Burning Desire

by Rachel Maldonado

  “I was just going out to take out my trash. It's so good to see you, Candace.” Seeing a familiar face made him smile.

  “By chance have you seen Toonces? I know you used to feed her when she would climb down the fire escape to your apartment. Do you know if she's been back around?” inquired Candi.

  “Uh huh. Yes, I sure did see her. I hardly even recognized her. It looks like a dog got hold of her. She's missing some of her fur,” said Mr. Peters nodding his head as he spoke. “I was going to let her stay with me, but Mr. Piddles wouldn't allow it.”

  “Mr. Piddles?” asked Suzanne overhearing their conversation.

  “Mr. Piddles is my chihuahua. He's never cared too much for Toonces, or any other cats for that matter.”

  “This is my friend Suzanne, Mr. Peters,” stated Candi matter of factly.

  “Very nice to meet you, Miss.” He was quick to offer his hand for a handshake. “If I were you, I'd ask Phyllis about Toonces. I saw her coming in from the store with a bag of cat food this morning.”

  “Ms. Rivers? The woman that lives next door to you?” asked Candi. “She doesn't have any pets.”

  “Phyllis Rivers. Uh huh. That's her,” said Mr. Peters nodding.

  Candi touched his arm softly. “Thank you for your time. You've been very helpful.” She headed into the apartment building and toward the elevator.

  Suzanne followed closely behind. “Do you know the woman?”

  “Not really. I ran into her one day when I was bringing Toonces home from the vet. She couldn't stop sneezing when we got into the elevator together, and she was giving me and Toonces dirty looks. I'd be very surprised if she had Toonces.”

  When the two girls reached the apartment of Phyllis Rivers, they rang the bell and waited. From the inside of the door, they heard a woman's voice shout, “Just a second!” It was followed by a quick succession of sneezes. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! The resident finally opened the door and stood in the doorway. She was a petite middle-aged woman with gray curls tightly curled onto her scalp as if she'd recently had a perm. She was rubbing her nose with a tissue and it was clear that she had watery eyes. “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “Good morning, Ms. Rivers. I used to live upstairs. I lived next door to Ms. Landers. I was wondering if by chance you've seen my cat, Toonces. She's a gray...” Candi's voice was cut short as the woman practically jumped for joy.

  “My Heavens! I'm so glad you're here, honey. I just knew you'd be back. Please come in and get your cat. My allergies are driving me crazy!”

  “Oh, you have her!? I'm so happy!” Candi rushed in and Toonces ran toward her as soon as she heard her voice and saw Candi set foot in the apartment.

  The woman blew her nose on her tissue. “Yes, dear. I recognized the cat as being yours, and I just didn't think it would be right to take her to a shelter, so I thought I'd hold her for you until you came back.”

  “Oh my goodness! What happened to her?” asked Candi as the cat meowed at her feet. Most of the fur on her back and backside was gone.

  “She had some badly matted fur as if she'd gotten into some paste. It was all clumped together. I tried to brush it out, but when I couldn't comb through it, I simply shaved that patch of fur off. I promise you that it didn't hurt her, and it'll grow back. She was more afraid of the sound the clippers made.”

  “My poor baby!” exclaimed Candi. She took the cat in her arms. “Thank you for looking out for her. I really have to go.” Candi tried to turn to go, but when she turned around she bumped into Suzanne. “Sorry. I thought you'd be heading out the other direction.”

  “Wait! I just bought a bag of food! Take this with you.” Ms. Rivers ran to the kitchen to retrieve the cat food and when she rushed back toward them, she handed it to Suzanne.

  “Thanks again,” said Candi. The two women opened the door and headed back into the elevator and out toward the truck.

  When Suzanne sat in the driver's seat, she looked over at Candi holding onto Toonces. As the cat looked out the window, Suzanne began to laugh.

  “What's so funny?” asked Candi.

  “Now I've seen your bare ass and your cat's.”

  Candi rolled her eyes. “Just start the truck.”

  Suzanne was still giggling to herself as they left the complex. She tried her hardest to refrain from laughing. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It is funny when you think about it.”

