Monsters & Fairytales (18 page)

“Interesting.
I beg to differ, though.” He grinned. “And speaking of beauty, I really like the blue in your hair. It’s different and looks really good on you.”

“An, ‘Average Joe’ likes uniqueness?
No way.”

He laughed.

“Touché.
But honestly, I like it. Think you can give me some color?”

“I would love to. I think you’d look great in this
teal,
it’d match your eyes. ‘Course if you’re teal, then I’d have to be a different color.”

“Violet.
I think you’d look amazing with violet in your hair.”

“Don’t know the difference between teal and blue, but you know the difference between violet and purple?” I teased.

“I saw that you had violet next to your name on our buzzer board. I know that the landlord lets you pick the color, so I assumed you chose that because it was your favorite.”

And, I was back at embarrassment. I smiled and sat back in my chair with a happily defeated look on my face. My stomach was doing somersaults. This guy was going to have to bring something up if he wanted a conversation now, because I was lost on words.

“Tell me about you.” He said, leaning over towards me. Thank goodness he took the hint.

“What do you want to know?”

I adjusted myself so I was propped up on my elbows and staring at him. He put his elbows up, too, and batted his eyes. I smiled.

“Your favorite music.”

“Tough one.
I like a lot of soul. Blues is really good. My mother and I would listen to Ella and Billie a lot. She may’ve been a bit sexist.”

“Whatever you want to call it, those are very talented ladies.” He agreed with me.

“Thank you. What about you?”

“I’d have to completely agree. I actually play guitar. I’m a huge blues fan. I love to just get involved in all that soul.”

“No kidding.”

I sat upright in my excitement.

“Yeah.”

He smiled but tried to take it down a few notches; he was humble.

“You’ll have to play for me sometime, then.”

“Alright, you have yourself a deal.” He nodded his head.

Silence again. This was hopeless. My cake was cold and getting stale, sitting here in the sunlight. I might as well eat it to make it seem like I was doing something other than just staring at him. He still wasn’t discreet at all. I didn’t understand how he could study me and not feel shy at how obvious he was. Not that I really minded how into me he was, I just wished I had those kind of guts.
             

I was being so negative. He thought I was interesting enough without conversation. I should be enthralled. It did feel good to be this interesting. I had so much to say, though. He’d listen when the time came. I knew it. He cared. He wanted to get to know me and
for no other reason but to have a friend.

Sebastian hadn’t asked me anything about my life, regardless of how I tried to pry into his. Was he really just wasting his time until he left? Joe was jealous of him. Is that why he was trying so hard now? I guess I really didn’t care what the reason was. I was just glad I was the one getting the treatment. I’d let Joe do whatever it took to make him feel like he had one up on Sebastian. Who cares if in reality, compared to Joe, Sebastian was nothing to
me.
I wasn’t about to tell him that.

A light breeze blew and he moved his hair back behind his ears. I wanted to sit next to him. I felt like we were too far apart. I wanted to be inside his head and know what he was thinking. He had been staring at me for a while now. I sort of wanted things to be something more than friends between us. It’d be the perfect fairytale. I could see us telling our kids how we met that day. It was beautiful.

“Do you have any special talents? Any hobby or craft that you just love to do?” He asked.

It took me off guard. We had been sitting in silence for so long I sort of forgot what his voice sounded like. Come to think of it, he had been thinking this whole time and that’s the best he could come up with? Oh, Joe.
There’s
so many more interesting things about me. You’ll see, though. This conversation is going to get real gloomy, real quick.

“Honestly, I never had the time to pick up a hobby or anything like that.” I said.

“How come?”
He asked. “Everyone should have a hobby. That drive and passion that just takes them away from this world, it’s just priceless.”

And there it was. The start to every conversation I ever dreaded having with someone since even before I lost her. I really wanted to say that my drive and passion was suddenly him, though. He was becoming that reason and purpose to my life. I couldn’t do that to him. He deserved more time before I delved into my gloomy world of endless heartache.

“That, my dear Joe, is for another time.”

I smiled and ran my fingers across my bangs again without breaking eye contact. I wanted him to know I was being honest.

“Oh, really?
Well how about we save it for another date?” He winked. His cheeks dimpled up.

“You’re enjoying this one that much?”

I didn’t mean for it to come out rude, but it did. I didn’t care; he wanted more time with me.

“I am. Are you not having a good time?”

He had started to doubt himself. I liked when he did that. It made me feel like I had less perfection to amount to.

“I am. You lived up to your expectations most impeccably.”

“Ah, yes, very good my dear, very good.” He mocked a British accent.

We raised our glasses and toasted each other. It was ridiculous how cute we were acting.
Someone had to be watching us and wanting to throw up in our pool of happiness
. He reached out to touch my hand. I let him. It sent a shockwave up my arm.

“Tell me about you, Joe.” I smiled.

“What do you want to know?” He was rubbing the top of my hand now.

“What’s your family like?” I asked.

“Oh my, well, it’s not much. Everyone sort of went their own way after my mom. I’m real close to my father though. I’ve been helping him fix up the house for a few years, now.”

“After your mom?”

It may have been self-centered of me, but the only thing I heard were those words. I moved my hand and sat upright. Could it really be possible that he had lost his mother too? Did he and I share these feelings because we both held the same void in our hearts? Was that our odd connection? Oh, Joe.

“Yes. My mother, she had cancer.” He said.

