EIGHT
As she was figuring out which T-stop to get on to get home, Lia's phone rang. A blocked number?
“Hello?”
“Hey, it's Colin. I'm so sorry I didn't get your call...I was in the in the shower when you called. Did you need something?”
“Well, um... you told me that if I if I needed and it someone to walk me home I could call you. That's why I was calling…” Lia wanted to slap herself. I sound so nervous and clueless. Ugh.
“I’d be happy to get you. Where are you?”
“I am at the Bar Azul in Cambridge. Do you know where it is?”
“Oh yeah, I know where that is. I can be there in like ten minutes, it’s not far from where I live. I'll see you in a minute.”
Lia felt the jittery butterflies in her stomach again. He’s coming. She didn't want to get too hopeful. I still don’t know what he really thinks of me.
A light tap on her shoulder brought her back to the present.
“Hey there,” said Colin, “I hope you weren't waiting…too long.”
Colin was out of breath. Did he sprint over here? Lia inhaled the familiar smell of his shampoo. He was wearing soft flannel pants and a light blue shirt. His hair was was tousled, probably from a quick rub with a towel. I just want to snuggle up with him.
“Hey, thanks for coming.”
“You want me to walk you home already, or do you want to maybe come over to my place for little bit? We can hang out a little and talk...if you feel like talking…” He looked down, waiting for Lia’s response.
“That would be nice. It's been kind of a rough day…family stuff. It would be nice to just hang out.”
“If you want, we can pop in a movie and have some popcorn and just relax.”
Colin walked close to her. “Careful,” he said, as they prepared to cross a busy street. She stepped out and his arm came down like a barrier in front of her. “Wait.” He looked left and right a few more times, then held Lia’s arm until they reached the other side. His eyes darted everywhere, surveying the scene. Two blocks later, he stopped at an old brownstone, and led her up the stairs to the second-floor unit.
Colin opened the door and Lia walked into his apartment. To her left, was a well-stocked kitchen with a small table. Colin escorted her to the living room on the other side. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing towards a comfortable couch strewn with cozy-looking blankets. Lia looked around at the walls, covered with paintings and photographs.
“Nice place,” she said.
“Thanks, I try to make it homey. It’s my solace from from the stresses of the world.”
Colin said, “I'm glad you're here...” His eyes were soft and tender, and his lips were gently curling into a smile.
“Yeah, me too.”
“Want some popcorn?”
“Sure, that would be awesome. Thank you.” Lia watched him as he walked towards the kitchen. His gait was easy and relaxed.
Colin came back a few minutes later with a bowl piled high with buttered popcorn. He sat on the couch, and reached over for some popcorn. “Mmm.”
“So how was the party?” he asked, licking his buttery fingers.
“It was okay. I just talked to this guy for a while.”
Colin’s eyes widened. His face grew sullen. Lia continued, “But he wasn’t my type.”
Colin looked at her intently. “Who is your type then?”
Is this a trick question? “Uh, um.”
His face softened. “It’s okay, don’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“Anyway, my friend Anu had a good time, at least. She thought it would be a good idea for me to go, you know, to distract myself from stuff that’s on my mind. And yeah, so it was okay.” I’m just rambling now.
“So how are you holding up about your Aunt? I'm how so sorry about that.”
“I'm doing okay, but you know, I'm just really worried. Of course she doesn’t want me to worry, she wants me to be all positive... but I'm not like that. I worry a lot….”
“Yeah, but if your Aunt believes that she can get through
As she was figuring out which T-stop to get on to get home, Lia's phone rang. A blocked number?
“Hello?”
“Hey, it's Colin. I'm so sorry I didn't get your call...I was in the in the shower when you called. Did you need something?”
“Well, um... you told me that if I if I needed and it someone to walk me home I could call you. That's why I was calling…” Lia wanted to slap herself. I sound so nervous and clueless. Ugh.
“I’d be happy to get you. Where are you?”
“I am at the Bar Azul in Cambridge. Do you know where it is?”
“Oh yeah, I know where that is. I can be there in like ten minutes, it’s not far from where I live. I'll see you in a minute.”
Lia felt the jittery butterflies in her stomach again. He’s coming. She didn't want to get too hopeful. I still don’t know what he really thinks of me.
A light tap on her shoulder brought her back to the present.
“Hey there,” said Colin, “I hope you weren't waiting…too long.”
Colin was out of breath. Did he sprint over here? Lia inhaled the familiar smell of his shampoo. He was wearing soft flannel pants and a light blue shirt. His hair was was tousled, probably from a quick rub with a towel. I just want to snuggle up with him.
“Hey, thanks for coming.”
“You want me to walk you home already, or do you want to maybe come over to my place for little bit? We can hang out a little and talk...if you feel like talking…” He looked down, waiting for Lia’s response.
“That would be nice. It's been kind of a rough day…family stuff. It would be nice to just hang out.”
“If you want, we can pop in a movie and have some popcorn and just relax.”
Colin walked close to her. “Careful,” he said, as they prepared to cross a busy street. She stepped out and his arm came down like a barrier in front of her. “Wait.” He looked left and right a few more times, then held Lia’s arm until they reached the other side. His eyes darted everywhere, surveying the scene. Two blocks later, he stopped at an old brownstone, and led her up the stairs to the second-floor unit.
Colin opened the door and Lia walked into his apartment. To her left, was a well-stocked kitchen with a small table. Colin escorted her to the living room on the other side. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing towards a comfortable couch strewn with cozy-looking blankets. Lia looked around at the walls, covered with paintings and photographs.
“Nice place,” she said.
“Thanks, I try to make it homey. It’s my solace from from the stresses of the world.”
Colin said, “I'm glad you're here...” His eyes were soft and tender, and his lips were gently curling into a smile.
“Yeah, me too.”
“Want some popcorn?”
“Sure, that would be awesome. Thank you.” Lia watched him as he walked towards the kitchen. His gait was easy and relaxed.
Colin came back a few minutes later with a bowl piled high with buttered popcorn. He sat on the couch, and reached over for some popcorn. “Mmm.”
“So how was the party?” he asked, licking his buttery fingers.
“It was okay. I just talked to this guy for a while.”
Colin’s eyes widened. His face grew sullen. Lia continued, “But he wasn’t my type.”
Colin looked at her intently. “Who is your type then?”
Is this a trick question? “Uh, um.”
His face softened. “It’s okay, don’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“Anyway, my friend Anu had a good time, at least. She thought it would be a good idea for me to go, you know, to distract myself from stuff that’s on my mind. And yeah, so it was okay.” I’m just rambling now.
“So how are you holding up about your Aunt? I'm how so sorry about that.”
“I'm doing okay, but you know, I'm just really worried. Of course she doesn’t want me to worry, she wants me to be all positive... but I'm not like that. I worry a lot….”
“Yeah, but if your Aunt believes that she can get through
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