Being Invisible

by Penny Baldwin

My hands started to shake. I was praying for that touch again. My hope quickly faded when I realized that we would have seen the door open if he had come in. Then I remembered the young officer. He could have walked in with him. I held my breath, waiting, hoping it was Colin.

  Liz sensed something going on, so she distracted the officer by asking her questions.

  While Liz had her attention, I felt the hand on my arm again, followed by a kiss to my head. That’s all it took. I could no longer stop the tears. Colin rested his hand on mine, gently, so that the officer wouldn't notice.

  "Well, we got the guy. And there were plenty of witnesses, so I think...." the officer stopped when she glanced in my direction and saw my waterworks.

  "It's been a busy day hasn't it Miss Sayre?"

  I nodded, unable able to form coherent words.

  "Okay. I think we got what we need. Why don't you go see your boyfriend Miss Mollohan.”

  She didn't need to tell us twice. We headed straight over to Insomnia, and burst through the door where Liz jumped straight into Drew's arms.

  There were still police officers around, one of which was talking to the cashier. Apparently when the guy claimed someone he couldn’t see was tackling him, the cashier said the guy was delusional. She was my new best friend.

  At that moment none of that mattered. I wanted, needed to see Colin.

  "Would it be alright for me to go to the bathroom?" I asked one of the officers. He nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as the door closed, Colin appeared before me. He looked like he had been in a scuffle. His forehead had a large cut, dried blood surrounding the edges. His fist had a bruise, probably where he had punched the guy. I’m pretty sure at some point a drink had spilled on him, since his shirt was wet, and he smelled like coffee.

  "Colin," was the most I could get out before my crying turned into sobs. He pulled me into a hug, and began kissing my head, my cheeks, my lips, anywhere he could to assure me, or maybe himself, that we were safe now. He held me for a long time, and just breathed me in.

  Once Colin was pretty sure that I had regained my ability to speak in full sentences, he spoke. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. "You?" I asked, my voice still a little shaky.

  In that moment, his nod in return was enough for me. I pulled him into my arms, needing my confident Colin to kiss me, to reassure me that he was really there. He didn't disappoint. He kissed me like he knew I needed all of him. And judging by the way he held my head firmly in his hands, he felt the same way. He only pulled away long enough to whisper to me, "I love you, Lucy. I love you so much," against my lips, before returning to the kiss.

  Well that’s the first time he’s ever said that. And hell if we aren't in the ladies’ room of Insomnia.

  "I love you too." I whispered in return. Our admission to each other seemed to propel our kiss further. I lightly bit his lip, while he picked me up and leaned me against the wall, my legs wrapping around his waist. We kissed like that for a while, until the realization of where we were set in.

  I pulled away, taking in my surroundings. "Why does all the good stuff have to happen at Insomnia?" When I shook my head at Colin, he grabbed my waist and laughed.

  "Hey, you girls are the ones that just 'love Insomnia.' Liz practically dragged us in there."

  "True. But you didn't have to choose to tell me that you love me, for the first time I might add, while making out in their bathroom."

  "Yes, actually I did." He said, pressing one more gentle but quick kiss to my lips.

  "Well, if you had to." I teased, so happy to have him back, I didn’t really care where we were.

  The walk home was quiet, either because no one wanted to talk about it, or due to the sheer exhaustion of the events. For me it was both.

  To be on the safe side, Colin remained invisible until we got to our house. Liz and Drew went straight to Liz's room, while Colin and I hit the showers. Afterwards, I threw on a t-shirt of Colin’s that he had given me, then we snuggled under the covers, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

  Having him there with me, safe at home, snuggled closely to me, I was finally able to relax a little. I let out a deep breath, and fell asleep shortly after.

  The next day, after the danger was out of the way and the shock wore off, Colin and Drew couldn’t stop talking about their rescue. Colin replayed his part of the save, since we weren’t privy to the visual. Drew filled in his part too, turning it into their own reenactment.

