NOAH
He watched her sleep, the early morning light casting a soft glow on her face. He had nothing else to do, and he was content just being there. Heâd managed to keep his hands to himself, and she hadnât kicked him out of bed.
He was feeling the weight of the twelve slices of pizza heâd consumed, and heâd fallen asleep shortly after her, not even thinking about sex.
Heâd watched her sleep before, a few times during the summer. The situation was the same. Heâd woken up before her and didnât want to disturb her peaceful slumber.
He wasnât usually so considerate, but he didnât need to be. When he was married to Dorothy, theyâd slept in separate bedrooms, and his time with his mistresses, Vanessa included, was limited and task-oriented.
But with Lillian, he had all the time in the world, and they werenât even sleeping together at the moment. She didnât look like a princessânot in the slightest.
Her hair was a mess, covering her face, and her mouth was slightly open. She wasnât snoring, but she looked funny andâ¦wellâ¦cute. He smiled.
He thought about getting up and making breakfast, but that wasnât his style, so he stayed put until her alarm clock went off.
Thatâs when he got up and headed to the kitchen. He could at least get the coffee brewing for her. Just like the first time heâd stayed over, Lillian got ready in a rush.
She wasnât a morning person in the city. Heâd noticed that, and he wouldâve teased her about it if she werenât so snappy.
She was different on vacation. Even when she was grumpy in the mornings, her mood would lift quickly. Theyâd go out, sheâd point something out to him, and everything would be fine.
But here, she was on edge, and he could only think of one reason why. She really didnât like her job. He found himself questioning if heâd done the right thing by securing her position at the company for so long.
Maybe getting fired earlier wouldâve given her a different kind of motivation. Working for Tamara was clearly getting to her, or maybe it was the years sheâd spent at the company without any sign of progress.
âWell, itâs done now.â He muttered to himself.
He went back to his hotel room and took a shower before heading out to explore the city. Heâd never really appreciated it when he lived here. It was so different from home, and heâd been angry that his father had sent him here.
Despite his fatherâs reassurances, heâd felt exiled. So, he hadnât bothered to get to know the place, and when he left, heâd convinced himself it was for the best. Getting attached to things never did him any good.
But now, after traveling so much, he realized it wasnât such a bad place to live. It was noisy, and people didnât care about each other, but that was true of any big city, even back home.
There were beautiful parks, but he wasnât a fan of the gloomy weather. Strangely, he hadnât noticed the weather when Lillian was around. Maybe because it hadnât rained this week.
Just as he thought about it, the rain started while he was sitting on a park bench. Everyone else left, but he stayed. He didnât have an umbrella, and he was going to get wet anyway. He laughed.
He used to curse the rain, but that was before. Everything was before. People donât change that much, but he had. It wasnât that strange.
Heâd left behind things that were holding him back without him even realizing it. For example, he used to hate the rain because it would ruin his expensive suits and shoes. Now that he wasnât wearing those anymore, he welcomed the rain.
He walked back to his hotel in the rain. The concierge and the receptionist gave him strange looks, but he didnât care. It was raining outside, wasnât it? He was sure he wasnât the only one whoâd gotten soaked.
He took another shower, as if he needed more water, and stayed in. Eventually, he got hungry, but he was too lazy to order room service. The hotel food wasnât anything special, so he decided to stay in bed and ignore his hunger for the time being.
He just stood there, lost in thought. There was this building he found himself passing by every day. Well, that wasnât entirely accurate. The first time heâd passed it had been a fluke.
But heâd stopped, watched it for a few minutes, and then found himself returning the next dayâand every day after thatâto observe it some more. He was drawn to it, couldnât help it.
The building was vacant, but not in terrible shape, suggesting it had been abandoned recently. He tried to remember if heâd seen it three years ago when he lived in the area, but he drew a blank.
Maybe heâd passed it without noticing. It wouldnât be the first time. But now, he was intrigued by it. It was clear from the windows that it had once housed offices, but what kind, he couldnât tell.
The building was in a prime location, so why had it been left to gather dust? Maybe he should ask around next time. âWhy bother?â he mused aloud.
