That Sexy Librarian and Me

13th, part 2

Weekends used to be filled with parties with nameless faces, their words unimportant, and their reasons for hooking up with Remy absolutely corrupt. He was the golden boy, always popular since his days in high school. Some days the girls were more available than molecules of oxygen, and who was he to say no? They were available, and consenting, and delightful, too. Pretty in their own way, each of them their own kind of girl, Remy loved every one of them. Sure, it was a different love for each one, probably because one’s hair was perfection, or the other had brilliant skin or features, but he did love them.  And while the boy missed having someone in his life to kiss, to touch, he liked that he now spent his weekends lazing around the apartment without worrying about his reputation.

No men to please with the stories of his weekend escapades, no women to buy expensive gifts for, nothing to make his life difficult, basically.

Last week he had convinced Athenia to buy her first pair of sandals off of Flipkart. Watching her eyes brighten at all the shoes she liked surprised him more than he could admit. He never thought she would have taken so easily to online shopping, what with being a woman and all that. Athenia, like the rest of her flock, was picky beyond measure.

Still, in her closet sat three pairs of sandals, all a different type and colour, none of which he noticed or cared for, but it made her happy, and somehow that made him extremely happy.

Being useful to Athenia was like having to be a part of the President’s secret service. The job may not have as many rewards, and not as many health benefits, but Athenia reminded him a little child who needed caring for, even if she was self sufficient and completely capable of making her own decisions and choices. Looking around her apartment, he silently saluted her once again. It couldn’t have been easy, and he knew she must not be great on the purse strings.

But she was caring in her own way. She made sure he had his brand of everything he liked when the day called for it, just before any of it finished.

“I thought I asked you to bring me Pringles.”

“No more of those, Rem.” She looked at him with a straight face as she brushed. “You’re going to die of high cholesterol.”

Sitting there by her side, watching her paint as the outside world did whatever it did on a perfect weekend, he smiled at absolutely nothing. For the first time in a long time, since he had fought with Eddie and moved out of his apartment, there came a day that didn’t look all wrong.

And who knew pyjamas were so comfortable? He’d sell all his jeans for all the PJs in the world.

Generally, on Sunday afternoons when the library was closed, Athenia spent the day painting something, maybe a pot, maybe some kind of cloth. 

"The smell is very irritating." He told her as he lay on the mat the crazy woman put out to avoid spilling on the carpet, and watched her paint, like he had the previous weekend. Had it really just been two weekends ago that he'd moved in with her?

Her strokes were powerful, confident. He'd known some painters in his life. It was doubtless that this woman was brilliant at it.

"You're irritating, too. I still let you live here."

"About that, how much do you pay for rent?’Cause I think I have enough for this month." He put out a hand then. "High-five me, will you? I have enough for rent and food and essentials, Ath!"

With a laugh, she conceded to his request, her hands coated with dry reds and blues. "First of all, your idea of essentials astounds me.”

“Why?”

Rinsing a brush, she looked to him. “Games for the x-box are not exactly essentials.” She looked away, her hair falling out of its bun from the action, across her back, cascading down the length. “Besides, this is my place, Rem. You don't have to pay rent."