"Kissing knuckles"

Chapter 3

"Nothing's happened," Robert uttered after a while. He had thought a moment before saying anything. He understood her distraught. Being caught off guard was something they tried to avoid at all costs. Their thing was exactly that, theirs. But that middle-aged stranger who had seen them tightly embraced and kissing passionately was no one they knew. So, Robert decided to appease her, because nothing had happened.

She lifted her head, her brow furrowed. She searched his eyes and huffed.

"Well, your nothing has me quite stressed," Cora rebuked and he saw that she was still unsettled. He held his arms open for her. Shortly he'd considered to embrace her to ease her nerves, but he was unsure if that was what she wanted. So, he let her choose. She sank against his chest, her temple pressed to his collar bone. Robert held on to her back firmly and he could feel her thumping heart at his stomach. Cora exhaled loudly.

"We better get back. Would it be a problem if you sort out the stuff with the archivist?" Cora lifted her head and looked at him. Robert shook his head. "I need a moment to clear my head," she added.

"Alright." He saw her retreat from the narrow archive room. "Do we see each other tonight?" he called behind her before she opened the door. Her hand rested on the doorknob and she turned around slowly. Her face held a thinking expression.

"I need a moment to clear my head," she repeated and lowered her head. Robert nodded, even though she couldn't see it, when she left the room eventually.

Robert rubbed his forehead as he heard the snap of the door. Actually, everything had been right and well until now, so he shouldn't pressure them. Their secret thing enabled them to make a lovely and carefree dream come true. But it was also bound to a space apart from reality and the life outside. Their romantic dream flowered in their secret garden. Never would Robert risk this miracle by opening the gate to the outside. And Cora's reaction to the tiny breeze of external wind banished every doubt he had if keeping the reality out was the right thing to do. He would keep more strictly to her precautious rules. They have always proven as right and she somehow seemed to know better what she was doing and how this thing was best to be handled.

Now she needed time to herself and he would wait patiently for the moment he was allowed to be with her again.

Robert walked up all the silly stairs on his own and informed the archivist that "Miss Levinson and I have solved everything necessary downstairs." The archivist's question if they needed a second research session was answered with a "No, I don't think so."

Robert didn't see Cora for the rest of the day at work. She wasn't there eating lunch in the cafeteria and whenever he passed her office on the corridor, the door was closed. When he was about to leave work, he briefly considered dropping in on her, but dismissed the idea immediately. She would message him when she was ready. So he grabbed his things, put on his scarf and wool coat and made his way to the elevator. He joined the waiting crowd in front of the steel doors. The joy everyone actually felt at the impending evening wasn't visible in their grey and emotionless faces. Robert wondered how they could hide their happiness so well or if there was indeed nothing they were looking forward to. He turned away from his co-workers' sad appearances and stared at the matt steel as everyone else. A ding announced the arrival of the elevator and he surged into the lift with the crowd. A mutual silence reigned in the confined space and Robert exhaled with relieve when he was able to leave the elevator and the office building. A gust of biting wind hit him as he stepped outside and he cursed under his breath. Quickly he strode towards the metro station when he caught sight of his best friend at the nearby traffic lights. Cora's back was to him, but he recognized her figure and her dark veil of hair that flowed down the back of her coat. He halted in his tracks as if he was waiting for her to turn around, flash him a radiant smile and wave her gracile hand. The lights turned green and she walked away, not having noticed him. Robert resumed his walk to the station and mused about how lucky he was that Cora was also his best friend. One great advantage of this and the fact everyone knew them as best friends was that she never held back to wave at him eagerly from afar. There was no need to hide her joy at seeing him and that was a gift. He would never want to do without that.

Robert arrived at home and closed the door swiftly behind him in an attempt to keep all the nasty chill outside. He took of his coat just to decide to pull over a sweatshirt that hung across a kitchen chair. He refrained from opening the fridge and settled on making some coffee instead. Robert wouldn't admit to Cora but he found it damn cold in his house at the moment and he turned on the heating. Usually, it was Cora who whined about the low temperatures.

He sank in his favourite armchair with his mug of coffee and waited for the hot beverage to warm him from the inside. After a few minutes, he felt ready to retrieve some leftovers from the previous days from the fridge and he prepared them in the microwave. The silence in his house seemed strange. He chuckled at the thought that he might not be used to it anymore. To banish the unusual sense of loneliness he switched on the television and let it run in the background while fixing his meal. He returned with some chicken and rice and plopped down on the couch in front of the telly. It was just nonsense that was playing, but he left the TV on anyway. He munched on his dish and zapped to some sports channel after setting the plate down on the coffee table. He listened to the commentator's voice and let his mind wander. He should find some activity, some interest apart from Cora. He didn't want to bully her into spending more time with him, but he felt himself unable to think about anything else when he was on his own. He could do some sort of sports or contact some of his friends he hadn't seen in a while. He could renovate some of his rooms or visit his mother. Gosh, he really was desperate. Soon he would even consider visiting Rosamund's gallery on his own.

The doorbell rang. Robert was interrupted in his musings and rose from the couch to open the door. He flicked a grain of rice from his sweatshirt before turning the doorknob.

"Cora!" She stood there with rosy cheeks and a gentle smile. She held two pizza boxes. Her hands, that grabbed the boxes, were red and dry from the cold.

"Golly, that icy wind cleared my head faster than I thought," she chimed amused.