This chapter is dedicated to Ebony and janispsnipes.
Thanks for the awesome feedback.
Now, on with the story.
"Hi Marcus," I said gently.
"Hello. Esme, Felix. What's going on here?" Our landlord asked suspiciously as he took in the dampened floor boards and our sheepish looks. I glanced as Felix for backup, but he simply shook his head, holding back a laugh.
"Well," I began. "I bumped into Felix this morning, and accidentally spilled-"
"She busted her ass this morning when she tripped down the stairs. We were just cleaning up," Felix interjected enthusiastically.
"I did not trip down the stairs," I snapped. "He caused me to fall," I pointed an accusing finger at my friend. He feigned shock and I glared, trying to suppress a giggle.
"Well, that certainly calls for us to squabble like children then, doesn't it? After all, my ruined floor boards are certainly a trite matter when it comes to technicalities of the incident." Marcus spewed exasperated. I smiled, knowing we weren't in trouble.
"Are you alright?" The voice that spoke was soft and unbearably sweet. I looked up, noticing the woman on Marcus's arm for the first time. Her soft chocolate curls bounced gingerly as she stared at me worriedly. Even with her brow furrowed in such a way, she radiated a feeling of happiness, like a beam of sunshine, and I wondered how I hadn't seen her when she came in. Her large eyes, fringed with delicate lashes, looked up at the three of us questionably. She had a soft, rounded figure and chalky skin that practically glowed.
"I'm fine, thank you." I muttered.
"I'm very glad. I've been telling Marcus to fix those stairs for years now." She glanced up at her companion and he blushed. "You must be the woman renting the upstairs apartment. That's very brave of you." Her voice was quiet and the room was silent as we hung on her every word.
"Oh, thank you. Yes, I'm Esme. It's very nice to meet you."
"I'm Didyme, Marcus's wife." I raised my eyebrows in surprise and she smiled wider. "I can see he's told you all about me," Her tone was cynical as she glared tenderly at her husband.
"Yes, well, um," he stuttered and the sound of her laugh was like tinkling bells.
"No worries, Marcus, dear. It seems we have a things to take care of, mostly paperwork. It is very nice to know you Esme. I do hope you'll be joining us on Thursday evening. Don't let Felix get you into any trouble," With a brisk laugh, she whisked herself out of the room, Marcus at her side. As soon as they were gone, I looked over to Felix questionably. He simply shrugged.
"Joining them for what on Thursday evening?" I asked suspiciously. He grinned, a mischievous light in his eyes.
"I could tell you, but then…"
"You'd have to kill me. Charming." I muttered. He laughed, a deep throaty laugh, shaking his head.
"You sure are a trip Esme." I raised my eyebrows but let it slide. The curiosity was eating me from the inside out, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I hauled the bucket outside to empty its contents or soapy water, all the while thinking about Didyme. She was young. No more than twenty-five. And she seemed delightful. I idly wondered about the strange couple as I replaced the bucket in the closet. I turned to see Felix was leaning against the door jamb with a cocky expression on his face.
"What?" I asked charily.
"Nothing."
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and pretended to ignore him.
"You want to know how a guy like Marcus managed to score a chick like that." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "And I'm sure you'd like to know about Thursday," he said, as an afterthought.
I narrowed my eyes. "No, actually. I don't bother with other people's affairs," I lied smoothly. "I have enough trouble bothering with me own. And if need be, I'll just wait until Thursday to find out"
"Sure. Well that's too bad because now I'm not going to tell you," he taunted.
"I smiled sweetly. "That's fine. I have to unload my car, if you'll excuse me." Felix followed after me with a smirk painted on his face. Once the car was unloaded, and all the boxes were stacked carefully in my apartment, despite Felix's snark attitude, I found myself hungry and just a little tired.
"Thank you for the help today. Perhaps I'll see you around?" I moved smoothly towards the door, and held it open for him.
