She sat on her couch....thumbed through her Cosmopolitan magazine and watched the clock hand roll around to the knock at the door. He was right on time. Frances got up and limped to the door. She looked through the peep hole...then unlocked the door and eased it open.
Francis looked up at his gray Fedora hat, covering jet black hair...then his big dark brown eyes...square jaw...smiling tender lips...straight shoulders under a knee length gray wool coat....and quickly down to his shining black shoes. She saw a silver cane in his left hand. He looked to be around thirty years old. The only word that came to her mind was,"Delicious!"
She looked back up at him as he said,"Hi....I am the man who called about the wedding dress...my name is Francis Crane. Frances giggled and said,"Hi Francis....this is a little weird...my name is Frances too...with an e of course." He smiled a little bigger and said,"May I come in please?" Frances grinned and said,"Oh..I'm sorry...of course...come on in." As he slowly limped past her...he softly said,"You are as pretty as your voice." She dug her toes into the carpet and said to herself,"Attention Frances...do not daydream...stop it....NOW!"
Frances closed the door and limped past him...then froze...thinking,"Oh m God...I'm limping like him...he'll think I'm making fun of him...oh my God...oh my God!" She blurted out,"My toe...I stubbed my toe...that's why I'm limping...I toed my stub!" He chuckled and said,"I toed my stub a few weeks ago...actually my knee....the mountain thought I looked better at the bottom."
Frances grinned offered him to sit in her best...least worn...red stuffed high back chair. She asked him if he would like something to drink? He pulled a flask from his coat pocket and said,"Perhaps a little ice in a glass...I've had this full from New York...I hate drinking alone." Frances thought it was strange but she served him a glass of ice. As he poured gin into the glass...he asked to see the dress. She limped to her bedroom and came out holding the dress in her arms. She held it up high for him to see.
He smiled.... saying,"Could you model it for me...please?" Frances thought,"Oh...the way he says please...ohhhh...I would model naked in the snow....ohhhh...earth to Frances....put the dress on...NOW!" She rushed...limping... into the bedroom as he spoke out loudly,"I thought your father was going to be here too?" Frances shouted back,"Uh..he went to get a thingy for the sink...he should be back anytime now!"
She took her jeans, blouse and bra off. She stepped into the wedding gown and pulled it up. She thought out loud,"Crap...how am I going to lace the back up?" She reached behind her back and managed to pull the laces a little but the top was still loose. She just held her arms tightly to her sides and limped out in the living room to show him. As his eyes sparkled...he said just one word,"Beautiful!" Frances smiled and said,"I put a lot of work in this dress..and...a lot of love."
Francis leaned back in his chair and said,"The dress is pretty...it was you I was talking about...you are stunning Frances...absolutely stunning!" Frances blushed and even felt a little faint. No one had ever told her that she was stunning before. She felt a tear coming but took a deep breath and said,"Thank you...you are such a sweet gentleman." He asked her to turn...she spun around a few times.... and he finally said,"It is perfect...I want to buy it." Frances was happy that he wanted to buy the dress but sad that this beautiful man was about to walk out her door forever.
She limped into the bedroom and changed back into her clothes. As she came out...he stood up. She handed him the dress that she had wrapped in clear plastic. He handed her eight one hundred dollar bills and tipped his hat with a smile. She grabbed the door knob and daydreamed a little that she was opening the door to their new mansion on the beach....he would pick her up...slam the door behind them and he would make love to her on the golden leaf walls of the foyer!" He stepped past her and even his scent was sexy. She felt her heart tingle as he looked over his shoulder and said,"Even in everyday clothes...you are stunning."
Frances blushed again and watched him limp down the walkway in the cold wind. She wanted to scream for him to come back! She slowly closed the door...limped to the chair he was sitting in and sat down. She leaned sideways in the warm chair and pulled her feet up. Frances began crying. His face, voice and words ran through her mind. She scolded herself out loud,"Frances...get a hold of yourself....God...you're acting like a teenage girl in puppy love!"