"sparkly and colorful, we are"

We sit in the car, southbound on the 405...

"Some people, some girls, are just colorless. I want to be around people who are colorful. You are colorful. You are vibrant. A colorful girl. That would make a good song."

************

We sit in a modern space, dramatically decorated red and black, with the tastiest Italian food before us.

"So won't you show me your writing? Can't I see your blog?"

"Hmmm." I look down, embarrassed, not sure how to evade this any longer, I must just say it. " Well, maybe, it's just that, I've kind of written about you on there. Like once or twice."

"Well, I can't wait to read it." He said with a gentle and amused smile.

************

We sit on a balcony with tea, overlooking the beach.

"Why is it that you want to figure people out so completely?"

"If I know and understand people, I can treat them better, they don't bother me since I get their motivations, and, well, I think I want to understand people well enough so that they can't hurt me..." I explain vaguely.

He frowned. "But people can still hurt you, even if you 'get' them."

"Yeah, but maybe they can hurt me less this way... " I trailed off. I had never really said that reason out loud. Not sure how I liked the sound of it.

*************

We sit by the window, he with his spicy shrimp soup and me with my chicken pad thai.

"What kind of guy do you typically go for, then?"

"I like leaders... I like guys who are sure of themselves and are such that others are sure of them too. Kind and good with people. Driven. Fun. One of my best friends told me that I seem to only have ever dated guys who 'sparkle'. I like that." I smiled.

"Well... that sounds like me!" He winked. "But really, I have heard that said to me before... Sparkle. Am I a guy who sparkles?"

We both kind of laughed but it was an honest question. "You are!" I said.

"Okay then. Here we are. A sparkly guy and a colorful girl."

**************

We just been standing, kissing goodbye, giving long hard hugs. I opened my car door and stepped in, he closed the door behind me. I pull my seat belt around as I reach for my ipod to set up a song for my road trip. I'd just barely picked it up and clicked once before there was a tap on my window. I reached for the door handle but he was already opening it.

"One more kiss." He leaned in and gave it. "Okay, be safe." Then shut the door again. I drove away, grinning. He stood there and waved until I was out of sight.