Chapter 9 – Korra
I feel my shoulders start to tense together. I had been standing for almost twelve hours straight. My body ached for bed but before the dreaded stairs, I had to check the mail. The mail boxes were lined up on the wall in a polished brass front that made the wall almost look like gold.
With eyes half shut, I opened the small box and picked up the various envelopes. When I slammed it back shut the door next to mine caught my tired eyes. Sato etched in black hung over the box with Asami's number. Asami Sato…it had a nice ring to it. I thought about our last interaction. I never expected her to show up at my door. A feeling of relief washed over me and I realized I was glad she did. I played over my words, wondering if I was too forward.
"Weird apology accepted." Then the silence that followed. "You know… instead of exchanging bagels, we should eat together sometime…." I felt the nerves creep up as I made it sound like a date. "But, thanks again for the bagel. And, I mean, it's not even Sunday."
"Sunday?" She asked, confused.
"I always have a bagel on Sunday… 'cause it's holy." I can't help but laugh at my own bad joke.
Her lips were a tight line. I knew the joke was bad and something in me just had to mess up the moment. She smiled but didn't laugh as I looked at the floor.
"Yeah, sure. Sometime," Asami replied.
Then it ended with a slowly closed door and an awkward goodbye. I had to get ready for work. I shook the thoughts of dates and dinners out of my head. No actual plans had been made and she may have just been telling me what I wanted to hear.
I moved my focus back to taking the stairs two at a time, pulling my frame quickly up with help from the handrail. As I turned the corner, I heard an echoing voice. The stairwell was small, barely big enough for two to walk side by side. Voices had a tendency to travel down quickly. It was odd; it wasn't English or Spanish, which I have become accustomed to hearing over the years. It was quick and low. All the words knitted together into a drawl. It sounded European, like Italian or French. I couldn't make anything out. Then it cleared and I could hear a voice.
"Merci pour votre patience."
The sound was getting closer. I didn't know there was a French person living in this building.
I grabbed at the handrail, pulling myself to the last set of stairs, cursing the day I chose a building with no elevator.
Asami was at the top of the steps, phone attached to her ear. Our eyes clashed for a split second, the cascading light from the window behind her surrounding her in a soft glow. I felt sad we wouldn't get to talk.
"Oui. Au revoir."
Of course she spoke French. I was finding it hard to imagine there was something she couldn't do. I added it to the mental list of things I knew about my mysterious neighbor.
It happened in a split second, just as she took the phone away from her ear to press the end call button. Her heel missed the edge of the stair, sending her flying into me. I braced one hand on the rail as her body fell into mine. I put an arm around her waist. She was so slender it fit almost all the way around. I tugged her into me, keeping her from falling more than she was. I gasped as the air was taken from my lungs. Her hands were squashed between us and the phone noisily fell down the remaining steps, clattering against the concrete landing.
"Wow." The breath came back to me. Asami seemed flustered, pushing herself from my body. She blushed before all the color seemed to drain from her face. I think it was the first time she was maybe embarrassed. "You know, I've had a few girls fall for me before, but never literally."
Her mouth seemed to gape before closing again. "It's three PM in Paris," she stated, before straightening out her jacket with the palms of her hand. She pulled herself together after that, hastily throwing her hair back, dazzling me slightly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Sorry, I have to go… big meeting today."
She seemed to be apologizing to me a lot lately. She picked up the remnants of her phone, muttering something about 'another one' before hastily leaving. Maybe next time I should get her a croissant.
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