Mint to Be Loved

by Elias Raven

  “Damn girl! You need to get laid!” came up from the depths. I could hear Kathy & Sarah both cheering me on.

  Nicolas didn’t seem to mind, I would move my hand away during the busier shifting times, but otherwise, I was always touching him.

  “How did you sleep last night?” he asked.

  I let out a big sigh with an eye roll for added effect.

  “Well, honestly...I was getting the third degree about a certain professor from my best friends on the whole planet via Zoom.” I replied.

  Nick laughed and rolled his eyes. I just looked into those ruggedly chiseled features wanting to pin him against the driver’s seat and lip lock at the next red light.

  “Actually, I had a bit of the same from my parents as well!” he replied grinning.

  “Oh really!? And how did that go?” I asked.

  “I’m having breakfast with you, right? They did ask when they both were in town if they could meet you and I pointed out we just had our first date last night (woof),” he replied.

  We both got a chuckle and comparing notes pulled into the parking lot for The Flat Iron Skillet.

  The wait was long, but not unbearingly so. Thirty minutes just meant I had him all to myself on a bench and I could grill away. The waitress came around with complimentary coffee and waters and we sat enjoying the morning light and each other’s company.

  “So, you said my dad invited you to Frankies to meet us?” I asked remembering our conversation.

  “Yes, he knew that my father knew your mother from school and he thought that we might hit it off, being we had more than a few things in common,” he replied.

  “Did he go into great detail about me and my mom or?” I asked baiting the hook.

  “Not a whole lot. He knew that I was single and didn’t have a lot of friends other than classmates and faculty at The University. I don’t make friends easily, but when I do they are lifelong.” he replied kind of dodging.

  “How about dating?” I asked.

  “Well there have been a few girls, but I never find anyone I can relate too at an intellectual and emotional level. Invariably they just want sex and money and like the looks of my car. I need something more than that!” he replied smiling at me. (sighing inwardly, all great answers).

  “I’m the same way. I’m not just looking for a hook up for the sake of a hookup. My parents have been together for quite a few years and are both still madly in love and that’s kind of what I’m looking for. I know it’s old fashioned, I’m just being honest.” I said looking into his eyes.

  The waitress called our names and we sat outside on the patio. I’ve read about twin flames and all that, but never experienced it before. My dad knew me as well as any man and Nicolas was a perfect match for me. I didn’t know if I should resent him for that, but on mulling it over in my head, how could I? I was his only child and daughter and he loved me fiercely. If he thought Nick was a good fit (woof) then who was I to argue. I was tired of looking in bars and dating sites. The man of my dreams was sitting right across from me (no champagne this time). I leaned over and kissed him again (yep, he was real).

  We just sat in the sunlight talking and eating. It was funny we liked a lot of the same foods and even had a moment of sharing trying out the blueberry and bananas foster pancakes. I touched his nose with whip cream. He looked so cute. I could tell I was falling hard and so was he. A part of me stood on the precipice and wondered if this was a mistake, then a small still voice replied:

  “You only have one true love.” I assumed my guardian angel or my head imagining things again.

  “What if he isn’t any good in bed?” another voice said. That would be the devil inside.

  “That’s a lot of poppycock! A man can always be trained!” the angel said.

  “Are you sure you want to be tied up with just one man?” the devil replied.

  I felt like I was meditating two small children arguing in my mind. Seriously? If the devil voice kicked the angel voice, I was going to put them both in the corner! I giggled at the thought.

  Nick heard me and asked:

  “Was that funny?” he asked.

  “You with whip cream is definitely fun!” I replied smiling.

  “Come on, I was thinking we could go for a drive in the country,” he said, and taking my hand we walked up to the register and paid the bill.

  Nick opened my door for me and after I was seated, hopped in and started the engine.

  My phone buzzed, that would be the girls.

  “Hey, our parents wanted us all to get together before they flew out tonight? Are you game?” Sarah asked.

