Softly, As I Leave You

by Caine, Candy

  Alisha had caught up to him and immediately called for help. She’ll never forget the look on his face. Aside from the pain and helplessness, she saw unmistakable anger. However, she had

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  caused this accident and wouldn’t leave him until the medics came. She had to look away from his narrowed, accusing eyes and try to comfort him. She’d seen much worse cases come through the hospital doors, but never had she caused an accident involving someone else.

  When she knelt down beside him, he growled, “Go away! Haven’t you done enough? Who the hell taught you how to ski?” His acidic remarks became a groan. Alisha ignored him and took off her ski vest. She then laid it under his head to make him more comfortable. He closed his eyes, but as she swept his blond hair out of his eyes, she noticed tears clinging to the corners. It must be a bad break, she thought. Mercifully, he’d passed out.

  The medics responded quickly and took the injured man to the nearest hospital. When they’d gone, Alisha went back to the Great Room for a hot drink. She’d had quite enough skiing for that day. Emma and Josie were out and about somewhere. They knew how to ski, but weren’t avid skiers.

  The Great Room had a fire blazing in the fireplace. Several people were sitting on sofas near it, sipping hot beverages and socializing. It was nearly lunchtime, but Alisha wasn’t hungry. Instead, when she finished her hot chocolate, she went back to the cabin to shower.

  As she showered, Alisha thought about the poor guy she’d collided with. In her mind’s eye, she recalled how pale his face had been and the acute pain in his electric blue eyes. Then she recalled the fierce anger, as well, knowing quite well he probably wanted to strangle her for cutting in front of him. Their conversation had been brief before he lost consciousness for the last time before the medics arrived.

  His accusatory eyes made her feel defensive and small. “I’m so sorry. Please believe me. I wasn’t paying attention, which is not how I usually ski. I should’ve been more careful.”

  Through clenched teeth, he replied in a forced voice, “You got that right. You’ve given new meaning to ‘shit happens’.

  What could she do except reassure him that the medics would be there soon. As she studied him, despite all the pain he was in, he was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. He had strong features and a wide chin with a deep dimple. Then it hit her. He had to be the man she noticed at the bar last night. He was the stranger that she had dreamed about. Way to go, Alisha. You nearly destroyed the man of your ‘dreams’ and aced making friends and acquaintances 101.

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  By the time, Alisha got out of the shower and dressed she felt hungry and returned to the Great Room. There she found Josie and Emma eating with two guys from New Jersey. Josie introduced them as Mike and Jim. However, Alisha wasn’t certain if the tall one was Mike or Jim. Her mind was still on the guy who probably now sported a huge cast thanks to her.

  Alisha got something to eat and sat down with her friends, but didn’t feel much like talking. Emma turned to Alisha and asked what was wrong.

  “Hey girlfriend, what’s with the silent treatment?” Emma asked.

  Eight pairs of eyes turned to face her. “I caused a mishap on the slopes this afternoon.”

  Josie raised an eyebrow. “You caused an accident? You’re the best skier I know.”

  “I wasn’t paying attention and skied in front of a guy. He made a great effort to avoid me, but our skis collided and he got hurt,” Alisha replied in a small voice. “He probably has a broken leg and a concussion.”

  “At least you weren’t hurt,” Emma said.

  “I’m responsible and should’ve known better. I wish I could turn back time and have a do over.”

  One of the guys said something and a new conversation began. Alisha’s accident was forgotten. As she ate, she wondered if she could ever face the man again. Actually she didn’t want to find out and decided to try and avoid him at all costs. She was more embarrassed than anything else. After all, she wasn’t the novice and knew better than to daydream as she streaked down the slopes. Yeah, she’d been a total jackass.

  That night Alisha hardly slept. She couldn’t seem to find a comfortable spot on the bed, tossing and turning as the afternoon replayed incessantly on a memory loop. When she did manage to drift off to an uneasy sleep, she dreamed of variations of the accident with the male skier. What was she going to do if she bumped into him at breakfast or dinner? How could she face him? What would he say to her?

  If it were up to her, she would leave and not give the guy a chance to strangle her. Unfortunately, she was the one who’d driven and couldn’t strand her friends there without wheels. Therefore, she had to avoid coming in contact with the guy. However, that might be an easy thing to do.

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  The Elks Corner was large and the rental cabins were spread out. But, all the meals were served in the Great Room. She could have the girls bring her food back to the cabin, but did she really want to do that? Did she honestly want to hide away in the cabin? Chances were the man wouldn’t recognize her. He’d been in such pain, that he probably didn’t focus on her face. She’d been wearing a knitted ski hat and sunglasses, but then remembered taking off her sunglasses at some point. She’d just have to take her chances. Alisha concluded that she’d take each day one at a time and if she encountered a man, she’d cross that bridge then. There was no use stressing over something that may or may not happen.

  The following day went smoothly for Alisha. She didn’t see the injured man at breakfast or dinner. She had a pleasant day on the slopes and enjoyed herself immensely doing what she loved the most. Perhaps he’d gone home. After all, he couldn’t ski and his vacation was ruined. Why hadn’t she even considered that possibility? Oh, if only she with that lucky and never came in contact with him again. Then she paused in mid-thought. Thinking about that possibility had saddened her. Was it guilt for causing the accident and injuring him? Or was it something else?

