𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐘𝐎

𝐈

HE WAITED in front of the elevator doors, watching the red numbers going up. The doors opened with a ding and he walked into the lift.

His hands were fidgeting with the boxes in his overcoat as he pressed the ground floor button. The sound of the wires bringing the lift down were his only company. The elevator came to a stop before opening the doors.

There wasn't much people in the lobby considering it was past eleven forty. The security guard nodded his head as Rowan passed him by.

"Difficult night Hughes?" Rowan tried to smile slightly but ended up making a grimace. He let his lips drop back in a straight line and nodded.

"Day's been a bummer." The security guard patted him on the shoulder before leaning back on a chair by the exit door.

"Don't sounds like an old wanker Hughes! You're just twenty, you got a whole life in front of you."

"Right back at you Beverly, forty isn't that old."

Beverly laughed and shook his head. He was used to the others antics. If you were to look straight at Rowan, you would think he saw the end of the world. He had no lights in his eyes and mostly kept to himself.

"I still have a job to do but catch you on the flip side Hughes!"

The optimistic man walked away waving his hands at Rowan that was standing next to the exit door.

He made his way outside and sat on a wooden bench in front of his apartment complex. The air was chilling and a slight drizzle feel on his mop of black hair.

He tried to keep his hair short so it would get into his eyes as the slightest wind but his mother said he looked better with long hair. He despised his long hair and often cut it with scissors trying to shorten it. He pushed his hair back and took the boxes out of his pocket.

He took out a cigarette and light up a match. He shield the flame from the rain and puffed the smoke out of his mouth. His body relaxed from the familiar smell and he closed his eyes, face facing upwards toward the sky.

He tried to focus on the slight drops on water on his eyelids, the sounds of people walking or the cars passing by. With each exhale his mind got quieter and the thoughts stopped.

He looked up at his building floor, from the tenth floor he had a pretty good view of the city. His dog was sleeping back at the appartement, a three years old manchester terrier. At first, he wanted a doberman but since he lived in apartment he decided to take a smaller dog.

The rain started to pour a little harder but he stayed enjoying the peace and the sound of raindrops. The watch on his wrist showed it was past one, he decided to skip his work tomorrow or to ask someone to cover for him.

The rain stopped falling on his eyelids and he opened his eyes trying to find the cause. An umbrella cut his thoughts and he looked at the manicured hand holding it.

"You could catch a cold."

Rowan looked into the women's eyes before shrugging his shoulders. She was maybe 170cm and her bangs stopped a little before her eyebrows. Her black hair was pulled in a low ponytail resting on her shoulder.

She sat next to him on the bench, pushing the umbrella in the hole in between the two pieces of wood so it could stay upright.

"Evelyn Higashi." She had slightly rounded brown eyes and her thick lips were stretched in a small grin, the little plastic stick from her lollipop sticking out.

Rowan turned to look at her. He contemplated getting up and leaving but settled to just ignore her.

Evelyn turned around and leaned against the bench looking up at the sky like him. The clear umbrella was shedding him from the rain and he watched the droplets slide down before falling on the ground.

He exhaled a final puff before throwing the cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. Evelyn looked up into his eyes, taking the umbrella and getting up too.

"You're a tall one." Rowan merely nodded his head. He was 190cm, so he pretty much was a whole head above her.

"Rowan Hughes." He extended his hands towards Evelyn, trying his best to smile and not grimace.

She beamed up at him and shook his hand. Her skin was as smooth as baby's and Rowan found himself holding the velvet skin longer than needed.

Evelyn's narrow nose scrunched up as she sneezed. Rowan's brows furrowed before taking out a tan handkerchief. She bowed gratefully and took it before blowing her nose.

"Seems like I was the one to catch a cold."

Rowan nodded again before walking back to his building. Beverly was sleeping on the chair and Rowan woke him up.

"Wake up Beverly. Go back to your crib before you pass out on front."

The forty years old stirred before getting up and stretching his limbs. He smiled before walking out of the building and back to his house.

Rowan went back to the tenth floor and unlocked his door. His dog was sitting in the kitchen facing the front door.

"Hey buddy. Sorry Lu, forgot to open the bedroom door."

He opened the door and Lu jumped on the bed before curling up on himself. He took off his overcoat and placed it on the red chair in the kitchen. He took a bottle of water out of the fridge and made his way back into his room.

He changed into a white shirt and some shorts he found in the thrift store. Opening his window, he sipped on the cold water closing his eyes. A little bark from Lu reminded him to go to sleep. He pulled the covers up his body and rested his back again the wall. He recently started To Kill a Mockingbird and decided to read a bit before going to sleep.

He took a jazz vinyl out of the pile beside his bed and lay it on the turntable. The soft sound of saxophone filled his room as he started to read. He made a mental note to try to sleep before the sunrise.