Pizazz

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!