1 comments/ 10766 views/ 0 favorites Pizazz By: princezdaizy The sky was smudged like newspaper ink. Clifton brooks left his cozy flat without an umbrella or a jacket. He was clad in a pair of gray wool trouser pants and a black ribbed sweater. His silver rimmed glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. He thought that they made him appear to be smarter than he thought he was. As he walked down the street he nervously ran his hand through his slightly damp hair. He thrust his other hand in his pocket and walked hurriedly towards the café. A string of bells announced his presence in the tiny coffee shop. He got in line. Angela sat in the small corner booth gazing at the line of customers. She was sipping her white mocha seductively as she turned over a premonition in her head. She had been single, or as single as she knew how to be, for three months. She knew that it was not an eternity but it was beginning to feel like one to her. She had decided that today was the day that she would start looking for a guy. But not just any guy. Angela didn't have trouble getting dates her problem was more with the relationship part. It always seemed that guys wanted to flirt or "just date" her. She despised hearing those words. She decided that today was the day that she was going to set out to find herself a boyfriend. As Angela was resolving her dilemma she heard the bells on the door offer her a prospect. She looked up to find a man dressed in gray pants and a black sweater. His chocolate brown hair hung into his eyes as he waited impatiently in line. Angela watched him for several minutes. He placed his order with the cashier, waited a few additional minutes, and then accepted his coffee-to-go. He turned and exited the café without noticing Angela. This was something that she was not used to. She was a pretty girl. Her long blonde hair hung thick and full to the middle of her back. Her eyes sparkled when she gazed upon you and their colour changed depending upon her outfit. Her nose was small and petite, and Angela recalled the most memorable compliment that she had ever received was for her "cute little nose." And then there was her mouth. Her lips were full and pouty and had the colouring of a fully rip Red Delicious apple. They begged to be nibbled. Sometimes Angela fulfilled their wish. Some people thought that it was a nervous habit but it wasn't. Angela knew what she was doing at all times. Every movement, every action, and every position of her head were perfectly calculated to elicit and exact response from anyone who happened to be watching. And they watched. Especially men. She pretended not to notice but she could feel their stares. She gave them something that they wanted and in turn they supplied her with something that she needed. She welcomed their looks without a hint of appreciation. Clifton Brooks was a shy man. He worked as a web page designer for a small company that he had helped start. He was smarter than he thought and everyone recognized his intelligence. He was always punctual, responsible, and trustworthy. He had a lot of acquaintances, but he didn't have any close friend, or a girlfriend. He didn't perceive these as problems but his mother did. She was always trying to set him up. He appreciated it but he resented his mommy trying to make friends for him. And he could certainly do without her blind dates. She was always trying to set him up with the daughter, client, or something of so-and-so down the street. He loved his mother but he did not need her constant reminding that he was not very good at forming close relationships with people. As he walked to his office he thought about the most recent blind date that he had went on. He had arrived at Sherri's house around six thirty. He had made dinner reservations at The Waterfront for seven. When he showed up Sherri answered the door in her bathrobe. She said that she had fallen asleep and was just starting to get ready. She tried to call but there was no answer. Clifton sat on her couch for an hour before he decided to check on her. Her bedroom was slightly open but he knocked anyways. There was no answer so he called to her. Still no answer. Clifton opened the door and saw that Sherri was sleeping on her bed. He quietly let himself out and walked home. He called his mother and found out that she had neglected to tell him Sherri was narcoleptic. That night he vowed that he would never allow his mother to set him up on a date again. Clifton laughed out loud as he entered his office fifteen minutes early, as always. As he was designing a personals web page he had a premonition. He had never had a girlfriend. He had been on many excruciatingly painful dates but he had yet to be involved in an actual relationship. It was fall and Clifton wished that he had someone to share the cool autumn evenings with. Did he dare think of spending another Christmas, and consequently, New Year's alone? He had rather not. Clifton Brooks decided that he was going to find a girlfriend. He only wished that he had some clue of how to go about it. Angela had settled her tab at the coffee shop and hurried home to start on her elaborate plan to find a boyfriend. She called it Operation Get a Guy, or OGG for short. Her first step was to consult the back issues of Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Mademoiselle. After sifting through them she decided that she needed the perfect outfit and a few other things. Angela was on a mission to find herself some clothes that would make her "subtly appealing." In other words, appealing to the male population without appearing as if she tried too hard. She purchased a pair of black knee high boots and a red ribbed shirt. These would go perfectly with her black skirt. She also picked up a box of hair colour, red nail polish, a facial mask, and a new razor. At the checkout counter she added a pack of gum and Tic Tac's to her purchases. Angela went home to get started on OGG and she felt positive about her situation. Clifton left his office building and started walking towards his loft. He walked on lethargically. He didn't have anything to rush home to. No one was there waiting for him; there was no date that he needed to get ready for, no romantic dinner to prepare, there was no special someone. As he unlocked the door a flyer slipped from where it had been wedged between the door and the door jam. The wind caught it and carried the neon pink paper a few steps in the direction that Clifton had just come. He swiftly captured the flyer and read over it. "SINGLES NIGHT! Join us for the hottest singles night around. Find a mate to flirt with, date, or even take home to mom! TONIGHT at the grand opening of PIZAZZ!" Clifton didn't thin much of it but he thought that it would be a good step towards finding someone. He went downstairs to his bedroom. He peered into his closet for some club clothes. