Silence
Four.
The café turned out to be a very small, very quiet place. I was comfortable there. We were seated at a small table in the corner, both sipping on a glass of water. I was a little disheartened by the lack of windows in the café. I like to look out of windows.
Grayson cleared his throat and I looked up at him. He smiled and pulled a book out of his blazer pocket. The book was familiar. A little too familiar.
“When you told me you wrote, I didn’t think you were a published author.” Grayson smiled. I just looked at the book.
“You wasted your money.” I told him, tearing my eyes away from the cover. It was my favorite book that I had written. Sadly, I was the only one who thought it was.
“Why do you say that?” he asked, his smile turning into a frown. I looked up into his gray eyes.
“No one liked that book.” I informed him. His smile returned.
“It just so happens that I thoroughly enjoyed this.” He flipped through the pages.
“I thought you bought it yesterday?” my eyebrows rose at his comment.
“I did. When I got home, I opened it, and didn’t put it down until I was finished. It was really something.”
“You’re the first person I’ve heard say they liked it.” I turned my head to look at the door. More people were entering. I sighed.
“Some people just can’t handle this kind of stuff. They prefer to read about some fantasy, to get away from the real world. You told it like it was. That’s what I liked about it.”
I didn’t comment on that. As soon as I got my food, I started picking at it. I wasn’t hungry. I was ready to go home. To get away from Grayson.
“The only reason I picked this up was because of the author’s name. Adia. No last name. I knew exactly who it was when I saw that. You still haven’t given me a last name. So, when I flipped to the back, to the author’s section, I wasn’t surprised to see that it was only a picture of you.” He took a bite of the sandwich he had ordered. I only nodded.
“Adia, what’s your real name?” Grayson asked after a few moments. I continued picking at my food. Most women might have been surprised that he figured this out. I’m not most women.
“My real name is Adia.”
“Oh. I could have sworn- “
“However, it’s not my birth name.” I cut him off.
“I knew it.” I could hear the triumph in his voice. “So what is your birth name?”
“That isn’t any of your business.” I pushed my plate away.
“Oh, come on. I won’t call you it if you really don’t like it. Just tell me.” He begged. I looked up at him.
“No.” I reached into the pocket of my jacket and placed some money on the table. I got up, pushed in my chair and started walking to the door.
“Adia!” he called after me. I continued walking. Soon, I would be in the comfort of my own home. In the silence.
I was almost home when someone fell into step with me. I had chosen to walk home. I realized that I didn’t live far from the café and unfortunately, Grayson. I knew he was the one walking beside me. It was just my luck.
As I got to the front stoop of my apartment building, I stopped and looked at Grayson. I was waiting for some sort of explanation for his following me.
“Is this your building?” he asked. I stared at him. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Just tell me what you want.” I demanded.
“Well, I’m not sure what I want.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just feel drawn to you. And I think you feel it too, because you don’t exactly ignore me.”
I continued staring at him. As annoying as he was, he was kind of right. I had so many chances that I could have ignored him. But, I chose not to. The thing is, I didn’t care.
“Goodbye, Grayson. Just leave me alone.” I told him. I turned and started up the steps to my building. He grabbed my arm.
“Why do you want to fight it?” he asked, looking into my eyes. I looked away and tore my arm from his grip.
“There is nothing to fight.” I turned on my heel and made my way into the building and into my first floor apartment.
I took off my jacket and placed it on the back of the chair that was in my living room. It was one of the only things that inhabited the area. One chair and one couch situated in front of the fireplace. I had no TV. I had no use for one. That is what the newspaper is for. My apartment was pretty bare compared to many I’ve seen. I had no kitchen table. My room had only a bed. My bathroom wasn’t decorated. I’m not lazy. I just chose not to do anything to the place. I knew I wasn’t going to live there forever.
I sighed and fell down onto my couch. My black and white cat jumped up on the couch and settled in beside my belly. Finally, I thought to myself. Silence.
But as much as I was enjoying the silence, guilt was weighing on my conscience. I lied to Grayson. I wasn’t worried about who I lied to, but the fact that I had lied. I couldn’t figure out why I had even lied in the first place. And then it struck me. I was scared.
