Moon Nigh

I flipped open the black velvet box.

It wasn't a ring, but Lily wasn't a ring kind of girl. It was a necklace made of gold laid out in overlapping links folded elegantly on a black cushion. At the center was a cross with a diamond set in the top arm, making the gold bend around it.

She'd love it. Or so the surprisingly masculine man at the jewelry store informed me.

I flipped the box back shut and tucked it in my left coat pocket. From the right pocket, I pulled my cell phone and checked the time--4:00. I had just enough time to pick up flowers and get to the restaurant before Lily did.

The afternoon was a bit gray. It had been misting all day, which I didn't much car for. The steps down from my studio apartment were slick and I gripped the green iron railing to keep my stiff knees from stumbling down them. The sidewalk was likewise wet, but I'd be fine.

I was in the middle of texting my roommate to be out of the apartment tonight just in case everything went according to plan, when a dog jumped at me.

Barking and snarling, the black lab was held in check only by a red leash anchored to a fire hydrant. Dogs hate me for no apparent reason--they hate me for reasons that aren't apparent. The damn thing was pretty much foaming at the mouth.

"What the hell are you doing to my dog, you bum?" shouted a business-type woman bursting out of the Starbucks.

Now I was dressed up for my date with Lily tonight. I was no bum. I was wearing a sport coat over my nicest shirt and slacks. I was even wearing a tie, and tying things is generally not my strong suit. My hair was slicked back and I had seen to my complexion. Maybe it was the general air of scruffiness that always surrounded me.

"Up yours!" was my enlightened response as I scooted around the bitch and the fury.

Certain doom avoided, I made it to the flower shop. Coming out of Al's Flowers I was nearly sprayed by some jackass in a Hummer. His blasting drive through a curbside puddle raised a literal wave, and I ducked back just in time. It wasn't just that I was dressed to date, I hated getting wet.

Thankfully no more psychotic dogs or ridiculous cars barred my way to the restaurant. DENIAL was fancy, new, and expensive, everything that Lily liked. Yes, she was high maintenance, but I liked that in a girl. Luckily, some prudent investments left in the bank for a very long time provided enough interest money for even Lily's appetites.

The sun was down on the horizon now--the giant ball of fire had been shoved from one side of the sky to the other. It lit up the sky behind DENIAL, catching the marble roof with orange flames, turning the retro-deco building into a half-pyramid nightmare of sunset colors that would make Frank Lloyd Wright turn over in his grave.

The interior of DENIAL was much more reserved, in both senses of the word. I'd had to reserve a table for two three months in advance, and then had it moved four times. I fidgeted with my tie, loosening it and tightening it and scratching at my neck and fidgeting in a hundred other different ways. Before I knew it, it was 7:00, and Lily was there.

Oh she was beauty incarnate, olive skin and ebony-black hair, gathered back behind her head in a loose ponytail. She had slim wrists and a longish neck, and wore her makeup heavy, but I liked that. She wore a chic white dress, and set her pocketbook on the table. My god, her eyes were mesmerizing.

"Hello, Moe," she said. I immediately stood up to help her into her seat.

"You look beautiful, Lily," the words tumbled from my lips, the first thing I could think of--luckily, they were the right words. Lily blushed lightly and I scratched behind my ear.

We made small talk, and sipped wine for twenty minutes. DENIAL was pricey, but it was worth it. Good wine, good atmosphere, lit softly with amber light, and bread with honey for dipped at the table.

"This is really fantastic, Moe," Lily commented, over the edge of her wine glass.

"Well I wanted tonight to be special," I answered, scratching under my chin.

"Are you alright?" she asked, frowning. "You need to stop that--this is a nice place."

"I'm fine--really. I just wanted to ask you something," I said, fumbling with my pocket.

"I don't think you're fine, Moe," she said, recoiling. "Your skin is peeling."

"My skin is what?" I asked. I dropped the velvet box to the ground and pulled out my cell phone. I stared dumbly at the date for a moment. How could I have been so stupid? Months in advance, but they moved it, didn't they? They moved it like four times--no wonder I lost track. I glanced out the window, where a cloud slid from the moon, revealing it in full, alabaster glory.

"Oh hell," I muttered. I hooked my fingers under the loose skin and began to unwind it from my face. It was more grotesque if I allowed it to fall off on its own. Once the flesh was off, my face wasn't really all that horrible--just gauze, nice and white, too--I'd long since discarded the musty old wraps. But Lily was already screaming, as was the rest of the restaurant. I simply sighed, dropping my head to my chest.

Sometimes it just didn't pay to be a mummy in love.