The Blindfold Game

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“You are like a leaf growing outside my windowsill”, he said with the volume and tone of a Shakespearean actor.

The room grew suddenly quiet.

Playing along, in an equally dramatic voice, she replied, “And if I the leaf, then you sir, are the dew drop that blankets me with his nourishment and.” She stopped for effect before continuing, “makes me moist in the morn.”

Ahs and soft murmurs undulated through the room.

Still blindfolded, she could sense him circling her.  Aroused, she shivered.

Behind her.  She reached above her head and behind.  Empty space.

For an instant she thought he was gone….until she felt the warmth of his breath, his presence, down by her crotch.  She gasped.

She reached down and put her hands through his hair.

“What a delightful ending!” She paused. “Or beginning?” she said playfully for all to hear.

Several onlookers clapped and exchanged comments.  “Great line!”  “Skillfully done.” “Excellent!” “Have they played this before?”

“I think I’m in love!” he exclaimed to the pleasure of the audience.

Still in character, she declared, “Then the object of your love shall have a name!”  Extending her hand into thin air, she introduced herself softly. “Hi, I’m Joan.”

She was greeted with silence and then awkward claps from the audience. Audrey, the hostess, came to Joan’s rescue and removed her blindfold.

He was gone.

Audrey felt for Joan and was totally embarrassed by the behavior of her guest.  “I have no idea where he went.  He practically ran out of the room, so I’m guessing he’s in the men’s room.  I’ll catch up with you later.”

Joan had never seen this Blindfold Game played so she wasn’t sure what was what, really.  She found her friend Fern and nibbled on some food.  Fern had no idea who he was and said that he just disappeared into the crowd.

It was the strangest thing and pretty ridiculous when you thought about it.  Joan didn’t know the guy or even know what he looked like.  Yet she felt an emptiness growing inside her all night long.

The blindfold game was played four more times. When it came time for the Impromptu Awards, all five teams were asked to gather on the stairs.

“I’ll get to meet him now”, she thought.

Bob, Audrey’s husband, had kept the stairs dark for effect so that each couple would emerge from darkness onto the brightly lit landing for a round of applause.

He arranged team number five at the bottom of the stairs, number four a couple of steps up, and continued to position the teams further up the stairs so that from the living room, all you could see of team number one were ankles.  Except, she was alone, just one set of ankles.

“Oh my god, how embarrassing”, she thought as she closed her eyes and savored a long sip of wine.

Just as she was considering, “Will he come to me?” she heard the words whispered, “Come to me.”  She honestly thought she was just hearing her own thoughts barely audible over her beating heart.

Then her hand was in his as she opened her eyes.

“You’re here”, she said.

“I came back.”

“You left?”

“I came with a date and needed to take her home.”

“Oh.”

He kissed her. Deep, soft, sensuous.

“I needed to take her home so I could spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Oh.”

They kissed again.

“Oh Team Number One, we’re calling you.  Earth to Team Number One,” called Bob as he stuck his head up the stairs.

They descended to the landing, arms wrapped around each other.  The applause was deafening as Bob presented them with two first place Impromptu Awards.

They graciously accepted the awards but later, when leaving, returned one to their hostess.  “Save the second one for your next party, Audrey.  We’re only going to need one.”

by Barbra Wolfe