I just flew back from the "Big Apple"- New York City. Boy are my arms tired!
Badduh-Bing, Baddah- Boom!
No, really. I spent the week in New York.
Saw three shows- even a Broadway opening. How many people do you know who can say that? Hey, I met a couple of famous people and saw a few more but you'll have to wait until I get a chance to write a new blog over the weekend.
That's because I'm laundering, shirts, socks and my poo poo undies.
In the meantime, here's a story I wrote a week and a half ago from a little idea that sort of just popped into my head.
Tom would say- You've been dreaming again...
It's a bit of a "gay" little thing. I hope you'll enjoy it.
At the Carousel
“Like what?”- I asked.
“Umm. Like some Coffee?” He smiled. "With some Bailey’s."
“Coffee with booze? It’s barely noon!” I paused- “What are you mixing it with?” I knew what the answer would be.
“Come on Dale. Be the big boy that I know you are- I’m mixing it with more coffee and a bit of whipped cream- if you’re lucky!”
“I an lucky you know, lucky to have met you.”
“You say the nicest things!”
With that he disappeared through the trailer door. A few moments later, I saw him step up to a counter which appeared to be a sort of makeshift kitchen within the trailer, a can of coffee in his right hand.
I had a rather perfect view of Jake. He set my heart to thumping. I was just a short distance away but I had a more than pleasant view sitting perched on top of a gorgeous white horse. I felt like a bit of a cowboy on that steed!
Heigh-Ho Silver!
All right, so two things here.
First of all the horse wasn’t real. It was on a merry-go-round, a carousel as Jake had pointed out on our way to the park. Secondly, I felt more like the Queen of England rather than an Alberta cowboy. I just happened to be riding side-saddle. Anyway, I had left my tiara at home. No, the big beauty upon which I sat was a part of the Carnival Carousel- the Toplin Park’s premiere attraction. It was very pretty- just like Jake. There were fifty - maybe even sixty, horses on the merry-go-round, in all colours and various stances. The herd looked magnificent beneath the carousel’s ornate, Victorian-style roof. Hundreds of coloured bulbs lined the pitched ceiling.
I could see through the open door of the trailer where the controls for the carousel where located and apparently the coffee too! Jake twisted off the cap of a bottle of Bailey’s and poured a bit into each mug of hot coffee. Even from high atop the white stallion, I could see the steam rise from the mugs.
He came bounding down the steps, a mug in each hand-
“Here you go, beautiful. Hope you like it!”
“I’m sure I will. I mean I already like what I see!” I smiled.
“You’re cute. You know that Mister!”
Handsome, forthright and complimentary too, I thought.
“So this is the famous Carnival Carousel that you told me about, eh?”
“Yup.” He looked around at the horses held in captive motion. “This is it. Aren’t my girls beautiful? I designed each and every one. The roof too. Don’t you think it’s pretty. All that sparkle up there!”
“Strikingly so. Just like you as a matter of fact!”
“Flattery will get you anywhere and everywhere!”- He laughed. “So, Dale, you get right to the point don’t you.” He smiled that smile.
“I call ‘em as I see ‘em and like I said- I do like what I see!”
I can’t believe I just said that to this handsome man in the tight jeans with the fashionable tear across each knee. I quickly changed the subject-
“So, you were saying you designed this carousel yourself?”
“Yes, I did. It started as a dream back as a kid I guess. I was always mesmerized by carousel rides- especially the over-the-top, really beautiful ones. You know with lots of glitter and gold.”
“So you have a thing for stiff horses?”
Damn did I really say that- stiff?
He choked on his coffee.
“Stiff? You filthy thing!” He grabbed a breath and laughed. His blue eyes sparkling.
I could feel the red begin to rise in my cheeks.
“Oh, I…I didn’t mean…”
“No, no that’s cute. Of course you meant it. Listen after last night, feel free to call it whatever you like- stiff or otherwise!”
