Burning Desire

by Rachel Maldonado

  “I can promise you I'll never jazzercise, and I don't do aerobics. I think I work out enough at work. If I feel the need to work out, I go to the gym or jog. I've never been one to jump around in place shouting, 'And a one, and a two, and a three!'”

  Candi started to laugh as she pictured Suzanne in a pony tail wearing a sports bra and tight pants kicking her feet up and jumping in place. She pushed her cart to the cold cuts section and tossed in some ham and cheese slices.

  “What's so funny?” pressed Suzanne as they headed toward the check out counter.

  Candy laughed again. “I got a visual of you doing aerobics.”

  Suzanne laughed. “That is funny.”

  “Hey, I forgot to get the potatoes to make hash browns, will you please run back to the produce aisle to get a five pound bag?”

  Suzanne's eyes opened wide in bewilderment. “Five pounds?”

  “It's the smallest bag it comes in. Just get it. I'll make mashed potatoes tonight with the chicken breast.”

  Suzanne went in search of potatoes and when she returned, Candi was unloading her groceries onto the revolving belt. Suzanne tossed her bag of potatoes next to the other groceries that were inching forward as the cashier rang up the items. “They were out of the five pound bags. Here's this fifteen pound bag.” It landed on the revolving belt with a loud thud.

  “I guess you better change your menu items to potato dishes. Potato soup, baked potatoes, french fries, mashed potatoes, potato and egg tacos, scalloped potatoes...” Candi ran out of things to say, but her wide grin turned into laughter.

  “Whatever is easier for you to make. You're the cook. But don't forget to add hash browns to that menu list because I'm starting to get hungry, and I do believe someone promised me an omelet with hash browns.” Suzanne grinned as she swiped her debit card and Candi helped to bag the groceries.

  “How about we go home to eat breakfast, then head to the laundromat after?”

  “My thoughts exactly,” replied Suzanne as she began to push the cart out to the truck. “I feel like my stomach was still asleep until we got here and saw all the food. Then it suddenly woke up and wanted breakfast.”

  Candi laughed. “That's cute.”

  The two women loaded their purchases into the truck, then headed home.

  Chapter Three

  As they began to unload the groceries, Suzanne grabbed the 1% gallon of milk. “I'm ready to seize the dairy, and the omelets, and the hash browns.”

  This time it was Candi that rolled her eyes. “Uh huh.”

  Suzanne sat at the counter as she watched Candi make breakfast. When she finally set her plate in front of her, the omelet was still steaming with melted cheese on top. “It looks great. Can I have some toast?”

  Candi shook her head. “No, you can't. Because we forgot to get bread.” She took out a glass from the cupboard and retrieved the gallon of milk from the refrigerator. She grinned as she poured Suzanne a glass. “But you can have some milk so you can seize your dairy or whatever it was you said.” She took out another glass and poured herself some milk. She then turned back around to remove her omelet and hash browns from the frying pan and slid it onto a plate. She sat across from Suzanne with her breakfast. Suzanne was eating quietly seemingly lost in her own thoughts, but she smiled at Candi when she sat down. “How is it?” asked Candi.

  “It's great. I love omelets. I don't think I eat them nearly enough. If eggs weren't so high in cholesterol, I'd probably eat them every day.”

  Candi added pepper to her hash browns before digging in. “So I guess your ex did most of the cooking?”

  Suzanne nodded. “She did. She made all kinds of healthy vegan stuff. On occasion she'd make me some ground beef or chicken, since I never jumped on board her vegan wagon.”

  Candi laughed. “Vegan wagon?”

  Suzanne snickered. “Yes, it was something I always teased her about. She would say, 'It's about time you jumped on board my vegan train!' But I would always say that you need energy and power to run a train, and you get energy and strength from eating meat not vegetables, so instead of a vegan train, I'd say she had a vegan wagon. It's probably a horse drawn wagon, too.”

  Candi chuckled. “Vegans not only eat fruits and vegetables, but they eat protein shakes and supplements, too, silly. It's not like they're starving!”

