Being Invisible

by Penny Baldwin

  BEING INVISIBLE

  BY P.L. BALDWIN

  Copyright © 2013

  P.L. Baldwin

  Cover Design by Aralia.

  Table of Contents

  1. The Far, Far Away Mix

  2. Music That Sweeps Me off My Feet

  3. You know…The Usual Mix

  4. The “I Totally Planned This Party” Mix

  5. What Awesome Feels Like

  6. The We’ll Always Have Tacos Mix

  7. The Don’t Mess With Bad Ass Chicks Mix

  8. Music For Saving Old Ladies Everywhere

  9. My Moving On Mix From the Eighties

  10. Good Music, Stupid Boys

  11. The Holy $#!% Batman Mix

  12. It’s in the Stars Mix

  13. “You’ve Got Me? Who’s Got You?” –The Lois Lane Mix

  14. Music For the Games We Play

  15The “Make it Special” Mix

  16. The Things We Don’t Say Mix

  17. Songs For the Promises We Can’t Keep

  18. Songs For Stake Outs

  19. Songs That Say Goodbye

  20. The Invincible Mix

  21. The One Hundred Dollar Mix

  22. Annie’s Rebound Mix

  23. Liz’s Songs That Say Sorry-For Bad Setups With Hot Guys

  24 Songs That Make You Feel Better

  25. Hope For the Hopeless Mix

  26. The Fear Itself Mix

  27. Songs That Would Make Chuck Norris Proud

  28. My “You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry” Mix

  29. We’re Here to Save the Day Mix

  30. Songs For Superheroes Who Save Superheroes

  31. The Happily Ever After Mix

  32. This Playlist is Dedicated to my Superhero

  Top Ten Reasons to Fall in Love With a Superhero

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  The Far, Far Away Mix

  This is it. This has to be it...right?

  My mind is racing, and I am having a difficult time reining it in. Luckily, on the outside I am as cool as a cucumber. My eyes are locked on his, showing that I am listening with vague interest. My lips are curved into a smile just wide enough to appear unaffected. My hands are clasped in front of me, and-shoot, I think they are sweating...and if I am being completely honest, maybe shaking a little.

  Stupid betraying hands.

  It’s just that it’s one of those moments. You know, that moment when you are pretty sure that something big is about to happen, but you are afraid to believe it’s true, just in case it’s not? Like, for example, when you realize that your boyfriend might be, at this moment, going to propose.

  I don’t want to get ahead of myself though. There’s no guarantee that he is about to pop the question, just because every single thing he is doing is making me think that he is.

  Is it a coincidence that he has taken me to the same coffee shop that we went to the first time we met? Back then we agreed that it was some of the best coffee in the world, but only when you’re drunk. Not to mention that not all of our memories of that place are good. We kind of have an unspoken agreement to avoid this place.

  “It’s nostalgic,” he had said when I raised my eyebrows in question over his suggestion to “visit the old stomping grounds and get some coffee at Insomnia.”

  My curiosity increased when he came out of the shower in a clean pair of khakis and a long sleeve button down shirt the color of his eyes, which, by the way, he knows I love. His dark brown hair, which he usually styles into a look that I like to call “casually disheveled,” is slicked back in a way that’s usually reserved for bank interviews and school pictures.

  All of this was, at the most, suspicious. But once we arrived at Insomnia, things took a major turn for the unusual for Colin. Hence the betraying hands.

  I was looking at the menu that hung behind the counter, trying to decide on the extremely bitter coffee, or the watered-down espresso when I heard Colin speak up.

  “I will have a black coffee and a blueberry muffin, and she…” he said, pulling me to his side, “will have a vanilla latte with a cinnamon scone."

  He remembered.

  He ordered exactly what we did the first time we met. Who is this guy, and what has he done with my Colin?

  It wasn’t until we sat down at “our” corner table that my brain went into hamster-wheel-on-crack territory.

  “Bring back memories?” Colin asked with a smile he reserves only for me.

  I managed to return his smile and add a nod. That’s about the most I could give him.

  “I know this isn’t the ideal date for a Saturday evening, but I just... I just really wanted to remind you of where we started, and how far we have come. We have been though a lot, Luce.” Is he maybe, kind of...nervous?

  Totally. Remaining. Calm.

  “You know how we’ve always said that great things really do happen when we least expect it, Luce?”

  “Of course,“ I answered in a totally cool and not at all freaked out voice.

  “The day I met you, I had no idea that my life was about to change. And I think it’s pretty safe to say that the last thing you were expecting was to run into me.”

  I laughed at the memory. He was right. He never ceased to surprise me.

  “Meeting you made me believe in fate. And being with you it has just…” He trailed off as if weighing his next sentence.

  This is it. It has to be it...right?

  So here I am, with watered- down and now slightly cool vanilla latte in my mouth, afraid to move, breathe, or swallow my drink, because I know Colin. And there is no way my Colin would be this sentimental unless he has a really big reason- like he wants to profess his undying love for me, and ask me to marry him. That, or he’s trying to find a really gentle way to tell me that he accidentally killed my cat.

