CHAPTER TWO
Josh had never felt so alone. He had kind of gotten use to being alone but he still felt an ache inside him. He felt as though his entire heart had been ripped out, as if it had all happened yesterday.
He climbed into bed with all of his clothes on, with the exception of his shoes and before he realised it he was fast asleep. The room was still slightly illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window into his small apartment.
Josh's head was swimming in thoughts. He kept on hearing all of these people, some of whom he new telling him all different things then he saw a person coming towards him. He was beautiful. He had a strong caring nature. His face was absolutely beautiful, so strong with a square jaw, full lips that looked delicious; he had short sandy blonde hair. His body was that of an underwear model, the only thing he was wearing was a speedo.
Josh noticed that his body was wet, as if he had been swimming, his nipples were erect. Josh really liked this dream person. He spoke, "Joshie." No one ever called him Joshie except close family.
"You're a mess. Just let go of the pain. I'll be there soon. Everything will be perfect." The spunky stranger said.
Josh woke with a start. His alarm clock was blaring inaudibly. He hazily looked over at the clock; it said 8:00.
"Shit. I'm going to be so fucking late." He practically ripped off his clothes, ran for the shower and turned the cold water on. He soaped his Pecs & Abs. He hummed to himself and then sang for some strange reason, "...see you in my dreams, got me spinning round & round turning up side down."
"Where the hell did that come from?" He asked himself.
He smiled, "Me thinks me goin' crazy..." He turned off the taps and stepped out of the shower. He quickly dried himself, ran into his room, and threw on one of his suits, a blue shirt with a yellow tie, black pants & jacket. He grabbed his keys & wallet, ran through the door and slammed it behind him.
Josh's work was luckily not too far from where he lived which at times like this was lucky. He grabbed a shitty cup of coffee from the cafe. He decided to catch the bus for the twenty minutes required and then hopped off. It was now 8:40 he was still late. He walked quickly down Oxford Street to his building. He walked into the lobby and ran into the lift, it was full of people. He was struggling to hit floor seven when a stranger hit it for him.
"Floor 7? Must be a designer." The man said.
"Yeah. Thanks." Josh replied. He hopped off on the Seventh floor and looked at the stranger, it was the guy from his dream!
"Bye!" He said, flashing his killer smile.
Josh stood in his office with his jaw practically on the floor. He turned around and stumbled to the doors of his office and pushed open the doors. `Slip through unnoticed." He thought. He was ducking behind cubicles to avoid the evil beady eyes of his boss. He slid into his workstation. He sat down in his chair and turned his computer on, there was a pile of papers on his desk. He felt a hand on his shoulder; he turned around and yelled, startled by the person. It was Sarah.
"Hey Sare, you scared the shit out of me!" Josh said.
"Sorry sweetie, just reminding you to finish the Huffman site updates before Mr Beady eyes rotates his head 360º and vomits split pea soup all over you. Nice tie by the way. You look frazzled. Rrrough night?" She asked sheepishly
"I wish. So how was you weekend?" Josh replied and asked.
"Well Tim & I saw a movie, then went out for drinks, then came home, broke up, then made up three times..." She added grinning.
"Well lucky you!" Josh said.
"Anyway darling I have to go and do.... stuff so I'll see you at lunch ok?" She asked.
"Yep." Josh said uninterested. Sare was one of Josh's best friends. She was never judgemental and always supportive of Josh's quest for `Mr Right'.
He started to sift through the mountains of crap on his desk. His job wasn't really that hard, all he really did was update a major art website with artist's profiles and the locations of their artworks around the world. Josh enjoyed the job, because as apart-time artist it gave him the opportunity to see where Post-Modernist art was going. He was lucky enough to survive the IT cull of the twenty-first century.
Eventually after what seemed to be hours of continual typing & sipping of his shitty bitter coffee, lunch rolled around. He was dying for a cigarette anyway...
Josh stepped out onto the now crowded streets looking for something to eat. As he had skipped breakfast he was extremely hungry. His stomach was growling at him. He saw something across the road that looked appetising. He started to cross with the movement of the people. He then spotted a tall blonde figure...it was Seb.
Josh stopped dead in his tracks and stared. Once again the feeling of heart being ripped out returned to him. `That bastard.' Josh thought.
"Hey!" Someone yelled out at him. The next thing he knew, some crazy man just tackled him, they both landed on the pavement. Josh looked up at the attacker; it was the spunky guy from the dream & the lift.
"Um...Are you OK?" He asked
"Fine. Can you um get off me please?" Josh asked
"Oh sure I'm sorry. It's just that you were standing in the middle of the road and there were cars coming for you." The man said, pulling Josh to his feet.
"Thanks." Josh said stunned. He felt his knees go weak. Spunkyman grabbed Josh around the waist to stop him from falling. Josh felt really strong arms hold him
"Well, guy."
"My name is Josh."
"I think you should sit down for a while. Here `ya go." The man said, pushing Josh down onto a bench.
"What's your name?" Josh asked the beautiful man.
"Oh...I'm Patrick Raffe." Patrick replied.
"Oh my god!" A woman screamed behind them. They turned around it was Sarah.
"Oh Josh I was so worried! I didn't know it was you! You were running late and then I saw what happened." She ran and threw her arms around Josh's neck.
"So are you two...um?" Patrick asked unobtrusively.
Sarah burst out laughing. "Oh me & him? God no!" Sarah could sense the tension between the two.
"So...Josh, would you like to go...um out for a drink with...me sometime?" Patrick asked.
Josh must've broke out into a huge smile. Sarah was squeezing
"Sure I'd love too." Josh said. He felt a feeling in his chest that he had not felt in a long time. It was an indescribable fluttery feeling.
"My number is 9854-5321." Josh said. He scribbled down his name & number.
"I'll call you!" Patrick said as he walked away.
"Well, congratulations Josh. Looks like things may be lookin' up!" Sarah said.
They walked down the street arm in arm, Josh not paying any attention to Sarah's yammering. He looked back over his shoulder at Patrick. He had a really hot arse....
Josh smiled as he walked to a house of food. He felt happy as if he were floating.
"Why you smiling?" Sarah asked
"It's him Sare. It's him."
Constructive Criticism is most welcome, as are e-mails of encouragement. Flames however, will most certainly be ignored. :)
Coments or Questions to raen_j@hotmail.com
By: J Raen :)