Grayson cleared his throat and I looked up at him. He smiled and pulled a book out of his blazer pocket. The book was familiar. A little too familiar.
“When you told me you wrote, I didn’t think you were a published author.” Grayson smiled. I just looked at the book.
“You wasted your money.” I told him, tearing my eyes away from the cover. It was my favorite book that I had written. Sadly, I was the only one who thought it was.
“Why do you say that?” he asked, his smile turning into a frown. I looked up into his gray eyes.
“No one liked that book.” I informed him. His smile returned.
“It just so happens that I thoroughly enjoyed this.” He flipped through the pages.
“I thought you bought it yesterday?” my eyebrows rose at his comment.
“I did. When I got home, I opened it, and didn’t put it down until I was finished. It was really something.”
“You’re the first person I’ve heard say they liked it.” I turned my head to look at the door. More people were entering. I sighed.
“Some people just can’t handle this kind of stuff. They prefer to read about some fantasy, to get away from the real world. You told it like it was. That’s what I liked about it.”
I didn’t comment on that. As soon as I got my food, I started picking at it. I wasn’t hungry. I was ready to go home. To get away from Grayson.
“The only reason I picked this up was because of the author’s name. Adia. No last name. I knew exactly who it was when I saw that. You still haven’t given me a last name. So, when I flipped to the back, to the author’s section, I wasn’t surprised to see that it was only a picture of you.” He took a bite of the sandwich he had ordered. I only nodded.
“Adia, what’s your real name?” Grayson asked after a few moments. I continued picking at my food. Most women might have been surprised that he figured this out. I’m not most women.
“My real name is Adia.”
“Oh. I could have sworn- “
“However, it’s not my birth name.” I cut him off.
“I knew it.” I could hear the triumph in his voice. “So what is your birth name?”
“That isn’t any of your business.” I pushed my plate away.
“Oh, come on. I won’t call you it if you really don’t like it. Just tell me.” He begged. I looked up at him.
“No.” I reached into the pocket of my jacket and placed some money on the table. I got up, pushed in my chair and started walking to the door.
“Adia!” he called after me. I continued walking. Soon, I would be in the comfort of my own home. In the silence.
I was almost home when someone fell into step with me. I had chosen to walk home. I realized that I didn’t live far from the café and unfortunately, Grayson. I knew he was the one walking beside me. It was just my luck.
As I got to the front stoop of my apartment building, I stopped and looked at Grayson. I was waiting for some sort of explanation for his following me.
“Is this your building?” he asked. I stared at him. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Just tell me what you want.” I demanded.
“Well, I’m not sure what I want.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just feel drawn to you. And I think you feel it too, because you don’t exactly ignore me.”
I continued staring at him. As annoying as he was, he was kind of right. I had so many chances that I could have ignored him. But, I chose not to. The thing is, I didn’t care.
“Goodbye, Grayson. Just leave me alone.” I told him. I turned and started up the steps to my building. He grabbed my arm.
“Why do you want to fight it?” he asked, looking into my eyes. I looked away and tore my arm from his grip.
“There is nothing to fight.” I turned on my heel and made my way into the building and into my first floor apartment.
I took off my jacket and placed it on the back of the chair that was in my living room. It was one of the only things that inhabited the area. One chair and one couch situated in front of the fireplace. I had no TV. I had no use for one. That is what the newspaper is for. My apartment was pretty bare compared to many I’ve seen. I had no kitchen table. My room had only a bed. My bathroom wasn’t decorated. I’m not lazy. I just chose not to do anything to the place. I knew I wasn’t going to live there forever.
I sighed and fell down onto my couch. My black and white cat jumped up on the couch and settled in beside my belly. Finally, I thought to myself. Silence.
But as much as I was enjoying the silence, guilt was weighing on my conscience. I lied to Grayson. I wasn’t worried about who I lied to, but the fact that I had lied. I couldn’t figure out why I had even lied in the first place. And then it struck me. I was scared.