I See You for Who You Are

The hallway was almost impossible to get through without falling, the amount of shoes gave a pretty good hint of the number of people in the apartment.
-So many shoes....this apartment must be huge? Wilma said stumbling and looked towards Robert, and smiled nervously.
- Actually no. He smiled back at her. – It’s always crowded though. Come one. I’ll introduce you to the people living here and then we’ll go find the twins and get you something to drink.
He held out his hand towards her and she looked at it and then up again.
-Come on, let me help you out of this sea of shoes! – I am the touchy feely type, remember.
She laughed and took his hand following him into the apartment.

***
Vilma was having a nice time and it surprised her, she had dreaded this and had planned to leave but three hours had flown by fast and it was getting really late.
She was sitting on the balcony talking to the woman who was living in the apartment with her boyfriend. Jocelyn was only a year older than her and and they seemed to have a lot in common, the love for music and good books and had spent the last fifteen minutes talking about the Muse concert they both had been to at Wembley the year before.
-So… Jocelyn smiled at her and put out her cigarette. -what is the deal with you and Rob?
-Deal? Vilma shook her head. -Oh, no deal. We just met tonight, he played at the bar and waited for me when the twins left just so I’d find my way to your place.
-No deal huh? Well he hasn’t left your side since you two got here.
Jocelyn nodded towards the door. Robert stood just inside talking to Jocelyn’s fiancé Benjamin.
-Well… Vilma hesitated for a while. - I think he picked up on the fact that I was a bit nervous coming here. I haven’t been out in a while, just been working a lot and burying myself in books.
-Well, I hope you are not nervous now. I am glad you came!
-No, not nervous. Vilma laughed. –Just…glad I came too.
- Good. Jocelyn smiled -And I think you are wrong by the way…
-About what?
Vilma looked curiously at Jocelyn.
-Well he’s looking our way all the time. I know Rob pretty well, he finds you…interesting, I see that. He’s glad you came too, I know it, he was hoping you would.
They heard the music suddenly getting louder through the door and Jocelyn got up. - I gotta go turn down the damn music or we’ll get evicted. I’ll be back in a few.
The door closed behind her and Vilma blinked, feeling her confused. “..He was hoping you would”. Jocelyn must have gotten it wrong, she must have confused her with someone else. Rob didn’t even know who she was until tonight.
This whole night had been confusing, she didn’t even know what she was doing here, why she felt she it was ok to come just because she came here with him. Why He made her feel, whatever it was she felt. It was there, it was something and it was unexpected. The last couple of years she had felt a bit...frozen and on autopilot, she smiled sadly to herself at the silly thought but that was what it had felt like, working, breathing, sleeping and eating but not living. Not feeling happy but not feeling unhappy either. She didn’t even know what it was that felt different was but it felt good just to feel it.
She looked at the door and saw Robert looking at her. She smiled at him and he opened the door.
-Want some company? Or can I get you something to drink?
She held up her beer. – I am good on the drinks but sure, some company sounds nice.
He came out on the balcony and sat down beside her on the balcony the floor instead of on the chair. He looked up at her, his eyes a bit glassy and he leaned his temple on her knee.
-Are you drunk Cher-boy? She chuckled a bit and he did the same.
-I am getting there, yessss.
He looked up at her again.
-Do you mind? Me being drunk I mean…you don’t like it?
She looked down at him and smiled.
-I work at a bar remember, I don’t care!
Then she tipped her head to side and thought about it. -Well, it depends I guess…
-On what?
He looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows together.
-On what kind of drunk you are. Are you an angry drunk, or a happy one... Nice or mean?
He smiled up at her.
-Happy…and tired. I always get so damn tired a few of hours after a gig, especially when I have been nervous.
-I can understand that. So…you are going home to and sleep then?
She looked down at him, holding her breath without even knowing it.
He quickly sat up.
-No! I mean…are you? I am not that tired.
-I’d like to stay a while.
-Then I’ll stay too. He nodded. – I mean I’d promised I’d scare the bad lions of right?
She laughed a bit.
-That’s sweet of you, but I can take care of myself.
He stumbled on his words a bit. -Oh I know...I’m not a male chauvinist or something… I…I don’t know you but I’ve had a great night... I just…Iike talking to you. So I am staying. For me…but for you. Damn… this sounds confusing.
He laughed at himself and she joined in on the laughter and thought about what to say.
-Good, that you are staying I mean. I like talking to you too.
He leaned in and rested his head on her knee again while lighting a cigarette.
-So Longstocking, is this the dead-drunk night? Do you want to smoke with me?
He chuckled, at the nick name he had given her.
-Pippi Longstocking? Really? That’s it? Because of the hair I guess?
- Yes and the freckles! And…she is strong, both in body and mind and she is fair to people and generous... and Swedish of course.
She laughed at his explanation and got a bit more serious.
-You don’t know that those qualities apply on me...
-I do Longstocking, your reputation precedes you… I know the twins and their brother adore you and I trust them with my life…so it must be true. You are Longstocking from now on, I will throw a Halloween party and I demand you dress the part.
He blew out a circle of smoke and laughed.
-Halloween, that’s seven months from now!
-So, you have time to find a suit then.
He looked up at her and smiled, then leaned his head heavier on her leg and closed his eyes.
-But…wait…I…
-Yes?
-If my reputation precedes me…it means you have talked to them about me…but we met today.
-Correction. You met me today. I have…seen you…and I have…asked them a bit about you.
-Oh…ok.
She became quiet and soon she realized he had fallen asleep with his head in her knee, his cigarette dangling from his lips. She took it from his lips and put it out, gently pushed his long hair out of his eyes and just sat there and enjoyed stillness and being close to someone for the first time in a long whole, listening to the sounds of the party inside dying out.