The day was gloomy and rainy, in other words, the perfect day to stay in bed and that was my sole plan for Winter and me. To lie together and get better acquainted. Looking into her dark eyes as we snuggled beneath heavy blankets, I asked, "What do you want to know about me?"
She mulled it over and finally responded with "Tell me about your last girlfriend. Like how long it lasted, why you broke up... you know, the good stuff!"
Oh Hell, she came out swinging, and I wondered why I ever imagined this was a good idea. I was hoping for something like "Favorite Hostess snack cake?" "But honesty is the best policy," words never said by a male the history of time, so I began my sad tale. "Her name was Zoey, and it lasted two tumultuous years."
"Now, why did it end?" She continued the interrogation, rubbing her hands together in joyful anticipation.
Slipping into my patented delaying tactic, I hopped out of bed to make our brunch, a Spam and sausage gravy Hot Pocket. Returning to her, she glanced first at the steaming entree then at me and in her cheesiest British accent bellowed, "But I don't like Spam (knowing all too well that any Python reference reduced me to Silly Putty in her hands.) Then for the next thirty minutes, we discussed how a Hot Pocket could be scalding hot on each end but yet be as frozen as Trump's heart in the center. We reached no viable explanation.
"So...why did it end?" She continued. (Damn this vixen's memory!)
Searching through a drawer, I removed a handful of papers and sat beside my diminutive brunette. "It's very difficult for me to talk about," as I handed her a typed piece of paper.
Reading to herself, she said, "It was a dark and Stormy night...I don't understand."
"Oh, sorry, wrong paper. That is something Snoopy sent me for editing. Leaning to kiss her forehead, I continued: "Zoey committed suicide, and it took me a long time to get past the feeling that I was, in some way, responsible.
Winter embraced me sweetly, sobbing softly and said in a loving voice, "I'm sure it wasn't your fault, babe."
"Not my fault?" I repeated incredulously. "In her suicide note, she wrote I was solely responsible...see for yourself. She even underlined my name three times!"
Then handing her another sheet, this one laminated for some fucked up reason, Winter gazed at it, looking confused. Finally, she said in an ashamed tone, " Look, just because I graduated from Stanford, doesn't mean I can read cursive!"
Thinking for sure I heard that incorrectly, I repeated "Stanford?" (I was curious if there was a Stanford Community College hidden away in Arkansas I was unfamiliar with.)
She nodded and explained she majored in philosophy. Philosophy? At least I now know why she didn't have a job!
Shaking my head in bewilderment, smiling, " So you're my little Socrates?"
Her reply: " Isn't that pronounced So Crates?" in a most excellent Bill and Ted reference that filled my heart with joy and I began to contemplate buying her an engagement ring (if I can get to the Dollar Tree before it closes).
Of course, the only proper reply to Bill and Ted is "Wayne's World" so peering deeply into her eyes, I whispered proudly, "She will be mine" repeatedly. All this romantic, sweet talk was inspiring, so I dove in next to her, squeezing like a python that hasn't fed in weeks