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't find any so he laid out his brown corduroy's and a hunter green three button polo. He set out a brown leather belt, brown socks, and his brown shoes. From the top dresser drawer he pulled a pair of plaid green boxers. He took off his work clothes and jumped into the shower. He stood there for a long time thinking about what he wanted in a girlfriend. He didn't just want any woman. He decided that he was not looking for someone of a certain hair colour, or height, but that his wants were nestled in personality. He wanted a girl who enjoyed the outdoors, but wouldn't be bored staying in. He wanted someone who knew what she wanted, but could still compromise. He wanted a nice girl. Caring. Smart, she had to be smart. Pretty. Those were the things that Clifton Brooks was looking for. And a non- smoker. Smoke made his eyes itch. He dressed and then cooked himself a t.v. dinner. His mother hated the fact that he didn't eat properly balanced meals and he thought about this as he ate his grainy mashed potatoes and enjoyed them because his mother hated them. Clifton went upstairs to brush his teeth. Good hygiene. She had to have good hygiene. He left his loft around nine that evening. He didn't expect to be out that long. The club held more prospects that he had thought it would. He casually looked around as he headed for the bar. He ordered a long island iced tea and took a seat at a table on the upper level overlooking the dance floor. From this vantage point the could see most of the people in the club. There were three women that caught his eye. Will Clifton find the girl of his dreams? Will Angela have success with OGG? Stay tuned for PIZAZZ: Part 2. Please take the time to vote on this story and let me know what you think- also it's not too late to make your opinion known as to what should go down in Part 2! Pizazz Ch. 2 The first woman that Clifton found intriguing was a petite red head. Her hair was long and shiny and hung around her face in large spiral curls. She was dressed in a long black matte jersey dress. It hugged her curves graciously. Clifton liked her look. It was completed with a delicate silver watch, a long silver pendant, and high- heeled Mary Jane’s. He was interested and yet something held him in his seat. He scanned the room. His eyes caught on another beautiful woman. She was tall with short black hair. She tried to wear it pushed behind her ears but it didn’t want to stay there. As she writhed on the dance floor it fell into her eyes. This gave her a mysterious quality that kept him watching. Clifton noticed that she was wearing an inappropriate outfit for the season. It was a short red dress with black beadwork. It was sleeveless and cut low. Clifton wouldn’t have been surprised if one of her pale white breasts slipped out wile she was dancing. She wore red satin pumps that looked like they cost more than his monthly rent. She was beautiful however impractical she was. The third woman that he saw seemed shy. He thought that she seemed very approachable. She was wearing black pants and a purple shirt. She was on the dance floor talking with another woman but she wasn’t really dancing. She looked as if she was letting the air current in the room sway her back and forth. She possessed an ethereal quality. He watched her for as long as he could. When she started walking away from the dance floor he feared that she might be leaving. He ran down to the lower level and spotted her entering the ladies room. He waited for her nearby. “Hello,” he said when she came out of the bathroom. “Hi. I’m Miriam,” she replied. She looked him over quickly and decided that he wasn’t really worth her time but this was a new club and she didn’t want to have to face him here often so she indulged his fancy for a while. “Would you like to dance?” he asked almost unable to get the words out. He wasn’t sure whether she was interested in him or not, but he that that the fact that she was still standing there was a positive sign. “No, not really. I’ve had my share of dancing for the evening,” she saw the hurt look on his face and decided to throw him a bone. She raised her glass and shook it to emphasize that it was empty. “Can I buy you a drink?” “Cosmopolitan,” came her one word response. She watched him walk towards the bar. She sat at the nearest table and waited for his return. He came back with a cosmopolitan and an iced tea. She made minimal small talk with Clifton and as soon as she finished her drink she thanked him and added that she had to be at work early. For his benefit she added that she wouldn’t mind seeing him again. Clifton understood that he was getting the brush off. He felt dejected. Angela arrived at PIZAZZ around eleven. She made a quick scan around the room but her eyes didn’t catch on anyone. She thought that maybe a good prospect would turn up within time. After all, it was only eleven o’clock. She noticed that there were more females than males in the room. She went to the bar and ordered a draft beer. She held the frosty glass in her hand and stared at the dance floor. She knew that she wouldn’t find many men there, but it was directly in her sightline. She saw all types of women