Ashley
As we were waiting for the transfusion to finish I walked down to the big white hospital cafeteria. The room was cold as was the hospital. And sterile. Cold sterile and hard. It reminded me of an insane asylum. A few people were in it at this hr but it wasn't crowded due of its size. I walked over to the small brown coffeemaker located on the counter lining the wall on one side of the room.
As I switched on the coffeemaker a cold burst of air blew my way surrounding me.
"here ill get it," a smooth velvet voice said.
I could tell whoever the voice belonged to was standing by ,e his proximity was close.
I looked into a pair of topaz eyes: "um. I just switched on the coffeemaker its not that hard."
"no I meant. Ill get the coffee," he said: "you go sit down."
Oh.
I sat on the long speckled uncomfortable bench that was on either side of the big long white speckled cafeteria table of which there were several.
"why are you here?" he asked coming over to me and sitting.
He didn't even ask my name.
He sat near me. He sat w/ both his legs on one side of the bench. As had I.
"im a-" I began wanting to be friendly and polite.
He held up his hand: "no don't. I like mystery in a woman."
"oh."
Well ok then.
"ok then," I said, aggravated.
"does that, bother you?" he asked.
"no."
"youre aggravated."
"no not by you. Surprised by you."
And his sudden presence in the room. And our encounter.
"oh. So why are you here?" he asked insistent leaning forward toward me.
"im waiting for my sister."
"whats wrong w/ her?"
"that makes it sound like youre judging her."
I was slightly put out by this.
"im not. I just want to know whats wrong."
He was by far the most upfront forward person id ever met without ever actually. Formally meeting him.
"leukemia."
"mmmhmm."
"why are you here?" I asked returning the question.
"my, um. Daughter."
It seemed like he was hiding something with his answer. Like who he was talking about wasn't really his daughter.
"oh."
"spread your legs," he told me.
What?
"what?" I asked surprised.
This was unusual for a guy to straightaway ask. And a change in topic.
"spread. Your legs."
"but the coffee," I protested.
He looked me up and down, then back at the coffeemaker.
I spread my legs so that they were on either side of the bench.
"now lean back," he said.
I wondered what to do w/ my arms.
"claps them behind your back," he told me answering my unspoken question.
I did discovering it was difficult to lean back on the bench.
"its hard," I said feeling the bench under my back.
I knew he was smiling: "well not yet."
I almost smiled myself.
"don't say anything," he told me.
As I listened to the silence of the room I wondered what he was doing. I didn't feel him near me anywhere. I started to get up lift myself. To look around to where he'd gone to.
"no don't," he said.
His cold hands made their way slowly up my legs over my black pants.
I started breathing harder.
My legs began to move toward each other my inner thighs the first thing to move. I arched my back.
"you have a pretty stomach," he told me inching his hands up.
The cold of his hands felt good but surprising.
His remark was odd considering he hadn't yet seen my stomach. And I wondered how he knew.
"you seem like someone who would," he answered.
Oh.
"oh," I said in response to both his answer and his touch.
"youre a dancer. Your legs are strong which is how I know. And dancers are, - "
I could tell he was licking his lips -
"- hot."
His hands made his way up my thigh and towards my sex. I could barely stand it.
He quickly moved them down. I lifted myself up onto my elbows and looked at him: "I was quite enjoying that."
"yeah I know. But we're in public. That coffee should be done by now."
Oh.
"oh," I was slightly disappointed by this.
"im sorry. Its not fair of me to tease you like that."
Oh so that's what he was doing.
"oh," I said realising.
"how many relationships have you been in?" he asked getting it.
"I um," I looked away suddenly shy, "not a lot."
Though I didn't consider a first encounter a 'relationship'.
"oh. But its also not fair. Of. You to be so enticing."
There was something in his voice. Control, maybe. I couldn't quite tell.
Id never been called 'enticing' before.
"and, if you decide to come w/ me, theres more where that came from," he told me.
I wondered what 'that' was, exactly.
"where?" I asked.
"coffee shop."
"but. Theres coffee here."
"its terrible always is."
"how do you know that?"
"ive had it before."
Oh.
"oh."
"if you really want it ill get it for you," he told me: "I have no problems w/ you having terrible coffee. Except that. Just that factor. That its terrible and therefore would be a waste of time."
"oh."
So I had a decision to make. Actually 2 now.
"but first," he said pulling me close and up.
He put his arm around me and lifted up my shirt his cold hand on my stomach.
"oh wow," he said moving his hand around: "you do have a pretty stomach. I can tell just by feeling."
Um thanks?
"no thanks is needed."
"you know what you should do?" he whispered his breath in my ear his proximity closer.
Which made my own breath hitch and shoulders go up. I exhaled slowly. He smelled good strong. Like musk.
"hm?" I asked unable to say much more.
"wear midriffs. You have the stomach for it."
Um. Ok. Theres an interesting idea.
"ill see if my sister has some."
"the one w/ leukemia?"
"no another one."
"oh. Ok."
I moved and he shifted looked at me: "no don't go."
"im not. Im going to text her."
"oh. Ok."
Well he was a bit needy.
"I don't…im not exactly happy about it but I much prefer it over you leaving."
Again there was the control. He didn't want me texting marie and I wondered why. Evidently he wasn't the most easygoing of people. As id discovered.
He looked down at his hands in his lap and seemed sad. I wondered why.
"im just texting my sister. Im not going anywhere," I reasoned opening my phone and starting to text.
I smiled sideways at him: "well. Except w/ you."
"no its fine. Go text her and then well be off."
He was dismissive.
"what is wrong?" I asked.
"nothing. Its fine. Go, text her."
"ok I will."