CAN WE HAPPEN?

GIFT

It seemed Dominque won some brownie as Neha left him alone in the apartment, the man thought.

Dominque could not be more wrong; the woman smelt the danger the proximity created. Like a lab experiment with mice or any other animal, they observed each other. They pushed and pulled here and there, and now they were at the stage where understanding built trust.

For Neha, things needed to stop there. She wanted to stop the daydreams about her handyman when she posed a drip or incubated. The woman desired to prevent the steamy dreams of seeing Dominque lifting her sofa shirtless and dripping in sweat—or making love to her in every corner of the apartment.

The woman knew how to hold a front, and Dominque only saw smoke, but deep down, Neha was no different than the next woman when it came to attraction. She probably was more so a victim when one considered her relationship history.

And so she desired the works on the apartment to finish rapidly to be done with dangerous Don Dom.

Dominque unlocked the door and entered, "Neha?"

She was not in, but Dominque wanted to be sure.

The soundless apartment attested to the woman's absence. Dominque began; the living room was the last place he needed to work. It was quick. He filled the cracks and painted.

Everything looked fine except for the pile of books Neha stacked on the sofa to allow him to work.

Dominque left; the paint needed to dry any way he went to the closet IKEA at Francoville. He knew what he searched for the moment he laid eyes on it. He brought the shelves and headed back to the apartment.

The man began to work. Like most IKEA products, they were easy to install. Once finished, Dominque started to place the books alphabetically before opting to put them in the boxes alphabetically but by subject or theme.

He found himself opening a few books. In some, he saw Neha's notes. In others, he found what he thought to be lyrics. Unlike many doctors, her handwriting was readable, even if it seemed rushed and sloppy at times.

The woman wrote in straight letters, which meant she lived in the present. Her balance heart and mind were sound, but reason dominated her emotions. Neha did not connect the letters. She was logical and careful when it came to making decisions.

Graphology was always something that fascinated Dominque. It was even a GIGN course that the man took. Dominque knew when someone's handwriting slant to their left; it meant they were stuck in the past while those leaning forward to the right represented, they looked toward the future. In the course, it was more about detecting mental unbalance; suicidal see the kamikaze potential.

The man rarely used the notions he learned. Seeing Neha's handwriting merely triggered the analysis. Hye Ju never wrote; the spontaneous woman did not even plan. Instead, she did things off the top of her head, come what may. It was odd to think the woman was the most significant calculator and manipulator Dominque ever encountered.

Kaede mostly used computers and phones to write. As a result, Dominque never got to see how she wrote.

Neha appeared to be a thought-through woman with a twist. She was the type who dreamt of cheating on the routine. Her passion for music could be considered an Achilles heel.

Dominque agreed Neha was talented, but he knew most times it was not enough.

Did Neha have what it takes to make it in the music industry? Dominque had no comment to admit.

At least she had her profession as a backup plan.

Dominque looked at the shelves. He took a step back and smiled with pride as all the books, even the ones roaming in her bedroom, fitted.

He hoped Neha would forgive the small intrusion which had him washing the dishes she left in the sink and basically cleaning up for her.

Neha came in late and woke up at the crack of dawn sometimes. One could not expect her to be the perfect housekeeper.

Once he finished, Dominque wrote a note. The letters were regular and leveled, but when Dominque left messages, the strokes were significant and in capital letters. People told him he wrote like a girl all his life, as his writing was neat a little slanted. According to his aunt Lisa, this meant he liked to act tough while hiding his insecurities.

Whether it was true or not, it did not matter. Rare were those who would look to verify.

Dominque deposited the note on the coffee table, gathered his belongings, and left. Closing the door to the apartment for the last time gave the man an odd impression.

No, it was not his life with Hye Ju that played, but the month in Neha's company. The man worked slower not only because of his health. Dominque appreciated seeing the woman, even despite the rocky first instances.

Life was full of exciting encounters. Neha was a beautiful one.

The doctor came home to an empty apartment. As usual, she tossed and slung her clothes randomly, only to stop as she noticed the new piece of furniture in the living room.

Pragmatic, the first question that came to mind was: would Dominque add the expense to the rent?

Then came the why question.

All queries found answers in his note.

HI NEHA,

I HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD DAY?

AS YOU CAN SEE, I FINISHED OFF EVERYTHING. I BET YOU'LL BE RELIEVED TO KNOW YOU WON'T BE SEEING ME AGAIN.

I HOPE YOU LIKE THE LIBRARY. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO GATHER ALL YOUR BOOKS THERE.

DON'T WORRY, IT'S FREE OF CHARGE. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BREAKFASTS AND KINDNESS.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE, LET ME KNOW. YOU HAVE MY NUMBER.

THAT'S ALL FOR ME.

TAKE CARE

DOMINQUE

He was gone, and the supposed relief did not come. What came instead was a knot, one that tightened around the woman's heart.

Neha knew he would finish the works someday. And she found herself unconsciously wishing she would have seen his face one last time.