The Way He Does

Chapter 31

Adrien didn't want me to leave early again and felt like he needed to spend more time with me today. It feels different, now that we agreed on continuing as friends with a very platonic friendship. It is a hard-to-swallow-pill, but he doesn't want more and I don't wanna force him to do something he isn't comfortable with. We decided to go eat at a café downtown, not located too far from his company.

"So..." I say and raise a brow. "How do we do this whole thing? Now that we're friends, what do we talk about?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? What do you talk about with your friends?" His eyes linger on me for a brief moment, he narrows his eyes and leans back.

"All my friends are also my brother's friends and they're all a little weird in the head. We talk about things you wouldn't wanna talk about."

"Women? I can talk about women."

"What?" I shrug and play with the spoon in my cup.

"Women are beautiful." Adrien sits up and folds his hands on the table, his face looks irritated. Quite amusing actually.

"You like women?"

"Never had any feelings for a woman. Vicky and I made out once, but that's about it. We were both drunk..." he still looks surprised, but he seems to take it well.

"What do you talk about with your friends?"

"You mean, friend. Singular."

"Is Vicky your only one?" I shrug, feeling a little embarrassed to admit that I'm not very popular. What can I do when it's my fault? Either I'm not very likable or I'm just not able to get into a new group of people that fast.

"I do have other friends back home, but Vicky is my best friend."

"How did you meet?"

"We met when we moved in together into a living community. She was very weird at first, but I'm so glad I met her. Now I feel like our friendship is taking a toll."

"Friends come and go."

"I know, but we've been friends for years now and it's not easy to lose someone like her. I already lost Denis, remember?" My tone is a little harsher than I intended, but he understands. He doesn't say anything further about this topic.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I have a brother from my dad's side, but I haven't seen him in years. He's in military." The last time we talked was last year on Christmas and it was over Skype, it only lasted five minutes and then he had to go.

"You kinda seemed like a typical only child to me." I cock my head and think about his statement which Vicky has told me once before.

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean, thanks I guess."

"You know what I always wondered about?"

"What?"

"Your background. Where is your mother from?"

"France."

"I know, but she isn't originally from France right? Sorry, I know it sounds wrong the way I said it." I laugh as he tries to correct himself, but I take it lightly. I get asked about my background a lot, it's usually one of the first things that is brought up in a conversation.

"She's Ethiopian. Yes she's black, you can say it without thinking you're not being politically correct."

"You take after her a lot actually. Have you ever been to Ethiopia?"