Proverbial Woman, Chapter 1, Part 3

But what you’re actually doing is unknowingly sacrificing everyone and everything for temporal pleasures. What happens is that people view things from a position of misguided emotions…or in most cases, lack thereof. When they reach this point, all the things that should matter to them began to lose prominence in their lives. From there on, that is when they began to see confidence as mostly a facilitator of deceit fuel by the self-absorption of pride.”

Peering down as he wrapped his hands around my foot and began massaging it, in a reflective haze I found myself retreating into the annals of my thoughts. Recalling my Father giving up everything to care for my mother. Looking back at the sacrifices he made, it must have taken a great deal of something other than confidence to do so.

I guess what Devin is saying is true. You have to let all sense of pride go if you are to have a meaningful and self-fulfilling life. Its funny, the world requires something different.

“Be careful,” I whispered as he started applying oil.

“Angelina…” he murmured, as he slowly gazed up into my eyes.

“Wait! You called me Angelina. The way you said it…” I interrupted.

“Ah, that’s right. I’ve been calling you Ms. Romero, haven’t I? Now that I recall, the last time we met you insisted that I start calling you by your first name.

“Yeah. That’s right. I did. Didn’t I?” I replied, suddenly remembering my overly gratifying mood at the time. Or perhaps should I say, desire.

“As I was saying,” he chimed in. “I’m here to take good care of you. You should know by now I enjoy being in your presence. It is beautiful women like yourself that gives me pleasure in doing what I do. As someone who recognize the true beauty of a woman is found in her virtues, I feel every little extra effort is necessary for you.”

My God. I can’t tell if he is speaking from admiration or just stringing me along in a game of seduction. But one thing is for sure. With all this attention and subtle soothing of my pre-disposed psyche, he is definitely giving me something I’ve been missing for a long time.

“Judging by the look settling on that beautiful face of yours, I can tell this is having a profound effect on you,” he softly whispered as he began working his hands up my calf, and then above my knee and around my inner and outer thigh.

“Umm…you work those hands of yours like a pianist manipulating a well written composition.” I murmured somewhere between the fainting echo of his voice and the untimely beginning of a short spell.

“Much to his audiences’ delight, of course. Wouldn’t you consider that a good thing?” he proposed in distant tone, suddenly cutting in on my mental waltz.

“I don’t know. It depends on your intentions,” I replied as I re-trained my eyes on him, while he worked his magic.

“By the way, didn’t you say you were from L.A., by way of Phoenix?” I asked.

“Yes. I’ve spent the last three years calling those two places my home. Up until last month when I moved here I’d been in Arizona’s dry heat for about thirteen months. My frequent visits back to L.A. kept me somewhat nourished and balanced until I was ready to move on.”

“So what brought you out here to Seattle? I was surprised to hear that you were out this way,” I added.

“Lets just say I wanted a change of climate.