  Liz and I did not share the same enthusiasm. For me, the prior day’s rescue mission was one rescue mission too many. I couldn’t figure out how I was going to handle seeing Colin put himself in harm’s way again.

  “Just because you are invisible, doesn’t mean you are invincible,” I told him during one of our many discussions. We had just finished Chinese takeout and were relaxing on his couch, my feet propped on his lap while he flipped through TV stations.

  “I know I’m not invincible, Luce. I promise I will never believe that I can’t be hurt. But you also have to trust me to protect myself. Have some faith in me that I can be smart about being invisible.”

  “I have faith in you. You were amazing at Insomnia...at least what I could tell by the flying coffee mug debris and the criminal being caught. I couldn’t really see you in action. And I was on the edge of my seat during your re-enactment."

  "Well yeah." Colin looked at me like that was obvious. I laughed before continuing.

  “It’s just that...” I stopped, having a difficult time choosing the right words. “Flying bullets don’t avoid you because you are invisible. And if a bullet hits you, it will be your invisible blood all over the floor you will be lying on. And no one will be able to help you, because they won’t be able to find you.” I stopped for a second to take a breath then continued.

  “And if you die...do you even know what will happen? I mean, will you suddenly become visible, or will nobody know where you are until someone trips over your dead body?”

  I was beginning to realize that my ‘well chosen’ words were quickly turning into a full on rant. Before Colin could get a word in edgewise, I continued, gaining momentum as the words spilled out.

  “And you know if that happens then Drew is going to want to avenge your death, or some stupid thing like that. And don’t even get me started on the conniption Liz will spout if Drew got involved in any of that. She would cut off your invisible...”

  “Okay, Luce I get it.” Colin finally interrupted. “You have clearly put a lot of thought into this.”

  “These are the kind of things I should put virtually no thought into Colin. Until I dated you, it never occurred to me that Spiderman isn’t bulletproof. The other day, when we were watching the Spiderman movie, I realized he could actually get shot. And yet, he wears a bright red costume. The only thing missing is a bullseye. Why would he do that? You know what? It's your fault that these things are going through my head. Now this is what I think about. I think about all the ways a superhero could still die.”

  “Well, in Spiderman’s defense, he is really freaking quick. He is a continually moving target.”

  Of course that’s what Colin would take from my rant.

  At my death glare… my superpower if I had one, Colin conceded.

  “I get what you’re saying, Luce. I didn't think about how much I am asking of you… to watch me while I put my life on the line and ask you to trust me. I know it’s not fair of me, but for the first time in my life, I feel like I have a purpose. I feel like it was, I don’t know...meant to be. Kind of like meeting you.” He looked at me and smiled, knowing that he got me with that.

  “Okay. Well then, if meeting me was meant to be, then me looking out for you is meant to be too. So, you have to take me seriously when I worry...because me worrying is also meant to be.”

  “Okay, okay. You’re right. My invisibility, strength and cunning, combined with your good sense, will probably be what keeps me alive.”

  “Exactly.” I added
, smiling.

  “So, how about we make some compromises?” Colin looked like he was ready to plan a merger.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “How about I always wear a bulletproof vest when I am on superhero duty, so that I don’t catch any flying bullets? I would really hate to see what Drew avenging my death would look like.”

  “Yes. Good. What else you got?”

  “Well, I know I said the fewer people who know the better, but I was thinking of maybe talking to my cousin Rob who’s on the police force. I know I can trust him, and having a couple of guys on my side will help me be prepared. Plus, I would have backup.”

  “It would be good to know that you had the police on your side.” I agreed. “Anything else?”

  “What else do you want woman?”

  “Well, you said before, that when you’re sick, your invisibility goes haywire, right?”

  “Right.” Colin’s tone told me that he wasn't sure where I was going with my question.