  Candi shook her head. “I really don't think it's funny.”

  Suzanne turned on the radio to a country station. “Don't be upset. Toonces is fine. She looks completely healthy. I'm sure the vet would have shaved her, too.”

  The day passed quickly as Candi bathed Toonces, prepared her a bed near the window, then filled her bowls of food and water that she placed down on the floor near the kitchen sink. Candi spent several hours tossing cat toys around and watching the cat chase after them.

  When Candi went into the kitchen to make grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch, Suzanne retrieved a laser light from her bedroom and began shining it across the carpet. She giggled to herself as she watched Toonces run back and forth as she chased after the light.

  “What are you doing over there?” asked Candi from the kitchen.

  “Nothing. Keeping myself entertained,” replied Suzanne, giggling again.

  Candi stepped out into the living room to find Suzanne playing with the laser. “Good grief. Quit torturing her. Hasn't she been through enough? A fire, glue, a shaved butt?”

  Suzanne chuckled mischievously. “I'm just playing with her. She's okay. I bet she's cooler and happier with a shaved butt.”

  Candi frowned at Suzanne's comment. “Lunch is ready.”

  Suzanne sat down at the table. “Great. I'm starving.” She grinned as she playfully added, “I was about to eat the breakfast sandwich you never ate.”

  Candy smirked. “Really? I told you I'd eat it. I'll have it right now.”

  Suzanne laughed. “You don't have to eat it. Have lunch with me.”

  “I'm real sorry I just wasn't hungry earlier.”

  Suzanne smiled half-heartedly. “I was only messing with you. Don't worry about it. I can eat it tomorrow.”

  “I'm going to shave your butt when you're sleeping to see how you like it,” said Candi still thinking about Toonces.

  Suzanne had already started eating, and Candi's comment caught her off guard. She nearly spit out her soup when she started laughing. “Believe me, if I had a hairy butt, I would've shaved it myself already.”

  “Okay, then I'll shave your eyebrows.” Suzanne grinned, then made her hand into a fist as if she was holding clippers. “Bzzzzz,” she said as she motioned in the air with her hand.

  “You better not,” said Suzanne before taking a bite of her grilled cheese sandwich.

  Candi laughed. “What do you want to do this afternoon?”

  “I have a few errands to run. Groceries for one. I need to pick up some things for dinner tonight. I also have to go pay the utilities. Will you be okay here alone, or do you want to come with me?”

  Candi placed her finger on her chin, then looked upward as she weighed the decision in her mind. “Hmm....Pay bills? That doesn't sound fun. I'll stay here. I'll rummage through your closet again to find something to wear for our date.” Candi grinned gleefully at the thought of looking for a treasure to wear. Even though Patrice was much taller than she was, for the most part, most of her clothes fit her. They were about the same size.

  “Okay, great. I'll be back in a couple of hours to start dinner.”

  With that, Suzanne was gone. Out the door before she could even swallow her last bite of her grilled cheese sandwich.

  “Wait! I hadn't even served you some milk yet!” shouted Candi as she opened the door.

  Suzanne was already near her truck when she shouted. “I'll drink it when I get back!”

  *******

  When Suzanne returned, she was carrying several bags of groceries.

  “Honey, I'm hom
e!” she shouted in her best Ricky Ricardo impersonation. She began to unload her groceries to put things away, and she was surprised that Candi didn't come out to greet her or respond to her boisterous entrance. “Hello?” she called out again. She knocked lightly on the bedroom door, but there was no response. “Candi?” she asked. “Are you in there?” Still there was no answer. She turned the door and opened it. She expected to see Candi napping, but the bed was made. She quickly turned to look at the bathroom door and noticed it was ajar. She crept up slowly toward the door, and as she approached, she could hear the shower running and Candi singing “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Take care. TCB.”

  Suzanne smiled as she listened to Candi singing, then returned to the kitchen to start dinner. She tossed the spaghetti in a stock pot, began frying some ground beef and Italian sausage, then starting cutting fresh mushrooms for her sauce. She began humming the same song that Candi was singing.