“Jake, I want to be serious here. It was really great last night. I enjoyed every minute of it. If I kept a diary I’d be writing for a week! Believe me.”
“Well, now, I don’t know about that but what I do remember is a whole lot of squealing going on at some point- if I remember correctly!”
“Oh, like you don’t scream like a little girl!” I gulped the coffee.
“Guilty as charged but only with the right man and if I may, I’d like to say- I think I have found him.”
I blushed again. He saw that I might need a moment and quickly continued.
“Look, Dale, you may think my beauties are- well..” He turned to me and chuckled- “stiff’ as you called them but there’s really quite a lot of life in each of them.”
He ran his strong hands over the backs of several of the horses as I hung on every word and believe me, hung was the “right” word to use in Jake’s case.
Aren’t I awful?
He went on- “All you have to do is imagine them being brought to life and look for it. Most important of all, you just have to believe.” He threw a solid arm around the neck of a particularly robust, ebony stallion.
“Just look at this fellow’s eyes. Look at the ‘life’ in there. It’s like he’s ready to jump off the pole he’s attached to and gallop to the nearest field.”
You could tell that this Carousel for Jake was his greatest achievement.
“Yes, impressive. I must admit, they all look very real. Quite believable and solidly constructed!” Shit, I said solidly and I’m sure I glanced right at his bulging chest.
Serves him right for wearing one of the tightest white tees I had ever seen!
“How’s your coffee holding up” He pointed to my mug.
“More?” he smiled.
“Yes. Yes of course. I’ll have a bit more.”
“Bailey’s too?”
“No, I think I’ll pass on that just coffee would be great!” This was quite perfect. The day. The coffee. The man. I think I was happy.
“Hey…” Jake yelled from inside the trailer. “You wanna go see that show tonight?”
“What show?”
“You know the show we talked about last night. The one about the Drag Queens out in the dessert.” He held a fresh mug of coffee in each of his big, well-tanned hands and bounded down the steps. “I think it would be fun!”
He passed me a mug.
“Oh you mean Priscilla? There’s no horses in it Jake-you know that?”
He handed me the glass. “I know but there’s plenty of beef- isn’t there?
“Yes, there’s plenty of “beef”. Music and dancing too but mostly beef- just like a Harvey’s Hamburger!”
“Great, let’s see if we can get a pair of tickets and go. We can stop buy your place first for your stuff and then do dinner and then the show. After we can go to that club that...”
“Okay Cowboy- whoa!” We do what and then what?”
“Am I moving too fast? Sorry.”
“No, no…well, maybe a bit. My poor brain has to take this all in, you know.”
I was overcome. Can this be happening and all in a matter of days? I had just met Jake through a friend less than a week ago. It was moving fast but I had to admit, it felt so natural. So right.
“Look, Dale, we’ll go easy…”
“Oh, that’s what you call last night!”
He was firm. “We’ll go easy. I don’t want to muck this up. You decide but I know you feel the same way that I do. It’s Kismet, you know.”
“It’s what?” I stared at him mid-sip. “It’s Kismet?”
“It’s Kismet. It’s meant to be. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives and I want the rest of my life to be with you and only you! It can be that easy…and no comments from the peanut gallery!”
“You did say ‘peanut’ just then- didn’t you?” I started to laugh.
Jake just stared at me. An warm, intent stare.
I quickly contained my mirth- “Wow. Kismet. The rest of our lives. That’s not that fast- is it? That’s just eternity. Forever and ever.”
He smiled. “An eternity with you. Forever.”
“You say the most beautiful things. Promise me one thing?”
"What’s that?”- He put down the mug and stood with his hands on his hips.
“Just don’t ever put a saddle on me and tie me to a pole like your girls here?”
“You’re sure about that. Sounds like fun to me?”
“Look big boy, dinner, a show and then we’ll talk. We have an eternity- apparently.”
He stepped forward and wrapped his strong arms around me and kissed me on the lips harder than he had the night before.
I melted. I felt safe…but most of all- I felt happy.
