”