  When Candi finally came out of the bedroom, she was dressed to kill in a red gown, red lipstick, and red shoes. She remembered how Suzanne had admired her curls, and so, had left them to fall around her shoulders.

  “How do I look?” asked Candi as she stepped into the kitchen.

  This time it was Suzanne who was left speechless. She stayed quiet for a few moments just staring at her. She suddenly felt like she wanted to live in that moment forever.

  “Well? Aren't you going to say anything?”

  “Yeah...I mean, yes,” stammered Suzanne. “Wow. You look stunning! You're absolutely breathtaking.”

  “You really think so? The dress fits great.” Candi looked down at her red heels. “The shoes, again, are too big, but I love this dress.”

  “I love it more now than when I first bought it. It's my dress, actually. The one you wore yesterday was not. But, hell, you look great. You can keep it. It looks better on you.”

  “What's on the menu for tonight?” inquired Candi. “It smells divine.”

  Suzanne tried to speak with a French accent, trying to be silly. “On zee menu tonight, madame, I have spaghetti with meat sauce, side salad, house wine, and lightly buttered garlic bread sticks.”

  Candi smirked, then playfully said, “Oh, how fancy. House wine.”

  Suzanne laughed, then spoke in her normal speaking voice. “It's the same wine we didn't finish from last night. I just called it that to sound more upscale.”

  “Ooo la la. Everything sounds delicious.”

  “This...” began Suzanne. “...is nothing. Just wait until you see what I have planned for after dinner.”

  “I love surprises. I can't wait.” Candi smiled and took a seat at the dining table.

  Suzanne lit the previous night's candles, then dimmed the lighting and served dinner. She was glad that her first cooked meal hadn't burned or gone terribly wrong somehow, but even the video she had watched had said it was hard to mess up spaghetti.

  “So can you give me any hints about this surprise of mine?” inquired Candi as she started eating her salad.

  Suzanne grinned. “Hmm..it's a big place.”

  Candi laughed. “That's not much of a hint, is it? A big place could be anywhere.”

  “It's not the grocery store,” said Suzanne giggling. She skipped the salad and started twirling her spaghetti on a fork using the aid of a spoon.

  Candi tore a bread stick with her hands. “Is it the park?”

  “Nope. Not the park.”

  Candi took a drink of wine to wash down her bread stick. “Okay, how about another clue?”

  “It's a place that sometimes has an angel in it,” said Suzanne grinning.

  Candi was puzzled. “Church? You're not taking me to church are you? Because if you are I'm going to have to change out of this red outfit.”

  Suzanne began to laugh. “I promise, it's not church.”

  Candi began to eat her spaghetti and in between bites, she was talking out loud to herself. “A big place, sometimes has an angel in it...” She paused for a moment while she thought about the hints. “I have to say that I really don't know. Those are really good clues, and I feel like I'm totally clueless.”

  Suzanne could only grin. “When we get where we're going, you'll understand. I'm sorry I'm not all dressed up tonight. I can still change.” She was still working her way through her plate of spaghetti.

  Candi shook her head. “No, no. You look great. Am I overdressed? We're not going horseback riding or anything are we?” She set her salad bowl aside and began to eat her spaghetti. Every so often she would dip her bread stick in the sauce and take a bite.

  Suzanne took a sip of wine. “At this hour? No way. If we were going to go horseback riding at dusk, it would have to be on the beach.”

  “Nice. I'll make a mental note that you said that. I'll be looking forward to that date. Although, please be sure to tell me ahead of time where we're going, so that I can dress for the occasion.”

  Suzanne laughed. “Will do.”

  “I'm ready to go whenever you are,” said Candi as she put her fork down on her plate with a loud clink.

  “You hardly ate anything,” remarked Suzanne, looking over at Candi's plate.

  “I'm really rather full. Plus, I have a nervous stomach. Surprises give me butterflies.”

  “Are you sure you're not just in a hurry to go? We have time before they close, I think.” Suzanne glanced at her watch.

