AS YOU MELT THIS HEART OF STONE

I HAVE TO CLOSE MY EYES AND HIDE

" Romance and all its strategy
Leaves me battling with my pride.
But through the insecurity
Some tenderness survives....

At times I'd like to break you
And drag you to your knees...
At times I'd like to break through
And hold you endlessly ....." - Dan Hill

--------------------------------------------------------

It was the first time in, I even couldn't recall how many years, I drove my car without proper attention to the road.

My head was filled with the startling realisation of the previous night - I still had a heart and it could still feel something. I couldn't probably name the feelings, but those were very strong nonetheless.

And also it was the first time in my life I felt nervousness creeping slowly into my mind. I felt frustrated.

What the hell was wrong with me!

" Oh! Don't be such a simpleton Rick! You KNOW what's wrong.", by this point you've probably become familiar with that irritating know-it-all inner voice of mine! Yes, no surprise, it chose to make it's presence known even this early in the morning!
" You are nervous because you feel unsure of your reception when you reach the girl's home. You are afraid that she would forget the request, no demand, she made of you last night and won't recognise you in the morning."

Oh shut up for God's shake! I am Rickard Ellington Conway,

Correction

The Rickard Ellington Conway!

The earth may stop in its orbit around the sun, Sarah Dowell can start being serious, Leonard Beards can stop flirting with girls, Hamlington Harveston can turn out a new leaf,

But Rickard Ellington Conway can never feel nervous.

Yes that's it.

I am not nervous.

I am not thinking about her.

It's just business.

I just want to know who the thief was.

Thus determined I drove towards my destination, all the while chanting the mantra, "It's business, it's business, it's business....."

***************************

I had already texted her to get ready before I reach her home.

So when I reached her home and saw her eagerly, almost too eagerly for both of ours well being, coming towards my Ferrari la Ferrari, I clenched my jaw and looked straight ahead on the road, doing my best to put on the mask of indifference.

But avoiding to look at her was a futile effort anyway. Because every fibre of my existence could feel her presence.

Her sunny smile (what's it with her and sunshine I wonder!) ,

her unassuming doe eyes searching my face (I made my face more stony of course, if possible)

The amber glow of her hair sparkling through the corner of my eyes (I shut my eyes to prevent this 'unwanted' distraction)

The sweet fresh smell of hers tortured my nostrils. Now I could not shut that out! But I wondered how could she smell so sweet and fresh. Probably she had had a shower a while ago, or a bath with sweet smelling soap bubbles.....

"Don't you dare travel that path, you pervert!", I glared at my mind.

She mumbled a week good morning to me, but I didn't respond, because my mind was.... well.... ahemmm.... taking sometimes to follow my command.... and my body was also.... well.... taking sometimes to adjust in a more... ummm... comfortable position.....