dancing. Some were dressed conservative and some were not. She circled the dance floor and discovered a cluster of men on the other side. She smiled in their direction and entered the dance floor. After a few moments the cluster disbanded and regrouped around Angela. She danced with each of them in turn and found one whom she wanted to share a drink with. He was on the short side but she liked his look. His blonde hair was shaved short. His hairstyle reminded her of a marine. She liked that. His slate blue eyes reflected depth. Angela danced him towards the bar and ordered herself another beer. Parker followed suit and ordered a vodka on the rocks, with a twist. They sat in a nearby table that had recently been occupied by Clifton and Miriam, but they were long gone. “What do you think of this new club?” asked Parker. “I’m not sure yet. That all depends upon you,” replied Angela knowingly. “Um, well, I think that it seems okay. The drinks are price average and the music is good. There seems to be a good mixed of guys and women. . . .” he wasn’t sure what she was looking for. “I think that my enjoyment of this club will depend greatly upon what happens between the two of us.” Parker’s male instinct kicked in and he understood what Angela was hinting at. Angela wondered of she was being too sexual with him. She had a tendency to come on a bit strong and she finally realized that it was one of the reasons why guys didn’t see her as dateable. But Angela didn’t know how else to be. “Let’s dance!” Angela walked towards the dance floor knowing that he was right behind her. She maneuvered her way into the middle and started to move her hips with the thump, thump, thump, of the music. Parker danced close to her and Angela rubbed against him every so often. She loved to dance. Dancing was so erotic and yet so innocent. She let Parker wrap his arm around her waist and she pressed her body against his. After twenty minutes of grinding on each other they both needed a break. They went to the bar and got some bottled water. While they were sitting down parker leaned in close to Angela and asked her how she was enjoying the club now. “Oh, I think that I’m really going to like it here- thanks to you.” “Well, I think that I can guarantee that you’ll like it here,” he said. Angela looked at him with a confused look. Parker reached into his wallet and presented a silver foil square to Angela. “I’ve got the necessary things, if you know what I mean.” Angela didn’t see that coming. She only meant that if things went a rye between the two of them than she would dislike this club on principle. Angela was astonished that he thought so little of her. She was not a whore and didn’t intend to sleep with someone she had just met. She threw her water in his lap and stormed out of the club. She wanted a boyfriend who was interested in her mind not just her body. She left the bar without a clue where she was headed. Clifton sat at a table slowly drinking his espresso. He knew that it would keep him up all night but at this point he didn’t care. He had Saturdays off. As he was sitting there he noticed a beautiful girl walk through the door. The bells sang out her arrival as a foghorn warns of a ship. Clifton had no choice but to notice her. He watched as she approached the counter. The cashier took her order and they made small talk while she waited for her white mocha with extra whipped cream. Angela walked from the counter and noticed that her favorite booth was occupied. In fact, all of the booths were occupied. She spotted a man sitting alone at a table for four. She walked towards him slowly and when he looked up she realized that it was the same man she had seen yesterday. She noted that he was dressed well again. “May I sit here?” she asked. “Yeah, sure.” Clifton didn’t want to speak to anyone but the café was packed and he knew that he didn’t own the seat. He hoped that she wouldn’t start chattering but he felt that it was inevitable. “You seem down. Do you want to talk about it? And don’t say no of you don’t mean it.” There was a long silence. Clifton didn’t know whether he wanted to talk about it or pretend that it never happened. He decided that he didn’t have anything better to do. “I went to check out a new club, PIZAZZ, and I got brushed off by every woman there,” he explained. Angela could feel his pain. “That’s very interesting. I went to PIZAZZ, also, and a guy mistook me for a prostitute. Well, not really. I was dancing with him and we started talking and he pulled a condom out of his wallet.” “What did you do?” “Well. I threw my drink in his lap and left. Then I came here for a comforting cup of coffee and whipped cream. What about you?” she asked. “After I got the brush off for the third time I came here to wallow in solitude.” “Do you want me to leave you alone?” Angela inquired. “Um, no actually I don’t. Tell me another story,” Clifton urged. Angela and Clifton talked until the coffee shop closed. Neither one of them wanted to go home to an empty apartment so Clifton invited Angela back to his place. They walked, hand in hand, to his cozy loft apartment. After Clifton gave her a short tour they plopped down on the couch to finish their conversation. Clifton was telling Angela about his last blind date and she was laughing hysterically. She leaned over and kissed him. It was soft at first but then he started kissing back. Their tongues danced and warred. Angela tipped her head back and allowed him to explore the interior of her mouth. Clifton started nibbling her bottom lip and before she knew it he was undoing her by suckling on her neck. A soft moan escaped from her throat and turned her head to allow him better access. She could feel her desire for him, her clitoris yearned for his tongue and Angela knew that it was all over. Will Angela and Clifton go all the way? Will having sex ruin their chances for a meaningful relationship? Stay tuned for PART THREE! Thank You for reading the second installment to this story. Please take the time to VOTE! Any and all feed back is appreciated! Thanks.