  The following night, Alisha and her work buddies were walking out of the Great Room, chatting away about whether to hang out at the bar at the Lodge, or head back to town, when a man on crutches hobbled up to the door, alongside another guy. Alisha tried to duck behind Emma, but the man had seen her not-so-subtle maneuver and his eyes fixed on her. So much for remaining incognito, she thought. She noticed how good he looked, despite the cast on his leg that went up nearly to his thigh. His thick blond hair was neatly combed and his cheeks were ruddy and smooth looking. It was his eyes that bore into her like twin blue lasers.

  “I should sue that attractive ass of yours for negligence. You know that, don’t you?”

  “I can’t tell you what to do, but you’ve got to know how sorry I truly am,” Alisha replied, trying to hold it together.

  “Yeah. I expected you to say that,” the handsome man said. Then he shifted his crutches and continued his tedious walked inside.

  “I guess that was the guy,” Josie said.

  “Yes, Captain Obvious,” Alisha replied making reference to the hotel commercials on TV. “Hey, take it easy. I’m your friend,” Josie replied.

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  Contritely, Alisha said, “Sorry.”

  * * *

  Daniel had wanted to be angry—no furious—with the African-American woman for causing him to break his leg, which still hurt like the dickens, but seeing her fetching face again, he found he just couldn’t. There was something else about her, other than her attractive face, that drew him to her like a lodestone. He didn’t even know her name but kept fixating on her image. His subconscious had prerecorded and imprinted on the back of his mind her soft-looking caramel-colored skin that looked tasty enough to eat as well as her full kissable lips that should come with a warning. Even in her bulky ski attire, he envisioned a curvaceous body with long, slender legs. He wondered what it might feel like to have those legs
wrapped around him.

  Daniel tried to dismiss those crazy thoughts as a result of not allowing a woman to get too close to him since his last girlfriend, Elaine, had left him for a man old enough to be her father because of the “security” he could offer. Or perhaps it was because she was a beautiful black woman. Having been brought up in a decidedly racist household, perhaps she represented forbidden fruit and thus more attractive to him. Try as they might, his parents had never infected him with their poison and the woman who had practically raised him, and whom he loved dearly, was their black housekeeper, Maude. All throughout his school years he had some black friends. He’d always believed there were good and bad people in every race and tended to judge everyone individually on his own merit. Therefore, he doubted that was the reason he was attracted to this woman. Maybe her long legs and fine ass had something to do with it, he mused.

  So, why was he so attracted to the woman? Chances were when she left the Lodge he’d never see her again. Daniel laughed. All this over a woman whose name he didn’t even know.

  Well, one way to chase all these annoying thoughts away was to join his friends, Warren, and Joe, and go into town.

  * * *

  Alisha had driven into town with Josie and Emma to a lounge called the Slope where they were told the locals hung out. It was a small, retro-looking place that had decent food and drink. They walked into a crowded, noise-filled room and made their way slowly to an empty spot halfway

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  down the bar. There were only two seats, but Alisha volunteered to stand. They ordered three beers and watched the people coming and going.

  A pleasant-looking, middle-aged black man sat down at a piano and began to play. As he played, he asked the audience to write down their requests on a slip of paper. Several people obliged him.

  “Hey, girl, where the hell did you go?” Emma asked Alisha, pulling her from her thoughts. “You ain’t still fixating on that man, are you?”

  Alisha pursed her lips and shook her head not wanting to let on that she had been thinking about the guy.

  However, Josie gave out a harrumph. “Sure you’re not. A do-gooder like you just let’s everything slide right on by.”

  “Come on, you two. Whether you want to accept it or not, what happened with that man was traumatic for me, too. I caused his accident, which shouldn’t have happened in the first place had I been paying attention.”

  “True,” Emma said, “but it’s time to move on. What you should be concentrating on is enjoying the rest of your vacation.”

  “Emma’s right. You’ll soon be back at the hospital up to your neck in patients,” Josie added. “Time flies. Now have some fun.”

  “You’ve got to learn to lighten up, girl,” Emma instructed jumping on the bandwagon before taking a long sip of her drink. “Check out the guys. You might get lucky.”

  Alisha gave her friends a tight smile, but her thoughts rushed back to that handsome stranger who now sported a broken leg thanks to her. She wished she’d met him under different circumstances.

  “Don’t look now, but isn’t that the guy?” Josie asked Alisha.

  Alisha couldn’t believe her eyes. The man in question was hobbling inside on his crutches. Despite her dismay and surprise, she sarcastically asked Josie if it was the cast that gave him away.

  “Shut up, you two. He’s coming this way,” Emma said sharply.

  Sure enough, the man Alisha had disabled was clumsily thumping his way toward them.

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  Once again, Alisha tried to hide behind Emma and just like the first time, it failed.

