Waking Life
Chapter Three: Meeting Rubin
Danni stared at the address she had written down, and then stared back at the hotel that was in front of her, and then back at the piece of paper in her hands. The addresses matched, but Danni was still a bit unsure. She took a breath and knocked on the door.
It was opened by a short woman in her late forties. "Yes?"
Danni gulped. "Mrs. Farr?" At the woman's confirming nod, Danni continued. "I…I'm here about the ad for a roommate?"
Mrs. Farr beamed, motioning her into the lobby of the hotel. "Come in, my dear."
Danni stepped into the cool lobby, looking around. The walls were painted a deep sea green, and some truly hideous artwork hung on the wall to the left of her. Danni, who had an appreciation for good art even though she couldn't draw to save her life, felt herself getting a headache from looking at it.
Mrs. Farr smiled at her. "You don't smoke, do you?"
"No Ma'am."
"Any boyfriends?"
Danni chuckled. "No. I go to work and school. I really don't have time for boyfriends."
Mrs. Farr nodded in approval. "Good. Now, you'll be sharing the apartment with my son Rubin. It's a two bedroom, with a half bath and kitchen. The rent will be $200 a month, and all utilities are included." She looked at Danni carefully. "Do you feel comfortable sharing an apartment with a man?"
Danni thought for a moment. Two hundred a month was the best deal she had ever heard. For that, she would share an apartment with a rhino. "I'm perfectly fine with that."
Mrs. Farr grinned. "Good. Come with me and I'll show you the apartment and introduce you to Rubin. I should warn you though, he's a little odd. He lost a close friend of his not too long ago, and he hasn't quite gotten over it."
She led Danni outside, past the pool, and up a flight of stairs, stopping at the apartment directly in front of them. Music could be heard through the door, and Danni smiled as she recognized the sounds of Mahler.
Mrs. Farr knocked on the door, speaking in a lightly happy tone. "Rubin! Open up!" There was no response from inside, and Mrs. Farr sighed, and then knocked louder. "Rubin! Your new roommate is here! Open this door!"
The Mahler got louder, and Mrs. Farr growled in exasperation, and then reached for her keys, unlocking the door. She turned to Danni. "Come on in, dear."
Danni stepped into the apartment, looking around. It was clean, with nice furniture. The walls were painted a light blue. A large stereo took up one wall, and Mahler was blasting from the speakers.
Directly in front of the speakers, dancing to the music and squeaking what appeared to be a rubber mouse, was a tall, slightly muscular young man with long brown hair, a green shirt, tight bell-bottoms, and large coke bottle glasses. He had on platform shoes, and as he marched around to the music Danni thought to herself that he looked rather handsome.
Mrs. Farr walked over to the stereo, switching it off, and Rubin glared at her. He hadn't yet noticed Danni. "What do you want?"
"Your new roommate is here, Rubin. Would you care to meet her?"
Rubin gazed at his mother like a deer in the headlights. "H…H…Her?"
Mrs. Farr frowned. "Yes, her! Rubin, don't tell me you're afraid of girls!"
"N…no, but…"
Danni decided to step in before anything else could happen. She walked over to Rubin and stuck her hand out. "Danielle Morgan, but everyone calls me Danni. I'm very pleased to meet you, Rubin."
He smiled shyly at her and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too. You have pretty eyes."
Danni blushed. "Thank you." Rubin smiled back, a strange tingly feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"I hope we get along, Danni."
Danni smiled coyly at him, and the tingly feeling intensified. "I'm sure we'll get along splendidly." Rubin smiled.
"However, I do have some questions I want to ask you, if that's okay." He ignored the look of indignation on his mother's face.
Danni grinned. "That's perfectly okay, Rubin. Fire away."
Rubin gulped. "That's great. Ummm…what are your hours? I'm pretty nocturnal, so…"
"I have school from nine until four, then I work at the bookstore from five until they close. I'm a night owl by default."
Rubin smiled shyly. "Alright, umm…do you like Mahler?"
Danni grinned. "Love him."
Rubin felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He grinned at Danni, and then turned to his mother. "She'll do."
Mrs. Farr sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Miss Morgan, your room is the one down the hall and to the right."
"Thanks. I'll probably need a few days to gather all my stuff, but I could be ready to move in by Thursday. Is that good?"
Mrs. Farr nodded. "That would be fine. Rent is due the last of each month."
Danni nodded. "Got it. Mrs. Farr, thank you for renting me the apartment." She looked over at Rubin, giving him a friendly smile. "Rubin, I look forward to getting to know you much better."
Rubin felt himself blush at her smile. "Uhh…I…itwasnicemeetingyou." He stepped backward, nearly stumbling over his own feet, and made a beeline for his bedroom. Danni gazed after him, slightly confused. They left the apartment, and she looked over at Mrs. Farr.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, you didn't. Rubin is just a little bit shy. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll come round."
"Alright. I'll see you Thursday, then."
After the two women had left, Rubin lay in his bed, staring at the large pin up poster that was tacked to the wall directly in front of him. He stared at it for a full ten minutes, then climbed out of bed and ripped it down.
He would much rather look at his new roommate.