  Suzanne smiled as she took her last bite of her omelet. “I know. I just liked to pick on her. I had actually thought about being a vegetarian or a vegan also, but I don't think I can live without a hamburger, steak, or mom's meat loaf or fried chicken. Food is just way too good for me to give up completely like that.”

  “Oh, I hear ya. I love food.” Candi took her last bite of her omelet, then grabbed her dirty plate and Suzanne's and placed them on the counter near the sink.

  “You don't have to wash those. I wait until I get about half a load of dishes, then I wash them in the dishwasher.”

  Candi grinned. “No worries. I wasn't going to wash them. What do I look like? The maid?”

  Suzanne gulped down her milk, then got up to set her empty glass in the sink. “If I get you a cute maid's uniform you could. I could totally see you in a short black dress that's low-cut with your cleavage showing, a white frilly apron, and a feather duster.”

  Candi busted out laughing. “It had to be low-cut and with my cleavage showing? I'm not wearing that, but you've got quite the imagination.”

  Suzanne laughed. “If you change your mind let me know. I've got a credit card and a laptop on hand to place an order for that uniform.”

  “Let's go to the laundromat. I've been in these clothes since yesterday.”

  “Go shower. I'll give you something of mine to wear. That way you can wash what you're wearing, too.”

  Candi breathed a sigh of relief. “That sounds great. You don't mind?”

  Suzanne shook her head. “No, not at all. I need some time to gather some of my clothes out of the hamper, too. If I'm going to be staying at home more, I'm going to need clean clothes.”

  Suzanne stripped the sheets off of the bed, then left a pair of jeans and a black v-neck T-shirt with Mickey Mouse on the mattress. She left the room after having grabbed her hamper from beside the bedroom door. She dragged it to the front door and left it there. She sat down on the sofa to watch TV as she waited for Candi. She was still flipping through the stations when Candi came out of the bedroom wearing the clothes that Suzanne had set out.

  Suzanne grinned when Candi sat down on the love seat. She was still drying her hair with a towel. “Well! Don't you look and smell clean now!?”

  “Now? Did I stink before?”

  Suzanne snickered. “I didn't want to say anything before, but I would say you sort of smelled like a sweaty gym sock.”

  Candi laughed. “Shut up. Did I really? Or are you joking?”

  “I'm just messing with you. If anything, you smelled like smoke and hospital cleanser. You're fine. I promise I wasn't trying to smell you.”

  Candi took a handful of her damp hair and pressed it to her nose inhaling the sweet, clean smell of Suzanne's shampoo. “I only hope your ex didn't smell me. If we see her again, I want to make sure I look fierce and smell great.”

  “I'm sure you will. We're bound to run into her again. That's if she doesn't show up here first.”

  “So I know I already made you breakfast, but how about dinner?”

  “I'm all for chicken breast and mashed potatoes. You already said you were making that. I remember.”

  “Yes, I know. But I'm talking about a dinner date. Not just me making something to eat because we're hungry, but actually having a nice candlelight dinner. No TV dinners, no talks about our exes, and no insults or teasing. Just me and you and a night of talking and getting to know each other better. What do you say?”

  Suzanne smiled smugly. “I say, you like me.”

  “Yes. I like you. But if you're not ready to start dating again, I'll understand.”

  “No, no. I like the ide
a. I like you, too.”

  Candi grinned happily. “Great. Then a dinner date it is then.” Candi looked down at her bare feet and wiggled her toes. “Do you have any clean socks?”

  “Yeah, let me get you some. I'm sorry I didn't leave any out.” Suzanne stood, then went into the bedroom and came back with a rolled up ball of socks. “Here you go.” She handed the ball to Candi who unraveled them and put them on.

  “I'm ready whenever you are,” stated Suzanne as she stood by her hamper.

  “What's a matter? You're not going to say, 'Hit the road?'” Candi giggled as she put on her sneakers, then joined Suzanne by the door after having picked up her numerous grocery bags full of soaked clothes.

  Suzanne smirked. “No, because then you might start singing again.”

  “Ha ha. Very funny. Hey, I thought you were only taking a few things. It looks like you have three loads of laundry crammed in there.”