  The man called her out. “Didn’t your mother tell you that you can’t hide from the truth?” Alisha poked her head out from behind Emma, who hadn’t been aware of what her friend had done. “Did you come here to berate me?”

  “Hell, no. I had no idea that you were even here. Believe it or not, I came for a drink.” Alisha’s conscience pricked her. “Can I at least buy you a beer? It won’t change what happened, but please accept it as a peace offering.”

  The man smiled. “I think you do owe me a drink.”

  Emma and Josie exchanged looks. Then Emma said, “Alisha, we’ll be back in a little bit.” The two women walked off leaving Alisha alone with the accident victim.

  A couple got up from a nearby table and Alisha suggested that he sit down while she got the beer. He’d be out of harm’s way and she’d feel better about it. God forbid someone tripped over his cast. Besides he looked awfully uncomfortable standing there attempting to balance himself on his crutches.

  As she turned to go, he called, “Alisha wait.”

  The way he said her name sent a pleasurable sensation right through her. She turned back in expectation wondering what he was going to say.

  “Instead of the beer please get me a Captain Morgan cocktail.”

  When she looked at him questioningly, he replied, “My gimp leg reminds me of pirates for some reason.”

  Alisha let out a deep throaty laugh. “Aye, aye, matey. I’ll be right back.”

  Now it was his turn to chuckle as he watched her go. His eyes captured her sexy gate with the subtle sway of her hips. Somehow he couldn’t remain even a tiny bit angry watching a beautiful sight like that. He sensed how badly she felt. He’d read it more than once in her soulful, soft brown eyes. At first he wanted to make her feel bad, but that was the pain talking. Accidents happened and this one was a doozy, but it was well past the time to let his anger go.

  Alisha returned holding a bottle of Captain Morgan for him and another beer for herself. She set the bottle down in front of him and sat down. “Sorry, it took so long. The bartender was quite busy.”

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  “I can hardly hear myself, or you for that matter.”

  Alisha moved the chair closer to him so that they could talk more easily. “You seem to know

  my name, but I don’t know yours.”

  “It’s Daniel Mason.”

  “I wish we had met under different circumstances.”

  “Me too— obviously,” he said making her laugh.

  Then he extended his hand. “Then let’s start over. I’m Daniel Mason.”

  Shaking his hand, she said, “I’m Alisha Houston and I’m glad to meet you, Daniel Mason.”

  Her hand was soft and warm in his and he wanted to hold it just a bit longer before he

  replied. “Same here,” and hoisted his drink before taking a sip.

  Alisha smiled and silently thanked him for making her feel more comfortable.

  “Where are you from, Alisha?”

  “East Meadow in New York.”

  “You’re kidding. I’m from North Merrick, born and raised on Long Island. We’re practically

  neighbors.”

  “Not me. I was born in New Jersey and moved to New York when I got a job at the Nassau

  University Medical Center.”

  “Nurse or doctor?” Daniel asked.

  “Nurse. I’m an RN and work in the emergency room. And you?”

  “I’m an ITT consultant and graphic artist working from home.” He took a long sip from his

  drink.

  Alisha watched as his put the bottle between his lips and sucked. She wondered how they

  would feel on hers. How she wished his beautiful hands were caressing her instead of the bottle.

  She pulled her mind away from such provocative thoughts. “I’m relieved that you won’t have to

  struggle to go to work.”

  “Me, too. And if I have any complications, now that I know you’re a nurse...”

  She smiled and shook her head.

  “I do have a hard time working with the crutches. They definitely not as flexible as ski

  poles.”

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  “If I could turn back time and undo everything I’ve caused—”

 
; “Stop beating yourself up, Alisha. Things are supposed to happen for a reason. In this case, I

  think it was for us to meet,” Daniel said.

  “Wouldn’t it have been a great deal better if we met at dinner?”

  He shrugged. “Perhaps. But then there would have been no drama.”

  Alisha laughed.

  “You know, you have a great laugh.”

  “You’re the first one to tell me that. Thank you.”

  “How long are you staying? Daniel asked.

  “Til Sunday.” Alisha noticed that he had finished the bottle and asked if he wanted another.

  “Not just yet,” he said. “I’m leaving on Sunday, as well. Tell you what, why don’t you and I

  spend tomorrow in town together. I heard about a great seafood place and I’d like to have some

  lobster before I go home. How about you?”

  “Are you really up to doing so much walking?” She asked with a concerned look on her face.

  “Is that the nurse speaking or the woman?”

  “Both.”

  “Well don’t you worry. I’m a big boy.”

  “You certainly are,” Alisha said, eyeing him up and down with exaggerated lasciviousness.

  “And you’re a big girl, too,” he said, lifting his eyebrows up and down in an exaggerated

  manner, “and will be there to help me should I get into trouble.”

  They both laughed. It seemed to sweep away any lingering anger or guilt.

  The noise got louder and they could hardly hear one another, so Alisha moved closer still.

  Close enough for Daniel to inhale her pleasant scent of wildflowers. An Instagram picture of him

  kissing her on the ski slope in the middle of nowhere flashed in his mind.

  They planned their outing. A guitarist joined the pianist and people were now on the dance