  “Absolutely, we are hard at work on the mystery box right now!” I replied clenching my thighs.

  “Uh-huh! You looked more like you were trying to play hide the cannoli with the professor there.” Kathy said.

  I laughed and asked Nick if he was up for a family dinner date.

  “I’ll have to beg off tonight Paige. I have to get some classwork ready for a lecture in the morning; I have at 11:00 AM. I was going to meet you at work first thing when the library opens then head to the university.” he replied.

  I instantly pouted, which didn’t go unnoticed by Mr. Tall, Dark & Handsome (works every time).

  “I promise I’ll call to tuck you in and besides, we have the rest of today!” he continued.

  “Ok…” I said feigning indignation.

  Nick leaned over and stole a quick kiss and we spent the rest of the day driving around upstate New York. It was beautiful country and idyllic. I would love to live up here someday. Who knows? Maybe the professor would agree? (whoa Paige, you're getting way ahead of yourself! Cool your jets). The afternoon was spent stopping at small roadside stands eating fruit and nuts and drinking fresh cider and enjoying each other's company. All too soon the sun started going down and Nick looked at his watch sighing loudly.

  “Do I have to take you back?” he asked (looking like Pierce Brosnan).

  “Nope, you can tie me up and throw me in your trunk,” I replied pouting.

  “Don’t tempt me!” he said pointing his finger playfully

  I playfully nipped at the fingertips and then purred loudly.

  Chapter 26

  Monday again! (Can I hear an Amen!? I didn’t think so! I wasn’t feeling it either). I woke to the sounds of my cat Buttons laying on top of my head joyfully purring and extending her nails like I was a pin cushion. Because according to her world, all human and cushion type devices are! Luckily, I had the pillow pulled over for protection for just such an occurrence, and right on cue, my alarm went off. This time to the lovely strains of Symphony Number 9 - Movement IV - Ode To Joy by Ludwig Von Beethoven (the man himself). At the opening sting notes, my cat Buttons decided to conduct right along with Leonard Bernstein and the Boston Pops, digging her nails in ever harder at each Crescendo! Now if you can picture the scene, (put your head to the door and like a distant scream, that one guitar! - whoops the wrong song!) I am laying on my side with a pillow over my head and one between my legs (cause that’s what we do, right ladies?), the cat is sitting on top of the pillow and then a pair of arms (mine) extend upwards (like the monster under the bed in a Calvin & Hobbes Cartoon) and pluck her fluffy butt off of me and set her on the floor.

  This of course elicits a lovely hiss followed by the tail of doom. Sort of like a middle finger for cats! I pull the pillow off of my head and roll onto my back listening to the music, but kind of missing Nick (ok kinda is an understatement). I didn’t know if he liked classical music or not (guess we will find out). The music ran its course then slowly faded away then my second alarm goes off starting track two. The Fifth Element by Tolkyn Zabirova. It's a wonderful track if you are a Fifth Element fan (think Die Hard in Space). The singing is so hauntingly beautiful. I always get emotional when I hear it (no, not like when I’m on my period), just melancholy and touchy-feely. I let the music wash over my body, it was very tactile. Right when the piece was finished, I could hear the fami
liar refrains of my mother calling from the landing for me to get a move on!

  “Coming!” and then a mad dash to throw Paige together into some semblance of normal (think 1950’s Best Friends magnetic dress-up). Let’s see Grey Pants suit and jacket with a white blouse, maybe a fedora (yes!), now do I have my Men In Black shades (oh yeah gotta rock the look). Let’s go for Victoria’s Secret lingerie (cause they feel wonderful and look really nice) along with a set of black heels (yep, they will be putty in my hands). I moved around the room faster than a Speedy Gonzales Cartoon (see Warner Bros). One final check of makeup and perfume, a final turn in the full-length mirror. Oh yeah, I was rocking the female detective look full on! Time to kick some ass!

  I headed down the stairs just as my mother was getting ready for her final call. I kissed her on the cheek midway through her:

  “Paige, you’re going to be.” (wham, gave her the ole kiss).