  “I probably do. It's dirty towels, bedding, and clothes I haven't seen in six weeks. I usually just wear my blue T-shirts from the firehouse and jeans unless I'm in my turnout gear. I already shoved all my duffel bag stuff in here. I'm good to go.”

  As the two women hauled their dirty laundry to the apartment complex laundry room, Candi thought it best to ask, “Do you really expect me to wash your clothes?”

  Suzanne laughed. “No, I can wash my own laundry. Thanks.”

  “Hey, how's it going, Mitch?” asked the postman as he walked by.

  “Going great, Ted. Thanks,” replied Suzanne. “Say hello to my new friend, Candi.”

  “Hello, Candi. Very nice to meet you,” said Ted. He tipped his cap, then reached out for a handshake when he saw that Candi offered her hand. “You're prettier than the last girl Mitch was with,” said Ted laughing.

  “Thank you,” responded Candi. “I met her. Patrice, right?”

  “Uh huh. Patty. You girls have a great day. I have a whole day ahead of me,” replied Ted as he walked away from the mail room and back towards his mail truck.

  “That reminds me. I have to check the mail. Let's make a quick stop here for a sec.” Suzanne left her clothes hamper that she had been dragging on the parking lot pavement and ran in to check her mailbox. About a minute later, she came out with a stack of mail that was crumpled and squashed together. She laughed. “I guess I haven't checked my mail in a couple of weeks. It's mostly junk mail.” She sorted through her envelopes and pulled out the bills, then tossed everything else out in the trash bin. “Okay, next stop laundry room.” She resumed pulling her white hamper by the handle and Candi followed close behind with all of her bags.

  When they arrived at the laundry room there were two washing machines going and one dryer, and the room smelled of a clean soapy fragrance. The loud whirring and swishing of the washing machine and the combination of soft spinning of the dryer was music to Suzanne's ears. It always reminded her of her youth and all the times she had washed her father's work shirts on the weekends.

  Four machines were available for use and there were five dryers available, however, one of them had an Out of Order sign posted on it. Suzanne stuck a twenty dollar bill in the bill changer and seconds later a loud clanking of coins fell into the cup-like holder. “Here, five bucks ought to be enough.” She handed Candi a hand full of quarters.

  “You gave me ten dollars,” replied Candi, counting her quarters.

  “It's okay. Save it for next time. You may need to wash when I'm not here.”

  Candi separated her clothes into colors and whites then dropped them into two separate machines. Meanwhile, Suzanne was busy trying to shove all over clothes into one machine.

  “What are you doing? You're going to overload that machine.”

  “I know what I'm doing. I do this all the time at work.”

  “Give me that,” said Candi, pushing Suzanne aside. “I'm willing to bet you have commercial size washing machines at work. This one here is small, like the kind people have in their homes. You can't just shove three loads of laundry in here.” She pulled out all the clothes and began to sort them. “There. I separated your laundry into three loads. Colors, whites, and bedding and towels.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate it. And you're probably right. I never wash laundry here. I use the machines at work for free.”

  Candi grinned. “Must be nice. Maybe you should be washing my laundry.”

  “No, I don't think so. Looks like you did a good job so far.” Suzanne boasted a wide grin.

  Candi had a questioning expression and fidgeted nervously. “What do you want to do while we wait?”

  “I don't know. Pull up a chair. Talk to me. The washer only takes about twenty minutes.” Suzanne hopped onto a dryer that wasn't in use and let her feet dangle.

  “What do you want to know?” asked Candi, as she sat down in a plastic chair.

  Suzanne leaned back onto her hands. “Tell me about your art. Have you always been into it?”

  Candi crossed her legs. “Yeah. I'd say always. I used to draw a lot when I was a kid. I took art in high school, and I took a few drawing and painting courses at Southwest Community College. I'm what you would call a starving artist. I sell my artwork on weekends sometimes and there are places like restaurants or businesses that pay good money for me to paint murals on the inside of their establishments. It's not too much, but it pays the rent. How about you? You always wanted to be a firefighter?”

