Ralph

Love has always been a strange thing to me. I thought I never felt it before, never understood how it can make you put others before yourself.

She changed that for me....

We met at a party. Loud music bombed Peter's house as he continued the party a little longer. Suddenly I felt the air shift and she was, passing by me, hair bouncing behind her. She looked like a goddess.

She looked at me and smiled asking," Hi there, you are staring"

" I am? Oh, I'm sorry you are just so beautiful" I muttered before realizing what I said.

She laughed and my god did I love her laugh.

" You got anybody here to accompany you because if you don't, I would love to spend the rest of my time here with you" I suggested.

The girl looked behind her at a girl, her friend and like a silent message was being conveyed, she looked back at me and said," Sure, she doesn't mind."

I smiled. Music played. It's my favourite song. I wondered if she would like to dance with me.

" Would you like to dance with me?" I asked bowing a little and stretching out my hand in front of her.

She took my hand and bowed looking at me in my eyes as she said," I would love to, my good sir."

We walked to the dance floor and got in close. It was a slow dance type of song. We danced perfectly together and at some points swore I wanted to marry this woman right there and then. As the song ended and our dance did too, I found myself missing her closeness. Is that weird to think when you just met someone?

" Do you want to go to the cinema?" She asked.

Cinema? I know Peter was rich but that was too much.

" Peter's house had a cinema?" I asked.

She giggled as she grabbed my arm, not tight enough that I couldn't get free but tight enough that I felt the warmth of her palm. Peter's house indeed had a cinema. I shuffled through the house as she guided me into the cinema. There was a movie that had just started playing.

We sat in middle area of the cinema, closer to the screen as she told me she had forgotten her glasses at home. We sat next to each other and the closer the movie got to it's end, the closer we got. By the end of the movie she was asleep her head resting on my shoulder, my arm wrapped around her body. I tried to wake her up, but she fell back to sleep. I took her phone that she left on her lap and called the last person she called. My bestie Jenna it said with hearts and hug emojis. Ringggg..... Ringggg, then someone answered the phone.

" Hi girl, where are you?" Jenna asked.

" Hello, I am Ralph Nader and I have..... the owner of this phone with me in the cinema. She is sleeping right now" I said now realizing I didn't get her name.

" Oh, you're the guy she went with?" Jenna asked.

I remembered the girl she sent a telepathic message to.

" Yes" I answered.

" I am coming" She said.

I looked over at the few people who was also in the cinema, urging me to leave.

" Just give me a second, I think we have to leave now." I placed the phone down on her lap and lifted her up, princess position as I carried her out of the cinema. She was so light.

" Ok" She said.

" Just give me a second" I placed the phone down on her lap and lifted her up, princess position as I carried her out of the cinema.

" I will meet you outside the cinema" She said.

On the other end I can hear her talking to a guy, her footsteps and his echoing as they walked and then I saw her. Her short bobbed hair bounced as she walked towards me.

She looked at her friend and then at me.

" How much did she drink?" Jenna asked

" None when I was hanging out with her" I answered.

" Ok, thank you for calling me and keeping her safe. She seem very smitten by you" Jenna said smiled.

" I hope she is because I feel the same way about her" I said looking down at her and smiling softly.

" I will take her from now" Jenna said. Taking her phone and putting it in her pocket and asked the guy to carry her which he did.

" Wait!" I blurted out like an idiot as I took a page from a notepad nearby and wrote my name and number on it. I also wrote some thing else but that wasn't important at the time.

" Can you give her this and tell her if she isn't interested she can just throw it away but if she is interested, she can just... call me." I said hopefully.

Jenna smiled," Sure. It's nice to meet you..... um?"

" Ralph" I answered.

" Ralph, I'm sorry. I'm bad with names"

" It's fine. It's nice to meet you too, Jenna" I said.

We went our separate ways and though I stayed at the party and though I had met many people that night, there was only one person I wanted to call me.

Marina

I woke up feeling sick almost yet still refreshed. That's what alcohol will do to you I guess. I looked over to my left and saw Jenna sstaring at me, mischievously.

" Hello Jenna, what did I do now?" I asked.

" What didnt you do?" She asked.

" Huh..... What?" I questioned.

Then I remembered the party; not all of it but I do remember me, inviting my poor introverted friend to the party with her extroverted boyfriend.

" What did something happen between you and Jax? Did he get down on one knee?" I asked excitedly.

" What? Woah there, you are going too fast now...." She said blushing.

" But something did happened?" I interrogated.

" Yes but... Wait a minute! This is not about me. This is about you." She answered.

" Me?"

" Yes. Who was that guy last night?" Jenna was now interrogating me.

A guy? I met a guy at the party? Then I remembered. He was....... He was everything. I blushed.

" He was just a cute, kind guy I met and now have a crush on" I answered quickly.

" Omg girl, you are hopeless." Jenna said.

" What? Why?" I asked.

" You went to the cinema with him and fell asleep there. He had to use your phone to call me and carry you like a princess out of the cinema and wait until I found him." Jenna stated.

" Omg, I hope I didn't cause him too much trouble" I said.

" Oh no girl, it was quite the opposite. He was smitten. I told him you look like you was smitten by him and he said, ' I hope she is because I feel the same way about her'. Then he looked at you and smiled lovingly at you. I'm telling you, he fell in love with you at first sight." Jenna said trying to mimic his voice.

" Stop it, he did not" I responded.

" He did and then when he was leaving he stopped us, wrote a note and said,' Can you give her this and tell her if she isn't interested she can just throw it away but if she is interested, she can just... call me.'" Jenna said her voice become more cringey by the second.

" Let me see it!" I said.

" Ok babygirl" Jenna said still mimicking the guy's voice as she handed me the note.

It read Ralph Nader, his number under his name and a note saying," If you are free and interested, do you want to meet me at Naxar Cafe at 8:30?"

8:30? What time is it? I looked over at my phone. It's 8: 10.

" I only have 20 minutes to get ready." I said running to the bathroom.

Jenna followed behind.

" So you are going to meet him?" Jenna queried.

" Yes.... Should I not go?" I asked as I started the shower.

" Well you can just call him." She suggested.

She's right. I came out of the bathroom and ran to my phone, almost falling over from my wet feet on the tiles as I called him.

Only one ring and then.... click. Someone answered.

" Hello?" A girl's voice.

Oh.... I thought before asking " Is this Ralph Nader's phone?"

" Yes, it is. Wait! Are you the girl he was talking about? The girl he met at Peter's party?"

" Yes, um.... can I ask who are you?" I asked.

" Oh.... Were you jealous for a second? He would like that but no need to worry. I am his sister, Lexi."

" Oh, It's nice to meet you Lexi. Might I ask where is your brother?" I asked blushing.

" Oh, he's getting ready. He said he is going to meet someone at the coffee shop I told him about nearby, which is weird because he don't like coffee and he said he wouldn't go." She said.

In the background I could heard someone ask," Lexi, do you have my phone?"

" No..." Lexi answered suspiciously.

" You liar. Who are you talking to?" He asked.

" No one...." She replied.

" Wait, is it.... Lexi!" He said.

On my end of the phone I can hear Lexi breathing heavily and footsteps and then a next pair becoming louder.

" Hello?" I asked.

Now a male voice answered," Geez, I am so sorry. I hope she didn't say anything weird"

His voice was smooth baritone voice, and his English was perfect unlike mine which was broken Creole.

I blushed as I answered softly," It's fine"