Slice Of Life

Tall and handsome, a million dollar smile, a boyish spark in warm hazel eyes.

“What are we going to do now?” He barely touches her arm.

“Would you like something?” She asks. “Let me see.” She opens the fridge. “I got wine, beer or maybe…tea?”

His eyes stop at a picture on a shelf. The three of them. She is in a simple red dress, her arms are wrapped around George. He, Alex, a foot away from them, resting against a rail.

“Strange, isn’t it?” He looks at her. “It’s almost midnight. I am at your place.”

“Tea sounds good to me.” She slaps a pot on the stove.

“So awkward.”

“Do you want sugar?”

“You and me.”

“I remember I got it somewhere.” She looks through the cupboard. “Yeap, found it.”

She pours tea in a cup.

“Here we go.”

“What are we going to do now?” He leans against a table, staring at her. The smile is gone. Some sadness, instead.

“Now?” She passes by. “I don’t know. Talk?”

She notices the picture. She runs a tip of her finger alone its slim metal edge.

“You know, I saw this duck family this morning.” She sits down. “The babies, like seven of them, looked so cute.”

He looks at her from across the table. She stares past him, into the black hole of the window behind him.

“They saw me and rushed away.” She glances at the napkin Alex is playing with. “Scary me.” She forces a laugh.

He stands up and takes her face into his hands. “Why do you say so? You are not scary.”

She feels the warmth of his breath in her hair.

“You are so…” He kisses her forehead. “What are we going to do?

“Nothing.” She says to herself self. “Nothing.”

She is still as he hugs her; still, as she feels his touch.

“Nothing!” She silently screams as he tastes her lips.

She buries her head on his shoulder. “I liked it that you didn’t stay here last week.”

“Did you want me too?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Do you want me to leave now?”

She dares to look into his eyes. She is wondering. “If I tell you to leave, will you ever come back?”

“To night, yes.” She looks down.

He smiles.

“I should have stayed last week.” He runs his fingers through her hair, pulls it back. “I shouldn’t have listened to you.” He bites into her lips, feels her hand against his chest and stops. He frees her. “I will go, then.” He goes to the counter and takes his things.

“Wait.” She reaches for her coat. “I will walk you to the car.”

“No, it’s late.” He doesn’t look at her as he’s walking out. “I will call you tomorrow.”

She closes the door behind him.

With her back against the door, she slides down to the floor. She shuts her eyes and buries her face into her knees.

He is so different from George.