“Did you treat my friend like a lady?”
He looks up at her from where he sits, on a TV, with both hands wrapped around a half empty coffee cup. Squinting in the morning sun that the filters in through the shrubbery and trees.
From inside someone warns him: “Don’t answer that.”
They both laugh.

“I tried not to, but she made me.”
“Guys gotta try, I guess.”

————————————————————————————————-

Opening the door, she escapes into the night air and down the stairs. Barefoot. Two were on the couch inside, inching closer together. One was in the kitchen fostering a bottle of wine.

It was only 3am, after all.

She hesitates on the steps, but fueled by scotch and wine and the freedom of another city and new people she takes the next set of stairs to the sidewalk. Sitting she reclines on her hands and stares up above, looking for something far away to dissect.

“There you are,” She hears him say, from the top of the first set of stairs, two wine glasses in hand.
“Come on down,” she calls back.
“Why the sidewalk?” He inquires, near enough to hand her her refilled glass of wine.
“It’s not on your property and it’s not the street. Feels neutral. Plus, not enough people spend time on the sidewalks anymore.”
“Need neutrality?”
“Don’t we all?”
She loves asking questions to questions to people she’s only known for a short amount of time. Laying down on the sidewalk now she re-fixes her gaze upwards and crosses her hands over her torso.

It’s so warm.
Maybe it was just the concrete.

————————————————————————————————-

“You remind me of someone I work with. She’s very matter of fact in the way she talks. You talk like that.”
She looks at him and tilts her head, “I do?” Recalling the last evening, she realizes she was doing just that with both of them. Phil and James. Though much more with Phil. She was sure it was because she hadn’t quite figured him out yet. “Yea, I do.” She shrugs and drinks some of her coffee. “I figure what’s the point in being otherwise? We’re going to be gone soon.”

“See? Like that.”

However, James is charming with a sharp wit and her candor with him was less of a wall and more of a desire to not hurt him.

When James returns with a fresh cup of coffee and casually slings a hand over her thigh in front of everyone… she is reminded of that.

She could hurt him.

————————————————————————————————-

Having been woken up nearly an hour prior, the two talk in and out of the delirium that is only three hours of sleep.
“I confuse myself,” she finally admits.
“How’s that?”
“I’m here, in your bed. And even though nothing happened…”
“Not for lack of trying.”
“No. But you knew nothing was going to happen. That was barely a kiss you got.”
“True. So what confuses you?”
“I’m here in your bed and you’re nice. But four days ago I had a date with another nice guy. Who cooked for me and then as it became late and difficult for me to get home, he suggested I stay the night. That was our second real date and I said no and left.”
“You couldn’t exactly leave. Your friend is here with Phil.”
“But still. I discriminate somehow, but I don’t know how.”
“It’s too early to think this much about this. Turn over.” As she does so he starts rubbing her shoulders, “I’m just happy you’re here.”
Face half buried in his pillow, receiving a backrub she feels less like she deserves with each compliment, she stares at the maps on his wall. Maps to some places he’s been and some he hasn’t.

Rough man hands with tender words.
Whatever it is, the combination lacks clarity for her. Though she was definitely getting closer. She just wishes that the morning light hadn’t come so soon.