No Me Ames

By Susan J.

All my life, even though I have friends who care about me, I still feel at times that I am alone. Even when my friends surround me I still have this feeling; I hope that one day I will overcome it, but until that day, I just go on with my life. On this particular day I sat at home working on my computer and listening to some CD's when I heard my doorbell.

"I wonder who it is? With the mood that I am in maybe they will go away."

I continued working. The doorbell rang again. I rolled my eyes and started getting up.

"All right, all right." I walked over to the door and looked through the viewer.

"Who is this man?"

I opened the door and there stood a man dressed in dark dress pants, white shirt, and black shoes. His eyes were the most expressive that I have ever seen and his hair was dark medium length and curly.

"Can I help you?" I said.

"Yes, I hope so. Does a man named Max Sanchez live here?" the man said.

"No, he doesn't live here, but I do know him."

"Do you have his address?"

"Yes, I do but I'm not in the habit of giving it to someone who I don't know."

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Francisco Leal. Max and I have been friends since we were kids. I told him when I came to town that I would drop in to see him."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Maybe you're right. Look, I have proof that I know him." Francisco reached for his wallet, took out a picture and showed it to me.

"This is Max and I three years ago when we got together in New York."

I looked at the picture. "Yeah, that's Max all right. I'm sorry I put you through the third degree, but these days you can't be too sure."

"I understand."

"He wrote down this number 2886 Roland Drive, and that's this address."

"He wrote the last number wrong, it should be an 8 and that's two houses down."

"Thanks. I'm sorry that I bothered you."

"It was no bother."

"I better go now."

"All right. I hope you find him."

"Thanks."

Francisco walked away and I closed the door. I walked back over to my desk and sat down. A few hours passed; I was working on my computer again when the doorbell rang.

"Damn it! I'm never going to get anything done!" I got up and walked to the door and opened it.

"Now what?!" I yelled.

"Oh you're bitchy today! How nice," said Max.

"Bitchy twice over. Come on in."

"Thanks."

Max and his friend Francisco walked in and I closed the door behind them.

"Please make yourselves at home," I said.

"I always do," Max said.

"I see you found your friend," I said.

"Yes I did, thanks," Francisco said.

Max was behind the bar getting a couple of beers. "Oh you two know each other?" Max asked.

"Yes. You gave me her address and I knocked on her door instead of yours," Francisco said.

"I did? Oops, sorry Francisco."

"It's okay, I got to meet someone who..."

"Who is in a bitchy mood?" Max said.

"No just a bitch," I said. We started laughing.

"No, a person who was very helpful because my friend doesn't know how to give a correct address, but I don't know her name," Francisco said.

Max gave us each a bottle of beer. Francisco walked over to the computer and saw what I was working on.

"You didn't tell him your name, Chata?"

"No I didn't."

"Francisco, her name is Andrea, but if you want you can call her Andie."

"But then why did you call her Chata?" Francisco asked.

"Because no matter what group of people we hang out with I'm always the shortest, so Max started calling me Chata."

"Oh, now it makes sense. So what are you working on?" Francisco said.

"I'm working on a program for a tour," I said.

"What kind of tour?" Max asked.

"Some rock group that's starting a tour, so I'm making collages of their pictures from their concerts and studio stills, you know stuff like that."

"Sounds interesting. Do you have a deadline?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I have to have this finished by Monday."

"Will it be enough time? I mean that's only four days away," Max asked.

"No problem. I'm almost done with it anyway. I only have about two more collages to do and then it's all done."

"That's good. Say would you like to have dinner with me and Francisco tonight?"

"Thanks, but I have to finish this," I said.

"But you just said that you still have four more days to work on it; come on, you need a break."

"Thanks Max, but I can't."

Max walked over to me and grabbed my chin with this right hand and made me look into his eyes. "Chata, you have to get out of the house once in a while."

"What makes you think that I don't?" I asked.

"Because I know you. Come on, let's go and get something to eat."

We looked at each other. With the look that Max had in his eyes I knew I would never win.

"All right, all right, let's go," I said.

"That's my girl! Let's go cuz I am starving!" Max said.

"For as long as I've known you Max, you have always been a bottomless pit," Francisco said.

We laughed as we walked out the door. After dinner we returned to my house and sat in the living room and talked.

"So how long have you been designing programs, Andie?" Francisco asked.

"Oh, about three years. What do you do for a living Francisco?"

"I'm a psychiatrist," he responded.

"Are you here on vacation or for a seminar?

"Strictly on vacation."

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay."

"I'm sure I will."

"So what do you have planned for him Max?"

"I thought maybe we'd check out the sights this city has to offer," Max said.

"Well there are a lot of things to see here. Just don't let Max buy you a pair of Mickey Mouse ears."

"I won't," Francisco said, laughing.

"Well, I think we better go so you can finish your work," Max said. They stood up.

"You're right Max. It was nice seeing you Andie, and I hope to see you again."

"That would be nice," I said.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Chata," Max said.

"Okay."

I walked them to the front door and they left. I locked the door behind them and returned to my computer. As I finished up my work Francisco kept popping into my mind. He had such a nice warm smile and those eyes; those eyes were the darkest I'd ever seen. I shook my head in order to stop thinking of him.

"Stop it! You don't need to get involved with anyone. Just keep your mind on your work and everything will be just fine."