But there was this nagging curiosity, an idea that was still taking shape, that was starting to get under his skin.
***
So deep in thought, he didnât notice the late afternoon creeping in. The rain that had prematurely darkened the sky had added to the illusion that it was still early. Then his phone rang. It was Lillian.
âAre you still breathing?â she asked, half-jokingly.
âWhy wouldnât I be?â he replied, slightly puzzled. âWhy havenât you been pestering me?â
He chuckled at her question. âOh, I get it,â he teased. âYou missed me.â
âNo, I was hoping youâd moved to some far-off city and left me the hell alone,â she retorted.
âLiar,â he drawled. âYouâd be heartbroken if I left.â
âIf? Not when?â she challenged.
âIâm not planning on going anywhere soon,â he assured her.
âDamn,â she muttered, and he laughed.
He could have taken offense if he believed her, but he knew her too well. He knew that deep down, she enjoyed his company. They were both lonely in their own ways.
But he didnât want to see her because he was lonely. He wanted to see her because he liked her. But this time, he wouldnât be the one to suggest they meet. It was her turn, and truth be told, he was too comfortable in his bed to move.
âYouâre just sticking around to annoy me, arenât you?â she accused.
âIâm sticking around because Iâm thinking of starting a life here,â he countered.
âWhat kind of life?â she asked.
âIâm not sure yet, but I think Iâll figure it out eventually,â he replied.
âCome over,â she invited.
âItâs raining,â he protested.
âItâs just a drizzle,â she insisted.
âIf itâs just a drizzle, you come over here,â he countered.
âIâve cooked,â she revealed.
âYou only cook on weekends,â he pointed out, frowning.
âYour fuck buddy managed to piss me off enough today,â she admitted.
âWhat does that have to do with cooking?â he asked, confused.
âI was so angry when I got home that I needed something to take it out on, so I cooked,â she explained.
âFor two?â he asked.
âFor ten, actually. Iâm not great with portions. Like always, Iâll freeze the leftovers for a tougher day,â she said.
âA day tougher than today?â he asked, surprised.
âYes, because I wasnât stressed about work,â she clarified.
âYou said that Tamara pissed you off,â he reminded her.
âIt wasnât about work,â she said.
He sat up in bed, his earlier boredom forgotten.
âWhat did she do to you?â he asked, concerned.
âShe crossed a line,â she said, her voice tight.
He could tell she was holding back, which worried him. Lillian wasnât one to mince words. If something was bothering her, sheâd say it without thinking twice about the consequences.
But she was hesitating now, which meant it was something serious.
âWhat happened?â he asked, his tone serious. Her answer would determine a lot.
âCome over, have dinner with me, and letâs forget about that bitch,â she suggested, changing the subject.
***
By the time he got to her apartment, the rain had stopped. But there was a storm brewing inside him that didnât subside when he saw her face.
Sheâd removed her makeup, but there was something in her expression that he couldnât quite place. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he held back.
Lillian wasnât a damsel in distress. She didnât need saving or to be treated like a child. He knew that a hug wasnât a sign of weakness, but he didnât want to risk being misunderstood.
Instead, he decided to wait and see if she would seek comfort from him.
âSet the table, and Iâll get dinner ready,â she instructed, her back already turned to him.
She wasnât in the mood for a hug, it seemed.
He trailed after her into the kitchen. When she continued to ignore him, he gently grasped her bicep, turning her to face him.
âWhatâs bothering you?â he asked, his voice firm.
âNothingâs wrong.â
âWhat did Tamara do this time?â
âThatâs not your concern, Noah. I can take care of myself. I shouldnât have brought it up.â
âBut you did.â
âAnd now, I donât want to talk about it. You should respect that.â
âI canât. Not when youâre like this.â
He moved a bit closer, and she lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes almost begging.
âIt was just a rough day. Donât blow it out of proportion. Please.â
âDid she say something about me?â he pressed, knowing that the only nonwork-related topic between Tamara and her assistant was him.
She remained silent, and when Lillian Astaire was at a loss for words, it meant things were seriously wrong.