Prologue: That Tickle in His Heart

A knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

“Herbie.”

Mandy ran to the door to let him in.

“Your sister here?”

“You mean, Annie?”

Herbie shrugged his shoulder shaking his head with a smirk. Mandy had been teasing him that since he broke up with her sister about 13 years ago, Yes, it was that long time ago! he couldn’t seem to say her name. They had been in the same room many many times after that and those times had always been awkward.

Not that he still had feelings for Annie. There he said her name though only in his head. It’s just awkward period. He could choose not to be around Annie but that tiny little tickle in his heart far outweighed the awkwardness of the atmosphere. Nope, it’s not her that’s giving him that feeling, it’s actually her sister, Mandy!

"What’s up?" Mandy asked while spreading the pictures she took on the kitchen table. She was an aspiring photographer, which was very far from the degree she finished in college. She finished nursing and passed the board.

She thought that after she’s done with that - the degree and passing the board - she’s done pleasing her parents. She had just resigned from her nursing job in a private hospital and was pursuing what she always loved - photography, even if it meant being unemployed for a while and never hearing the end of her parents’ and her sister’s rants about how unstable that path was.

“Nothing… Just wanted to know if you wanna hang out… you know, dinner, or movie maybe? … My treat!” Herbie said pacing the floor behind her, his hands sliding up and down his own tie.

“So, you’ve broken up with that girl, Christina?”

“It’s Christy… But how did you know that?”

“Well, ‘cause you’re asking me for a date.” She said still looking at her pictures on the table.

“It’s not a date… just dinner and movie!”

“Alright… I’m just gonna go change. Meet you at the lobby by… she glanced at the clock that said 6:30 p.m…  7:30?”

“7:30 it is!” Herbie pointed at her obviously happy then bounced out of Mandy’s apartment straight to his.

Herbie missed those moments when he could just walk a few steps to see Mandy. It was 9:00 in the evening and he was still in his office signing documents. That was not the time to reminisce moments with her and especially not that particular night.

He was seated on the couch facing the elevator door directly and was browsing at newspapers and magazines. He had changed his clothes, too from the suit that he wore in his office to the casual jeans and short-sleeved polo.

The elevator opened exactly 7:30 with Mandy in it.  He watched her step out of it also in her jeans and plain white collared shirt that highlighted the beauty of her face even more - dark hair, deep-set brown iris, full lips and  a slim frame.

Herbie watched her as she looked around the lobby for him. He sneaked from behind her - “Ready?” he said whispering just behind her ear. She got startled at the feel of his breath on her skin which made her scream. She covered her face when she saw everyone at the lobby looked at their direction. She hid her face on his shoulder as he guided her out of the building.

“That was embarrassing, Herbie!” she said tapping him on the shoulder pretending to be angry.

“You were adorable!” he blurted out.

Mandy surprised at his reply looked at him smiling playfully - “Well, I AM adorable.”

“Yes, you are!” he said nervously.

Herbie didn’t know if it was good or bad that he can say nice things about her directly, like You look beautiful!… You look stunning!… You are amazing! without her taking it as if he was hitting on her. They had been so comfortable with each other that they can be that honest about certain things.

They entered a full Shakey’s Pizza Restaurant but managed to snatch a table after only a few minutes of waiting. The bigger parties that came ahead of them waited a little bit longer though.

They sat opposite each other which he liked. He liked watching her clip her hair to her ear or when she wet or purse her lips. He liked seeing her nose crinkle when she smiled and that dimple on her left cheek.

Herbie left the food ordering to her - croquettes, salad, pizza, fried chicken and a pitcher of beer.

“Woow, woow, are we gonna get drunk?” Herbie asked surprised at the inclusion of beer in the list.

“No! That’s just a pitcher… nobody gets drunk with that!”

Herbie raised both hands as a sign of surrender then signaled to the waiter to go ahead.

“So, what are we getting drunk for?”

“Nothing.” she said looking down then lifting her head to look at him.

“What is it?”

“Should I just be a nurse? You know, just follow what my parents and sister were telling me?”

“No! I think you should do what your heart tells you to do and if that is photography, then so be it.”

“I’m just afraid I’d fail and then I’d hear them say ‘I told you so.’ “

“How can you fail at something you’re so good at!… and I’m not just saying that because we’re friends… I’m saying that because that’s the truth!” he told her as honestly as he possibly can.

He saw a grin forming on her face.

“Thanks, Herbie! You always know how to cheer me up!”

“Happy to do that, Mandy!”

They spent about an hour and a half to two hours at the pizza house. They just didn’t want to go without consuming all the food on their table.

Mandy drank three glasses of beer from the pitcher, he had two. Her cheeks had turned red he could tell she was already tipsy that he suggested for them to go back to their apartments. Mandy refused. She was bent on watching a movie.

They caught the last full show but Mandy just slept in his arms for most of it. And although he wasn’t unconscious throughout the movie just like she was, his brain just wasn’t focused on the movie but on his heart that was not only tickled at that particular moment but was already doing somersaults.

Mandy woke up from her nap feeling dizzy still. Herbie sat Mandy at a Seven-Eleven, at the table outside the store, her hand on her forehead, elbows on the table. He went inside looking back at her every once in a while. He bought a bottle of water and a cup of black coffee for her, a cup of French Vanilla for him and two tablets of pain reliever.

“I’m sorry.” she said raising her eyebrows. “I shouldn’t have drunk too much.”

“Well, you shouldn’t but it’s okay.” he said handing her the pill and the bottled water.

“Thanks!” as she took another sip of water then reached out for her cup of coffee.

Mandy gathered her long black hair with her hands for a pony then reached into her pocket to tie it up with a scrunchie. It wasn’t a neat tie, there were some parts of her hair that she missed and was kind of hanging down but even with her hair messed up, Herbie still thought she was the prettiest.

Mandy stood up pulling him by the arm. Herbie was trailing her by a few steps and when Mandy noticed, she stopped in her tracks and turned to wait for him. She hooked her arm in his and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. “Are you gonna be able to work tomorrow?”

“You mean later?”

“Yeah!” she said laughing.

They reached the door to Mandy’s apartment. With her hand still hooked to his arm, Herbie suddenly was at a loss for words, Mandy, too.  It was as if each of them was waiting for someone to make a move.

He had kissed her a million times in his head or maybe done even beyond that. In his head there were no rules. He fought the urge to taste her lips and there were times when he wished he would lose. However, each time, it was the fear that would always win just like that moment.

She moved to open the door when he pulled her by the hand to face him. “What?”

“Hey, thanks for tonight!” he said trying to act normal. He pulled his key from his pocket, playing with it by throwing it in the air then catching it with his hand. He thought if he did that, he could forget the tickle in his heart… although the smile on his face would always show and betray him.

Mandy watched him, her arms folded to her chest. He threw his key one more time but before he could catch it, Mandy beat him to it, clenching the key into her fist. In a flash, her lips landed on his and the only thing he could do was to close his eyes wishing that it wasn’t just one of his dreams.

“Click!” The sound of the door being locked was what awoke his senses. He was still standing in front of her door with his key in his hand. He headed to his apartment trying to figure out what just happened. He pinned his tongue between his lips and remembered how her breath tasted - a mix of beer and black coffee - bitter but addictive.

He closed the door to his apartment that night six years ago ready to confront his fears and that tickle in his heart.