Woman of Letters

THE Author

Underneath the moonlit sky, beneath a blanket of stars in Paris, El and William walked side by side. El who stood at only 5 feet tall, her small stature barely reached William's wide shoulders. He literally towered over her in his 6'2" glory. He noticed her hair was shorted than he first saw her, and dyed in chestnut color. She was wearing a red leather jacket, black jeans and black boots. And she had a fringe too, making her look so young. And it made him wonder how old she really was. He reckoned she could pass as a college student, but the way she spoke with confidence and depth told him otherwise. Her wisdom came only from years of experience from life.

"Pardon me, I have failed to catch your name." William said suddenly, breaking the silence as he followed beside her.

El giggled at that, "You didn't catch it, because I didn't throw it. And the name is Ela Ramirez, but please call me El." El said, it was her birth name. Well, not completely, for her full name was EL DEVLIN RAMIREZ. also known to as R.E Devlin.

"William Knightly. Pleasure to meet you, again." William replied offering his hand to her, she halted mid-step and took his hand with hers, shaking it firmly. "Plessure to meet you too."

The two took mental notes on each others hand, how small hers was against his, and how hers were cold, and his was warm, and how he had calluses on the edges. He gazed down at her under the beautifully lit stars, a small smile spreading on his thin lips.

They walked for another five minutes when El stopped in front of a small family restaurant, she stepped in with him while she took the take away's she ordered. They walked another five minutes till they reached her apartment.

She ushered him in, helped him with his jacket and led him to the kitchen. William's eyes, scanned the large apartment, knowing full well it didnt come cheap, and he wondered what she did for living. She served him the food and they ate in the kitchen, making small talk. "El , if you don't mind me asking. What do you do for work?" William asked, causing El to choke on her pasta and go on a coughing fit. She grabbed her glass of water to clear her throat.

She pondered then if she should tell him right there. Like she did Francine, "Hi I'm R. E Devlin, but people call me El ." No.

"Take a guess." She offered, and he took the idea interesting enough, so he wondered out loud, while scanning her apartment, looking for any telltale signs.

"Artist?" he took his first shot. She shook her head, and he frowned confused. He could clearly smell paint on her, and the second he stepped in her flat he noticed the piles of canvas in the corner. "Painting is my hobby but its not the one that pays the bills." She explained. He scanned the room and found a bookshelf filled with books of different genre.

"Professional Reader?" He tried once more. She smiled wildly at him, amused. "Unfortunately not, I'm just a Bibliophile." She confessed with a shrug. "Wait, you have a 'Manager', you travel for work---you must be an Actress?" William said, his tone uncertain. "Hell no." El said, laughing so hard she was holding her stomach.

"Why not?" William asked, slightly offended at her reaction. Did she not like Actors? Would that mean she would not like him either?

"No offense meant, but no. I'm not much of a public figure kinda thing. I don't like the attention." She explained. "I give up." William said, hands raised in mock surrender. "If I tell you, I'd have to kill you." She said, eyew narrowed at him, causing him to pout like a child.

They sat in the living room for a moment after eating, watching the Telly. William roamed casually around her apartment, noting it had threee rooms, all open except one.

"What's in this room?" He asked her curiously, pointing at the closed door. She turned to him, saw him standing before the door of her 'work room'.

"That's my red room, Mr. Knightly." She smiled seductively at him, and he blushed in response, only to catch the humor in her eyes seconds later.

"I have to trust you completely before I let you see all the toys in there." El joked, "I don't believe you." William replied, causing El to giggle. A giggle he loved hearing, he hoped he could hear more of it in the future. "Then you can't see it." El said winking at him.

"You are a tease." William deadpanned, eye narrowed playfully at her. "What's odd is you seem to enjoy it." El shot back, with a mischievous smile herself and he blushed.

"I must leave, its late and I have yet to reserve a hotel room." William said, after seeing 9:15pm at her wall clock. She sighed and shut the television off. "Cmon." She urged, beckoning him to follow. She fished a key from her pocket as she led him towards the closed room. William watched her as she inserted the key in the keyhole. "You don't have to show me that, if you don't want too." William said baffled, as to why she responded like that when he told her she would leave.

"Nah, its okay. Let's just get this over with." El said swinging it open. He walked in as she urged him to, looking around he saw more shelves filled with books. Mostly technical books, sciences from biology to physics, and at the center side a computer. There was also a trash bin filled with letters. And his eyes fell over the computer set, a number of stacked Manuscripts on the table, he grabbed one and flipped it open.

William turned to look at El, then back again to the paper. HIs eyes were glued on name printed on it;

'R. E Devlin' .

"Ela Devlin Ramirez is my full name." El said, watching his confused expression slowly turn to shock.