Words of the Week

Words: Pelf, Vim, Falchion, Alow, Juxtapose, Orpine, Kuchen, Nix


Faith was full of more vim and vigor than she had been in the past week. Perhaps it was all those one night stands I heard thumping across my bedroom ceiling the past couple days. Sometimes I had no idea how she managed not to walk bowlegged.

"So you're stuck on him, aren't you?" She asked, plucking a plastic falchion from a bumbershoot before laughing at the price and dropping back.

"Kevin and I are just co-workers. That's it." I couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of my mouth. After that weekend on the beach I was more attracted to him than ever but still found it hard to tell Marcus goodbye.

I popped a bite of fresh kuchen in my mouth as I browsed the bucket labled "2 for 1" We were sorely out of place with Faith's designer shades and six inch summer stilletos. People were whispering all around us, watching us as if we'd stopped at this neighborhood sale just to poke fun of them with our status and pelf.

A young girl of no more than sixteen pointed her finger at us with complete recognition. "You're Alexis Mitchell and Faith Holloway." She practically screamed.

Our identies Faith had not tried to protect at all had been blown. Immediately people stopped their browsing and inserted themselves in the situation. People began to juxtapose themselves around us, flanking us like we were on display. Faith loved the attention. She always had. I however, had had enough of the limelight.

With my divorce making headlines and my new relationship with Marcus coming under scrutiny I would give my right arm to not have any public interference in my life.

Grabbing Faith at the elbow, I found our way out of the throng of people and back to the car. "Why'd you nix the fun? That guy was totally going to give me his phone number!" She threw her blonde hair back and admired her clevage before applying a sheen of lipgloss over her lips.

"Every guy gives you their number." I tossed back at her.

"You're just bitchy because you're stuck making ga-ga eyes at a married man. Hang some orpine over your bed. It's a love potion." She rolled her wrist in the wind as I sped from our parking space and down the street into anonymity once again.

"No, I'm pretty sure orpine was used as a charm to ward away lightning." I mocked her, afraid to admit she was right. Part of my mood was the fact that I had to fight this incredible attraction to a man I knew was off limits.

As the sun set off in the west, the warm summer air passing through the windows, I couldn't help but think about the feelings I needed to bury deep in the alow of my mind.

I had to forget how enticing his long sandy blonde hair could be and how tempting the graying temples were. I had to forget those big brown eyes. Had to stop thinking of the way his goatee fell on his jaw. Had to forget the way those massive fingertips of his had felt caressing my back as we danced on the beach.

I had to forget.