Time for Livin'

Chapter 3

Pauline laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I guess." She cleared her throat and added: "To be honest, I absolutely hate parties!"

"Yeah, you don't seem like you're enjoying yourself." Mike noted amused. "But how come?"

"I don't know. Call me dull but I find them exhausting." Pauline giggled. Talking to him actually made her relax a bit and suddenly she did not feel that uncomfortable anymore.

"So if you're not the party type, what made you come here?" He wanted to know.

"My friend urged me to go." Pauline explained and tilted her head towards Christine. Her roommate however did not even notice them anymore, she and MCA seemed to get along really well. They were standing pretty close and exchanged quite flirtatious looks.

"...and now she doesn't even give a rats arse about me." She detected laughing. After a while of chitchatting, Mike questioned:

"So if you're friends with Steven, how come I haven't met you before? Are you new in town?"

Abruptly uneasiness took over her again. At this point she knew she was having some sort of second life in a different time period but she did not have the slightest idea what that life was like; meaning she did not know her own life story. Was it anything like the life she lead in 2018? What did she do for a living? How did she end up living in the States being a German? How did she meet Christine? Was she actually new in town or had she been living in New York for a while? Throughout the whole conversation a part of her had feared he would ask her something personal because she basically would have to make something up and lie to him. And she was not good at that.

"Well, you haven't met Christine either." She remarked tensely hoping he would not notice her anxiety.

"True. But I think I've seen her around before. So you've actually lived here for a while?"

Pauline seriously came under pressure for failing to offer an explanation but before she could make anything up someone wrapped his arm around her. It was Steven.

"Nah, Pauline hasn't been around here for long. See, she doesn't like to talk about it because she's originally from Germany and is scared of being made fun of. She came here because she got a scholarship and now she's studying Photography here in New York." He filled him, well actually both of them, in.

Wow. Pauline was impressed with her own life. Studying Photography in New York seemed like a dream come true. Besides, she was very grateful that Steven had stepped in. She did not find him very likeable for he came across rather arrogant but his intervening had taken a load off her mind. Mike nodded appreciatively but before he could respond anything, Steven jumped in again.

"Yeah, our little Pauline is rather shy, especially when it comes to talking to guys. So I always have to do the talking. Man, you should finally grow a pair, Paulie. I can't always save your ass, ya know." Arrogant jerk. Pauline went from feeling grateful to wanting to slap him.

"Okay Steven, thanks. You can leave now." Pauline advised him irritatedly which he luckily did while leaving out a self-contented chuckle. She turned back to Mike who had a grin on his face.

"I kinda get the impression you don't like him very much."

"Nope, he's definitely not my favourite person."

"I think he means well." Mike tried to settle the issue.

"Not so sure about that. You know, it's people like him who make me avoid parties." She joked.