Hello Handsome

He smiled at me with his amazing blue eyes from under that mop of blonde hair.  You know when you think, look at you, who could be that perfect. Something inside me melted.

His red lips parted just slightly, as the corners of his eyes creased in joy. That square jaw I wanted to run my tongue along. That dark brown hair I wanted to run my fingers through. You know, kind of rough, well, certainly not timid.

I could feel a swoon. I could taste the sweat on his skin. I could feel the warmth of his breath. I could taste the spit on his tongue. I could feel his wanton enthusiasm as our faces connected and our hands grabbed for the one another.

I'm sure he winked. I stopped myself from winking in return, just in case I had imagined it. I smiled, though, I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face. The creases in my cheeks almost hurt with the intensity I felt there in the sides of my face. I nodded. He did too.

I turned and walked away, I stopped myself from looking back. Then I questioned my decision and I felt a chill as I turned and looked behind me, just to see the last part of him turning back to look in the direction he was headed thinking that I hadn't turned back to look at him.

Oh. I rubbed the back of my neck and inhaled deeply and stretched.

I thought about that ski weekend in a month. 

Do you snow ski?

Yes, yes I do.

I have a weekend book mid June, I’d love you to come with me.

I’d love that.

After a day of skiing, we could relax in front of an open fire and drink some hot chocolate and see how the night goes.

How did you know hot chocolate was my favourite?

Oh, you know, a lucky guess.

Big exhale.

“Hey Jimmy,” a voice called behind me. Oh, groan. It was Carl, I didn’t have to turn and look back to know that. How many times had I told him that’s not my name? I kept walking. I was tempted to increase my pace but, I guessed, that would have been too obvious.

“Hey Jimmy?” Carl’s tone sounded more clipped for the second time. I guessed he was moving quickly to catch up to me. And look at that, I think I had increased my pace, my feet were smarter than me.

“Jimmy!” The tone was now demanding, followed by distinct panting. The reprobate was clearly breathing heavily to catch up. I thought, that’s the exact sound woman had probably heard when they have answered the phone and no one spoke.

A hand grabbed my arm. “Wait up.”

I turned to see his flushed face staring at me. “Is something funny?” he asked.

I was still smiling from the thought of Jimmy calling women after dark and... “Carl? Funny? Not this morning so far.”

“Didn’t you hear me calling out to you?”

“No, Carl, I didn’t hear any one calling out James.”

He wiped his wet nose on the sleave of his shirt with a vague slurp sound. Then he rested both his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

“My leave, it’s confusing.”

“And you have come to me?” I asked.

“No one else will help me, I’m just trying to understand it.”

“Okay Carl, what is it?”

“I went on unpaid leave in January last, 4 weeks.”

“When you fell from the front of that boat while dancing naked in just a lei New Year’s Eve?”

“Er, yes, you have a good memory.”

“The image is burned in my brain, Carl.”

“Yeah, far too may Buds.” Carl made big eyes in his chubby face. “But how do you have a mental image of it, I was up Mallacoota way with my family.”

I laughed. “Anyway. The leave?”

“Well, I put in for it right after I got out of hospital…”

“Out of traction.” I said that without breaking into a smile, I was impressed with myself.

“I had no sick leave left.”

“Always sick on a Monday, Carl.”

“And you know how Carol had all that time off after her husband Ross ran off with that ladyboy on their 30 year anniversary in Thailand?”

“How could I forget?”

“Well, the leave never got authorised until recently.”

“Yes. When Carol finally got her meds sorted and came back to work.”

“Well, I’ve had a pay rise in between. How can I be sure that the leave wasn’t process at the lower rate when I was off crook, and not the higher rate, you know, after I got more per hour.”

“Huh?”

“If you are taking money off me, it should be at the rate when I was away.”

“Unpaid leave?”

“Yeah, it would be unfair to deduct it at the higher rate, when it happened when I was getting paid less.”

“Um.” I wondered if he was joking, but Carl wasn’t the joking kind.

“Do you see what I mean?”

“But Carl, you weren’t paid anything, you were on unpaid leave.”

“Yeah, I know that, but at what rate was it calculated.”

“Zero.”

“Zero?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not following.”

“You weren’t paid, so it was calculated at a zero rate.”

“Oh Jimmy…”

“James.” Oh, yes, I know to continually correct him is childish, but seriously, I have never been called Jimmy in my life.”

“Okay, um, James, I’m just not getting if it is correct.”

I shook my head.

“Carl?”

“Yes?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Too right Jim, er, James.”

“Have I ever let you down in the past?”

“No, James, never.”

“Well, trust me when I tell you it was calculated at the correct rate.”

“Oh, okay James, that is a great relief. I can’t tell you how much of a relief that is. I have been worrying about it all weekend.” Carl smiled at me. “Thanks.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

I turned and continued to walk. 

Now where was I? 

Oh yes.

I’m James.

I’m Hans.

I am looking forward to the snow.

And the hot chocolate, afterwards.

Oh yes, afterwards.

In front of the open fire.

I love open fires, Hans.