Up & Out - Ariella Papa [106]
“You smell like French fries,” I say. “That’s vegetarian just like you.”
“You just smell amazing.” He takes my hand and we start walking again. “I’ll walk you home.”
“Thank you.” I know that we aren’t going to sleep together tonight, but we will….
“Where do you live again?”
“Hell’s Kitchen.” We’re still in Chinatown. It’s going to be a long walk.
“Oh, good. I was afraid it would be the East Village and it would have to end.”
“Where do you live?”
“Morningside Heights.”
“Wow! I should walk you home. That’s barely Manhattan it’s so far north.”
“I know, sometimes you can see stars there,” he says, pointing our clasped hands to the sky. I’m not surprised he knew that I was looking for them.
“I hope I get to see that sometime.”
“You will,” he says, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it. “You will….”
21
Full-Fledged Strangers
Lauryn is sleeping in my bed when I get into it. I forgot she was coming and that she has a key. It’s almost five in the morning. We walked slowly. I’m glad she’s there. It makes the bed cozier. I can’t tell if Tommy is home from his date. I don’t see any sign of him. I want to talk to him. I would tell him that everything is going to be okay between us, that no matter what we will still be there for each other. I feel so happy and almost high. I’m finally feeling summer. I hope I can hold on to this.
“What’s up, sleepyhead?” Lauryn is awake and peering down at me. She looks like she has already been up for a while.
“Hey. Did you go for a run?”
“And took a shower and got bagels. You forget I get up at five most days on the Vineyard. I’ll crash for a nap around three. Speaking of time, what time did you get in last night?”
“Almost five.”
“Kathy stayed out that late?”
“No, she cancelled.”
“You were out with Beth? Were you being bad?”
“No.” I lie on my back on the bed. With a new day comes reality. “Is Tommy home?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I got in at midnight and watched TV until one-thirtyish. Nothing was here except dishes. He had that date, huh?” She sits on the bed and rubs my leg over the sheet. “Are you okay?”
“I am. I think. I met someone last night. Not that that has anything to do with it, but it might.”
“Who?”
“Just some guy—Ben.” I sigh and think about his eyes. “Ben.”
“Where did you meet this Ben?”
“He works at a bar.”
“Oh, I’ve had those.” She rolls her eyes and gets up. I sit up in bed.
“It’s different.”
“You did it with him?”
“No, it isn’t all about that. We kissed.” I lie back in bed. Lauryn stops what she’s doing and comes and stands over me.
“What the hell happened to you?”
“He smelled like French fries,” I say, and curl into my pillow.
“You’re a freak. How much did you talk to this guy?”
“We talked all night.”
“Did you exchange numbers?”
“No.”
“Jesus, Re, how are you going to see him again?”
“He told me to come see him tonight.”
“We’re supposed to go out with Kathy tonight.” I sit up in bed.
“I was supposed to go out with her last night.”
“It’s our bachelorette night.”
“Beth is going to cancel, why can’t I?”
“Rebecca!”
“Honestly, I think this could be big.”
“You’ve known him for a minute.”
“Well, I talked to him like I’ve never talked to anyone. He walked me home from Chinatown.”
“I can’t believe you let some strange man see your apartment.”
“You’re not getting this. It was a big deal. It wasn’t some stupid hookup with a random stranger in a bar I frequented but will never go to again.” Now, why did I say that? If I were shooting this like a soap opera, that would be the last scene on a Friday, then the audience would have all weekend for the impact to dull. This is not a soap opera, but real life. And so I have to suffer the long, hurt look Lauryn gives me.
“I’m not going to listen to Kathy turn into a basket case again about this wedding. You need to go tonight. We planned this—you planned this! Now I have to go see my ex-husband.” She slams the door.
We are twenty minutes late to the