The Voices You Hear

... when the doors open

He brought her home after an hour, after almost getting dizzy again with the channel surfing courtesy of an overeager remote control. He would have wanted her to stay a bit longer, but he knew he might be pushing it already. They were surrounded with comfortable silence on the drive to her place, each of them lost in their own thoughts. She, inasmuch as she enjoyed the company of his friends, welcomed the peace inside his car. He, on the other hand, just felt contented with her by his side. He couldn't figure it out but he knows that, other than their gift of conversing with inanimate objects, there's something else between them. That even without their 'friends', he knows that there's a possibility of them getting...

"Your car doesn't talk, does it?"

He was startled with the sudden question, and he grinned when he saw her with eyes wide as she adjusted her seat belt. They were around 10 minutes away from her place, dragging longer as they are caught in a traffic jam, and there were still many vehicles out on a Saturday night.

"Nope. Evie doesn't talk."

"Evie?"

"Yeah, I call her Evie. Because she's a chevy, so..."

"Oh, ok, I get it. Chevy, Evie. A little tacky but hey, I won't judge."

"Haha! You actually just did!"

"I did, didn't I? Haha, sorry."

They inched slowly as the traffic started moving again. He saw her scanning the car, looking over at the backseat and running her hands over the dashboard.

"She's quite new, isn't she?"

"Yeah, just bought her last year actually."

"Why do you think she doesn't talk?"

"I've been thinking about that, too. When I bought her, she just stood out for me in the car showroom, but then the actual car you get isn't really the one you get to test drive, right? So when I got Evie, I was actually hoping she'd talk but nope. I'm glad she doesn't though. Inside here is where I can be alone with only my thoughts nagging at me. Except when I have Bel with me, but she knows when not to talk."

She smiled as she listened to him. She was drawn to how his voice sounded. There was a sense of calm when he speaks, and she understands his need for a little quiet, finding sanctuary in his car. For her it's her bathroom.

"So...who's Binky?"

He asked her back at his place about this Binky, and he knows that it's one her 'friends', but he was getting curious as to what it was.

"I'll introduce you two next time."

"Oh, so there's a next time?"

He sounded so hopeful that she had to suppress a giggle. She looked out the window as they entered the street where her apartment is. She's amazed that he remembers where she lives. Though it was only that morning that he brought her home, not many people would be able to remember her street. Even her ex-boyfriend gets lost sometimes.

He stopped at a two-story building, where she lives in one of the units. She released her seatbelt, and was surprised to see him get out of the car and go around to her side, opening the door for her. She shook her head as she got out.

"You do realize that I can open the door, right?'

"Of course I know that. But you got dizzy at my place and I'm pretty sure Remy wore you out. Besides, I've told you that this is how gentlemen do it."

He walked her to her door, which was one of the ground floor units. She was fumbling inside her bag, searching for her keys.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Huh?"

"That there will be a next time?"

She looked up at him, and he looked even more handsome with the light touching the side of his face where his dimple is. Her eyes travelled down from his eyes, to his perfect nose, to the faint scar on his right cheek, and then his lips. His eyes were already staring at her lips much longer, as if drawing him closer. As he leaned in to her, she parted her lips.

"MAINE! Girl! Is that you?!"

They stopped as a familiar voice was heard from inside her apartment. She finally found her keys and inserted it into her doorknob. He looked away, shaking his head. Great timing, Bic.

"Yes, Bic, it's me."

"Finally! Binky's just about to strangle me!"

She opened her door and turned on the lights. He saw the familiar pen leaning on the table near the entrance.

"Hey Mallows! You took good care of our girl, here? No funny business? Although that would be fine, you know, Maine needs to get herself out there some more and ... HEY!"

She took the pen and shoved it into her bag. She faced him again, aware that he was still at the door, as if waiting to be invited in.

"OK! Richard, thanks for a lovely dinner."

"My pleasure. Sorry about Remy, he can be a handful, at times. Well, most of the time, really."

"That's ok, I like him."

"Who's Remy?!"

"Bic, zip it."

She still had the door open but decided against inviting him in, for it had been a long day already for both of them.

"Uhm, thanks for bringing me home, too. You really shouldn't have, you know, I could've gotten a taxi. You already cooked dinner. And sure, there'll be a next time."

He smiled a little too much hearing her say that. He paused before asking her again.

"Can the 'next time' be tomorrow? I mean, if it's not too soon for you. Completely fine with me. I don't want to crowd you or anything."

"Coffee, tomorrow afternoon. Is that ok? My treat this time."

"Coffee. Good. Great! Then maybe... dinner?"

She was trying hard not to match how giddy he looks, but she felt like her heart is dancing. She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

"Maybe. Goodnight, Richard."