  “If you have a sniffle, an itch, if your pee doesn’t come out clear, I don’t care what it is, I want you to stay in. No being a hero until you’re well. No exceptions.”

  “Fine Mom.”

  “Don’t make me spank you.” I teased. Clearly the wrong way to punish Colin, judging by his smile.

  "Done?" Colin asked. When I nodded, he continued. "As we both know, compromise involves both parties giving in to something.”

  “I'm willing. What do you got?”

  “I want you to stay as far away from me as possible when I am doing anything superhero related.”

  “But how am I going to...”

  “Hey. My turn. You had your turn. And when you are around, all I do is worry about you. I will be able to concentrate better if I know you are somewhere safe. And if I can concentrate, I can be a better superhero. That, in turn, will give you peace of mind that I am focusing on the job at hand.” He seemed so proud of himself, I had to give him that.

  “Okay. I will stay away. As long as you...”

  “Nope. Again, not your turn. Second...you are going to have to stay with me if I ever get sick. Day and night. That way you can help me get better.”

  “I think I can manage that.” I leaned in to give him a kiss, suddenly feeling a lot lighter. “Is that all?”

  “No. I gave you three. You give me three. That’s how compromise works baby.”

  “Ah, got it. So, what’s the third?” I asked, snuggling into him a little more.

  “Naked Tuesdays.”

  “What does that have to do with helping you be a superhero?” I asked.

  “I didn’t say it had to help me be a superhero, I said it was a compromise. And after all of the things I am willing to do for you, I think the least you could do would be to be naked in my home, one day a week.”

  I tried to give him my superhero glare, but he kissed me instead.

  “I notice that we are, in fact, at my apartment on a Tuesday. We have only been compromising for about 45 seconds, and you are already failing. If you want us to work out, clothes gotta go.”

  Next thing I knew, he threw me over his shoulder and headed upstairs.

  That night he held me close to him and told me that he didn’t want me to forget that we are in this together. He wanted my promise that we would always be a team.

  I fell into a relaxed sleep knowing no matter what came our way, we had each other and we could handle it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Music For The Games We Play

  “I really don't think I can freaking handle this.”

  As a woman I have the natural tendency to inadvertently let things simmer. And for the past three weeks, ever since Colin left me in the middle of proposing to me, I have simmered the hell out of the situation.

  Yes, I know that I said I was fine with it. And yes, him proposing to me might have been all in my head, but I felt like he was, so it still counts. Especially since I have seen him all of twice in the past three weeks. The final straw was when I read a newspaper with the headline ‘Is The Vapor Single?’

  First of all, “The Vapor?” Some bleached blonde in tight pants was interviewed after she swore she saw him "right before he became invisible." Then she said he “turned into vapor.” And guess what? It stuck.

  So now my boyfriend gets to be written in history as “The Vapor”, because someone who wants her thirty seconds of fame claims that he kissed her and told her that he would “come back for her soon.” Which I’m sure is true considering that she also described him as “looking a lot like Chris Hemsworth.” I could see that if Thor had been about four inches shorter, twenty pounds lighter, and had a completely different hair color.

  Not only do I have a constant reminder of the woman who lied about Colin, but now I get to hear in a “legitimate” newspaper about how he is looking for the right girl, and that women are lined up to be ‘the one’ for him. They don’t even know what he looks like. In fact, they have probably passed him on the streets and thought, “cute guy,” and never gave him a second glance.

  Ever since word got out that there is a guy who turns invisible and helps the police, everyone’s an expert. Everyone has seen something, heard something- except for the fact that they don’t know anything.

  They don’t know that he is in love, or that any day now he is going to ask the woman he loves to marry him. Of course, right now, I don’t know that for sure either, so who am I to talk?

  My frustration is getting the better of me, so today I’m doing the total woman thing. I invited Annie and Liz to lunch to get their opinion on the matter. And by that I mean that I am going to let them know my thoughts so they can agree, in turn validating my opinion.

