My defenses are like this apartment, she thought, pulling the door open. I’ve kept them up around me for years, trying to keep myself safe. And now, whether I like it or not, the walls are coming down around me.
“So, I’ll tell Dustin to have his friend reserve the room?” Sandy asked.
“Yeah,” said. “I suppose.”
“Cool,” Sandy said. “Hey, think about what I said, okay? And if you want to talk, give me a call. I’ll come over with a bottle of wine. I can help you pack, or whatever.”
“Okay,” said. “I’ll call if I need you.”
“And I’ll dig that air mattress out of my closet,” Sandy added. “So it’s ready.”
“Thank you,” said. She lowered herself to the couch, suddenly exhausted. “I mean it, Sandy. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome honey,” Sandy said, before they hung up.
allowed herself to settle into the silence of her apartment. She fell back over the couch cushions, letting her purse drop to the floor. Her hands rested on her abdomen, and she stared up at the ceiling listlessly. The buzzing, conflicting thought relentlessly flew around in her mind. Is this the right thing to do?
Do I really want to leave ?
My friends?
My job?
Martin?
Now a new thought entered into her mind. Am I just running away from my feelings for him?
Sandy’s words haunted her. “You’re going to see him again. Soon.”
*****
Martin stepped out of Pete’s Coffee House, into the windy, fresh air. He walked quickly to the curb, struggling to keep in sight between bursts of heavy traffic. He’d caught sight of struggling to tape a flyer to a lamp post in front of Starbucks, across the street, and had fought through the crowds at Pete’s to get to her.
Now traffic was flooding past him, holding him on one side of the road.
He tried to keep her in his sight as she gave up on the flier and took out her cell phone. He saw her walk to the corner, and turn, leaving his line of sight just as the crosswalk lit up.
He rushed across the broad street, running lightly. As he reached the curb and started down the block, he felt his heart pick up its pace.
She looked beautiful. Her , hair whipped around her face, her gorgeous figure wrapped in tight jeans that showed off her sexy ass.
As he passed the Starbucks a crumpled piece of paper, caught in the wind, knocked against his shoe. He bent down and picked it up, not quite sure why. He unfurled it, with a sense of curiosity.
He looked over the images, a spooky sense of familiarity filling him. That couch, he thought. I’ve seen that couch. That bed… I’ve been in that bed.
He even recognized the thick carpeting, and recalled the way had looked, lying down on top of it, entirely naked.
He read the words at the bottom of the page.
“Help me move to London,” it said. “Everything must go!”
Her address was under the ad copy and he read it twice, his heart sinking as his eyes lingered on the words.
She’s leaving.
Our night didn’t mean anything to her.
Not like it did to me.
Almost involuntarily, he smoothed the paper between his hands and then folded it once, twice, and then a third time so it made a neat, pocket-shaped note. He held it in one hand, and tapped it against the other palm nervously, his eyes on the corner around which had disappeared.
Good for her, he thought.
Tap, tap, tap. The energy coursing through his body wouldn’t allow him to stop fidgeting.
She wants to leave this neighborhood. Just as I’m moving into it. She doesn’t need me.
And I don’t need her.
Right?
He gave the paper a final tap and then lifted it and tucked it into his front pocket. He patted it, and then turned on his heel and headed in the other direction.
*****
Saturday morning arrived, and as rolled her heavy carpeting up and then swept the floors, she listened to the rain beat against her window. The day was rainy and cool. Not the best for a furniture sale, she thought.
She could imagine her fliers, soaked and decaying in the storm. Would the print remain visible? Would the ink run?
Is anyone going to show up?
She forced herself to eat some breakfast, though she was too nervous to enjoy the food.
When a knock sounded on her door, her heart jumped with anticipation. Thank goodness, she thought, leaping to her feet. She smoothed her hair and straightened her top, and then hurried to the door. She pulled it open, and saw a hipster couple standing in the hallway.
“Yo,” the guy said, looking past her into the room. “Is this the place with the moving sale?”
“Yeah,” said, moving out of the way so that the two could enter. They brushed past her, eager to begin looking at the goods.