Why Me ✓ (FINAL EDITS)

Chapter 6

EMERSON FINDLAY

I released a deep breath as I looked at myself in the mirror. It was after a very long time that I was wearing a dress. I bought it while coming back from the office.

It was a white dress which came till mid–thigh and had a net material below the waist, that ended just above my knees. It had blue coloured flowers on it. My dirty blond hair was swept to one side.

I put on a silver watch and matching silver earrings. Also, I was wearing white–silver HEELS. I bought them today too, along with the dress. They were the first pair I owned. I wished deep down that they were also the last. It was not like I hated wearing them, it was just a matter of what I felt comfortable in, for a long duration of time. The advance salary was really spoiling me but after all, it was for the meeting, i.e. work. My glasses were off. I was wearing my lenses. I rarely wore them. However, not having to constantly pinch at the bridge of my nose might as well be one of my new favourite feelings.

I sighed as I brushed off an invisible wrinkle from my dress with both of my hands. I had this feeling in my gut that I wanted to disappear. I was nervous. I may be good at my theoretical work but, communicating that same great work on paper was a weakness that I was made well aware of time and again.

Nevertheless, I didn't have any choice. I glanced at the clock. 'He must have come by now', I thought as I took my purse, phone and files and made my way downstairs. I got out of the house and locked the door behind me. As I turned around, I faced Adrian who was leaning against his black car which shone under the dimly lit empty suburban lane as if it was brand new.

As I walked towards him, I took in his appearance. He was wearing a grey t-shirt and black jeans with a black belt. Over the t-shirt, he wore a black coat whose sleeves were pushed up but, were still below the elbows.

At the same time, as I walked down the few porch steps, trying to focus on his neck or chest to avoid eye contact, I realized that he was watching all my movements. I saw how his eyes raked all over me from my toes to my head. It made me feel self–conscious. There was a hint of a smirk on his lips. Just a tiny twitch of the side of his mouth. Apart from what he was wearing, there was something else different about him. And that was: his eyes. They held an unusual spark; like stars twinkling in the evening sky. All for not making eye contact or focusing on him.

I blinked myself out of my trance of 'Adrian face appreciation' and greeted, "Good evening." He too looked like he was pulled out of his trance. He smiled and just nodded his head. I went around to sit in the car when he beat me to it. "Allow me.", he said and opened the door for me.

I thanked him politely and he closed the door after I sat down. He went around and got into the driver's seat. Before I knew it, we were speeding down the road. As we did so, I zoned out as I reeled back into the past few weeks of my life. I had constant reminders of the time I had spent with Adrian at the university. I was struggling, dependent and not ready to form any form of attachment. It was really hard for me to ever believe in something called fate or some other destiny bullshit. However, through sheer coincidence, we actually did find our paths crossed again currently. And if he was still in a place to allow me a tiny bit of his affection, I did not know if my resolve could stay up any longer. He had been nothing but kind to me. In the past and the present.

The radio was the only voice that could be heard in the car. He was busy focusing on the road and I was busy looking at the city at night. The busy streets and beautifully lit up buildings had my undivided attention. Along with all of my thoughts in a jumbled heap inside my head of course, Suddenly, the radio stopped playing as his phone was going off. He picked it up and started talking in some foreign language. My best guess: is Italian.