Someone to Remember

Once the second day on set came to a close, everyone was reluctant to leave, including the director. But the dynamic duo of Maya and Tom were most reluctant of all. Tom had to take Maya back to her apartment that night, but both of them knew they didn’t want to separate. Yet neither of them spoke up, mainly in fear of the other declining. It wasn’t until Tom pulled up to the brick building that he grabbed her arm in protest.

“Why don’t you just stay at my place? At least until the filming is over,” he begged of the woman, a look of sadness in his eyes. “It’d be so much easier for both of us.” Maya wanted to say yes with every ounce of her being. But there was something that held her back from saying it. It wasn’t because of the apartment; she knew she didn’t really like living there. It also wasn’t because she didn’t like Tom’s house; on the contrary, she loved it. Deep down, she knew it was because of the feelings neither of them would fully share. She was afraid of there being the awkward tension between them, and of the posibility of a friendship being ruined because of their feelings. Her mother would certainly disapprove of her moving in with a man that she wasn’t even in a relationship with, especially since he was such a celebrity. But Maya had to think of what she wanted. And Grace’s words from the night before reminded her of that.

“Would you mind helping me pack?” she asked meekly, turning her head a bit to look at the pleading man. He smiled almost instantly and nodded.

“I would be delighted to.”

They both headed up to the quiet apartment and Maya unlocked the door quickly. She smiled faintly at the sight of her dwelling. Yes, part of her would miss this place, but where she was going would be much safer and more spacious than here. She set her keys on the kitchen counter as she had done in her old routine and nodded to her bedroom.

“I’ll be in there getting my clothes together,” she told the man as he looked around her apartment again. “You can clear out the fridge and what’s left in the fruit basket. Paper bags are in that cabinet.” She pointed over to a cabinet next to the stove and Tom nodded as he began his work.

“What are you going to tell your landlord?” he asked politely. Maya shrugged.

“That I found a new place and I’ll pay him for this month’s rent and utilities. Anything I leave here can be donated or used for new tenants.” Tom nodded again as Maya disappeared into her room, where she pulled out her suitcases and bags. It took her about twenty minutes to get all of her clothes packed into her suitcases, and toiletries and accessories into her hand bags. When she had finally looked up from the business in front of her, she saw Tom leaning in the doorway, watching her with a soft smile.

“All done?” he asked the young woman who looked quite flustered. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed in response, rubbing her eyes.

“I think so. I just need my laptop and electronic chargers.” Tom walked over to her and helped her stand, wrapping an arm around her waist gently.

“Let me help you find them. You’re exhausted.” She frowned a bit and shook her head.

“My house, I do the work around here.” She squeezed his arm lightly and walked over to her bedside. Maya took the chargers out and threw them into an open bag on the floor. Tom spotted her laptop on the floor of the opposite side of the bed and picked it up.

“I’ll start takng the suitcases to the car,” he told her quietly, pecking her forehead when she frowned in protest.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “I need to talk to the landlord anyway.” As Tom hauled the two suitcases out, Maya slipped back into her closet, kneeling down to the ground to open a lock box she had put there. She unlocked it and pulled out an thick envelope with a sigh. She came back out and stuffed the lock box into her last bag, and began bringing her remaining three bags out to the living room. When she passed the kitchen, Maya noticed how all of her food had already been taken out. Tom was so helpful and she loved that about him. He was always willing to go out of his way to help her, or anyone in general.

He walked back in, then, looking at the bags in her hands and quickly rushed to take them from her. She grumbled her disapproval as he took them and walked back to the door.

“Is that everything you had?” he asked from the doorway.

“Yep. Everything worth taking, anyway,” she mumbled. She grabbed her keys off the counter and started to take her apartment key off the ring, frowning a bit as she did. Maya walked out to the door and took one last look around her home before closing the door and locking it. “I’m gonna miss it,” she said quietly to Tom, glancing up at him.

“I know,” he said back as he pursed his lips and walked down the stairs. Maya followed him slowly until she reached her landlord’s door. She sighed and knocked on the door gently, stuffing her free hand in her coat pocket, the other holding the envelope.

“No, there aren’t any available‒” a gruff, old man said with a raspy voice. “Oh, Maya, come in,” he said, motioning her forward. “What’s new, kiddo?”

“Hey, um, I kind of..” she stumbled, scratching her forehead. “Ralphie, I’m moving.” The old man stared at her for a moment before smiling at her and nodding.

“It’s fine, kid,” Ralph said kindly. “You know the policy, though. I’ll need this month’s rent and utilities, and your key.” Maya nodded and handed him her key, pulling out the money from the envelope in her hand. She hoped and prayed that she had done the math right in her head and had enough saved. As the old man counted out the money, he nodded. “I hope you come back to visit when you’re free,” he said a bit sadly.

“Of course I will,” Maya said. “You’ve been so nice to me since I got here and I can’t just forget about you.” With a few final words to each other, Maya left and walked over to Tom’s car.

“Everything went smoothly, I pressume?” he asked her after she fastened her seatbelt.

“Yeah,” she said quietly before yawning softly. Tom chuckled lightly and rubbed her shoulder as they began the drive back to his house.

“Somebody’s sleepy,” he sang softly. “I think I’ll let you sleep in tomorrow.” Maya scrunched up her nose, but didn’t say anything. She leaned her head on her arm that was propped up against the window and closed her eyes while they drove. “Don’t fall asleep on me now,” the actor cooed, rubbing her arm more. She groaned in response and shrugged lightly before her need for sleep overpowered her.

When she opened her eyes again, she knew she was no longer in the car and instead, was laying in a bed. She tried looking around, but when she turned her head, it smacked right into Tom’s chest. Her eyes peered up to see the man peacefully sleeping above her and she smiled warmly at the sight. His arm was securely wrapped around her waist as he slept. Maya sighed contently and glanced over his side to look at the digital clock on his nightstand. It was a few minutes past one.

She swiftly slipped out of his arms and snuck out of the room, trying to be as quiet as possible to let the man stay asleep. In the pitch black darkness, she carefully made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. The bright light from the inside of the fridge momentarily blinded her as she opened it, searching for a small snack. A soft meow from her cat startled her and she jumped.

“Damn it, Link” she hissed at him as he rubbed his head against her leg. Maya sighed and grabbed a yogurt cup that they had brought over from her old apartment from the fridge. She ate it quietly before heading back up the stairs to pop into her new room. All of her suitcases and bags were aligned by the window and the jacket she had on earlier was draped across her bed. For a moment, she debated going back to sleep there instead of in Tom’s room. But a loud grunt from the room next to hers changed her mind quickly as she heard the man, murmuring something.

“Maya..?” he was saying quietly as she walked back into the room. She shushed him softly and crawled on top of him carefully.

“I’m right here,” she whispered, rubbing his cheek lightly. “It’s okay.” His eyes opened slowly to look down at her and he wrapped his arms around the woman tightly, clinging onto her.

“Where’d you run off to?” he muttered sleepily.

“Just downstairs for a snack, it’s okay.” She offered him a small smile as his eyes began to close again. It was cute to see him all flustered when he was completely out of it. He barely nodded once before rolling both of them onto one side.

“I got worried,” he mumbled. Tom tried to open his eyes again to look at her, but the wave of being tired overwhelmed him.

“No need to worry about me,” the woman murmured. “Just get some sleep.” He grumbled incoherently as he shimmied in the bed, trying to get adjusted. Maya smiled sweetly at him and pecked his forehead lightly. “Night, Tom.” He grumbled more in response, but she noticed how his arms tightened slightly around her. With a soft sigh, Maya also fell asleep, wrapped in the comforting embrace.