Behind The Scenes

39. Hero

October.

It's a day she's talking on the phone on the balcony. She chases me away every time I get close, but I don't lose hope.
"Jo! Who are you talking to? Enough now" I move closer.
She moves her hands randomly in the air and brings her index finger to her mouth. "Shhh," she says to the unknown she's talking to, "he's here. Bye Bye!" and she ends the call.
I look at her confused and raise my arms as if to say "what are you doing?".
"Hey, what is it?" she tells her as if she doesn't know she's been on the phone for at least two hours.
"Are you serious?" I blink several times.
"Okay okay, but it'll be worth it, don't worry."
"Should I trust you?" I shake my head.
"Yes! You have to trust me regardless, idiot" she pushes me backwards, laughing.
I take her face and kiss her and our noses sink into each other's cheek.
She tries to break away from me but I hold her tightly from her shoulders.
"Come on! Leave me alone!" she giggles.
I put my hands on her hips and press her body against mine. I look into her eyes making the half smile that makes me appear the dimple on my right the right, she loves it.
She looks at me smiling and then she hugs me tightly placing her left cheek on my chest. "I'm so happy today!" she exclaims. "But really happy!"
"Oh yes? Why?"
"I can't tell you," she places her index finger on my lips, "not yet," and she kisses me like a mold.
"Bad bitch," I say jokingly and roll my eyes.
She glares at me and when I see our neighbor looking out on the balcony next to us with a cigarette in between her fingers, I feel like smoking too.
"Good evening, Mrs. Wilson!" Jo greets her with her hand and I with a nod of my head.
I reach out and take the packet of cigarettes placed on the table and light one.
"Oh, Josephine, Mrs. Wilson! I told you a thousand times to call me just Clara, I'm not that old," Clara scolds her.
Jo chuckles and apologizes.
"You two have a lot of fun, haven't you? How long have you been here?" she inhales a puff of smoke and, as Jo responds, she exhales it. I do it with her.
"Well, yes," my beautiful girlfriend looks at me smiling. "We've been here for about..."
"A month," I continue for her, "more or less."
Mrs. Wilson recently moved here, but she's the only person we have a relationship with. She may be my mother's age, and I know she has a son, but I don't remember what his name is now.
"Yes, a month," Jo repeats.
She nods in surprise. "And how long have you been together?" Yeah, she's a little too curious, and I bet she's a gossip too.
"Two months and a half."
Jo, why all this details? There is no need, after all, who is this woman to know our stuff?
They keep talking about this and that. We find out that she is a widow — well, I'm sorry — and that her son Liam will be arriving these days.
"In my opinion you will be very good friends, he is your age after all," Clara smiles pleased.
Enough, I got bored and finished smoking my cigarette.
"Love, shall we go for a ride? Let's go out, please. I'm bored to death," I whisper so that the neighbor doesn't hear me.
She nods and looks at her watch. "Well, Mrs. Wils... Clara," she corrects herself, "we have to go," and waves her hand.
We go inside and as soon as I close the window, I sigh, "Finally! And you kept giving her a rope..." I shake my head.
"She's not bad," she shrugs.
There is something that does not convince me about that woman...
"If you say so."
Something comes to mind that I had to ask her. "Jo, do we have interviews in this period?"
"No, Anna told me they would slip in February."
"Ah okay."
We get dressed and leave the house.
In the evening in October it's slightly cooler so I put on a denim jacket, white T-shirt with a slightly high collar, gray pants and high black Converse. I look cool.
Jo instead wore a tight white dress, with long sleeves, very low-cut front and very high black heels. She brought a jacket with her as a precaution. I told her to dress well because I was taking her out for dinner.
I open the car door for her.
"Dear of you, Mr. Fiennes Tiffin."
I kiss her hand, "Always for my lady."
I get on the driver's side and lean over to kiss her. Oh yeah, we got a car, a white BMW X6... yep.
It's the first time that I drive it, it smells new and the noise that the engine makes when I start it is beautiful.
I haven't driven left in a while, it feels strange. I need to focus, but I can do it.
"Will you let me drive it someday?" she asks with glossy eyes from her happiness.
"Maybe someday."