When I wake up in the morning
And feel you next to me
I know I'm blessed from above
Cause its all so clear to see
That I've got real love
"REAL LOVE"
Lee Ryan
Neela shivered in the morning air as she waited for the El. She kept thinking about Ray, his kiss, his holding her, and even his anger towards Gallant's not being there for her. She thought of Ray as a roommate and nothing more. Or at least she thought she did. Could she be feeling more for him than she originally thought? Could she have come to care about Ray as more than just a roommate? She sat down on a bench and placed her hands in her face, trying to figure out what it was exactly that she was feeling towards her roommate.
"Troubles?" Abby's voice broke through Neela's thoughts.
Neela looked up at her. "It's nothing really."
"You don't usually place your hands in your face if it's nothing." Abby nudged Neela's shoulder with her own. "I thought we could tell each other anything."
"Alright, if, and I mean IF, I tell you, will you not put it in the rumor mill at work?" Neela asked.
Abby held up three fingers. "I promise."
"I think I'm starting to fall for Ray." Her head went back into her hands.
Abby stared. "You mean our Ray? Your roommate Ray? The Ray-I'll-never-so-much-as-lift-a-finger-to-help Ray?"
Neela groaned. "Yes. I don't know, Abby. I'm happy with Gallant, but when I needed him, he wasn't there. Ray was."
"So, you're basing this on one night?"
"No. It was the first night I realised Ray wasn't just a roommate. He was a mate. Someone I could count on. It's been…" She sighed heavily in frustration.
Abby patted Neela's knee. "What is it about Ray that attracts you to him?"
Neela stood up as the train doors opened. "He's not serious all the time. When he's working, he's so focused on the patient that you find it hard to believe that under that rock tee shirt and blue jeans and lab coat, there's tattoos and piercings. He plays it safe when he feels he has to and yet, at the drop of a hat, he can just dive in and never think twice. He can get himself in to trouble, but can charm his way out of it. He's an enigma, to speak. He's never the same person twice, but you find you're never afraid of him. You feel as though you can be yourself around him, no matter what, and he won't judge you or hate you for it."
"Tattoos? Piercings? Neela, how do you know?" Abby sat down.
"Trust me. We have this completely odd roommate situation. It's nothing for one of us to be in the shower and the other having to brush their teeth. I've seen my fair share of Ray and I am positive he's seen his fair share of me." Neela smiled, remembering how only Ray could get away with a towel that low on his hips.
"Wow. Um, yeah. Sounds pretty interesting." Abby was suddenly at a loss for words. "So, anyway," she coughed, trying to regain composure. "What about Gallant?"
"I don't know. I don't know what about Gallant." Neela sat down hard.
Ray stood at the window looking out. Neela and Abby didn't know he had overheard their conversation on the El platform and the train. The snow fell softly and he heard Neela enter. "What? No rock music blaring?" She joked.
Ray sipped his coffee. "Didn't feel like it." He faced her. "How was work?"
"Come on, Ray. You were there. You know what day I had." Neela hung her coat up.
"I heard he proposed." Ray fought the anger welling inside of him. Gallant didn't deserve Neela. She needed someone who could take care of her, not just financially, but emotionally as well.
Neela sighed. "Yes, he did."
"When's the wedding?" He turned and looked out the window again.
"There isn't one." She moved closer to Ray. He felt her slip her arm in his. "I can't marry him."
"You love him, so, what's the problem?"
"The problem is I don't love him." She rested her head on his shoulder. The height difference made Neela feel even more safe near Ray.
"Well, I guess that's a problem."
"Yeah. I told him I loved someone else."
Ray smiled. Has she finally realised that we're supposed to be together?
