Mr Perfect

"There is, I swear." Annoyed at her friend's constant refusal to grasp reality, Katie swirled her iced pumpkin latte with her straw before sucking the whipped cream from the end of it.

"No. There isn't. There is absolutely without a doubt no such thing as the perfect man and a perfect match. This is exhausting, I can't talk about it anymore. If you want to be alone forever, be my guest, but please leave your cat purchases to maximum of two!" Sam brushed her face with the palms of her hands and picked up her coffee that was now uncomfortably cool on her tongue thanks to the lengthy conversation she'd had a million times with her bestie. So annoying.

"Fine, fine. I'll drop it. But I'm not settling for just anyone and won't become some crazy cat lady. But seriously, I can't live my life with the what ifs. Like, what if I'm too busy with Mr Comme Ci Comme Ca that I miss my Mr Right as he walks by in a crowd. What if I find him after I'm married? I'd have to ruin a life by getting divorced so that I could be with my perfect match. I can't settle, Sam, I just can't!"

"Enough, Katie! I'm serious. Next subject please." Sam's eyes rolled back in frustration, regretting this last minute meet-up. "What happened with your boss and that theft situation. Did she really do it?"

Blah blah blah. Katie rolled her eyes as she sip her latte. Who cared about her overly righteous, annoyingly mean boss. She probably did steal that petty cash. She should get canned either way, no one liked her. Katie had no intention of spending her Saturday afternoon talking about the likes of her.

But Mr Right. What single straight female didn't want to talk about their Mr Right.

If Sam didn't want to listen, fine. She'd keep her thoughts to herself. She'd keep her eyes peeled on her own. She wouldn't die alone, Mr right was out there, she new it.

Katie yearned for him on a daily. She fantasized about their laughter and play, and the meals they would cook together. The long days and nights of delivered food, snacks, Netflix binge watching and tickle fights. The thought of his warm touch all over her body made her breath uncontrollably heavy. His breath on her neck... The thought manifested itself into goosebumps as she lay there in bed trying to sleep. Her shivers shocked her into the reality of her loneliness and how cold her bed was as she reached over to hold the man she dreamed of. She squeezed her pillow tight then threw it across the room in frustration.

What if Mr Right didn't exist? What if no one had their perfect match? What if Sam was right; Katie would just have to find someone suitable and respectable. Someone who would treat her kindly and love her unconditionally regardless of his looks and economic status.

No! It wasn't enough. She spent her whole life dreaming of him, what a waste it would be if she gave up the thought of him now. Her cravings for his touch, the smell of his exhalation, and making love to him overwhelmed her being. Flipping the comforter back, Katie jumped out of bed, far too worked up to fall asleep or to have a coherent thought about anything else that life offered her.

Katie grabbed pieces of clay, adding it to the mass quickly growing infront of her, moistening her fingers with the cloudy water she hadn't changed from the night before. Desperately she looped chunks and bits and pieces of unwanted clay from the bust of her new art project. A project she was certain would help her get a good night's rest. She paired lines and forked scores perfectly as she always did. Her thumbs gently pressed in, caressing and smoothening the arcs and crevices. She sighed with satisfaction as she progressed. Her calm was setting in. Sleep would follow.

Art, sculpting in particular, was Katie's go to when her mind reeled with uncertainties or when her boss was giving her a hard time. After a fight or if she couldn't sleep, on a happy day or a sad one, Katie would take out her tools and her clay and begin to sculpt. It was her passion, her bliss. It was what she turned to no matter what was happening, or not happening, like not being with Mr Right.

Katie closed her eyes and escaped in the chaos of her mind for moment. With a soft smile and a sigh of realization she continued to sculpt. After several hours of meticulous hand work, Katie sprayed a mist of water onto the mass of clay and stepped back for a better look. It was a masterpiece. She stepped back again and sat on the stool without taking her eyes off of it. It was perfect. It was better than perfect. It was better than what she had imagined perfection to be. Not physically able to hold herself up any longer, she rested her head on the desk, exhausted, and stared at the bust she had just formed until she fell asleep.

"Why weren't you picking up all morning? You never sleep in so late, not even on a Sunday." Sam was worried. She had called three times with no answer, Katie always answered.

"Sorry, I went to bed late," Katie lied as she lifted her head off the hard desk. Her neck was stiff and achy, her breath thick. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hands, mindful of her clay crusted fingers. "What's up? What's so urgent?"

"Nothing, except the brunch we were supposed to have at 11am."

"Right. I'm so sorry, Sam. I was up late working on..." Katie blinked her eyes wide open and into focus as the memory of her late night labour's came rushing back. She looked over at the creation she had dedicated her night to. The sun's rays shone on it, illuminating the features she hadn't noticed just hours before. It truly was a perfect piece of art.

"Hello, are you still there? Did you fall back asleep? HELLO!"

"Sorry, sorry." Katie focused her thoughts. An almost giggle escaped with her next words, "Sam, you have to see this."

"See what?"

"Just come over, now! Hurry!"

"I'm at the restaurant waiting for you. You come here, now!" Sam was beyond annoyed. Katie could be so selfish and self absorbed. Who did she think she was to blow her off like that and then demand that she do as she's told. Not wanting to, she grabbed her purse and made her way to the studio, four blocks away. She knocked on Katie's door.

Katie opened the door with her finger on her lips hushing Sam from saying a word. She grabbed her arm and led her to her creative corner as she coined it. "What do you think? Isn't he perfect?"

Katie clasped her hands together, holding it in front of her mouth in disbelief that she could actually create anything so beautiful, so handsome, so incredibly perfect. Her Mr Perfect, the one whom she would now search high and low for. She laughed out loud with delusion in her eyes, impressed and extremely proud of her accomplishment.

Wide eyed and bewildered, Sam quickly glanced at Katie who stood grinning and giggling, happy as she'd ever seen her. She was truly elated, delighted even, in the fact that she had made a tangible replica of her dream. Her glance didn't hold long. With her heart racing, Sam shockingly turned back to the form before her eyes. She moved closer. She tilted her head and bent her knees as she circled this thing, this monstrous, hideous thing. Silently she eyed this creature, trying to get a good look at every inch so she could fully understand and possibly justify why she bothered to come running at Katie's beck and call. With the tips of her finger she traced the air around each feature and finally stepped back to meet Katie where she stood. With concern and more than slight disgust in her voice she whispered, "He's you."