~ Tragedy And Triumph ~

by

Charity Hegglund

“So, what do you think?” He waved his arm about him as though he had orchestrated the entire scene. They were now sitting on top of the dam to the main lake, eating sandwiches that they had picked up at a quaint deli Sven knew.

Several seagulls hovered in the distance, dipping and dancing in the air, diving repeatedly and very ungracefully into the water. On their right, a silver crane, with a dark orange beak stood still as a statue in the shallows, one leg tucked up under its body, one wary eye surveying the two picnickers on their perch. Some ways away, a red sailboat glided over the water in slow motion, its sail now tipping towards them as if to bow a greeting, and in the foreground, one jet-ski soared by, its rider apparently impervious to the autumn chill. The water was clear and green, bearing the distorted reflections of a few passing clouds. Annaliese sighed aloud. It was a fantastic vantage point. Over the flatness of the water, if she looked very, very closely, she felt she might see to the very ends of the earth.

“I’m glad you like it. You are a very cheap date. First you order a kid’s sandwich and no drink, and now I can see you’re vastly satisfied with free entertainment. I’m going to have to marry you at this rate.” He saw her mouth tense with that sentiment, and he changed the subject. “Why do you eat so little, by the way? You could order a half-pound cheeseburger and shake and not offend me.”

“Well,” she spoke very slowly and deliberately, “I suppose you will have to find out sooner or later, if you want to hang out with me. Lucky for you, I will always be a cheap date. I actually can’t eat more than a small amount of food at a time. I used to be very overweight and I had Lap-Band surgery to correct the problem. That was two years ago, and I’ve lost over a hundred pounds.”

“No way.”

“Yes, I’m afraid it’s true. Self-control was never one of my more prominent virtues.”

His mind flashed back to the club and her wild abandon while dancing with him. “Does it hurt? The band, I mean.”

“No, and it’s nothing gross like other surgeries. It’s just a device right here,” she pointed, her long fingers tracing a circle over her diaphragm, “that cinches in my stomach so that I can’t eat large meals, kind of like a girdle for my insides. But I still have to be really careful about what I do eat, and I exercise a lot. That’s actually what I was doing when I met you the other night. Dancing is particularly good exercise. You can use that with your patients when you begin your practice. That advice is on the house.” She cocked her head. “What’s your medical specialty going to be, anyway?”

“Probably neurosurgery, but I haven’t decided yet. There is a lot of competition for surgical specialties.”

“I’m pretty sure you could use that signature glare of yours and get into any program you want to,” she offered coyly. “That advice is on the house, too.”

“Oh, I’m ugly, but as you will most certainly find out as you know me, all the meanness is just an act. I’m soft like a teddy bear inside.” The fierce burn in his eyes contradicted that statement. They had finished their sandwiches and stood up to gather their trash. They walked to the nearest trash can and tossed it inside.

“Are you soft outside as well? Let’s see how fast you can run after that humongous sandwich!” she challenged.

She had already taken off mid-sentence. She could run like the wind, and had a twenty yard head start, but eight extra inches of leg had their advantages, and before long, she could hear him right on her heels. She squealed with laughter and gathered another burst of speed, which held him at bay for a few more seconds. Then she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her upper arms and midsection, sweep her off the ground and twirl her about him like a doll. She was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes, and she heard him really laugh out loud for the first time. She closed her eyes as they slowed their spin and he set her down gently. He started to pull away, but she reached up and covered his hands with hers to hold him there for a second longer. His huge chest heaved behind her as he caught his breath, but he wrapped his arms a little tighter at her bidding and engulfed her entirely. “You have got to stop running away from me, you little minx,” he laughed. “I’m going to get the idea you don’t really like me.”

She closed her eyes and curled her body into his for just a few seconds, searing the moment into her memory for later. Then she pulled away, her eyes dusky, but her voice as carefree as she could manage. “It’s the other way around, actually. I’ll know you don’t like me when you stop coming after me.” She sprinted off in the opposite direction, back towards the car.

~ * ~

He decided after a moment’s consideration to head her off. Instead of pursuing her across the crest of the dam, he turned and ran straight down the grassy side, making his own shortcut to the parking lot. When she finally descended the stairs, he was leaning casually against the passenger door of his car, whistling silently to himself. “Where’ve you been?” He looked down at the nonexistent watch on his left wrist. “I’ve been waiting for you for at least ten minutes. I don’t think I’m going to nickname you ‘Track Star’ after all. I’m seriously disappointed.” He shook his head and tsked at her.

Her hair had fallen out of its bun and was draped very becomingly over her shoulders. Her chest rose and fell, offering a tiny gap in her shirt with each intake of air. He did his best not to notice the red lace peeking out between the buttons, or the tiny smattering of freckles he could now see on her creamy skin in the daylight. “Well, if I’m disappointing you already, you’d better take me home this instant. This is my best stuff; it only goes downhill from here, no pun intended,” she grinned, gesturing at the hill they’d just run down. “Besides, you’ve already stopped coming after me anyway--I can take a hint.”

“You can take a hint! I said I was ugly, and you subsequently took off running. I’m afraid I’m the one who needs to take a hint.” Her arms were crossed and he reached out and took hold of each elbow. His elegant fingers almost encircled her arms.

“I could never offer a compliment to such obvious fishing. You practically had a trolling net out.”

“So you don’t think I’m ugly after all.” He reeled her in a little.

“I never said such a thing.”

“So you do think I’m ugly.”

“Oh, very ugly,” she replied, tilting her pointed chin up cockily.

“And do you think I’m really so scary when I glare?” His voice lowered seductively. “Could I really have anything I want?” His voice was an absolute purr, as he deftly twirled her one more time and held her gently but firmly against the car door, his legs on either side of her, pinning her in.

“I don’t scare easily,” was her pert reply. “And if you think I’m going to kiss you, you’ve greatly overestimated your charms.”

“You don’t have to kiss me, my dear, but I am most definitely going to kiss you.”