The magnificence of you

Chatper four - I need more

"Xan?" I call stretching out my arm.

There's nothing but cold sheets, no Alexander.
Why would I have thought he'd stay?

I remember his arms as he carried me to bed, so strong.

Fuck, take a breath.

He's your mechanic, you make him laugh, that's all. I grab my phone that lays neatly beside my mattress and switch off my alarm.
I step into my bathroom for a real shower, long and hot, washing my hair and shaving my legs.

Wednesday, hump day, half way through the week. It seems like the weekend can't come fast enough and I make a vow to lay off the wine, I'm exhausted.
I use my one pot to make some oats with peanut butter and cinnamon and wash it down with my fresh pot of coffee.

I smile as I sit in my not so ugly green armchair for the first time, the sun shines through the large bare windows casting a glow over the bare wooden floors. My little fern makes me happy.
It's starting to feel like home, I wonder where my rug is and think maybe it's still in the SUV.

Maybe I should drop by and pick it up?
In what?
And what if my car isn't even there?
Maybe I should call Alexander and check?

Maybe you should think about something other than him?
Maybe just a quick text to say thank you for last night?
Maybe he'll regret giving me his number?

Maybe you should think about something other than him?!

I get up in a huff and grab my briefcase and my jacket closing the door behind me, I need to move.

As promised the subway isn't far from my front door and even at this time of the morning it's standing room only.

"Sorry" I mumble to the guy who's side I'm currently pressed into and praise baby Jesus for antiperspirant.
"You must be new" he laughs getting bounced around and I grab his bicep to stay on my feet.
"How can you tell?" I blush and let him go.
"Well you're making eye contact with me and you apologised, sweetie there's no such thing as personal space around here" he smiles kindly.

"I can see that, I'm hoping that's somebody's briefcase touching my ass"
He looks over my shoulder then back to my face.
"Let's go with that" he nods with a face like I really don't want to know.
"Ahh" I complain making him laugh.
"Here, spin with me"

We shuffle to the side a quarter rotation and my butt is now safe from... I look back, a homeless guy now copping a feel of someone else.

"Dude...." I groan. "Thank you, you are officially super hero of the day"
"Does that come with a tee shirt?" He grins and shows off his flashy white teeth.

Good teeth, nice hair, tall. Alexander would approve.

"Sorry no, I'm all out" I pout.
"A badge? Anything?" He pouts too as he falls into me round a corner.

His hand wraps around my back to steady me and it feels nice.
"Next time" I promise.
"I'll settle for some of that lipstick?" He tries and points to his cheek.

Wowsers that's forward, that's life in the big city I guess.

"This is my stop" I blush.
"And you're going to leave me hanging?"

He's cute, he's flirting with me... could he be interested? I lean up on my tippy toes and plant a kiss on his cheek leaving my lipstick behind.

"I'm Kallen" he calls as I shuffle away from him.
"I'm going to miss my stop" I laugh.

I make it to the platform as the doors close and look back to see Kallen watching me, I wave and he smiles.

"Let me guess? That was your plumber?" Tink startles me making me yelp with her lips at my ear.
"God dammit woman, you can't do that to me" I pant with my heart in my throat.
"If you weren't all goo go eyes for Forbes two thousand back there you would've seen me three feet away from you" she laughs.
"I wasn't all goo goo eyes, he just saved my ass that's all. But he was cute right?" I grin as we hit the stairs.