Writer's Cramp Entries

Chocolate Kisses

Prompt: Write a poem or story entitled Chocolate Kisses
Winning Entry 04/08/06

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We argued again this morning and I have the scars to prove it. Wincing softly, I rub the flesh-toned bandage on my cheek, sighing as I remember the blood that flowed from the cut earlier in the day. She had thrown a bottle of perfume at me, something I had gotten for her on her birthday two months ago. The heavy smell of roses had permeated the air as it shattered into pieces against the wall. I thought I had managed to dodge it in time, but apparently, I wasn’t quick enough.

I have never raised a hand to my wife and will not do so, no matter how many times she dares me to. I can see it in her eyes, that brilliant flash of danger that fills those beautiful emerald gems. I guess she thinks she can use that against me in court or something. But I refuse to cave in to her demands.

Call me a hopeless romantic or a masochist, but I still love her, so much that it hurts to think she doesn’t feel the same way anymore.

I’m not the most handsome man in the world neither am I the richest. I was just an ordinary college student living day to day on a federal loan and a job as an intern at the local newspaper when she walked into my life three years ago. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I was in that hot, stuffy cramped room which constantly reeked of damp wood, cigarettes, day old pizza and sweat, wondering how I could fix the copier I had accidentally broken, when the distinct smell of chocolate filled my senses.

I looked up, at first assuming that one of the co-workers had brought in a cake, when my gaze fell upon the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She was a fresh breeze and one could clearly see the effect she had on everyone in there. She had looked at us with a shy smile, holding a set of papers in her hand, and when she finally spoke…

“Hi…uum…my name is Amanda Casey and I’m the new intern…?”

…I knew she had stolen my heart, locked it and thrown the keys away never to return it again.

You could say our courtship was a matter of chance and pure luck. I never thought a plain guy like me would ever get the opportunity to go out with a gorgeous creature like her. I mean those things only happened in movies, didn’t it? But like I said, luck decided to shine its grace on me and before I knew it, I found myself working with her late one night to meet a deadline.

We found out we had so much in common and by sunrise, I knew I was going to do the nearly impossible - to actually ask her out on a date. I can’t even begin to tell you how nervous and scared I was and even after she said ‘yes’, I was still a wreck inside, not sure of what to do or how else to impress her.

However, Amanda proved to be just as beautiful inside as she was outside. Our date went without a hitch and we laughed like little kids at a candy store all through the night. As I escorted her to her front door, I guessed I would receive only a hug and not much else, but my hopes and heart soared like the wings of an angel as she leaned close to give me a goodnight kiss…on the lips! Her blush and coy smile had me gawking like a love struck teenager and as she ran into her apartment, I was left dazed on the front porch with her lingering smell of jasmine, roses and yes, rich chocolate.

Our romance was the talk of the office and even after my promotion to editor and making the move to a rival publication; we were still the best of friends. It wasn’t until Christmas Eve, that I finally found the courage to pop the question to her. We had been dating for almost a year by this time and her response was everything I had hoped for and more. When she kissed me, it was like melting into a tub of hot, molten chocolate. Every inch of her tasted that way and I savored it for as long as I could, knowing I’d never get enough.

We got married in the spring of the next year and a life of bliss was had…for a while. However, the honeymoon ended all too quickly and we were thrust back into a life of projects, meetings and deadlines. It didn’t help that we still worked at rival companies and the tension between us seemed to grow with each passing day. I watched with increasing sadness as Amanda became a shadow of her former self. Her smile was rarely seen and her temper became hotter than a sauna in summer. Nothing seemed to please her and I didn’t seem to be good enough anymore. Our arguments have become more heated as days go by and I dread the moment she’ll thrust those papers in my face saying…

“Lenny?”

I blink rapidly and lift my gaze, staring into my wife’s weary visage before me. Her blond hair falls in loose unruly waves around her face, making her look like a little girl. She reaches out to caress my cheek and I notice the tears in her eyes.

Without saying a word, I open up my arms to her and she climbs into my lap, embracing me tightly while sobbing quietly against my chest. For a long time, we remain that way, content to cleanse ourselves the best way we know how. In my heart, I make a silent vow to make this marriage work. For her tender chocolate kisses will always remind me of the beautiful spirit that still lurks deep within.




Word Count: 1000