I felt like I was going to be sick. I was so overwhelmed with emotions. I had to ask what kind of cancer. Maybe they went to the same hospital? Maybe even the same group therapy. There were so many questions.

“Mira?
Mira are you okay?” Joe broke through.

I was crying. He was sitting next to me trying to shake me.

“Oh. Yes. I’m fine.” I lied.

I wiped my tears. My legs were huddled into my chest. I had moved into that position subconsciously. I was lost in my emotions.

“What is it?” He grabbed my hands and tried to look into my eyes.

“My mother passed away a month ago. She had cancer.” I whispered.

The flood gates opened. I was crying into my hands.

“Oh, Mirabelle.”

Joe pulled my hands and forced me into his chest. He cradled me as I cried. He started crying with me. I didn’t care that we were out in a walk way in front of everyone; he and I just cried together. Then I felt my heart break and a shockwave echoed out. I started crying like I had never experienced before. It was completely silent. Had I broken finally? Was he it? Was he my true savior, my honest knight in shining armor? My heart felt so warm. I didn’t know what to do. I just huddled with him. He kept kissing my head and telling me it was okay.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered after a few moments. I went to sit up, but he wouldn’t let me.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You have nothing to apologize for.”

He leaned over and grabbed some napkins. He handed me some.

“Well, we barely know each other and I just exploded into tears all over you.” I said into my tissue.

He finally let me sit up. He was wiping his own tears away. I thought he was so handsome like that. I adored him.

“Isn’t that crazy?” He smiled this sweet smile. “Barely even friends, but we just had a connection ten times more powerful than a married couple.”

“I suppose.” I laughed. I didn’t know how to respond to that.

“I won’t talk about it anymore here, but I would love to be able to talk to you about your mom.
If you’re okay with it, of course.”
He patted my leg. I was thankful it wasn’t the hurt one.

“I would like that.” I would love it, actually. But I didn’t want to use the word love out loud yet.

“Good. Shall we head back to the apartments? I’m sure you have a lot of moving to finish up. I did just sort of steal you, there.”

He tossed his drink in the trash next to him and stretched.

“Yes, but that’s okay. I don’t mind you stealing me.” I said without thinking.

He stopped and looked at me curiously and then he held out his hand for me. When I stood up, he wrapped his arms around me. Together, we walked back to his motorcycle arm in arm. I was glad he had parked so far away. It was that much longer I got to walk with him, feeling this way.
             

This time, when I sat behind him on the bike, I wasn’t ashamed to cling to him. I scooted as close as possible and wrapped my arms all the way around him. He rubbed my hands and patted them, then started the engine. I wanted him to look back so I could kiss him. He deserved my kisses.

The drive back was just as good as the drive there, only this time, I could keep my eyes closed for most of it. It was just as good as I thought it would be. I needed that breather to cool off from the emotional day. I was starting to feel like this could be my new hobby; riding around on the back of his motorcycle
. It was so surreal to me. As loud as it was, it was quiet. As hard as the wind lashed, it was soothing. As hot as the sun bore down, it was calming.
I wondered how I had ever gotten around before this. I knew if anyone else had been driving, it wouldn’t have been the same experience. It had to be him. No one else could make it more perfect. I couldn’t say it enough.
He should be mine because I was already his.

We made it to the apartments far too fast. I didn’t want to let him go. When he turned and faced me, I noticed he had the same look in his eyes. There was a twinkle in them. He wanted to kiss me. I saw it when I handed him the helmet. I watched it flicker and felt butterflies creep up. Was he waiting for that perfect moment? He seemed like the type to wait for that perfect moment.
             

Regardless, he definitely had his mind set. His nerves were making mine shake. Perfect was now, I’d accept it. But I knew he’d do it at my door. It’d be my first kiss, but that was when all the movies showed it happening. That’s the moment the main actor and actress got to make the audience fall in love with them. I was ready to fall in love with him. He was everything and more to me.
             

We walked inside and he took my hand to lead me to my door. The air around us was overflowing with the passion soaring through us. Neither of us wanted to make it to my door. I could feel it. I was okay with that.
             

We passed the second level and I felt nervous. I didn’t want to throw up on him. He should stop here and let me go alone. I’d say good bye politely, and I wouldn’t hold it against him for not walking me all the way. But he kept walking me. He stopped just outside of my door and took my other hand. He was staring at my lips, waiting. I was melting.

“Thank you for this.” He said. He was modest.

“Thank you.” I squeezed his hands.

“You are most welcome.”

“I’ll see you around?” I asked, starting to back up.

He looked up and then pulled me close to him. He'd known what he was doing. He'd timed this perfectly. He rubbed my cheek with his hand; I wouldn’t look him in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around my lower back and waited for me to look up at him. I knew he was creating that safe haven I had felt earlier
;  when
I was crying and I had realized I wasn’t alone, when I had felt that a stranger could love another stranger more than anything. My heart had emanated a type of warmth that neither of us wanted to forget.
             

He kissed my cheek and I turned my head to touch our lips. They had barely touched before both of us pulled apart. It was so soft, and so sweet, just enough to hold us through until later. However that later may end up being, it didn’t matter. We had this now.

“I’ll see you around.” He smiled.

He squeezed my hand before letting it go. It felt so empty without his there. I watched him disappear down the stairs. When he was completely out of site I fell against the door. My entire body was jelly. I had no backbone. I wanted to melt. I needed to get inside and tell Sebastian all about it. I was so excited.