here?” Art said quietly.
Alice shook her head.
“Well I might as well talk about myself then.” His voice became louder.
“You said that you had a breakup.” Alice prompted.
“I did. The usual, my girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend.” Art said nonchalantly.
“You seem okay with it.”
“Is that how it seems?” Art sighed. For a brief second, Alice saw the pain on his face.
“It passes.” She said.
“Does it?” Art looked at her and she nodded.
“You end up feeling numb afterwards but you recover.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Art probed.
“You could say that.” Alice tilted her cup but there was none left. Art held out the thermos and she poured herself another cup.
“How long ago was this?”
“Three months.” Alice answered. She didn’t know why she was answering the questions but she felt herself becoming lighter as she answered.
“Did you love him?”
“You ask too many questions.” Alice said instead, she couldn’t answer that question. It brought up too many painful memories.
“You did tell me I was nosy.” Art realized that it was a sore spot.
“How long did you date her?”
“Six months. I thought it was going well but I guess I was wrong.” His voice faltered at the end.
Alice didn’t know why but it affected her. She set the cup down and looked at him.
“It’s not your fault.” She said fiercely surprising herself. “She made a mistake and she’ll realize that later.”
Art looked at her in shock. “You should see yourself, your eyes are blazing. You look like a warrior.”
Alice didn’t know how to react to that. She settled for looking at the ground. They didn’t talk about their failed relationships. They moved on to random things, the weather, events and music. Alice found herself talking easily; there was something about Art that put her at ease. Finally she decided to leave.
“Are you going to be here tomorrow?” Art asked as she left.
Alice didn’t answer and a few seconds later, Art said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alice walked towards home, her hands buried in her coat pockets. It didn’t look like she was going to get rid of Art and somehow she didn’t mind.
Two months passed. Alice and Art became regulars at the spot. They went there every day and stayed late, talking and drinking cocoa. Alice was becoming more comfortable with Art. There was something about him. He was goofy and idiotic but he made her laugh, something she hadn’t done in a while. But he could be serious when he wanted to be, especially if the conversation reached his ex. Alice was still touchy about her ex, she talked about everything else but him.
When she told him about her job, Art was quiet before saying, “Quit then.”
“It’s not that easy. I need the money.”
“What’s the point of doing something if you don’t love it?”
“What do you do then?”
“I am a painter.”
“Figures.” Alice muttered.
Art didn’t say anything, he had gotten used to her. Alice thought about it, it made a lot of sense. Art usually looked scruffy and his clothes were mostly worn out, probably because he didn’t want to get paint on them. When she had first seen him, he hadn’t really looked groomed but he had fixed himself up later. He was clean shaven nowadays and wearing different clothes.
“I have a show in a gallery, wanna come?” Art said suddenly.
Alice hadn’t been able to answer and now she was standing in front of the gallery, the pass clutched in her hand. What was she even doing here?
But she knew the answer; she wanted to see his paintings. She checked herself again, she had opted to wear a dress, long and modest. It was a pale blue and complimented her eyes. Her hair was neatly combed back and she felt she looked alright. No one gave her weird looks as she walked in.
The place was crowded; there was a big picture of Art hung by the entrance, looking serious in a
Alice shook her head.
“Well I might as well talk about myself then.” His voice became louder.
“You said that you had a breakup.” Alice prompted.
“I did. The usual, my girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend.” Art said nonchalantly.
“You seem okay with it.”
“Is that how it seems?” Art sighed. For a brief second, Alice saw the pain on his face.
“It passes.” She said.
“Does it?” Art looked at her and she nodded.
“You end up feeling numb afterwards but you recover.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Art probed.
“You could say that.” Alice tilted her cup but there was none left. Art held out the thermos and she poured herself another cup.
“How long ago was this?”
“Three months.” Alice answered. She didn’t know why she was answering the questions but she felt herself becoming lighter as she answered.
“Did you love him?”
“You ask too many questions.” Alice said instead, she couldn’t answer that question. It brought up too many painful memories.
“You did tell me I was nosy.” Art realized that it was a sore spot.
“How long did you date her?”
“Six months. I thought it was going well but I guess I was wrong.” His voice faltered at the end.
Alice didn’t know why but it affected her. She set the cup down and looked at him.
“It’s not your fault.” She said fiercely surprising herself. “She made a mistake and she’ll realize that later.”
Art looked at her in shock. “You should see yourself, your eyes are blazing. You look like a warrior.”
Alice didn’t know how to react to that. She settled for looking at the ground. They didn’t talk about their failed relationships. They moved on to random things, the weather, events and music. Alice found herself talking easily; there was something about Art that put her at ease. Finally she decided to leave.
“Are you going to be here tomorrow?” Art asked as she left.
Alice didn’t answer and a few seconds later, Art said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alice walked towards home, her hands buried in her coat pockets. It didn’t look like she was going to get rid of Art and somehow she didn’t mind.
Two months passed. Alice and Art became regulars at the spot. They went there every day and stayed late, talking and drinking cocoa. Alice was becoming more comfortable with Art. There was something about him. He was goofy and idiotic but he made her laugh, something she hadn’t done in a while. But he could be serious when he wanted to be, especially if the conversation reached his ex. Alice was still touchy about her ex, she talked about everything else but him.
When she told him about her job, Art was quiet before saying, “Quit then.”
“It’s not that easy. I need the money.”
“What’s the point of doing something if you don’t love it?”
“What do you do then?”
“I am a painter.”
“Figures.” Alice muttered.
Art didn’t say anything, he had gotten used to her. Alice thought about it, it made a lot of sense. Art usually looked scruffy and his clothes were mostly worn out, probably because he didn’t want to get paint on them. When she had first seen him, he hadn’t really looked groomed but he had fixed himself up later. He was clean shaven nowadays and wearing different clothes.
“I have a show in a gallery, wanna come?” Art said suddenly.
Alice hadn’t been able to answer and now she was standing in front of the gallery, the pass clutched in her hand. What was she even doing here?
But she knew the answer; she wanted to see his paintings. She checked herself again, she had opted to wear a dress, long and modest. It was a pale blue and complimented her eyes. Her hair was neatly combed back and she felt she looked alright. No one gave her weird looks as she walked in.
The place was crowded; there was a big picture of Art hung by the entrance, looking serious in a
Similar Books
The Vigilante's Lover: A Romantic Suspense Thriller (The Vigilantes Book 1)
Annie Winters, Tony West
