Blair and I were sitting together in the midst of a storm.
Most people don't grasp the beauty of storms, the way they heighten the need for shelter and promote intimacy.
Storms bring people together and that's what happened with Blair and me. The lights went out and we huddled around a candle in her chilly front room.
Our world shrunk to that circle of light and the sunny warmth of the candle and the scent of melting wax.
We were reduced to elementals—fire, light, shelter and warmth. And I told her the story of Cassie and Kitty and Scarlett and me.
"That is so bent but also so human," Blair sighed. "You wanted to spare Kitty's feelings but but your words made her want you more. Then, Scarlett took offence when Greg turned her down and she blamed you for it all."
I shook my head sadly, "that just about sums it up, but when Kitty saw me in the Corktown Pub and apologized, it helped but didn't change Scarlett's feelings—she resented the fact Greg broke things off with her because of me."
"And when Scarlett saw you at the school she bad mouthed you to me and warned me to watch out, and I kept my distance until I could decide for myself whether to believe her or not."
"So, now you're convinced I'm harmless," I laughed.
"Not quite," she smiled mischievously. "You're not harmless but dangerous, the kind of guy a girl could fall for and get really hurt."
I looked at her startled. "Surely you don't think I'm like that?"
"No," she admitted, "But I don't think you're harmless, so you're not off the hook."
Then, she suddenly kissed me, long and hard on the lips.
"See what I mean?" she smiled, "that's why I have to maintain my guard."
"Actually, it works the other way too—I can easily fall into your eyes and never get out."
"Well then, we both have to be on guard," she said matter-of-factly, "so neither of us gets hurt."
I agreed with her on principle, but knew I'd find it hard to maintain a distance between us, not matter how sane and discreet that idea seemed.
At that moment the lights came back on and Oscar, her tabby guard, leaped off the back of the couch and curled up on the cushion between us.
I laughed, "I'm not sure how much we'll need to police ourselves with Oscar making sure I respect his territory."
"I'm sure he'll accept you...eventually," she smiled.
Later that night when I was back home in my townhouse, I imagined Blair and I sitting before the fire.
Oscar, the guard cat, would not be there to police our itimacy, but I’d respect her wishes.
Boundaries aren’t so much limits as guard rails that keep us from going off track. I don’t want to hurry anything with Blair—I want something permamanent with her and that takes time.
I sat there satisfied with how the evening went, but the one dark cloud on the horizon was Scarlett and I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was out to destroy me any way she could.
I had no proof but it was a gut feeling and I just couldn’t seem to shake it. Maybe time would take care of it, but that wasn’t what I sensed.
The girl was dangerous and I still felt a frisson of fear whenever I remembered her hate-filled stare.
