Arioso
Soothing the Soul
- Joined
- May 18, 2003
- Posts
- 1,640
Let's see if I can coax a Tiger out of the brush...oh Tii-ii-iiger...
A closed thread for Hunting Tiger and Arioso.
The first time, it had been a sick Labrador. After overcoming nerves, schedule conflicts, and the Atlantic Ocean, they'd been poised to meet when his faithful, four-legged friend of eight years had developed a severe case of the doggie flu. And so the plans fell through.
Then it had been her flooded basement, which pretty much wiped out her savings account for a while...
...then his cousin's wedding...
...her passport expiring, and the new one getting lost in the mail...
...his job...
...her job...
It had to be a jinx, that's all there was to it. It was worse than Murphy's Law, more certain than death and taxes. If they made plans to meet, inevitably something would go wrong, forcing them to postpone yet again.
They'd been talking about meeting each other for close to two years. Their bad luck had become a running joke by now, although the prospect of finally satisfying their curiosity always glimmered on the horizon like a beacon...holding out hope...urging them to make just one more try...
But now...this time...would it work?
Danielle Genovese, 29, freelance writer for the Village Voice, waited anxiously on the Pont des Arts to meet a man she'd only encountered in the virtual world of message boards and e-mail. Her curly, dark hair was swept up atop her head in an elegant twist, so she could feel the cool, night breeze against the nape of her neck. She wrapped her arms around herself and paced.
Would he come?
In her hand, she clutched a red rose. They hadn't so much as exchanged photographs, enjoying the element of mystery in their online friendship, so when they'd discussed how to recognize one another, she had told him to look for the lady in blue holding a red rose.
So she waited beneath the Paris moon, watching its light reflected in the silently flowing Seine, as she shivered in her indigo silk dress, wishing that she'd told him to look for the lady in a nice, warm overcoat (but still holding a red rose). Danielle rubbed her hands over her bare arms and pressed her silk-clad legs together, trying to keep warm. She could have kicked herself: she knew what the weather was like in Paris this time of year. She traveled here often enough.
But she'd wanted the romance. Even if they did no more than share a friendly dinner and a stroll through the festively lit streets, Danielle had let herself get caught up in the romance of flying off to Paris to meet her unseen online friend. So, as impractical as it was for a cool autumn night, she'd opted for a sleeveless, blue silk cocktail dress that looked perfect for a night on the town, but did little to keep out the chill.
Then she heard the warm, hollow echo of footsteps on the wooden planks of the Pont des Arts. Her hopes rose as she turned toward the sound. A man's shadow heralded his approach on the moonlit bridge, but he was still too far away for Danielle to see his face so she couldn't tell...
...was he looking for her?
A closed thread for Hunting Tiger and Arioso.
The first time, it had been a sick Labrador. After overcoming nerves, schedule conflicts, and the Atlantic Ocean, they'd been poised to meet when his faithful, four-legged friend of eight years had developed a severe case of the doggie flu. And so the plans fell through.
Then it had been her flooded basement, which pretty much wiped out her savings account for a while...
...then his cousin's wedding...
...her passport expiring, and the new one getting lost in the mail...
...his job...
...her job...
It had to be a jinx, that's all there was to it. It was worse than Murphy's Law, more certain than death and taxes. If they made plans to meet, inevitably something would go wrong, forcing them to postpone yet again.
They'd been talking about meeting each other for close to two years. Their bad luck had become a running joke by now, although the prospect of finally satisfying their curiosity always glimmered on the horizon like a beacon...holding out hope...urging them to make just one more try...
But now...this time...would it work?
Danielle Genovese, 29, freelance writer for the Village Voice, waited anxiously on the Pont des Arts to meet a man she'd only encountered in the virtual world of message boards and e-mail. Her curly, dark hair was swept up atop her head in an elegant twist, so she could feel the cool, night breeze against the nape of her neck. She wrapped her arms around herself and paced.
Would he come?
In her hand, she clutched a red rose. They hadn't so much as exchanged photographs, enjoying the element of mystery in their online friendship, so when they'd discussed how to recognize one another, she had told him to look for the lady in blue holding a red rose.
So she waited beneath the Paris moon, watching its light reflected in the silently flowing Seine, as she shivered in her indigo silk dress, wishing that she'd told him to look for the lady in a nice, warm overcoat (but still holding a red rose). Danielle rubbed her hands over her bare arms and pressed her silk-clad legs together, trying to keep warm. She could have kicked herself: she knew what the weather was like in Paris this time of year. She traveled here often enough.
But she'd wanted the romance. Even if they did no more than share a friendly dinner and a stroll through the festively lit streets, Danielle had let herself get caught up in the romance of flying off to Paris to meet her unseen online friend. So, as impractical as it was for a cool autumn night, she'd opted for a sleeveless, blue silk cocktail dress that looked perfect for a night on the town, but did little to keep out the chill.
Then she heard the warm, hollow echo of footsteps on the wooden planks of the Pont des Arts. Her hopes rose as she turned toward the sound. A man's shadow heralded his approach on the moonlit bridge, but he was still too far away for Danielle to see his face so she couldn't tell...
...was he looking for her?