"I guess that's a dismissal." He chuckled, shaking his head. "It was nice to meet you. I still find it funny you fell down the stairs,"
"I did not fall down the stairs!" I said tersely, a faint blush coloring my cheeks. "Ironically enough, I made it all the way down that rickety stair case to the landing only to drop the pail and slip on the water," I set my shoulders back, attempting to maintain a little dignity.
"Yeah, okay. See around then," he called with a wave, setting off down the hallway. I smiled as I latched the door behind him. I decided that food was my first priority, so I snagged my jar of peanut butter and a pack of Saltines and set to nibbling as I began to sort through my books. Before long I was lost in the alphabetization of Anne Rice's novels. I could have sworn I had put them in alphabetical order when I packed them up. Perhaps I had been mistaken. It was highly doubtful that anyone had broken into my car, rearranged my books, and then put everything back only to make my shelving more complex. My breathing became shallower as I tried futilely to calm myself down. It was irrational, but that wild fear began to creep up into my throat, seizing my lungs and speeding up my heart ten-fold. My palms shook and squeezed my eyes tight, refusing to let his name cross my mind. Surely even he wouldn't bother with something so trivial, not when, when…
My adrenaline level sky rocketed as the startled cry of a gull made me jump three foot in the air. With shaky breaths, I calmed myself down. It was ridiculous to get so worked up over absolutely nothing. Highly unproductive. I glanced over to see the noisy bird sitting on my patio, his beady eyes boring into my head as he craned his feathery neck this way and that.
"Jeez, Esme. Get a grip," I said hoarsely, addressing myself in third person. Oddly enough, it made the tension in the room decrease just a fraction. With a sigh, I climbed to my feet and went to stand on the porch, the half-empty pack of saltines in my hand. Surprisingly the gull didn't so much as flinch as I leaned on the rail of the balcony and munched down another cracker. He flapped his wings disdainfully after a moment and I laughed, tossing a cracker in his direction. The bird scooped it up in its beak immediately and gobbled the saltine down. It passed down his throat in a self-proclaimed lump and I smiled.
"Was that a yummy cracker little birdy?" I called playfully. A second later I rolled my eyes, smacking myself on the forehead. I was talking to a bird. What the hell, Esme? Then again, why not? He seemed willing enough to listen. "Would you like another saltine?" The bird flapped his wings again, calling out gaily. I tossed the cracker at him and watched as he swallowed it. "How about a name?" I said after a moment. His head tilted this way and that as he hopped up onto the railing. "What shall we call you? How about Rufus?" He remained motionless. "Or not. Um, Billy is a good name?" He tilted his head slightly, but his expression remained the same; a passive look of indifference. His expression? Lord, Esme! He's a bird! Was I going crazy? Having irrational panic attacks and talking to birds. What was I becoming? Still, his eyes seemed to stir something inside me. "Fine. How about Gandalf?" His shriek caught me off guard and I started. "Well that must be a yes," I muttered, popping another saltine in my mouth.
"Hm, so Gandalf," I said, speaking around the food in my mouth just as my mother had told me never to do. "What is a pretty birdy like you doing sitting on my porch?" He shook his wings out. I nodded, accepting his wordless answer with patience. "I see." After a moment of silence he spread his wings and dropped gracefully off the railing, into the sky. I nodded again, this time in satisfaction. His avian form could be seen soaring over the buildings and grassy patches that separated me from the ocean. Gandalf had the kind of self-assured confidence that allowed him to drop into the sky without a moment's hesitation. The waves pounded vaguely in my ears and I could smell the poignant salty air even as far as I was from the sea. I resolved to walk to the beach tomorrow and look for sea shells. Something I hadn't done since I was a little girl. This was the beginning. My fresh start. I may not have the courage to soar off yet, I thought to myself, but I will. Someday very soon, I will.
So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. Pretty please send me a review, or I may have to reconsider and turn this into an Esme/Felix fic.
Any one that reviews will get a sneak preview of the new chappy and a cookie. :D
Until Next Time,
Toni