  “Luce… Lucy, I love you. I know you think that I don’t make time for you often enough, but you are more important to me than anything else in the world. I wanted you to know because...wait, sorry, my phone is buzzing. Hang on a sec.” He grabs his phone from his pocket and answers.

  What the F-

  “No, it’s OK. I’m with Lucy, but if you need me... Yeah, I get it. As long as we can make it quick. I want to get to back to the date with my girl.” With that sentence, he actually smiles at me. Seriously. Like I should be stoked that he plans on eventually finishing the conversation that he is literally stopping mid-sentence.

  “Sure. I’m like ten minutes from there. I’ll be there soon,” he ends the call, then glances at me, contemplating the look of horror on my face.

  That's right buddy. Be afraid.

  “Are you kidding me? Are you seriously freaking kidding me, Colin?” The same hands that were shaking just a few minutes ago are now about to wring his neck.

  “Oh shit, Luce. I'm sorry. I know I promised a special night. We’re going to finish it. I promise. I wouldn’t have agreed to go if it wasn’t important. The police have been working on taking these guys down for months. It could end tonight. I could help end it. I have to go.”

  I don’t even know what to say at this point. On one hand, it seems like he feels genuinely sorry for leaving me, and based on his look, slightly worried that I might hit him. I know that he feels this incessant need to help bring justice to the world, so it’s hard to see him so torn.

  On the other hand, I kinda want to wipe the worried look off his face by throwing what’s left of my scone at him, and then follow it up by dumping my latte in his lap. And maybe kick him. Because the scone probably won't hurt him enough to make me feel better. Both options sound tempting.

  “I promise that I will make it up to you, Lucy. When this is over, you and I are taking a few days off. We can
take a trip, go somewhere fun. Or, we can stay home, and curl up in my apartment all weekend. Watch movies, order in, maybe even..." He grabs my hand and rubs it lightly, while giving me his most hopeful expression. He is really laying it on thick.

  ”You mean?" I’m still pissed, but my interest is peaked. He does know the way to my heart.

  “You know what I’m talking about,” he teases, leaning in close to me to lower his voice.

  “Scrabble?” I ask, trying not to get too excited. I’m not doing a good job of portraying my deep-seated anger. But damn it, Scrabble is my kryptonite, and he knows this.

  “Fine, Colin. But you owe me. Seriously think about what it’s going to be like playing Scrabble for four days straight, because that’s what it’s going to take.” I am giving him my super serious look, because he needs to know that I am super serious.

  “Babe, I am so going to make it up to you. I might even play...” he pauses for dramatic effect, then finishes in a whisper, “Clue.”

  OK, now he’s just not playing fair. He banned me from ever playing Clue again after the “lead pipe pirate incident.”

  “Fine.” I concede. “But try to make it quick.”

  “I’ll be so quick you’ll want me to change my name to Flash,” he says while leaning in for a kiss. “I will call you soon.” With that, he’s gone.

  The door closes behind him, and I let out a breath that I didn’t even realize I have been holding.

  Well that sucked.

  So I guess it’s going to be one of those moments. You know, that moment when you are pretty sure that your boyfriend is about to propose, but then suddenly needs to leave to help the police? Because he is, after all, the only one who can become invisible and save the world.

  That's probably just me-the problems only I can understand because I am in love with a superhero.

  That’s right. A superhero. And he is as amazing as you would think. Always willing to help at the drop of a hat. Kind to everyone-people and animals alike. Strong, quick and courageous. And if you ever meet a superhero, and you think you might fall in love, my suggestion would be to run far, far away.

  Chapter Two

  Music That Sweeps Me off my Feet

  Like everything in my relationship with Colin, meeting him was unexpected.

  It was an early morning in October. I remember that it was chilly, because I was looking forward to grabbing a cup of coffee to reward myself after a long run.

  I loved to run the streets of the large campus then watch the sun come up. Not only was the view of the sunrise against the hundred-year-old buildings amazing, but it was also pretty deserted at that time. In fact, the only people I seemed to come across were the few drunken pedestrians that hadn’t managed to go to sleep yet.

  Running was always one of my favorite pastimes, second only to making playlists.

  That particular morning, I was listening to my angry mix that I made after breaking up with my cheating ex-boyfriend. The original name was ‘The Jerk-Doesn’t-Deserve-A-Playlist’ Playlist. But once I realized that there were some pretty kick-ass running songs on it, I changed it to my ‘Dodged-a-Bullet’ Mix. I’m nothing if not optimistic.

  I was just beginning to enjoy the cool breeze, along with the sounds of “Combat Baby,” while I pounded the pavement slightly faster than my usual pace.

  I was almost sprinting when I decided to slow down to take a turn at the end of the block.

