Close Enough To Feel You [L.R.H]

Chapter 1

Renee Silver

I hated the first of the month. The only reason that would be why is because of rent being due. Especially living in a big city, rent is wild. I only live in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment and my rent is easily $1800 a month.

Luckily I split it with my roommate who is also my best friend, Vivian. Living in Savannah is nice and all, the scenery and downtown is beautiful, but my apartment.. not so much.

We decorated it the best we could off of our low salaries at our jobs. We luckily made it livable but also cute. Worst thing is that I barely make $900 a month just for rent. I've moved up with my position at my job throughout the years, finally making it to a customer service manager at my lovely job of.. Publix.

Thankfully that I am now out of school, I have a full time job there working my normal 40 hours a week with overtime. But sadly, it's now July 29th and I am $300 short of rent. I needed to find a quick alternative to getting cash quickly.

21 year old me would say to be a stripper, be a prostitute or just ask my mother. But now since my mother lives across the country and she has her own little world and now since I'm an adult, it's not that simple anymore.

"You could sell this?" Vivian asked me as she was going through my closet of clothes I don't wear anymore. "And you can even go to Plato's closet and try to get some cash," she suggested.

"You know how they are, they will say 'oh this isnt in style' and then turn me away with just $10 in my pocket" I sighed as I was going through my drawers. After a few more minutes of bickering back and forth about my sense of style, Vivian turned around with an antique watch in her hand. "This looks expensive."

I turned to look at her, seeing her hold my great grandmother's old watch as she inspected it. Sorry Nana. "Perfect," I said as I grabbed it from her.

I finally parked in the strip near an old pawn shop downtown. "Welcome in" the older male gentleman said as I walked in, having my great grandmother's watch in my back pocket. "Hello uhm i want to sell this" i said as I pulled out the watch and showed it to him.

"Oh this is so gorgeous" he said as he inspected it. After a few minutes of silence he started to say, "ill give you $400 for it"

"Deal." I said and he walked over to the counter with me and checked me out. Great now I'm all set for rent this month at least. He handed me the cash as I put it in my wallet and started to walk out until I saw a spring of light hit my eye.

I turned my focus to this gorgeous ring that was behind the counter in the glass case. It was a silver band with an engraved diamond in the middle. I stopped at the counter to take a closer look at it. "Some lady turned this in a few months ago, told me she wanted to get rid of it" the gentleman said as he unlocked the case and took it out and laid it on the counter.

It looked expensive because of the diamond so I shook my head chuckling. "I'll give it to you for $30" he said as he looked up at me. "$30? That seems too little for it "I said as I looked back up at him shaking my head.

"You're the first person in months to actually pay it some attention. So, yes I'll give it to you for $30." he said. I nodded and handed him the money as I walked out the store with $370 and an antique silver ring.

As I finally reached back home, Vivian and I started cleaning up the apartment while I was getting ready for a closing shift at my work. "Thank you for helping me viv" I said as I pulled my work shirt over my head. "No problem" she smiled and went into her room.

As I finished off some soft makeup, I grabbed my keys off of my nightstand and stopped. My eyes caught the ring again, so I grabbed it and slid it on my middle finger walking out to the parking lot towards my car.

Hours went by and it was getting close to closing with it being 9pm, just one hour left. I had two cashiers left while everyone I let go early. Today wasn't too busy, just a few rushes here or there.

I decided to do my normal walk around the store to check the freezers and refrigerators to make sure they were working. There were only a few people coming in and out of the store during this time until I saw this tall blonde haired man standing in the freezer aisle looking at the pizzas.

"Are you looking for something specific?" I asked as he didnt move, just staring at the food. "Sir?"

He turned and looked at me and then looked at the other side of him, guessing that he's now confirming that I'm talking to him. "Those ones are really good" I chuckled as I went closer to him looking at the pizzas.

He was weirdly silent as he didnt say anything until he turned away and went down the aisle soon then walking out of the store. I continued to do my job as I went around the store and went back up front.

The last hour went by quickly as I closed up the store and walked back towards my car until I saw the same familiar man sitting on the cart holder having a cigarette in between his index and middle finger. He wasn't too far from my car so I walked up to him getting a little over 10 feet away from him.

"Need a lighter?" I asked as I grabbed a lighter out of my purse and tried to hand it from him. He slowly brought up the cigarette to his lips as I got closer to him and lit his cigarette and inhaled. Our eyes met as he was looking at me slowly breathing in the cigarette.

He was still silent as he inhaled and exhaled the smoke from it, breaking out eye contact as he looked towards the street watching a few cars pass by. I stepped back a little not knowing what to say or do so I started to walk away to my car getting inside and looking back over to him seeing him still stare at the street.

I started my car and dialed Vivian and after a few rings she answered, "the weirdest thing just happened to me" I said as I saw him get off of the railing and started to walk away towards the street. "What's up?"

"There was this man and girl, he's actually good looking right" I chuckled as I told her about this experience watching him walk closer to the sidewalk of the street. "You should take a picture"

"Great idea" I chuckled as I opened my camera app and turned my phone to the direction where he was and zoomed in to try to get a good photo, "this is weird.."

"What?" Viv asked as I looked into my phone seeing that he isn't appearing on the lens. I kept looking back at him from my view and then back to my camera. "Nothing.. I'll see you when I get home" i said as I hung up and shook my head.

Tonight was weird.. too weird.