The Past Belongs In The Past
Chapter Seventeen- Penthouse
We caught a bus to the apartment building the napkin directed.
“Do you want to push the button?” I asked Madison when we got into the lift.
“Yes. Which one?”
I consulted the napkin. Level 13.
“There is no level 13.” Madison said when I told her.
I looked up at the collection of buttons. The second to-top button read ‘Level 12’ and then above it ‘Penthouse’. Figures.
“That one.” I pointed it out.
After a few seconds the lift doors opened again to a hallway decorated with modern neutral colours.
I knocked on the only door that led from it.
I could hear muffled voices from the other side of the door. “Quickly turn off the TV, they’re here.” “Jamie fix up your pants, they are either rolled up or completely down.”
After a moment the door opened to reveal Adam’s grinning face.
“Hey Maddie!” he said crouching down to talk to her.
“I really hope you don’t mind us coming over early.” I said.
“and miss the chance to spend more time with two such beautiful girls? We don’t mind, do we Jamie?” he asked Jamie who hid shyly behind his dad. “Jamie why don’t you show Madison your room?”
“Okay!” Jamie said and he and Madison raced off to a room down the hallway.
“Here let me take your coat.” Adam said.
Then I realised that I was still wearing my trench coat over my sparkly dress.
“Um…I’d rather not take it off. I’ve had a… really weird day.”
“Okay then” Adam said without questioning my attachment to my coat. “Can I get you a drink?”
“a coffee would be really good.” I said and he went through some beige folding doors into what a presumed was the kitchen.
I looked around the apartment. It looked like it had been furnished professionally, the sort of place that was completely fake looking, but then there were telltale signs of someone actually inhabiting the large lounge I was standing in. Framed artwork done by a toddler on the walls, a Tonka beanbag in the corner, a few toys across the designer rug, a photograph of a young, gorgeous and pregnant woman with a radiating smile and a huge CD collection in the shiny glass entertainment cabinet.
And then I saw it. The framed CD with ‘Taking Back Sunday’ written above it.
“I had a disagreement with the coffee machine this morning and it sort of decided to not do what it was supposed to so I don’t know how good this tastes.” Adam said apologetically, returning with two coffee cups, his said ‘Best Dad’ on it.
“So what did you say it was that you did?” I asked tactfully.
“Um…I work in the music industry.” He said avoiding making eye contact by becoming every interested in the froth on top of his drink.
“What part? Like a producer or something?” I pursued .
“Um…no I am a musician, in a band.”
“Oh really.” I sort-of coldly. He looked up and when he saw the look on my face gave me a guilty grin.
“Oh” he said “You know.”
“Yeah” I said “When were you planning on telling me?”
“Well I wasn’t really… hey if you thought taking you to a dysfunctional Italian restaurant was showing off, I was keeping my mouth shut.”
“You just thought I’d never find out you were a member of a well-known rock band?”
I probably wouldn’t have for quite some time, I had been avoiding that genre for a while now.
“Well when you didn’t know already I figured you wouldn’t find out…” he blabbered “I should have told you at dinner… how did you find out anyway?”
I was saved from having to come up with an excuse by a knock on the apartment door.
“I don’t know who that would be, maybe Jamie’s aunt.” Adam got up and strode across the living room.
Hang on, I recognise that knock…
“Adam don’t op--” I said quickly but it was too late.
“Anna I need to talk to you.” It wasn’t Jamie’s aunt.
“Um… Adam, have you met Gerard Way?” I said sheepishly.
“Do you want to push the button?” I asked Madison when we got into the lift.
“Yes. Which one?”
I consulted the napkin. Level 13.
“There is no level 13.” Madison said when I told her.
I looked up at the collection of buttons. The second to-top button read ‘Level 12’ and then above it ‘Penthouse’. Figures.
“That one.” I pointed it out.
After a few seconds the lift doors opened again to a hallway decorated with modern neutral colours.
I knocked on the only door that led from it.
I could hear muffled voices from the other side of the door. “Quickly turn off the TV, they’re here.” “Jamie fix up your pants, they are either rolled up or completely down.”
After a moment the door opened to reveal Adam’s grinning face.
“Hey Maddie!” he said crouching down to talk to her.
“I really hope you don’t mind us coming over early.” I said.
“and miss the chance to spend more time with two such beautiful girls? We don’t mind, do we Jamie?” he asked Jamie who hid shyly behind his dad. “Jamie why don’t you show Madison your room?”
“Okay!” Jamie said and he and Madison raced off to a room down the hallway.
“Here let me take your coat.” Adam said.
Then I realised that I was still wearing my trench coat over my sparkly dress.
“Um…I’d rather not take it off. I’ve had a… really weird day.”
“Okay then” Adam said without questioning my attachment to my coat. “Can I get you a drink?”
“a coffee would be really good.” I said and he went through some beige folding doors into what a presumed was the kitchen.
I looked around the apartment. It looked like it had been furnished professionally, the sort of place that was completely fake looking, but then there were telltale signs of someone actually inhabiting the large lounge I was standing in. Framed artwork done by a toddler on the walls, a Tonka beanbag in the corner, a few toys across the designer rug, a photograph of a young, gorgeous and pregnant woman with a radiating smile and a huge CD collection in the shiny glass entertainment cabinet.
And then I saw it. The framed CD with ‘Taking Back Sunday’ written above it.
“I had a disagreement with the coffee machine this morning and it sort of decided to not do what it was supposed to so I don’t know how good this tastes.” Adam said apologetically, returning with two coffee cups, his said ‘Best Dad’ on it.
“So what did you say it was that you did?” I asked tactfully.
“Um…I work in the music industry.” He said avoiding making eye contact by becoming every interested in the froth on top of his drink.
“What part? Like a producer or something?” I pursued .
“Um…no I am a musician, in a band.”
“Oh really.” I sort-of coldly. He looked up and when he saw the look on my face gave me a guilty grin.
“Oh” he said “You know.”
“Yeah” I said “When were you planning on telling me?”
“Well I wasn’t really… hey if you thought taking you to a dysfunctional Italian restaurant was showing off, I was keeping my mouth shut.”
“You just thought I’d never find out you were a member of a well-known rock band?”
I probably wouldn’t have for quite some time, I had been avoiding that genre for a while now.
“Well when you didn’t know already I figured you wouldn’t find out…” he blabbered “I should have told you at dinner… how did you find out anyway?”
I was saved from having to come up with an excuse by a knock on the apartment door.
“I don’t know who that would be, maybe Jamie’s aunt.” Adam got up and strode across the living room.
Hang on, I recognise that knock…
“Adam don’t op--” I said quickly but it was too late.
“Anna I need to talk to you.” It wasn’t Jamie’s aunt.
“Um… Adam, have you met Gerard Way?” I said sheepishly.