  “They're going to close? I think we should go now then,” remarked Candi, standing up. She took her dishes to the sink and placed them on the counter.

  “Okay, okay, we'll go. I was pretty much done anyway.” Suzanne rose from her seat and followed Candi's example by placing her dirty dishes on the counter top. She grabbed her keys and headed for the door with Candi following excitedly behind her.

  As Suzanne approached the downtown exit, she began to grin. It had started out as a small, devilish grin. It said, 'I know something that you don't know.' But then, it grew into a sneaky wide grin. She was almost beaming with excitement. “I can't wait,” she boasted. “You're going to love this. Close your eyes. I want it to really be a surprise.”

  Candi did as she was told. She closed her eyes tightly in anticipation of what was to come. Where are we going? she wondered. Is it the zoo? Could it be a walk down the downtown plaza or parks? The suspense was killing her. She carried a small grin on her face. She was nervous and excited, but trying not to show it as much as Suzanne was. Suzanne was wearing her excitement like a neon hat in a parade.

  “Are we there yet?” whispered Candi in an almost child-like tone. It was something she probably said a million times in her youth to her parents when they were driving somewhere.

  “Yes. We've arrived. Open your eyes.” Suzanne parked her truck right in front of a large building with tall Roman columns. There were two sets of steps separated by a large concrete landing that led up to the double doors.

  Candi opened her eyes and smiled brightly. “The Museum of Art. It's my favorite place. How did you know?”

  “Lucky guess,” said Suzanne, hopping out of the truck. She ran over to the passenger door and opened it for Candi. “You said you loved art, and I know you paint, so I figured, naturally, this would be somewhere you wanted to go or someplace that was already one of your favorite haunts.”

  Candi stepped out of the truck and wrapped her arm in Suzanne's. Together they entered the art museum arm in arm. The security guard tipped his hat at the two women as they entered. “Good evening, ladies.”

  “Good evening,” responded Candi gleefully.

  The duo carefully observed paintings and sculptures from different time periods. The paintings varied from landscapes to images of fruit. And some of the art sculptures were of giant day to day objects such as light bulbs, wild animals, and nudes of both men and women.

  Suzanne found herself staring at a painting of an ocean. It had waves that weren't wild or raging, but appeared to be calmly lapping onto the beach w
ith the soft glow of the sun falling upon the couple that was seated on the sand. She stared at the painting longingly.

  “You really like this one, don't you?” asked Candi as she noticed the look on Suzanne's face.

  “I do. It seems to come alive. I've never been to the ocean before.”

  “Really?” asked Candi surprised.

  “I've never lived close enough to the ocean to see it. But it's on my to do list. I'll get to see it one day.”

  “Come over here. I want to show you something in the next room,” said Candi smiling.

  “Is it better than the ocean painting?”

  “Much better. Come see. Judge for yourself.” Candi grabbed Suzanne's hand and led her to the other room.

  Occupying almost the entire side of one wall were many pictures of women. It appeared that they were the same two women but painted into various different settings. “Well? What do you think?”

  “It's beautiful. Who are they?”

  “Who they are isn't important. It's what they represent. The artist has never revealed if this is supposed to be herself when she was young or if it was someone she knew. But they are just images of laughter, good feels, and happy moments in life. I feel as if she wants the world to determine for themselves who the women are.”

  “What do you mean?” inquired Suzanne.

  “Well, do you see yourself in the photos? Maybe in this one here with the two women drinking coffee? Perhaps this one could be you and this other woman maybe your friend, your sister, your mom, or your lover. Or this one of the two women running along the beach laughing. What are they laughing at? Are they running from someone, or are they chasing one another? Also, again—do you see yourself or someone you know as one of the women in the painting?”

  “That's deep. I like the way you think.”

  “After looking at all of the paintings on this wall, tell me which is your favorite. Which one speaks to you and why?” questioned Candi.

  “That's easy. My favorite painting is the one of the two women embracing in Paris. The Eiffel Tower is in the background, but it's not the focal point of the painting. The eye is drawn to the woman in the red dress. I really like that.”