DON’T MESS WITH PERFECTION 4 Short Stories By: Marie

DON’T MESS WITH PERFECTION

Carlos was in a quandary—New Years Resolutions—they were a requirement, no? Resolve—what? The weemenz got his full treatment at every concert—what more could they want? He kept his kiss curl and his eyebrows in perfect working order for them! He promised to take them with him in his suitcase. He even exposed chest hair for them for God’s sake! No, he treated his weemenz well!

Give more time to his family? His mama, papa and sister knew he gave them as much time as he could and they loved and supported him just as they always had. He would give them all the time he could but he knew there wasn’t much hope of increasing it.

And Geraldine, his beautiful wife. The woman who had stood by him, who loved him with all her heart. He had given her a fantasy wedding and loved her above all others and would never have even considered acting on any of his flirtations. He would take her with him as much as she could possibly travel—yes, that was a possibility—take Geraldine with him more—but that was another thing he would be doing anyway—no resolution required!

Then perhaps the resolution would have to be for himself! He had thought of late—he was the dutiful son, the accomplished performer since childhood, the loving husband—he had been shaped by so many influences. Who was the real Carlos—the man inside—the man without the outside influences? He was a loving and dutiful son, a devoted and faithful husband, a performer who gave all for his fans—he was Carlito—and he was perfect! At least as perfect as he knew how to be in his truly good heart. Resolutions—bah!! Carlos smiled and gave no more thought to the subject.

DIVO’S RESOLUTION

New Year’s Resolutions—what a burden—what a responsibility!

His head hurt! He didn’t want to think about this resolutions crap anymore right now! Right! It was there in his brain—wasn’t going away! And he knew why it wasn’t going away! It was a resolution he knew he would have to keep. No more procrastinating! Oh he truly had been busy, no one would dispute that! But there had been a moment here, a moment there—oh yes, there had been a few squandered opportunities. Gone, never to be recovered!

He hadn’t meant to put it off. He really had good intentions. He didn’t know why he hadn’t just—done it!

He tried playing his new game—couldn’t concentrate. He tried watching television. He couldn’t lose interest because he could not work up any interest to start with.

He would spend more time with his girl—nope, would do that anyway. Would spend more time with his family—nope, would do that as much as possible anyway.

Oh, yeah—there it still was in his head. Couldn’t override it. Flashing in his thoughts in neon red!

“OK! OK! I’LL DO IT!” He looked around a little sheepishly having jumped up and shouted to an empty room.

“Ok, I David Miller, resolve to post more often on the Forum! And I promise to talk to my little buddies Urs and Carlos about doing the same! Little Sebby makes the rest of us look bad—little suck-up!”

But he smiled, thinking how thoughtful Seb was in posting on the Forum and how much the fans appreciated it.

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN PARIS

Sebastien’s maman asked him if he had made his New Years Resolution yet and he told her that he had not but that he would have one by midnight.

The Izambards’ Paris apartment glowed with holiday spirit. The decorators had done their finest work in black, gold and crystal. It would be a New Year’s Eve Gala to remember, but of course, their Gala every year was one to remember. It was The Place to be on December 31st. Invitations were coveted within the best circles.

Sebastien had been allowed to attend from the time he was fifteen years old. As a boy, it had been so exciting to mingle with his parents’ friends. Being an only child had its advantages. He had grown up around adults and many of his parent’s younger friends were his friends also. He enjoyed the conversations. He enjoyed the elegance of the evening. He enjoyed dancing with the ladies and they enjoyed him, some of them a little too much. He blushed thinking about the liberties taken by some of them. He smiled thinking of where some of those liberties had led.

Sebastien was doing a final walk-through of the rooms and was expected to report to his mother. She had delegated this task to him when she realized that his eye was as practiced as hers when it came to noting details.

The evening was in full swing when he arrived at the top of the stairs dressed in formal Armani. The descent gave him the opportunity to survey the scene below. All guests knew that the dress code required black and gold. The only exception was the men’s white shirts. The room was a symphony playing in perfect harmony; a vision of black, gold and crystal, no discords.

Then he saw her. She was standing alone near the windows, looking out at the lights of Paris. From that moment, Sebastien moved in a dream. The revelers became phantoms moving in slow motion with no sound—only she was real and animated. They met, they danced, they conversed, they laughed, they ate, they drank and at the stroke of midnight they kissed. He was enchanted; he was in love.

He turned as his mother approached to wish him Happy New Year. When he turned back to make introductions, she was gone. “Mother, who was the lovely young woman I danced with? All she told me was that her name was Cynthia.”

“I don’t know, dear. I thought she was your friend.”

Excusing himself, Sebastien wove among the guests to no avail. She was gone. He went to the door. “Jean-Luc,” he addressed the butler, “Did you see a young lady leave already?”

“Yes sir, about ten minutes ago, just right after the stroke of midnight.”

Sebastien raced around the corner to the elevator door. The light indicated that the car was at ground level. As he turned back his eye caught a glimpse of something partially under a table by the wall. Stooping to pick it up, he found it was a lady’s evening slipper. It was a sandal of narrow clear straps and a high heel made of some sort of acrylic that looked like crystal. He stood staring at the shoe. A look of incredulity spread across his face. “Non…….. Not possible……..” he repeated but ran to the window to look down. The street was empty. ----------------But he had the shoe! “I will make ze New Year Resolution—I will find her!”

RESOLUTION KEPT

The tropical sun beat down, soaking into weary muscle and bone as the masseuse worked the warmed, scented oil into said muscles. A massage on a tropical beach—what could be more pampering? He made his mind remain blank and his senses alert. He felt the sun and oil soaking into his body, the breeze feathering across the surface of his bare skin. The aroma of the oil was mixed with the salt air. The soft but strong hands continued ministering to his body. Blue sky with floating white clouds was the only vision he permitted behind his closed eyelids. All that his senses provided combined to form the most sensual, erotic setting he had ever experienced.

Tension melted away as she worked her fingers into the tops of shoulders, up the neck and over his scalp, smoothing back his long hair. The fingers became gentle as they moved in tiny circles removing furrows from his brow and tenderly following the planes of his face.

The therapist indicated it was time for him to roll over onto his stomach so his back could now be the recipient of her healing touch. She held the strategically placed towel in place as he turned.

Having worked individual muscle groups, the masseuse now began long strokes beginning at his heel and ending with his shoulder. The folded towel, his only covering, had been turned back enough so as not to impede the long languorous gliding of her hands.

He gave a contented sigh, deciding that this had to be the second best thing that had ever happened to his body! He smiled, thinking of the first and making a mental note that sometime the two must be combined!

He was ushered into a thick white terrycloth robe and moved to a chaise under a large umbrella. He had finally opened his eyes as he had risen from the table and now, concealed by dark glasses, they merely watched the swell and fall of the waves. He sipped the fresh fruit drink that had been brought by an admiring attendant. “Aaahhhhh….” Such relaxation—such bliss!

He smiled as he thought of how it would be several hours yet before they realized that he had not been on either of the two small planes the group had been forced to use to leave the little island. To bring their entire entourage to such a tiny place to perform had necessitated dividing the group into halves. The other three Divos would be grumbling because he had not made the first flight with them—not knowing that he had engineered a mini-escape!

His smile broadened—perhaps there would even be time for another massage. The Devious Divo chuckled to himself! His New Years resolution to find some time away just by himself had been accomplished!