Spring Fever

A light breeze rolled across lazy Nebraskan foothills. It was peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos around the world at the moment. They could see the river from where they sat on a hill, the hill swooping down in a graceful slope, with wildflowers up to the very banks of the river. The river was wider than usual, the spring thaw still working it's magic on the land.

They had already traveled a fair distance from the little picnic they had brought with them, their shoes left discarded on the blanket. She had been right of course. This was a good idea, just the two of them coming out like this. There was no work for him, no annoying mother for her to take care of. Just the two of them, camping in a cabin farther up in the mountain, with only the wilderness to worry about.

This whole affair was honestly better than Frank could have ever hoped it to be. Eliza, well she was an absolute doll. Even now, as she flashed him a smile, her short dark curls bouncing as she ran ahead of him. She was his everything, the sun to his moon. Eliza Louison... Even her name was like music to Frank's ears.

“Frank! Come on~ Let's go down by the river!” Her voice dragged him from his reverie, and the stout man hurried to his feet, lumbering after her. They certainly made an odd pair to the average eyes. She with her slim, dark features, her blue eyes twinkling with happiness as she looked into his face, he on the other hand quite pale from sitting inside at his desk all day, his own black hair slicked black, dark muddy eyes staring out from a face far more used to frowning than anything else. She took up his hand in her own, soft skin brushing against rough as she pulled him after her, stopping near the river. A few sparse trees grew along the bank, offering a bit of shade, but they didn't need it. The weather was nice out today, the occasional breeze ensuring that it wasn't too hot.

“I told you this was a good idea, Frank... You already look ten years younger!” She flashed a smile at him, her tone teasing as she spoke.

He chuckled, an unusual sound for him. “Alright alright... I concede. This was a great idea.” He reached up, pulling her down gently for a rather chaste kiss. They stared into each others eyes for a moment, before they embraced, holding each other close.

Something was wrong, terribly, horribly wrong. Frank pulled back, eyes wide. Why was the ground quivering, or better yet, why was Eliza just standing there, smiling as brightly as ever. Couldn't she feel the earth shake around them.

“Frank? What's wrong? Do you not feel well?” She asked, concern tinging her features as she placed gentle hands on his shoulder. Her voice sounded like it was coming to him through water, her beautiful voice warped.

“Frank... Frank answer me!” She was shaking him now, but he didn't feel it. His sight tunneled, blackness all around except for her face. Even that was getting smaller, as if he was being pulled away. He tried to struggle, tried to move back to her, but he couldn't.

“Eliza!” Frank Cleveland sat bolt upright in his bed, chest heaving like he had run a marathon and sweat drenching his sheets. It took a moment for him to get his bearings, to realize that he was in the master bedroom of his penthouse bedroom, the morning light harsh against the monochromatic, black on white color scheme his entire home.

He released a heavy sigh, lumbering out of bed and to the bathroom to prepare himself for the day. An hour later, he was headed out the door, a travel cup of coffee in one hand, and his briefcase in the other.

He took a cab to his building, offering a grunt and cash to the cabby before stepping out and heading inside. It was back to the same drill again. His employees groveled and offered meager apologies as to why one task or another wasn't done. Several moved to the side as the stout little man made his way past, to his large office.

He sank into the large black swivel chair, and looked up at the man who had followed behind him. “Well... What's the story, Lowes?” Mr. Cleveland demanded of his section manager, glaring daggers as he waited for an answer. It was just another day, as Frank Cleveland.

So his days continued as such, and his company grew larger and more impressive. However, the only time he ever really looked forward to was late at night, when he returned home to crawl into his bed, in hopes that she would be there again. Every night it was the same ordeal.

Yet, it wasn't. It was always the same premise, the two of them off on some romantic outing, or trip, but the locations were always different, and the conversations never followed the same path. It was almost as if his mind had wanted this to work out, had already planned out every little facet of their would be life together.

The only problem was that that could never happen. Not now, that she was gone and out of his life for good. When they had split up, she'd gone as far away from him as possible just to get away from his apparent bad attitude. It was times like these where he grudgingly agreed with her assessment. Even Frank could see that the way he was living his life was self-destructive, at least on some days. Other days he just didn't give a s***.

