Nothing You've Come To Expect - Alex Turner

6. my heart melted in the heat like yours

Saturday
"Anna!"
It was Claudia, knocking on the door.
"Yes?"
"I really need to use the bathroom."
"Just a minute! I'll be right out."
"You said that half an hour ago! I'm peeing myself!"
"I'm done I swear." It was Saturday morning and I was getting ready for another L.A. adventure. I was taking my time, indeed. I was going to see Alex that day, alone.
Finally.
I wanted to look perfect. Well, that's impossible, let's say 'at my best'. Thinking about his dating history was making me feel very self conscious. And nervous.

"Ha-ha!" Claudia exclaimed when I got out in a towel and a razor in one hand and waxing strips in the other. She was pointing at those with a suspicious look. "Are you off to LA?"
"Yes. I'll finally be alone with Alex today!"
"HA-HA! Now I get it!" She screamed from the bathroom.
"Get what?"
"All the shaving and waxing and stuff. Bitch, are you finally going to sleep with Turner?" She didn't exactly use the word 'sleeping'.
"I- Claudia!? I don't know."
"Buuut..?" she wanted me to continue.
"But what?"
"But you hope so."
"Well, of course I do...but I don't know what to wish for, really. It's exciting but a bit alarming, too. I feel like I'm playing with fire here." I confessed.
She got out and desappeared in her room, still talking: "You deserve it, girl. That would be so awesome."
"It would." I felt hot just thinking about it. I really didn't know what was going to happen. But I was trying to be prepared for anything.
"It would be the universe making it up to you for what that fucker of your ex did." She continued.
"Look," I shrugged, "he said he doesn't want to rush into things. We will probably just hang."
Claudia got out of her room, grabbed my arm and put something on the palm of my hand. "Here. Just in case."
Condoms.
"Ok, now it's getting a little too real." I was getting nervous as hell.
"Girl, I hope at least one of those will end up on his-"
"CLA!!! Jesus!"

The off and on traffic on the highway didn't help calming my nerves. I arrived later than I expected, but that wasn't really a problem; we didn't make specific plans. Alex seems to prefer improvisation, going with the flow. I am less chaotic when it comes to these things, but I like spontaneity.
The weather changed on the way; it was cloudy and grey there.

There was a car right outside his gate, a shiny, vintage Cadillac. Alex was leaning against it, smoking a cigarette, in a striped white shirt, half open like always.
"Wow! Gorgeous!" I exclaimed while I approached.
"Cool, isn't it?" He patted the hood of the car.
"Yeah the car is beautiful too," I joked.
I noticed the sneaky look he took at me from top to bottom.
"You look particularly nice today, Anna."
Mission accomplished.

Then he walked towards me laughing.
"What's funny?" I asked.
"Is that your ride?" He pointed at my little Fiat.
"Yep. What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing! It's just...such a cliché!"
"Look who's talking! Rich guy flashing his fancy vintage car to the poor girl."
His hands were on my waist by then.
"Ouch! You always have a come back, don't you?"
"Yes. And I always will."
It's funny how blunt and sassy I can get with him when infact, even now, I am still somewhat intimidated by his presence. Maybe it's a defense mechanism, I don't know. He seems to like it though, being questioned a bit. Probably a little more stimulating than constant flatter, I guess, so I cater it to him every once in a while.
"Hello, by the way." His voice lowered of a tone.
I craved for his lips on mine all week, and there they finally where.

We started feeling raindrops.
"Argh. What the hell! It was a beautiful sunny day in San Diego this morning!" I complained.
"It's ok. It's perfect, actually. Let's take this beauty for a spin. Got to do it every now and then, ya know. Don't wanna let her rust in me garage."
I fought the urge to joke about getting a Ford Cortina instead, 'cause it will never rust.
"Did you have lunch yet?" he asked, as he opened the passenger door for me.
"No, I was stuck in traffic. Ugh."
"I know the perfect place for this sort of day."
We stopped by a cozy café, just a few streets over. It had a vague British feel to it.
We sat next to each other on a small couch, by one of the windows. A few rain drops where drawing lines on the glass.
"Missing home?" I made him smile.
"I love Los Angeles under the clouds, when the rain brings gloom. You know how rare it is! It offers a good excuse to enjoy a good cup of tea. People here can't handle bad weather." He stretched his arm on the top on the couch, behind me.
"Right? They freak out for a bit of sprinkling."
"Precisely!...it makes me feel foreign and I like that feeling in a day like this."
I looked at him as he watched outside the window. I couldn't take my eyes off his beautiful profile.
"Let's be foreign together then," I proposed, while playing with his fingers. I could feel his fingertips hardened by the strings of the guitar. I remember the same feeling on my own fingertips, back when I was younger and I played guitar all the time.
"Sounds like a nice way to spend a rainy day." And his smile was like a ray of sunshine in the gloom.
"What about you? Do you miss home?" He asked then.
"Sometimes, yes. But the problem is that when I'm here I miss there, and when I'm there, I miss here."
"I feel ya."
"Expats struggles." Our topic of the day, our status in this place they called America. He probably realized how easy he had it compared to me. I doubt he really felt like an actual immigrant. I most certainly did.