  “Aren’t you going to have breakfast?” She asked.

  My father opened the swinging door right at the perfect moment. I slid under his arm saying:

  “Morning dad.” then smiling gave him a kiss.

  “Well aren’t you just…” was as far as he got.

  “Dad, I am not just chiperific today. I am splendiferously ecstatic!” I spoke into the void of his words.

  “Well then…” he spluttered.

  “You sound like Rabbit father! It’s not Windsday!” I said rather seriously.

  My mother listened to our exchange with a rather bemused expression on her face.

  “Try to have a nice day dear,” she said.

  “Mother, I am off to solve the third riddle! The key to the magic box! Aren’t you even the least bit excited about what might happen today!?” I asked (sounding like Dumbledore - see Harry Potter).

  “Well of course we are honey!” she replied.

  “I dropped a pop-up streusel into the toaster and grabbed a thermos of coffee (I like it with two sugars and powdered creamer and half and half if you must know).

  “Honk, honk!” came from outside. My phone started buzzing with my BFF Sarah on the phone and right on time, the toaster popped. It was like a scene out of a Charlie Brown movie even!

  My mom hit the speaker button on my phone (thanks mom).

  “She’s coming!” she said and Sarah hung up the phone (knowing if mom was answering my hands were full and subterfuge would be required to dodge any personal questions).

  I ran out to Sarah’s car and put my coffee and breakfast on the seat. Then I ran back to grab the briefcase and all of our evidence about the mystery box that had been gathered so far. I had it all packed very neatly in a carry-on luggage bag and wheeled it to her trunk and in it went (like a dead body - for dramatic effect!) thump!

  My parents waved as we drove off. We were all talking excitedly about last night’s adventures, as I popped open the coffee thermos and started passing around the container. It was one of those mornings. The adrenaline was going to wear off quickly. That is until:

  “Knock, knock!” on Kathy’s side window.

  We were dying. There was the Aston Martin with the tweed covered arm. Kathy was an old pro at this and rolled down her window and said:

  “Hey!!” then a folded letter passed through the window into her hot little hands and the arm waved as the car passed us by.

  “Well!” we all said together ganging up on Kathy.

  She opened the note and of course lost it. She was laughing so hard.

  My Dearest Kathy,

  I must say that I have missed our letters back and forth (Wink, smile).

  Please excuse me for being away over the weekend, but matters of the crown

  beckoned and I am forever at her majesty's service and must attend to matters

  Of the gravest importance when called upon.

  Be that as it may, I understand that my son has made the acquaintance

  of your best friend Paige and I was wondering if you would humor

  an old man and perhaps we could go on a double date to The Hotel Excelsior?

  Please send my warmest regards to your lady friends with you in the car

  and if we are lucky perhaps we can converse further over lunch (wink wink).

  Regards,

  Richard

  Kathy facepalmed and looked at us both.

  “Seriously, for an older dude, he’s relentless! He is rather handsome. He has that Sean Connery kind of look even. I am not sure how it would go over with my parents and I don’t know if he’s kidding or not. I mean I can do lunch with the guy, but a double date with father and son?

  Whoa!” she exclaimed.

  I thought for sure I was going to pee my pants. This was beyond funny. I loved Nick’s father and the look on Kathy’s face was priceless right now. We dodged through midtown traffic and pulled into the employee garage. The girls helped me carry all of my stuff into my area. Of course, the suitcase had to be examined by security. After they had cleared it, we headed toward my office.

  “Thanks, ladies!” I told them and carrying my stuff through the door set it in my cubicle. I decided to hide the suitcase under my desk for the time being (praying the cubicle nerds didn’t start asking questions).

