Date
Type: Vignette - Characters: Marcus - Words: Around 1300 Put her things in a trash bag. Not much. Couple of clothes. A toothbrush. Drop it outside the front door. She's gone now. Fuck you, Stinky. Where are you?
Need a shower.
Trying to make it fast. But the brain’s a mess. Keep remembering our fight. Need to stop. Press my forehead against the tiles. Close my eyes. Focus on the cold water. The sound. How it feels on my skin. Boring. Touch myself a bit. Shit. End up more frustrated than anything.
Need company.
Grab my phone when out and drying. Check this month’s new number. Marion… From the bar, right? Doesn't matter. Send a text. Get dressed. Weather is hell so shorts and a tank top it is. Get a reply. She's good with going out for a coffee in an hour.
Perfect.
Go check my face. See the bruise. Ignore it. Sunglasses will do. Trim the goatee. Brush my tusks. Apply some sunscreen. Ready to go.
Meet her at the Pey Berland tram station. Shit. Forgot about her being a dwarf. Or maybe I remembered the wrong girl? Whatever. She has a nice smile. Pretty green optics. A lovely flowery dress. And her name's actually Marie.
She’ ll do.
We pick a café in front of the cathedral. Try to get in but there's no seats left. Shit. Waiter takes a higher chair for her and leads us to the terrace under the trees. The shade barely feels there with the heat. Doesn’t seem to bother her. She still orders a coffee. Black, no sugar. I’ll go with a glass of wine.
We chit-chat. She tells me about her life. Don't really care. Itching to roll a cig. Still, pay attention because you never know. She’s a local, like me. And works in a small boutique selling lingerie, not like me. Where? On Saint Catherine Avenue. The building with the old fresco. Know the place. Try to keep my smile.
It was Farah’s favourite.
She asks about me. Thinking. Decide to be honest for once. More or less. Tell her I'm a bouncer for a nightclub. No, not the aggressive type. That shit’s bad for business anyway. I’m a chill guy. I look for peaceful solutions. She chuckles. What’s funny? She asks to see the bruise. Shit. Completely forgot about it. Tell her it’s not from work. Still, take the sunglasses off.
She compliments my eyes.
Surprised. First time someone does that. They just basic brown. But it feels nice to hear.
Tell her she's cute.
The afternoon goes on. We order more drinks. Lemonades for her. Water for me. Don't see the time pass. End up enjoying her company. Wouldn't mind seeing her again.
Getting hungry though. Realise I skipped lunch. Was too angry to cook anyway. Check my watch. A bit more than 5pm. Don't wanna leave her. But everything has an end. She must sense it. Out of the blue asks what I'm doing tonight. Says she would love to have dinner with me. Good idea. Tell her about a nice little restaurant not too far away. She says she wants me to cook.
Ah.
Did say I wasn't half bad.
We leave the café. Walk through the neighbourhood to get to a grocery store. Switch sidewalks to stay in the shade as much as possible. Short break for her to spray sunscreen on the both of us. Have to kneel. My shaved head gets extra attention. How nice.
Air conditioning in the shop is too damn cold. Best way to get sick. Quickly grab some salmon and pasta. The real stuff. Checking if there’s soy every time is a pain. See her smile at me. What? She thinks I'm fancy. Tell her I’m allergic. Apologies accepted. Grab some cream. Got parsley on the windowsill. Wine in the cellar. Nice, don't need to buy much.
Still cost a small fortune.
The lady offers to pay. Thanks, but no. I'm a strong and independent man. She laughs. Starting to like that sound.
We arrive at my address. Show her the building. And the door in the piss alley. Type the code. Get inside. Climb the stairs. She stops to admire the atrium and how my neighbours decorated it. Old buildings are full of surprises. Get to the third floor. Trash bag's still here. Ignore it. Turn the keys. Close the door behind her.
We're in.
And the flat feels cool!
Swap shoes for slippers. Lead her to the living room. Ask if she wants some water. Silence. Look behind. Her dress's already on the floor. Ah. Not what I had in mind.
But if that’s what she wants...
Would drop the groceries if food wasn't so expensive. Rush to the kitchenette to throw it all in the fridge. My little run makes her laugh. She keeps laughing when I push her on the couch. Bedroom's way too personal. Quiets down when I start taking care of her. Then her moans fill the room.
Getting hot in here. Got a fan not too far. Can't take my hands off her though. Don't want to. Can’t think. Only her. Marie. Marie.
Marie.
Wake up from a nap. We both fell asleep. Skin against skin. Sweating so much. Don't care. Hold her closer. Should go turn on the fan. Impossible. My face against her throat. Would be a crime to let go of her. She kisses my head. Feel the smile on her lips. Look up. Her optics on me.
Wanting.
Seriously, again? Just want to hold you! And it's way too hot to fuck now. Must make a face because she pouts. Can’t resist that. Leave a trail of kisses from her chin to her stomach. Take a bite to get the laughs out. Love how it sounds against the high ceiling. Go lower. Bring back the moans.
Manage to take care of her. Give the lady what she needs. Push her hands away as she asks about me. No need to worry. Pretend I’m spent. Holding her is all I want.
Heat's unbearable now.
Let go. Turn on the fan. Fetch a bottle of water. We empty it. She checks her interface. Around 8pm. Sun's still up but it's getting late for her. What about dinner? Another day? OK. Disappointed. Don't show it. Tell her where the bathroom is. Frown when I hear the shower. Kind of rude not to ask. Don't have much water this week.
Whatever. Not gonna spoil a good afternoon.
Watch her slip her dress back on. Reach out a hand. Sneak a finger under the fabric to feel her skin. Like her. Don't want her to leave. But I know the music. She gives me a kiss on the lips. Tells me it was great with a smile. Promises to contact me again. Liar. Grabs her things and leaves with a wave. She got what she wanted. Hear her close the door.
Alone.
Get off the couch. Grab my clothes and throw them in the laundry basket. Quick wash. Get in front the mirror. Freeze when I see the marks she left on my skin. Was too lost in her to notice. Don't like it. Hate it. Can easily hide them if needed at least. Fetch some clean trousers.
Stomach roaring now.
Make cream salmon for one. Eat. Clean the dishes. Clean the counter. Sweep the floor. Sort the trash. Look around. Nothing else to do.
Silence.
Stinky. My birthday. Our fight. Everything comes rushing back. Realise I forgot how to live alone. Getting angry again. Need a smoke. Open the window. Suffocating heat gets in. Sounds of the city too. Watch the drunks and happy who pass through the alley. Ignore the weirdo who lives in front. Definitely watched us. Will need to buy curtains this week.
Light another one. Could also open a bottle. Not feeling sleepy anyway. Miss her too much.
Shit.
Night's gonna be long.