All of Me

            Lenny turned his satellite radio up louder to hear Frank Sinatra croon his way through All of Me. He loved that song. It didn’t matter that it was 9:30 in the morning and the streets were bustling with sweaty business people. It was a stifling humid day and the sidewalks were filled with the miserable masses. Lenny had his car windows rolled down anyway, cranking the super tunes of the 1940’s, hoping that in some small way he could bring a little relief to the melting mobs as he rolled by.

            At a stop light he saw a tall blonde haired woman wearing a very light sundress, one of man’s best inventions, crossing in front of his car. The way she was backlit from the still rising sun he could see the curves of her body through the thin dress. He felt his heart flutter as she continued to step in high heels across the street and up onto the sidewalk. Lenny noticed the gawking of every other man on the street. It was clear that Venus or Aphrodite had returned to Earth.

            Lenny flicked his turn signal on and turned right to follow this blonde woman in the light, practically white, sundress. It wasn’t something he would normally do. He wasn’t the type to go chasing after a woman on a crowded summer street. He normally would let her pass by, enter his memory, and let her go on about her life in the arms of some other, more deserving man. Maybe a man with a penthouse apartment in New York or a beach house along the New England coast and he’d whisk her away there to camp on the beach in white sweaters and all the other crap Lenny remembered from Polo ads.

            The goddess of ancient myth continued to walk confidently in her white high heels along the street, seemingly immune to the stares and gawking and ogling of the men she walked past. Her hair was slightly curly in the summer humidity and it bounced playfully with each of her measured steps. Lenny pulled over into the first available parking spot, legal or not, and hopped out of his car just a few feet away from where this Earthly visitor was about to walk. He had no idea what he was going to do or what he was going to say. He was just compelled to act.

            She started to get closer and Lenny pretended to look for a parking meter and tried to blend in with the marching workhorses of the business set. She got closer and Lenny could see her face, her soft, perfectly proportioned face; round in the right spots, no angular masculine jaw, no sharp edges to her nose of cheekbones, a nearly perfect face for an angel. She was six feet away and Lenny knew what he had to do.  It was bold, it was crazy, but it just might work.

            Lenny spun around in front of this woman with flourish and dropped to one knee in front of her. She stopped and put her hand up to her heart as if she was startled. Lenny winked at her and started singing with all his heart.

            “All of me. Why not take all of me. Can’t you see, I’m no good without you. Take my lips, I want to lose them. Take my arms I’ll never use them…,” sang Lenny.

            The Earthly vision of beauty in a sundress smiled at Lenny and giggled a little bit but kept walking. Lenny rose from his knee and started walking slightly next to her and behind her.

           

            “You’re good-byes left me with eyes that cried. How can I get a along without you,” continued Lenny.

            Lenny was pouring it on as best as he could, making a complete fool of himself on the hot sidewalk. The woman finally turned and faced him and Lenny’s heart jumped and he nearly lost the tune.

            “You know, you took the part, that once was my heart, so why not, take all of me,” finished Lenny.

            A few passer-bys applauded his aplomb and he took a little bow, all while looking at the object of his recent affection. She smiled at him.

            “My name is Eva,” she said, “that was quite a performance.”

            “You should see the encore,” said Lenny.

            “Oh I should,” Eva said slyly.

            “Absolutely. I’d be happy to buy you a cool lemonade and tell you all about it,” said Lenny.

           

            Eva bit her lip as she thought about it and it sent Lenny’s heart racing. He continued to smile at her and tried to exude as much confidence as he could. She smiled and nodded.

            “I’d like to hear how it ends,” said Eva.

            “Me too actually”, said Lenny.

            Lenny extended an arm and she turned with him toward a near-by coffee shop which just happened to serve iced drinks. Lenny looked back toward his car and saw a cop writing him a parking ticket and placing it on the window. He didn’t care.