  I wanted to run over to the Bronte’s exhibit, but I had to play adult first and see how my search queries had worked. I fired up my computer and waited for the login screen (slow as molasses). Finally, the login screen appeared. I quickly signed in and checked my queries (worked like a champ). I started sending off reports one after the other to all of the emails I had received on Friday. Then read through the next group and loaded up my new query tool and filled in the blanks. After it all looked pretty, I hit the magic ENTER key and let it do its thing. I peeked around the cubicle but everyone was hiding in their respective Hobbit Holes (so Tolkien). I decided to take a quick break. Clocking out (I had fifteen minutes), I walked down to the Rotunda, and there it was.

  Lines Written At Thorpe Green by Anne Bronte’. The poem was behind security glass, with cameras everywhere. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I did spy a small sticky note hanging from the edge of the display neatly tucked away to the right.

  “How odd?” I said and carefully reaching down detached the note.

  “You might try the lost and found?” was all it said.

  I looked at my watch. I still had about seven minutes. I walked over to the lost and found and saw a young student volunteer manning the desk.

  “Excuse me, my name is Paige Murphy and I was wondering if you had found…?” I asked.

  “Oh yes, it’s right here! You left it over by the Anne Bronte’ exhibit. One of the patrons dropped it off to us. I was wondering if you were going to come by to get it.” she said (all fresh-eyed and bushy-tailed).

  She handed me a manila envelope similar to the others we had found with my name on it. I thanked her again and went back to my desk, punching back in right before midnight (when I turned into a pumpkin). Now what? I asked myself.

  I checked my search query and saw that it had completed. I busily sent out another batch of replies until my Inbox was cleared (just call me Fingers Of Fury - Bruce Lee style). Then I texted Nick and the girls.

  “Mystery package three has been acquired.” I typed then hit send.

  I got a group reply from all of them.

  “Lunch!” they said.

  I had to smile, but now that I had the package, I needed to know who had been by the exhibit. The little sticky note held the key. The person had written their message in handwriting that was different then what was in the other envelopes, meaning either it was a forgery or they had an accomplice. The list of suspects was shrinking rapidly, and then I got a brainstorm.

  “Kathy, do you have the note Professor Bennett gave you?” I asked.

  “Well yeah!” the reply came quickly.

  “Ladies room in five minutes!” I typed and then after a minute walked out to use the bathroom (not) and found Kathy inside. She slid me the note and asked wh
at I needed it for?

  “Comparing handwriting with the letters we have already found,” I replied.

  “Girl, they aren’t the same! I looked already!” she replied.

  I just smiled at her.

  “What?” she said.

  “The game is still afoot and I have one more card to play,” I replied and patting her shoulder we split up and headed back to our respective areas. Lunch couldn’t come soon enough.

  Chapter 27

  I watched the clock on the wall strike the blessed witching hour. Lunchtime! Time for part two of my plan. I got up from my desk, grabbing the mysterious third package and my purse,

  I found my Posse waiting for me outside my office area. My phone buzzed and looking down I had to smile. Nick and his father were already in the VIP Area holding seats for us.

  I made a beeline for the Morgan Giftshop and looking around casually, soon located a total dad Birthday Card along with a lovely facsimile Ball Point pen that matched and taking my spoils headed toward the cafeteria with my posse in tow. The girls knew I had something up my sleeve and let me work my voodoo. I kept my game face on the whole time. I hadn’t even told the girls about the sticky note I had found. We all exchanged greetings and I sat next to The Prof whilst Kathy got stuck next to Richard with Sarah forming the bridge between us (yeah awkward). Kathy and Richard bantered back and forth teasingly about the note he had left with her. She was trying to get a feel if he was serious or not. We took turns going up to get food (yeah, they were rocking Italian today! I could feel my thighs blowing up just thinking about the cheese (there are worse ways to go!). We all sat back down and had a leisurely lunch (except for Richard and Nick asking to see the package). We were all dying to open it, but the last thing we needed was trouble with security, so we kept it sealed and I casually volunteered that we could all open it at my house when we all got off work. Everyone agreed, I held hands with Nick during lunch, and playfully teased him. I loved watching him blush (I might add).