"Time to Go to Bed", A Ficlet, by Gratiana Lovelace, 2014

"Time to Go to Bed", A Ficlet, by Gratiana Lovelace, July 01, 2014

 “Time to Go to Bed”, A Ficlet (PG-13),  July 1, 2014 Gratiana Lovelace,

(all rights reserved)

“Time to Go to Bed”, A Ficlet -- Prologue

A phrase, an image, a thought, and a fictional story emerges.  These random musings are not rooted in reality.  But rather, they spring from a wish to see everyone in a loving relationship.  And my characters are at my writing whims.  So they comply--at least, until, it is time to go to bed.

“Time to Go to Bed”, A Ficlet

It had been a grueling first Saturday of double performances with his new play--a matinee and then the evening show.  However live theatre--as opposed to dead theatre? he often queried people bemusedly--had firmly planted itself in his heart and became his first love again. Well, theatre was his first love professionally. 

Personally, his first love is a tiny spitfire of an actress who jolted him out of his easy going complacent lifestyle.  He had let things drift for so long while pursuing new career challenges, that he had neglected to carve out space for someone to call his own and he to be their own, someone whom he would see every day--whether he or she were in a good mood or not.   Kind of like that film The Defiant ones, wherein two escaped prisoners are chained together and having to make it work.  And he and his wife do make it work, through love and cooperation--just without the chains, or handcuffs.

The modern relational term is partner, but their loving bond is so much more than that.   And he also does not think that they complete each other as some people phrase it.  They were both fully grown and mature adults when they met and eventually married.  He did not know that he needed anyone until she came into his life like a cough inducing bellow of stage smoke and she altered what he thought that he wanted in life. 

And she didn’t make it easy for him either.  She was aloof, petulant, demanding, vain, needy, resourceful, humorous, kind, considerate, loving, and quietly sexy--so like him.  They were and are a combustible combination as a couple.  They met when they had worked together two years ago on a play.   He observed that she was being chased by one of her American friends from drama school--but she didn’t let herself get caught. She had been in only a few relationships before--two long term monogamous ones.  Despite her being in her twenties and somewhat of a free spirit, she didn’t sleep around.  He liked that about her.  Not that he thought her pure, but that she was discerning.

However, once he realized that he liked her in a particular way, the problem was would her discernment be favorable to him, or would she weed him out?  And he supposes that he didn’t help himself out in the romance department by not chasing her.  Pursuit was not his style.   He would greet her cordially each performance day--they had a very good working relationship.  He hoped that it would be something to build upon.  But he failed to ask her out for drinks after, or to suggest they have lunch on their day off.  These would be the usual openers to explore getting to know each other better. He smiled at her, she smiled back. 

But neither of them had made the first move toward each other dating wise during their play’s run--and they parted as friendly colleagues.  So, he thought that she had made her choice--and that it wasn’t him.  Apparently not.  Because quite unexpectedly several months later, she turned up at a cocktail fundraiser for the theatre and she made a beeline for him.  It is 8’oclock in the evening at the packed theatre reception.  As usual, everyone is queuing up to the bar. She spies him standing off in a corner by a larger palm tree while sipping his wine. She walks up behind him and gently pokes him in the ribs which startles him.