Apartment For Three

Chapter 5

A few weeks had gone by and living with the boys seemed to be okay. Marlon always brought home women and made a ruckus while doing it, Paul was concentrated on perfecting his acting and I was trying to write my book. But I needed to get away for a moment.

Somewhere in Harlem, I sat in front of a bar confiding in my only friend about all that's happened. That is, if you consider a waitress you visit a lot to be a friend.

"You what?" Birdie's hand stopped wiping the lunch bar. "Addy, one day you're insisting on continuing your life living alone and now you moved in with two strange men?"

"I needed help with rent. My parent's money was running low and there was no way I could keep paying for that apartment by myself." I reminded her. "They were right. I did overextend myself a little."

"A little?" Birdie huffed as she stood up straight. "You were way out of your bounds."

I rolled my eyes with a grin, sipping on my milkshake straw.

"Hey, you're not a better position. The rest of us colored girls can hardly go to school." She leaned forward. "And you have rich parents... ask them for more money."

"My parents are far from rich." I crossed my arms as my friend teased me.

"You have trees in the yard of your childhood home, Adele. You're rich." She rose her eyebrows. Her boss passed by and gave her a look, which prompted her to continue to pretend she's working. Under her breath, she tried to continue the conversation. "Well are they hunks?"

"I'd say so." I smiled as images of the two men filled my brain. "And they both are ambitious too. Although one is a little bit conceded about it."

"What do they look like?" She asked nonchalantly as she moved things around on her side of the counter. Suddenly, I was at a loss for words.

"They're... men." I said softly, then began to sip my milkshake a little more slowly.

"Get out of here. You did not." Birdie said. Then she shouted, spinning around behind the counter with a laugh. "They're white boys? What do you have, a death wish?"

"No, I have rent and they can pay. All I needed were roommates." I rolled my eyes with a smirk and she shook her head.

"You really are crazy, you know that?" Birdie joked. "You're bonkers."

"As long as my family doesn't know it should all be fine." I shrugged with a smile. "It's not like they're visiting me anyway."

"It's the principal." Birdie pointed out. "I've never met your parents, but I'm sure if daddy found out his little girl was living alone with two white men he'd die of shock."

"And that is why I won't be telling him." I smiled. "He doesn't know my address anyway nor do I wish him to know."

"Well you make sure you keep it that way." Birdie nodded. Her boss came over again, and with a groan she went back to work.

Once I returned to the apartment, I found Paul practically in the dark with his face in his hands. He almost seemed to be sobbing. Walking over to him, I took a seat beside where he sat hunched over. He wiped his face quickly in an effort to pretend everything was okay.

"Paul, what's happened?" I asked as I rubbed his back. His eyes were red as he looked down at his lap. He wore a white t-shirt and blue pajama pants.

"I just... I can't handle this." He sighed. "I'm working my ass off trying to get everything right and it doesn't seem to be coming true for me."

"You'll get it..." I said softly to him, but he was all too tense to hear it. "I know you can, I've seen you practice and you're good."

"But I need to be better." Paul fisted his hand. "I didn't even want to be a goddamn actor in the first place. I just wanted to put food on the table."

"Marlon says he feels the same way." I reminded him.

"But Marlon is different." Paul shook his head. He looked up into my eyes. "Did you know he actually went through The Actor's Workshop? And now ever since we've made this little arrangement he's been returning there and showing off exactly how successful he is."

"Well how successful is he?" I shrugged. "He was in one movie."

"And he's set to star in another this year." Paul nodded. "Filming had just wrapped before we started this little arrangement."

"Paul, to hell with Marlon." I ran my hand down his back. "As far as I can see, you're going to be a big star someday. I know it."

"Damn it, maybe I should just go back to college." Paul leaned back on the couch, his body slumping back and his legs opening. "Maybe I should've gone into something a little more practical."

"But you're impractical... and in the best possible way. A practical job could never fit your talent." I leaned closer to him. "You just need a little more courage."

"I've wanted courage to do one particular thing for a while... but I haven't had the guts." Paul rose a brow.

"And what would that be—" Before I could finish my sentence, Paul had leaned forward and kissed my lips. I was shocked for a moment, but then I found myself kissing him back. Slowly he leaned over me, lying us down on the couch.

Slowly his hand opened my top button by button. Then, he slowly placed each side off of my torso, the cold air brushing across my skin.