That day my house was clean with the laundry neatly folded. I could have run errands but I was getting over a cold so I decided to take a nap instead. It took me a while to fall asleep. I laid awake staring at the ceiling and thinking. Eventually I fell asleep and this is what I dreamt about. I met up with my aunt at her place. It wasn’t the home she has now or the home where she dwelt previously. Several formally dressed people introduced themselves. My mom offered me a glass of wine, two of my sisters were talking to someone I had never met. It was just after six on my watch when we left for the theater.
I have no idea why I left my seat during the performance. During my exploration of the theater I found some empty rooms. There was an oversized couch in one of the rooms. In my dream I fell asleep. I woke to find that I had someone else’s coat and purse. It took me a while to drop off the unknown items at the lost and found. After that I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. When I re-entered the theater I had to explain that I had lost my ticket. Previously I had been sitting with my mom and sisters, my new seat was next to someone I thought I knew. I’ve had dreams about the dream boy before but this is the first dream where I found him instead of him finding me. Adrenaline raced through my bloodstream as I sat next to him.
Since I can't remember how the dream ended I'll tell you how I wish it would have ended. When the play was over I needed a ride back to my car. Conveniently the dream boy was the one traveling my way. When we arrived at my car the dream boy sat and talked to me. I asked about his hobbies and interests. I know what he looks like but I wanted to know how tan he likes his toast to be and whether or not he'd wear a scarf I bought for him. Back when I had a real job a client of mine gave me a hundred dollar gift certificate to a store I liked to browse through. I carried it around for a couple months until one day I was in the store trying on sweaters. I found the perfect sweater to wear to work. A rack of scarves looked promising but none of them were what I wanted.
The dream boy's car was warm and cozy. He leaned back in his seat to get more comfortable. His voice was put you to sleep soothing. I was thinking I should leave before I fell asleep. I reached for my purse only to find it wasn't there. When the dream boy offered to drive me back to the theater I told him I'd buy him a drink. Outside I watched him shiver - that's when I mentioned the scarf I had bought. If you think it's crazy to buy a scarf for a man I've never met you're probably right but that's what I did. I didn't tell the dream boy I had chosen the scarf for him only that the scarf reminded me of someone I used to dream about.
On the drive to the theater I had an opportunity to listen to the music that he likes. He's a channel surfer, just like I am. We both like jazz in moderation, the dream boy said he can only listen to classical music for short periods of time. We spent most of the time flipping back and forth between stations we thought would play good music only to end up hearing the last bits of songs we both liked. The dream boy insisted we stop at Starbucks, I'm not a coffee drinker but I needed the warmth a drink would offer. My cocoa was perfect, not too sweet, not too hot, it was just right. There's a bar just down the street from the theater. One of the funniest things about that night was how we suggested the same bar at the same time.
There's nothing quite like studying the freshly shaved chin sitting across from you. His back was to the streeet. Lazy snowflakes dusted the statue outside the restaurant. While we discussed what to order, I noticed that wine was cheaper by the bottle. Since he had paid for my cocoa I set a bill on the table and ordered a bottle of wine. The dream boy asked if I was hungry. I was so deliciously content it took me a minute to decide. We ordered some appetizers to share. I don't know whether scientific research supports the theory that good food and great conversations go hand in hand but I'd like to offer that conversation as anecdotal evidence that it does. It took us over three hours but we covered everything from the lost art of walking to the 2008 US Presidential Election.
When the wine was gone he held the door for me. Powdery snow dusted our shoes as we walked towards his car. At the intersection of Mason and Water he turned to the left instead of the right. I could have asked him where he was going but that would have broken the spell. Frigid air stung our air starved lungs as we walked down to the edge of the pier. Neither of us said much on our trip back to the car. He held the door as I settled into the passenger's seat. I watched him turn his key in the ignition. Some day I'm going to buy myself the car I've always wanted. When I do it will be the dream boy's fault for making me want things I know I can't have.
Did the dream boy sigh when he pulled up next to my car? I walked across the parking lot wondering what would have happened if I would have put my head against his chest. Our eyes met as we sat in our respective cars. When I waved to him, he nodded at me. Reluctantly we left the parking lot, our cars traveled together for almost three miles. I tried not to think about his car turning off the freeway. My apartment was still twenty minutes away when my cell phone rang. Paradoxically I recognized his number although I've never seen it before. He had found my ticket stub, he asked if I wanted to save it. It was a good opportunity to arrange a subsequent meeting, I gave him my address instead. He said he'd drop my ticket stub in the mail on Monday.
At home I left my scarf on the chair in my room. I thought a shower would help clear my mind. My pajamas were where I had left them. Hours passed before I fell asleep. The next morning there was a missed call on my cell phone. I didn't check my messages because I knew the dream boy wouldn't leave one. In the past I've had trouble remembering my dreams. Today I'm having trouble forgetting that last night was never real. I set my plate of toast next to my mug of tea still lost in my dream. My mind traveled back over the night, normally that doesn't happen. This could be coincidence but I find it strange that I never remembered my dreams until they started being about you.