A Sophisticated Seduction

Then She Tries To Win Me Back

Excerpt:

"Shhh!" she pressed fingers onto my lips and moved in closer, her eyes squeezed shut. "Oh dear."

"What happened?" I allowed myself to be hugged so tightly, there was no way of breathing.

"Look behind me," she whispered, pressing our cheeks together, "near the chair. Are you looking?"

"I...am...looking," my eyes searched the interior and I saw nothing that jumped out.

"Do you see it?"

"Do I see what?"

"Noo," she rubbed our faces together and pressed me further into the door. "Please, please, please, get rid of it. I can't do it this time."

Immediately, I realized what was happening. A roach had flown or crawled into her apartment again.

xx

There she was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees and facing me. Blue shirt the color of the afternoon sky was creased. Black pants. Face buried into shaky hands, Regina was crying. She was shaking and I couldn't forgive myself. I couldn't understand what could cause me to do this. To break the silence and shatter the glass.

Yeah it was flimsy to begin with. The last few days had been filled with nothing but tension. Coming home and never having her there. And now she was shaking on the floor, curled up like a comma. Crying hoarsely.

Standing there, my eyes wet and wide and I stared.

I didn't move.

I was so weak already, my head spinning, the room turning over. It was like having a bad night out on the town, drinking cheap alcohol and munching on Skittles. Then coming home and throwing up until you were drained of all energy. Frustrated and wide eyed. Lacking sleep and already looking like a zombie.

Suddenly, her cellphone rang. From her jeans pocket, I stared at it as the device played a tune that was always catchy to me. I'd hear it anywhere and instantly be reminded of the one person who was refusing to answer her mobile. It was something she never did. Regina never allowed her phone to ring after a couple seconds. It was always answered without hesitation, no matter where we were or what the hell was happening.

But now, the tune filled the air and I was compressed with dread. I was so confused and there was no way this was going to work out well for us tonight unless something was done.

What did I do?

As shaky as I was, my boots acted on their own and led me to the bedroom. Just like that, I passed her by, a ringing in my ears. My fingers as cold as ice. Then throwing myself upon the bed that was somehow warmer than me, my face was buried into the pillow.

The ringing continued.

Over and over again.

It never stopped.

Would you believe that I passed out not more than half an hour after? Sleep came to me as black as the night high up above New York city. Above the dancing lights and pulsing music drifting out from clubs, above people rushing around on the streets, out to have a great time, my mind was as black as the sky. It was as if someone had dropped me into a tank filled with thick fluid because there were no dreams. Nothing happened. All I remembered was a heavy silence that filled my head and blanked me out.

When I woke up the next morning, it didn't feel like Tuesday. It felt like Sunday because first of all, there was no sound. Just the humming of the A.C unit next door and the blinding sunlight cascading into the room. Shielding my eyes, my ears still rang and it took some time before the actual sounds of a busy early morning graced the silence.