All The Men I Have Danced With Are Dead

Another Chapter

Aurora returned from her aunt's funeral with a heavy heart. As she drove home, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had witnessed something haunting. Her aunt had died alone and unloved, and the thought of her succumbing to the same fate lingered with Aurora like a bad dream. 

The funeral had been sparsely attended, with only a handful of people present. Aurora recognized a few faces from her aunt's sporadic AA meetings, but otherwise, the crowd was made up of distant relatives who seemed to go out of their way to avoid any interaction with her. When asked if she wanted to view the body, Aurora reflexively said yes. But as soon as she saw the pale lifeless body, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She stumbled backward, barely making it to the side of the room before losing her dinner onto the floor.
...........

Back in the city, Aurora and Peter basked in the comforting warmth of their relationship. On one end it was a lifeline and the other was undefined and unattached.  Aurora loved him with all she was and Peter loved her with just a faint glow or as one loved the 'next thing". When Aurora thought she could die for what was between them, Peter absently understood it to be a phase in his life. Despite this imbalance, they remained blissfully unaware - blinded by the time that had not been reached.

Until a slight crack in their make-shift world.

'Just got to your building' Aurora typed into the blank box and waited for the delivered indication before pushing the door open to Peter's building lobby.

In the lobby, about to press the prompt for the elevator Aurora saw the familiar linings of Peter's frame in her peripheral vision. The concierge's desk was situated to Peter's left, and he was engaged in conversation with a woman to his right. The woman had bottle-blonde hair that cascaded down her waist but did nothing to conceal the skin on her backless green blouse. She said something and Peter laughed so loudly the concierge flinched. She said something again, grabbing Peter's arm seemingly for emphasis, getting his attention so they now held each other's gaze. From Aurora's vantage point across the hall, it was as if the woman had asked Peter if he wanted to go upstairs with her. Aurora's attention snapped into focus, and she strode purposefully toward them.

'Woah' was what Peter said when he noticed Aurora walking towards him.  The surprise written all over his face was comical - like he couldn't believe she was a formative figure - like she hadn't told him she was in his building. When she stood in front of him Aurora asked: Didn't you know I was coming?.. I just messaged you" 

The woman moved so that she was about a foot away from them now. 

Peter's voice wavered as he explained, "I haven't been with my phone." He glanced over at the woman and Aurora could sense the hesitation in his eyes. She knew he was contemplating whether or not to introduce them, but before he could decide: 

Hello - Aurora said brightly to the woman beside them, who was idly tracing her perfectly manicured nails across the smooth marble desk.

Peter spoke then "we use to work together a few years ago,  apparently, she moved into this building"

Aurora's smile remained unwavering as she replied, "Ah," her voice steady despite the unease that churned in her stomach at the thought of Peter living anywhere near the woman in front of them. With her hands extended around Peter, she added, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," and delved into a series of polite inquiries about the woman's recent move to the building, her polite words belying the contempt she felt towards this situation.

Afterward, all three shared an elevator. The air was pregnant with tension. Aurora stared down at the polished metallic surface, reflecting the faint light that emanated from the overhead panel, and with every stop on the elector count absently thought of ways an elevator can aid in hurting someone. The woman stopped at floor thirty-two and Aurora made note of that.