Today was one of those days. He was late, so very, very late to work, thanks to the latest in a most recent arc of terrifying “Eliza” dreams. Not that it really mattered if he showed up on time or not, but he had decided long ago to lead by example on certain matters, dress and punctuality being two. He was in such a rush that he didn't have time to make his coffee.

He had to take a shortcut on his way, just to make it in at a decent hour. On his way, he passed by a coffee shop, one that looked relatively quiet, hopefully somewhere he could get a decent cup. Frowning he hurried into the little shop, his eyes meeting with the woman behind the counter. She was a little younger than himself, her skin just as pale as his own and highlighted by her dark features. She looked normal enough, but as Frank drew up to the counter and placed his order, he found himself staring into eyes so like Eliza's it hurt to breath. They sparkled in the same way, as if she could only see the good in the world around her, the pros to doing this or that rather than the negative he only seemed capable of seeing.

“What's your name?” She asked, pen held at the ready to scrawl across the cup.

Frank shook himself from his thoughts, managing an awkward smile. “Frank... Frank Cleveland. What's yours?”

The woman smirked, writing his name across the top and moving to make his coffee. Frank frowned, deciding it was for the better. It had been too long for him. There was no way he could get back in the dating game, especially with someone like her.

Soon enough, she set his coffee down on the counter, and he took it, heading out the door. It wasn't until he for to the office that he actually noticed it, the little note taped under his receipt. Curious, Mr. Cleveland pulled it off and quickly read through it's contents, his eyes widening a bit. Charlie. The woman at the café's name was Charlie, and not only had she left her name, but she'd also left a number as well, no doubt the number to her house phone.

Frank certainly couldn't remember it being this easy for him when he was younger and trying to pick up women. Then again, something like this would have excited him much more in the past then it really did now. For now, he'd have to keep any excitement he felt under wraps, for the good of is company and for the sake of his “top dog” image as everyone else's boss.

Despite his resolution, he could hardly focus on anything at work. As soon as the work day was up, he practically bolted out the door. The trip home was harrowing. More than once, he nearly got himself hit crossing the street. It had been ages since he had actually walked home, and he was out of practice when it came to dealing with crazy lunatics in cars. The walking helped though. It helped clear him mind, helped in stopping him from going back to that little cafe to see if she was even still there or not.

He ended up home, no stops on the way, his feet keeping him pacing. Making that call would change everything. He'd have to give up his dreams with Eliza, something he was apprehensive of, but ready to do. By the time he finally gathered his thoughts and decided to give Charlie a call, it was already too late in the evening to realistically expect an answer. Frank frowned, sighing, before he turned and headed to bed. He'd giver her a call in the morning, since he'd be off work for tomorrow.

Almost as soon as his head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes, he was asleep and dreaming. They were back in the field, the one in Nebraska with the river close by. Frank frowned a bit, looking to space on the blanket beside him.

There was Eliza, smiling softly. “I'm proud of you, Frank... I was wondering when you'd finally do it.” Her words were soft and sweet.

Frank was even more confused. This wasn't how his dreams usually went. “Eliza... What in the world are you talking about?”

“I've kept you company all this time, but now you don't need me anymore. Frank, you've found someone, no go for it. Don't half-ass it.” Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were serious as she watched his reaction.

Frank's eyes widened as he just stared at her. “All this time... Company?” He shook his head.

“Yes Frank... Company. And now you don't need it.” Eliza leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Just promise me... That you won't do the same thing that you did with us. Pay attention to her, even with you job.”

The man could only nod, taken aback by her words. His sight seemed to be getting wobbly again, like it usually did towards the ends of these dreams. “Good bye, Frank... And good luck.” Eliza's voice sounded like it came through water.

Frank sat up in bed, for once feeling refreshed after one of those dreams. He smiled, the expression feeling odd on his face. He even hummed as he got himself ready for the day, choosing more lax clothes. He headed into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee before he picked up the phone and dialed her number.

“Hello?”

His smile widened at the sound of her voice on the other end. “Hey, Charlie... It's me, Frank.”