  “Oh yeah. Always. I loved going to the firehouse to see the fire truck, meeting all of Dad's friends, and Dad always bought me toy firetrucks to play with. I think he knew I was going to be a firefighter someday. He was a firefighter back when there weren't so many regulations and rules. He never smoked a day in his life, so I blame the fact that he died of lung cancer on his job, but nothing can be done about it now. We live and we learn. He loved being a firefighter and if it were up to him, I don't think he would have had it any other way.”

  Candi smiled. “I'm sure he's proud of you.”

  “I think so, too. I know he is. Enough about that. Tell me about your painting. You said it was Love Gone Awry. What does it mean? What was it supposed to be?”

  Candi laughed. “It's an abstract. It's basically a lot of warm and cold colors mixed together and there were some arrows that were supposed to represent both cupid's arrows and the arrows of someone stabbing their lover in the back.”

  “Sounds deep. I'm sorry it was ruined.”

  When the machines finally buzzed, the two women transferred their laundry into the dryers, then sat back down. Candi stood and walked around the outside of the laundry room to the vending machine and returned with vinegar chips and a diet cream soda. She made herself comfortable in her seat and could feel Suzanne's prying eyes watching her.

  “Those chips sure look good,” said Suzanne, licking her lips and grinning.

  “Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me. I didn't even offer to buy you some and you gave me all that extra change. Do you want something?”

  Suzanne laughed. “I'm just messing with you. I can go out and get my own.” She stood and went outside. When she returned, she was munching on a bag of corn chips and drinking an orange soda.

  Candi watched Suzanne munching on her corn chips. “Your snack looks better than mine.”

  “Uh huh. That's because I eat regular snacks and not vinegar veggie chips or whatever that is. You want some?” she asked as she took the seat beside Candi. She waved the bag in front of Candi's face.

  Candi shoved her hand in Suzanne's bag of chips. “Oh, you don't have to ask me twice. I'll have a few. I just won't eat the whole bag.”

  Suzanne laughed. “Would you like a drink of my soda, too? It's real good and real sweet. It's made with real sugar.”

  “No, you're a bad influence.” Candi paused for a millisecond, then changed her mind. “Okay, give me some.”

  Suzanne laughed again. “You shouldn't be so quick to deprive yourself of the good stuff. All things are good in moderation.” She grabbed a corn chip and held i
t up to Candi's mouth. She opened her mouth and allowed herself to be hand fed by Suzanne. Together they shared the rest of the bag of corn chips, and the vinegar chips found their way into the trash.

  “We don't even really know each other, and you're already making me happy,” said Candi, as she took the last corn chip in her mouth and washed it down with some orange soda.

  When the dryers finally sounded, the two women were sharing Twinkies with cream filling and chocolate cupcakes. Suzanne shoved the last of her cupcake in her mouth and took out her laundry. She dumped it on a table and began to fold her jeans and T-shirts. “This is my favorite T-shirt,” she said, holding up a Rosie Riveter shirt.

  “Nice. I'll show you mine in a second,” replied Candi. She took the last couple of bites of her Twinkie, then unloaded her dryers. She pulled out a tank top with beach chairs and beach umbrellas depicted on the front. “This is my favorite. It makes me feel like I'm at the beach.”

  Suzanne grinned. “Maybe we are and we're just dreaming right now.”

  Candi laughed. “I assure you that I have never once dreamed of washing, drying, and folding laundry. I'm pretty sure I'm awake. Besides, if I was asleep on the beach I'd be in trouble. I'd wake up looking like a lobster.”

  “If you're a lobster, I'll be sure to get the butter,” said Suzanne laughing.

  “Did you just try to make a lesbian joke?” asked Candi confused.

  “No, no, no!” shouted Suzanne, waving her hands in the air. “That was purely a lobster joke.”

  Candi's face turned red as she smiled. “I don't know. Because I think that had some kind of lesbian undertones. You were so ready to butter me up and eat me.”

  Suzanne began giggling. “You're taking it wrong. I swear. I didn't mean it like that.”

  “Oh my God. What's this?” asked Candi, reaching over into Suzanne's laundry pile and pulling out a pair of superhero underwear. “I thought you didn't have Underoos!?”