He opened the door and stepped aside to let her in. She stepped in and stood in the middle of his small living/kitchen/dining room, with her hands folded in front of her, her toes interesting again. He closed the door and looked at her standing like a small, scolded child. He sighed , walked around her and begun to undo the fold-out couch bed in the living room. He went to the closet in his bedroom and came back, made the bed and laid out fresh white sheets, a brown comforter, a pillow, a pair of white socks, a white t-shirt and some old red shorts from when he was in college. She looked small enough to fit, he wasn't sure because her hips were a little wide.
He looked to the spot where he left her, to find that she had moved to the glass door that led to the small balcony. She watched the hail fall, her hands still in front of her, barefoot.
He sighed and clapped his hands twice. She turned around, her eyes meeting his, She opened her mouth then shut it immediately. She saw the made bed, and the clothes then did the most unexpected thing...she curtsied and bowed her head. He took a small step back and nodded. She looked up to see him open the bathroom door, knock it and walk away. She was sure he meant, "Here's the bathroom." He looked at her, nodded and went into his bedroom and shut the door. She walked over to the clothes and ran her hands over them slowly before picking them up and heading to the bathroom.
She changed quickly in fear of him opening the door and seeing her half-naked. There weren't any locks on the door, he does live alone after all. She exited and quickly made her way to the bed, folding her clothes neatly and placing them on the ground beside her left shoe. She ran her fingers through her hair, and slowly began to braid it.
She sat on the bed, the tv off, and did nothing. . She looked at the clock which read 5:13pm. She got up and turned the television on, clicked through some channels, found the food channel and returned to the bed.
She watched Rachel Ray make easy eggplant lasagna , watched Guy Fieri make awesome burgers with avocado, grilled onions, mushrooms, and Tyler Florence grill trout before slipping into the land of dreams.
At about 10:00pm, James' room door opened. He stepped into the living room, and headed straight for the bathroom. He entered and after 2 minutes, a flush vibrated through the apartment. he exited then turned the kitchen and living room lights off. As he was about to turn the television off, he heard a tiny voice mumbling. He turned around and saw her on the bed, mumbling incohorent words. he walked over to her bedside and and watched her face contort, then set it in a frown.
He leaned over her, and by sheer instinct he did what his mother always did to his little sister. He rubbed her cheek gently, "Shhh don't worry, it's just a dream." he whispered. She tossed twice and instantly calmed, snuggling into her pillow.
He stared at her, taking her in. Her lips, a few shades darker than her skin were slightly parted, her face was flushed but looked like light melted caramel. Her black as night braid touched her lower back as she cuddled the pillow in a fetal position. She looked...FRAGILE. From her jet black hair, to her nails which were painted to match the peach hue of the flesh underneath. He felt like she was just a small, lost child.
He sighed and walked over to the television and shut it off. In the darkness, he walked to his room door, and took one last look behind him. Once he was alright, entered his room and went to bed.
*~The Next Morning~*
He woke up to the sound of cartoons blaring through the apartment . He groaned annoyingly, and rose from bed. He got up and went straight to the living room to see her sitting 2 feet away from the television. He marched up to her, turned the volume down and turned to see a frown on her face. He ignored it, walked into the tiny kitchen, turned the coffee machine on and sat on a stool to wait.
As soon as the light on the machine turned off, her poured 2 cups and added sugar to one. He walked over to her, cup in hand, and nudged her. Her eyes met his, "Do...you...want...some...coffee?" He said slowly. She looked at the black liquid and the rich aroma reached her nostrils. A memory consumed her.
***
A little girl sat around a small, white desk with a colouring book. She looked about 3, her black hair in a ponytail. She wore a little sundress and socks, her shoes in a corner, and was colouring a bunny blue. She looked up, and saw a man around a table, his brown hair shining in the sunlight, around a table sipping black coffee reading some documents. He stopped, turned to her and smiled, his turquoise blue eyes matching hers. she smiled back and returned to colouring.
******
She was nudged back to reality, her eyes wide in confusion. Who was that man? Was the little girl, her? Was that a memory? She was nudged again and she looked up at him. She took the cup and eagerly blew on the hot liquid. If a smell could bring back such a vivid memory, what would a taste do? Her tongue finally touched it...and she remembered nothing. It was incredibly disappointing, but she continued sipping the bitter lava. He walked over to the island in the kitchen, sat on a stool and drank his coffee.
After he was done, he made his way to his room and chose something to wear to work. He chose deep grey slacks, a black shirt and matching shoes then he headed for the bathroom.
The girl sat there, eyes glued to the television, her cup half empty.
He exited 10 minutes later, steam behind him. He quickly made his towelled body to his room, and shut the door behind him. He got dressed, and slicked his hair back for a polished look. He exited and walked quickly to the couch, retrieved his bag and put it on while he clicked his fingers to get her attention.
She looked up at him, "Do...not...go...outside." He said slowly, animating his hands and fingers to convey his words. She looked puzzled but nodded anyway. He opened his door and left the apartment without so much so much as a good-bye. She sat there and continued to stare at the television.
Spoiler alert: Men should never buy women's underwear and clothes -_-
