Chapter 5: Saya Lida part 2
"Anna-belle, what did we agree on?"
The five looked over their shoulder, with innocent looks on their faces.
Anna sighed in relief and hit the person behind her.
"God Simon, you scared me. I hate it that you can imitate her voice that well."
"I don't think Lily would want you to corrupt her children." He gave her a stern look. Serena and Eric began to protest, saying that their mother wouldn't have any problem with it. but Jenny cut them off.
"If you can't tell them, why don't you tell us. Our dad wouldn't have a problem with it." She smiled innocently. Anna smirked. "See Si, I can't disagree with that logic."
He sighed and sat down with the others. To make sure that his wife wouldn't exaggerate the facts. Because he knew she would.
–
Lily looked through the windows. After Bart's call she'd ended up here again. He'd cancelled on her, again. And somehow she'd ended up here. Again.
From her spot behind the windows she could see her children laughing with Anna, Simon and Rufus' kids. But no Rufus. Not anywhere.
She backed away from the window. She couldn't go in there now, her children would want to know why she came. Wonder why she wasn't with Bart. Jump to conclusions, and she wasn't ready for any of that.
The sound of her heels on the sidewalk was all she heard. No thoughts interrupting the silence, and not another person in sight. The clicking of her heels was joined by the sound of heavy breathing, and quick footsteps, coming nearer every second. She increased her steps. Hoping to create some distance between herself and the person who seems to follow her. But she failed. She thought about running, but instead decided to look behind her first.
She gasped in shock. It was Rufus. She hadn't even realized that he hadn't been with the others. There was no chance of trying to dodge him this time. She knew that he knew that she'd seen him. With a sigh she stopped and turned around, watching him as he stopped in front of her. Breathing heavily from his run.
"Rufus, what are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't .. I .. be the one.. asking you that?"
"I wanted to visit the villa again. See if it was still there."
"Right." He looked at her, disbelievingly. Lily tried to keep her eyes locked with his. Knowing that looking away would tell him she'd lied.
"Aren't you supposed to be playing some kind of gig right now?"
"It's already done, but you already saw that didn't you." She tried to hide her surprise, he'd seen her watching through the window? Why hadn't he stopped her sooner then?
" You saw me?"
"Kind of hard to miss, you were the only one peeking through the windows."
"I wasn't peeking."
"You were, Lil, don't deny it." Lily gave an exaggerated sigh.
"Fine, so if I was."
"Why didn't you come in?"
Lily rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up. Rufus noticed and led her further, towards a very familiar place. Lily gave him a look that clearly said: you've got to be kidding me.
"You were the one who brought this place up."
He held the door of the villa open. They walked through the lobby of the hotel and sat down in the small bar/restaurant. For a while, they just sat there. Her, watching her hands, trying to avoid the conversation she knew would follow. Him, watching her, trying to catch her eyes, trying to get her to open up to him again. Just like she used to.
She opened her mouth, and he waited for her to begin her explination. But then the waiter interrupted them.
"Can I get you anything to drink or eat?"
"Scotch, make that two." Lily looked at him for confirmation, he nodded, inwardly cursing the waiter for showing up when he did. Lily followed the waiter with her eyes when he walked away again.
"Lil."
"Oh all right, I was bored, and Bart stood me up. Again. And I knew you were playing here. I just wondered if everything was still the same as it was back then."
He grinned at her, now that she'd began her explanation, there was no stopping her. Words were coming out like a flood. And no dam in sight to stop her. He let her rant for a while, amusing himself by watching her face heat up and seeing her getting all worked up. He smiled when he caught himself not even paying attention to what she was saying anymore.
Some things never changed.
The silence snapped him out of his thoughts. She was looking at him expectingly.
"Sorry, what did you just say?"
"Honestly Rufus, do you ever listen to what I'm saying?"
"It's not my fault you can't stop talking like a school girl."
She huffed, and leaned back in the chair. Sometimes, he annoyed her so much. And this was definitely one of those times.
"I asked why you followed me."
"Because I wanted to know why you were here."
"Right."
They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Neither knowing what to say, both very happy when the waiter brought their drinks. Rufus finally broke their silence by asking if she knew what time it was.
"Almost two thirty."
"I've got to head back, they'll wonder where I went and we still have to finish putting our instruments and the other things away."
"Don't you have roadies for that?"
"Nope, they all quit years ago, now those groupies. Those are the ones we can't seem to get rid of."
Lily gave him a fake laugh. "Well aren't you funny. Tell you what. You head back, and I'll pay our bill and book myself a room. I'm too tired to go back tonight."
"Don't, put it on my tab. Room 22." She nodded and stood up, and with a 'Goodnight, Rufus,' she headed for the bar to finish things up.
Rufus smiled on his way back to the others. After all these weeks, he'd finally caught her, finally talked to her. And you know what? It was like nothing had changed, not even after 20 years.
