The office was bright and sunny. It was 3:33 according to the iMac on the white desk. The whole wall in front of her was covered in white curtains but the sun was warm and burning through. She was waiting. She was waiting and it had annoyed her. She had things to do and she just needed to get the answer to her conundrum. He finally called back, breaking the anxiety that had risen inside of her. She was able to complete her work now.
She looked down, desperate to focus on anything else. The conversation had become loud and frivolous the more the joint was passed around. Alcohol was pouring down throats quickly in between. Three pairs of human feet were found as well as two sets of dog paws. The bluish coated dog padded over for attention. She crouched down and pet the dog. Unsure of whether it was a boy or girl until she flipped herself over and patted the air for belly rubs. She rubbed her and lost herself in conversing with the dog instead. The other three people were continuing their funny stories and wide gestures. The dog's owner looked down at the petting and watched, towering over her from behind. She wondered what it was that caught his attention. The quietness? Need for solitude? The joyful scratching and pleasant response from the dog? Either way, the dog replied with little howls and yelps in gratitude while she talked only to her. The clock behind the man said 1:30am. It was bright white light and seemed like a sunny afternoon. The clock was blazing yellow on a black background on the white stove.
The room was dark. The curtains were open partially to reveal a private drive within a small community of a few houses. The street lamps showed nothing but still shadows until headlights appeared. She checked her phone. Nothing new. She opened it and searched for a text to see how long ago it had been since they last conversed. He said he was on his way at 10:22. It was now 1:45. There were times that he had taken a little longer than she expected but not several hours. She put the phone down and looked around the room in the dark. Only a light on from the kitchen showed a beam on the carpet. She checked the window again and saw a figure across the street appear from behind a house. Curious, she squinted and saw him in a dark grey shirt, a hemp leaf on his chest. Tall and thin even in the dark.
A balcony showed a bookcase on the second floor. It opened to the left with light and a small woman with short hair. She was babbling about borrowing a toothbrush and shut the door without waiting for a reply. "Okay, sure. You can use mine." She said in response, softly, to the bookcase. Turning to the right slightly, she saw him arrive in the room, finally. He walked in and stopped when he saw her. They said nothing to each other for a moment. He apologized for taking so long before she said anything. He said he needed to speak to Kylie. That he didn't mean to be on the phone so long but, she came first, of course. She was having a teenage crisis and he comforted her. Then he spoke with her mother. He intended it to be a short conversation but they had known each other for a lot longer and he had already shared so many things with her that talking was easier sometimes. She understood. She felt that way about her ex husband, too. Sometimes, he just would get it because of the time put into each other. Not that this tall man before her couldn't ever understand or that he wouldn't, just that sometimes it was easier to deal with heavy things without having to talk about a lot of other back story. The heavy things could get worked out quicker. He sat in the chair opposite her and took off his jeans. He put on soft plaid fleece pants. Navy blue, yellow, and white. He got up and sat in the chair closest to her. She watched him motion for her to come forward on his lap. She willfully took a few steps to her right, placed her knees around his hips, and settled into his chest while his arms wrapped around her back. They sat like that saying nothing for a long while. She felt his chest lift up and down. He smiled silently.
She lay on the old brown couch with her hands on his face. She studied him and he looked into her eyes. The kissing happened without a thought. It was meant to happen, so it did. The need for a softness that was tender and sweet was aching between them. This wasn't going to be rushed. This was meant to be felt and enjoyed. They switched between cuddling and kissing for hours. Unable to recognize the passing of time through the curtains behind him. They had come to the apocalypse and the only thing left to do, was enjoy being human, however fleeting. Love was the only thing that couldn't be taken away now.
The white brick wall had a ledge which she sat on, perched with one leg up in her chin. She rested her arm and cheek on her knee briefly. Waiting for him to pull the right cables from a nearby boxful. The Apple computer was black and blank, stunted by lack of power. Her red lipstick was prominent as was her eyes. He looked up from the box, seeing her watching without discontent and marveled at her cool demeanor. Her jeans had a rip in the knee and her navy vans were worn. She wore a black shirt and a dark red flannel. Her long brown hair was pulled back but had unraveled over time. A straight strand, dyed blonde and long grown out, hung next to her cheek. She sighed and checked her nails. Still red, no chips. He helped her with her computer and they got it up and running. Her longing for him increased and she wondered why his wife let him be by himself all the time. She couldn't help thinking of kicking off the wall and putting her face as close as possible to his, just to see what he would do. The possibility that he would back away and put a hand up was just as likely as the one where he grabbed the small of her back and smeared her lipstick with his need.
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