Pandora

1- Kiss Me

Why am I always late?!

Once again, the morning I have an important meeting with an author to talk about translating his book, my alarm clock doesn't go off!

I didn't even have time to do my hair and makeup! Well, it's to late anyway, it will have to do. I have to take the tube to get to work and it's taking ages to get here.

The train's always late when I have an important meeting to attend to! When the train finally arrives I hurry up and get on it.

A thew sits down from me an old man is looking at me with a stare saying that all young people should honor the elderly and that I am an embarrassment with my wild hair. His stare is so intense that I have to turn away embarrassed.

When I finally leave the underground I try to walk faster in an attempt to make up for time.

The building is just across the road, I'm nearly there.

I try to cross the road and nearly get run over doing so. They are crazy these Londoners, driving so fast! Good job I didn't have time to put on my high heals or I wouldn't of been able to run across the road without falling over.

Just a thew more meters before I can finally enter the building. I arrive in front of the automatic doors that, of course, don't want to open, just to make me that little bit later.

People on the street look at me funny, I must seem a bit crazy. When the doors finally open, I rush inside. I arrive in a hurry, and the secretary, with her perfectly ironed top, glares at me. I suddenly feel anger towards my "colleagues" for always arriving on time, never in a hurry.

I stride towards her and ask quite harshly, "In witch room is M. Smith waiting for me?!"

"Wait a moment while I check" she says calmly. She starts typing away on her keyboard and it seems like she's taking hours. "Room 624, 7th story"

I run to the lift without thanking her and press the button. My heart is beating twice as fast as normal. After an eternity the lift doors open. There is only one man standing in the lift.

He looks about twenty five, like me. He has ginger hair and some stubble, pale blue eyes and a light complexion.

As he walks towards me, our gaze meets for a split second. I feel as if my heart has stopped beating and exploded inside me. I freeze in my path and he squeezes past me to exit the lift.

His body is so close to me, I can smell him. He smells like soft sweat fruit mixed with something a bit more...wild.

He walks calmly out of the building leaving me mesmerized. I snap out of it quickly, but not before the lift doors start to close and I have to run in to avoid them closing on me.

As I reach out to press the 7th button, I see an object on the floor. It looks like a black leather wallet. I pick it up and wonder what I should do with it. A tinging noise signalizes the doors opening and I stuff the wallet in my bag walking into the hall. I look around then finally see a doors with 624 written on it.

"Ok, breath. You're only twenty minutes late..." I try to calm myself but it doesn't work.

I finally push the door open, with apprehension, and say, "Hello M. Smith, it's great to meet you. I'm so sorry for being late. I'm Alice Filia and I'm here to talk about translating your book into french..."

***

Against all odds, it when really well. Actually, the author had arrived just a thew minutes before me. So he too apologized and we started to talk.

After a long and tiring day, I have finally arrived home. My feet aching from running as fast as I could to arrive "on time". As I look for the manuscript in my bag I come across the mysterious wallet.

I had completely forgotten about it, I should have handed it to the secretary before leaving, but it's too late now.

I sit down on my bed and give in to the temptation of opening it. Inside, there are a thew notes but not much.

There is also a photo of two people, a man and woman sitting in front of a grand piano, smiling whilst playing a tune. I recognize the man as the one from the lift almost instantly with his messy orange hair and cheeky smile. I stare at the photo a bit longer before turning it over to look on the over side.

On the back there is a phone number written lightly in pencil. I grab my phone and start to dial the number.

After a while I begin to think that the person on the over end isn't going to pick up, but then a second before I decide to hang up the person answers the call.

"Yeah, what ?" asks a woman with a sleepy voice.

"Hi, I found a wallet with your phone number inside, do you know who it could belong to ?"

"How would I know ?" she answers in an annoyed tone.

"Well, do you have any idea ?" I insist.

"It's probably Edward's" she huffs "I'll give you his address, I lost his phone number"

I write down what she says, then thank her and hang up. I look at the time and realize that it is nearly ten o'clock. I will have to go see Edward tomorrow. Before taking a shower, I check where he lives on Google maps : it's a posh suburban house only ten minutes away.

***

That's it, it's Saturday.

I didn't get much sleep, there are so many questions I want to ask him. I get dressed, go food shopping and plan my visit for this evening. More chance of him being home.

Around seven o'clock I leave my apartment. I drive my white Mini to this residential area and start looking for his house. They all look alike : modern and spacious, or at least that's the impression they have from the outside.

The street is really calm. I finally find the house and park on the over side of the road. I get out the car and shiver. It's quite cold out and I'm only wearing a T-shirt.

I walk to the house and I start to hear music, the closer I get the louder it is. Somebody inside is playing the guitar, then they start to sing with a soft and magical voice. I stop for a minute to listen, feling the fresh air on my skin.

Settle down with me
Cover me up
Cuddle me in

Lie down with me
And hold me in your arms

And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed in my neck
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now

Kiss me like you wanna be loved
You wanna be loved
You wanna be loved
This feels like falling in love
Falling in love
We're falling in love

Settle down with me
And I'll be your safety
You'll be my lady

I was made to keep your body warm
But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms

Oh no

My heart's against your chest, your lips pressed in my neck
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet
And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now...

The song finishes and I return to earth. When I finally arrive at the door I hesitate to knock. Suddenly the door opens revealing Edward, the boy from the lift, with a guitar in hand.

"Yes ?"he asks clearly surprised to see me.

I try to answer but suddenly something happens that's never happened before.

I'm speechless.