  We are at our favorite pub, McCallahans, for our lunch hour.

  Liz just started her second semester at graduate school; so meeting up is sometimes tricky. Annie, on the other hand, is waiting for a call from an architecture firm about a job, so she loves to meet the girls whenever she can. We graduated about four months ago, so she’s been chomping at the bit to get a job. Of course, her advice isn’t as helpful as it use to be.

  "Just get rid of him. Men are so not worth the trouble. Ever since Annie and James broke up at graduation, her advice has become pretty one-dimensional.

  Liz ignores Annie, and begins questioning me instead.

  “How sure are you that he was planning on proposing?” In situations like this, she becomes Super-Logical Friend. I think that’s her superhero power. Dirty rooms being her arch nemesis, of course.

  “Well...” I thought about it, trying to decide. “He took me to Insomnia.”

  “Insomnia? You haven’t been there since...that day.”

  “I know.”

  “Even when they offered us free coffee for life you never went back.”

  “Again, I know.”

  “But he took you there?”

  “Exactly. That’s what I’m saying. He ordered the drinks we had the first time we met. He talked about how all the great things we share have happened when we least expect it. And he talked about how we are meant to be.”

  “Well, that damn well better have been a proposal. You don’t say things like that unless you’re serious.”

  Liz’s words are getting my hopes up, which is making me nervous.

  “I’m sorry. Your boyfriend takes you to out for terrible coffee that he doesn’t even have to pay for, at a place where you were both held up at gunpoint, and this all equates to a marriage proposal how?” Leave it to Annie’s newfound man-rage to bring me back down.

  “It’s special to them Annie. Lucy gets it.” Liz ignores Annie’s eye roll, continuing her investigation into Colin’s mind.

  “But he hasn’t mentioned anything about it since then? No reschedule, no hints?” Liz’s wheels are turning.

  “No. But he told me as soon as work dies down we could have a Scrabble weekend.”

  “Well that’s sexy.” Annie deadpans.

  “He knows I love
Scrabble. He’s doing it for me. And… ” I pause for dramatic effect. “He told me we could play Clue too.”

  Even Annie realizes the impact of this. “Clue? As in the game Colin burned in the bonfire?”

  “Yep.”

  “As in the game-that shall not be named? Liz adds in a low voice, almost afraid to say it even now.

  “That’s the one.”

  “I’m not sure if that is the work of a man in love, or intent on a murder-suicide.” Liz shook her head in confusion.

  “I have grown up over the last year. I am no longer nearly as competitive. I think Colin recognizes this, and wants to give me a second chance.” I don’t think I even believe it as I say it.

  Liz and Annie give each other a knowing look, one that I can only imagine means that they agree that I have matured.

  “So when is this lust filled weekend of board games?” Annie asks.

  “It’s supposed to be next weekend. By then he should be done with all the work stuff.” I have to remain pretty vague when it comes to what keeps Colin so busy. Annie thinks his job in marketing is what keeps him tied up.

  “Okay. So, that would be the perfect time for him to ask you.” Maybe Annie is starting to believe it too. “You just need to push him over the edge.”

  “How do I do that?” I ask, genuinely interested in any and all ideas.

  “Well, first of all, you could not accuse him of cheating at Clue.” Liz mentions.

  “Oh, and you could also avoid throwing the lead pipe at him…” They are loving this.

  "And if you do happen to throw a game piece in his direction, try to avoid the eye because he could, you know, have to go to the ER and end up wearing an eye patch for a week.”

  “First of all, I was trying to throw it in the box. He just happened to be in the way of my bad aim. Second of all, can you maybe give me some advice that will actually help me? Or at least isn’t advice that would have really helped me a year ago?”

  “Okay, Okay.” Annie laughs. “I know. You should make it interesting. Like strip Scrabble or something.”

  “Yeah, like every time you get double points you take off an article of clothing.” Liz adds.