My Gray, Your Neon

Chapter Four

"Good morning, Sunshine."

Lily rubs her eyes as she walks into the kitchen. Andrew is cooking something and it smells really good.

"Good morning," she replies, still a little unadjusted to the new member in her apartment.

"You go clean up first, breakfast will be ready soon," Andrew says, trying not to shift his sight away from the fry pan.

Lily doesn't know why, but she can feel something warm spreading throughout her body. Maybe it's the sight of Andrew wearing her pink apron. She smiles, pink looks good on him.

"So, you guys did it?" Susan leans in with her coffee.

"No." Lily rolls her eyes and pokes her fork into a strawberry slice on her fruit tart.

"Come on! A grown man and a grown woman all alone on one bed and you tell me nothing ever happens!"

Lily rolls the strawberry around in her mouth with her tongue.

"I guess I'm not his type," words pop out from her mouth, she rubs her chest. "I think I just got hurt by my own words," she says, forcing a smile on her face.

"Oh Lily," Susan sighs. "Well, I guess it's good that you guys are taking it slow. Take your time."

Lily smiles, the strawberry is now pretty much down her throat, she can taste a left-over seed stuck under her tongue. She tries to lick it out but it refuses to budge. The sound of her own voice keeps replaying in her mind.

I guess I'm not his type.

"Hey, you are back!" Andrew rushes to the door and hugs her as she enters the apartment.

Lily nods and smiles, something about his presence comforts her right away.

Smelling something unusual on Andrew's body, Lily sniffs again, "You smell good today."

"You like it?" Andrew releases his hug and looks at Lily. "It's a new line of perfume I am developing," he says while sniffing his own sleeves.

"How many jobs do you have?" Lily comments in disbelief.

"Well, what can I say, I am a man with a lot of hobbies."

I guess I'm not his type.

The thought suddenly intrudes Lily's mind again. She unconsciously pushes him away a little.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just got a little dizzy."

"Oh, it must be my perfume. Sorry Lily, let me go wash it off," Andrew says as he heads to the bathroom.

Lily suddenly grabs on to his sleeves, "No, it's not the perfume. It's just..."

Andrew tilts his head, waiting for Lily to finish her sentence.

"I just couldn't stop thinking what am I to you," she mumbles under her breath.

Andrew is silent. She can feel him looking at her and the silence seems to last forever.

"Can you please say something, it's getting really awkward," Lily says, covering her eyes with her other hand.

Andrew takes her hand off her eyes.

"What am I to you?" he asks her back.

A little stunned, Lily looks at him and meets his eyes. Those eyes are far from the purest she's ever seen but the depth, she can feel herself drowning slowly trying to navigate in those eyes.

"I don't know," she pauses, "you are kind of like my medication."

Andrew suddenly laughs. He holds both of her hands in his palm, "And you are mine, Lily."