  You know how in romance novels they say “I felt him before I saw him?” Well, that’s exactly what happened when I met Colin. Not because there was so much passion between us that I could feel the electricity, but because he was coming from the opposite direction and slammed into me hard enough that I was on the ground before I even knew he was there.

  “Oh shit. Are you okay?” the man hovering over me asked, sounding as freaked out as I felt.

  At his questioning I jumped up with a quick, “I’m fine,” while holding back the tears threatening to erupt. I wasn’t about to admit that my butt felt like it had been hit with a bat then rubbed with sandpaper. Embarrassment trumps pain one hundred percent of the time.

  “I am so sorry. I was kind of in the zone and I didn’t think anyone else was around. How are you standing? And how did you not break your tailbone?”

  “I’m not sure that I didn’t,” I admitted, the shakiness in my voice giving away more than I wanted about the state I was in. Even though avoiding embarrassment was still high on my list of priorities, the pain radiating to my butt was becoming a very close second.

  “Damn, that did hurt, didn’t it? Of course it hurt. I don’t know why you are trying to act all badass. No need to be a hero. If you are really hurt, I need to...you know...do something.” He paused, with a look conveying that he wasn’t sure what he would actually do. “Do you need an ambulance? I can call 911. Shoot, I don’t have my phone. I need to find a phone.”

  I shook my head, and started to speak, but he kept his rant going, apparently certain he must have paralyzed me.

  “Ice. That’s what I need to get for you. I’m sure there’s a bruise. Is there a bruise? Are you bleeding? I can find you a Band-Aid.

  “Oh, no. That’s okay. I can get that stuff at my place. I’ll have my roommate check it out when I get home.

  “Home? How are you getting home? You can’t keep running. You probably shouldn’t even be walking. Do you need someone to carry you? I should carry you somewhere. Where should I carry you?”

  His concern was beginning to amuse me. He was lean, and seemed fit enough, but definitely not what you would call muscular. The combination of his do-no-wrong smile and his dark, messy hair gave him the appearance of the guy who would pull your braids in school to get your attention- definitely not the scoop you up and carry you across campus kind of guy.

  So, of course, I had to give him a hard time. It was too much fun watching him flustered.

  “It does hurt to walk. My place is only a mile-and-a-half-ish away. I would really love it if you could carry me there,” I asked, giving him my most hopeful smile.

  Slowly, his eyes widened, and concern etched his face. “A mile-and-a-half-ish? Um, yeah, I can’t do that. I could probably give you a piggyback ride to the end of this block, and then call someone to pick us both up.

  “Oh.” I paused. “Okay. I guess I will...try to walk.”

  “Oh, no. I can’t let you walk. I can find a phone. There are a few shops around here that are open all night. I’ll go find one, ask to use their phone and....”

  I cut him off with a smile that turned into a laugh at his confused expression.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “I don’t need you to carry me, or find a phone. It was very sweet of you to offer but I’m fine. I can walk. Plus, I have this.” I pull out my phone from my bra.

  “I thought you could barely walk.”

  “I was just kidding.”

  “Well, that was mean.” He managed to look wounded by my words.

  “It was a joke.”

  “Oh, so she’s funny. Okay, funny girl. What’s your name?”

  “It’s Lucy.”

  “Well, Lucy, I’m Colin. Where you headed?”

  “I was planning on getting coffee at my usual spot, but I think I might just go to someplace near here, and sit for a while.”

  “Perfect,” Colin said with a wide grin. “There’s a place called Insomnia right down the block. As an apology, I will take you there and buy you whatever you want.”

  “Oh you don’t have to do that. I know you didn’t mean to...what the hell?” In the middle of my thanks but no thanks speech, he pulled me up to give me a piggyback ride. My arms reflexively wrapped around his neck.

  “So, it’s settled. Piggyback to Insomnia, coffee drinks on me, then collapsing and calling for help in utter humiliation. Possibly not in that order.” With that he started walking toward the coffee shop. “Unless of course you want to trade up and give me the piggyback ride,” he added.

&nbs
p; “Tell you what,” I said, while laughing, “Next time I drop you on your ass, piggyback ride is on me.

  “And coffee?” Colin asked with mock hopefulness.

  “And coffee.” I agreed.

  Chapter Three

  You know…The Usual Mix

  “So, let me get this straight. You make an angry break up mix expressing all of your rage, which you then listen to every morning while you run.”

  Colin and I were on our second cup of coffee, and in a totally deep discussion about music.

  “Same music, different name,” I said between bites. “Completely changes the meaning.” I added.

  “You’re right. I get it now.” Colin teased.

  “But guess what? That very mix was playing when I slammed into you, Now I can call it the ‘I never saw him coming’ mix.”

  Colin cringed. “I’m not going to live this down anytime soon am I?”

  “Nope, probably not.” I smiled.

  “I will be that guy to all of your friends. ‘The guy who tried to kill you on the sidewalk between The Flying Hamburger and Burritos As Big As Your Head.’ Won’t I?”