"Rhoda, come on, let's talk." Mary utters the words, coming after Rhoda as she walks in dismay.
"Talk?" She stops as if in a trance before she could leave the apartment completely. Rhoda's face darkens as she looks at Mary, more upset than ever. She couldn't believe what she saw today as she strolled at the mall this afternoon. "Mary, what is there to talk about?"
"Everything." Mary lowers her voice, trying to avoid any argument knowing Rhoda won't hold back from this.
She sighs, walking back into the room. As she sits on the sofa, she crosses her arm looking directly at Mary, waiting for any valid explanation she could tell her.
"Rho… It was just a date. He's an old friend."
"An ex-boyfriend, you mean."
"Fine. But won't you listen first?"
"Mair, it was 3 nights in a row, you, me… How do you expect me to react after seeing you with someone else? We spent a couple of nights, let alone we fooled around."
"It meant nothing."
"Nothing? Which one?"
"Rhoda, would you stop?" Mary could tell how hurt she may be feeling now, as she gazes deeply into Rhoda's eyes. It suddenly slips in her mind how Rhoda thinks of herself less. And even though she knows she's referring to the date she's had with Bill today, she couldn't help but regret what she just said. She's dated him for years, let alone they were engaged. She knows Rhoda has the right to feel upset after those great nights they've had together only to find her seeing her ex-lover.
"What about us, Mair? What about me?"
Mary freezes for a moment, standing still. She sucks in a breath, unable to look directly at her friend neither say anything.
The deafening silence fills the room for minutes as Rhoda waits for an answer only to meet a disappointment that Mary won't probably say a word… and she's right. "This discussion is not getting us anywhere. I'll tell you what: I'll go upstairs and don't follow me." Standing up from her position, she slowly moves towards the door as her tears threaten to fall.
"Rhoda, I really hope you would stop doing that," Mary whispers, silently praying that Rhoda would just listen to her so they could settle things together. She just can't stand the thought of them with such tension.
"I can't be your midnight lover when you're lonely, kid. I'm not your consolation prize." Unable to look back at Mary, Rhoda completely walks out of the door as she heads upstairs
When Rhoda finally arrives in her apartment, she shuts her door immediately as tears uncontrollably cascade from her beautiful wide eyes. Never in her life she imagined that Mary could hurt her, not until today. Were the lovely evenings that Mary gave her meant nothing?
One week.
One fucking darn week and the two haven't had any chance to have encountered each other or albeit they both live in the same building.
Rhoda is pretty occupied tonight. She puts on her green dress, pairing it with a black vest on top of it. Her hair in a bun and her make-up simply elegant. She looks just lovely tonight. She steps out, closing the door of her apartment. Before she could take the last step on the stairs, she meets a familiar voice—a sweet voice she missed hearing and initiates a conversation.
"Hey, Rhoda. Can we talk?" Mary says, her voice gentle, hoping to have a discussion with Rhoda tonight. She's waited the whole day for Rhoda to appear in her sight anyway.
"That would be nice, Mary. But I'm running late tonight, I'm sorry." She bits her lower lip, trying her best to avoid any eye contact with Mary.
"So you, uh, have a date?"
"Hmm, yeah."
Her words reverberate though. Mary feels a sting in her chest, not quite understanding what's going on now. "Rhoda… What are you doing this for?" She helplessly inquires.
Rhoda would be lying if she denies she likes the attention she got from Mary regarding her having a date. But she didn't intend on letting her know after all. She just got her luck that Mary sees her leaving, let alone waiting for her.
"What?" Rhoda lets out a nervous laugh, "Mary, this really nice guy asked me out today and I said yes. Listen, we'll talk tomorrow. Goodbye, kid"
And just like that, Rhoda goes out to her date, leaving Mary alone.
For a brief moment, at least tonight, she wants to meet new people who might actually really like her. And yet she knows, Mary will have her mind occupied tonight. All that she needs to do is try to fake it all tonight.
It's almost 11:30 in the evening now. An unfamiliar engine arrives, catching Mary's attention. Could it be Rhoda? But with her date? How could this be-... Until she hears footsteps, possibly of two people, while exchanging laughs together.
"I really had a great time tonight." A handsome voice of a man mutters.
"Yeah?"
She's right. It's Rhoda and her date walking upstairs. Mary frantically turned off her light, trying to avoid any further confusion that Rhoda might have since she sleeps early every night.
"Yeah."
"Do you wanna come in? For a coffee?" Rhoda offers the man, not quite sure if she wants any of this. All she knows is that she doesn't like the idea of being alone tonight. Besides, he really likes his company. He's nice, funny, and a real gentleman. How rare it is for her to find a guy like him.
"Okay." He replies.
Rhoda wakes up from the sound of her telephone ringing. She sits up from her bed unsteadily, exhausted because of a long day she's had. She answers the phone, still half asleep.
"It's Mary."
She hears from the other line. Rhoda's taken aback. Why would someone call her at such an hour? And it's Mary, her neighbor downstairs. "Mair? What time is it?"
"It's time for us to talk."
"At 2 am? Oh Mary, give it a rest, will ya?"
"Give it a rest? Rhoda, you've been avoiding me for days. We can't stay like this forever." Mary's now getting annoyed. How could Rhoda say that to her anyway?
Rhoda's heart aches with relief from the words Mary just said. Despite being in a vulnerable position, she realizes she's now ready to talk to Mary. After all, she can't go escaping from her and their unsettled misunderstanding all the time.
She drops the phone and grabs her robe, immediately walking downstairs. To her luck, Mary's door isn't locked so she opens the door, welcoming herself. "Now, talk." she approaches Mary, which to her surprise, after having the phone call hung up.
"I'm sorry. I can't stand you being mad at me."
"I'm not really mad…" Rhoda now enters the room and sits at the chair near the balcony, "But I was hurt, Mair. I thought we're good."
"We are." Gently, she assures her.
"Then why did you date?"
"You did the same."
"Yeah, but only after I knew that I apparently meant nothing to you."
"Oh Rhoda, you know what you mean to me."
"I do. When you're lonely and disappointed," she looks at the older woman unmoved.
"Rhoda, you are being impossible!" Mary's tone changes. Despite being able to understand that Rhoda can't just simply drop this because of how she felt, she's starting to get irritated now. It might be the drink she took the whole night while waiting the entire time for her courage to get into her.
"Oh now, I'm being impossible? I thought you'd like to talk, Mair?"
"Because you are!" Mary couldn't help but feel hurt. Albeit she knows it's partly her fault that Rhoda feels this way, she hopes she'd let her talk and explain things first. "Is that what you really think of me?"
"Then let me know how you feel about me, kid. I just can't sit here and guess—I'm not a fortune-teller."
Mary suddenly bursts into laughter. Rhoda is in absolute confusion now as to why she started bursting out when they're in the middle of a serious discussion. Only to realize that Mary now, the Perfect Mary she'd known for years, is actually drunk.
She takes a few steps towards Rhoda and starts kissing her out of nowhere. It's a full-blown kiss. Standing up from her sit, Rhoda reciprocates as their bodies remember the touch of their sensual union.
"Mair, what are we doing?" Rhoda asks in between kisses, her breathing now erratic. She wraps her arms around Mary's svelte body, their hips rocking together.
Mary is now able to speak, quickly releasing herself from Rhoda. "You mean everything to me and I want you to know that, you silly." She grins at her before their activity continues, finally having the courage to tell Rhoda what she is and always been to her.