Ch2
"You did not just walk in that door." Mary looked up from the papers on her desk. She stole a glance at her watch. It was well after 7pm and that had to be a record. "Nah… get your ass out of here before…"
"I'm not here to work." Beatrice put her hands up in surrender. She was dressed in jeans and a button-down. Her hair was still wet from her shower.
"Right." Mary took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "So you're here to what? Drink? The bar is downstairs. Dance? The dance floor is also downstairs."
"No. I…" Beatrice looked hesitant which made Mary take actual notice. She wasn't as buttoned up or as well put together as she normally would when coming into the club either for work or for fun – not that she did a lot of that. It was curious.
"Fine. What's up?"
"I met our new tenant." She was staring at Mary like a deer in the headlights. Mary laughed and immediately understood.
"You met Hurricane Ava." She laughed louder. "That explains it."
"Explains what? And hurricane? Wait… do you know her? Or Just from the tenancy application?"
"Oh… I know Ava." She watched Beatrice take a spot on the couch. "She's a good kid. Does volunteer work at the church soup kitchen sometimes."
"You met her there. And offered her the apartment?"
"No. Yeah, I met her at the kitchen… but we ran into each other here a couple of times. Got to talking. She'd been living with her mom and brother and wanted to get a place of her own.
When the last guy didn't renew, I gave her a call."
"I see." Beatrice was fidgeting which was causing Mary to look at her with renewed intent. "And her references… they checked out…"
"Uh huh. Why?"
"Nothing really… just seems a bit…"
"Out there? Colorful? Yeah… she is. It's not a bad thing." Mary's gears were turning as she watched and took in all of Beatrice's movements, and her words. "She's younger than you or I,
but she's lived. Quite a bit. She's solid and dependable. I vouch for her."
"Ok… that… that's good… ok."
"What's going on Bea?"
"Nothing… nothing.. she's just… not what I was expecting…. She's unusual…" Mary looked at her as if saying 'and?' Beatrice swallowed. "I think I was caught off guard. I knew someone was moving in. You even reminded me this morning but… it wasn't what or how I expected."
"And that's why you're in here? Annoying me?"
"I'm not annoying you." Beatrice smiled confidently for the first time since walking in the door. "I'm talking to my friend."
"About the weird girl who moved in across the way."
"Yes. That." She bit her lip. "She used my bathroom." Mary waited for more of an explanation.
"Did she not flush? Wash her hands?"
"No. I mean, yes, she did those things. But you know I don't let random people in my home." Mary stifled a laugh.
"Ahh, she disarmed you enough that she used your bathroom before you could stop it. Yeah, sounds like a dilemma." Beatrice hesitated. She seemed to be about to talk a couple of times
then stopped herself. "Bea…?" Mary let the open question hang.
"It's nothing… you know… never mind."
"Uh huh." She looked at Beatrice then took a gamble. She pulled out her mobile and started scrolling through her contacts. "You know… Ava talks… a lot… without much prodding…
I bet if I called her right now she could shed some light on…"
"No!" Beatrice was off the couch and had grabbed Mary's cell before she even finished pronouncing the o.
"Ok. Out with it. Whatever happened or whatever you're thinking…spit it out cause…"
"I kissed her." Mary's face went blank a moment then she laughed.
"Well, shit… now I want details." Beatrice groaned and plopped back on the couch.
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't." She put her head in her hands. Mary stood up. Beatrice looked up.
"Where are you going?" A bit of panic hit her thinking Mary was possibly going to speak to Ava.
"I'm going downstairs to grab a bottle and a couple glasses. You sit there… don't touch anything… no paperwork, nothing. When I come back, you're going to tell me everything."
"Ok." The fact that Beatrice made zero fuss about the alcohol being proffered told Mary more than she realized.
Earlier…
Beatrice had unlocked her apartment door and let Ava in. She directed her to the bathroom and watched as she bounced away. Once the door closed, she let out a breath she was holding. She put down her keys and emptied the other pocket which only held her phone and earbuds. She glanced around at the apartment to see if there was anything untoward lying about but she really knew better. She was always tidy. It served no purpose to leave things around when she was the one having to pick it up anyway. She bit the inside of her cheek and replayed the encounter in the hallway. It was probably the single most odd meeting she had ever had.
"Nice place." Beatrice jumped at the voice behind her. When she turned, she saw Ava looking around. She moved through the room, looking at the few pictures on the walls and the bookshelves. Her fingers touched the spines of a few books. "You read a lot." It wasn't a question and it wasn't a pointed remark. Beatrice wanted to say something but found herself mute at the only slightly shorter woman literally invading her home. "You're not messy. Do you have a maid or is it just you?"
"Not usually no. I mean… no, I'm not usually messy. And no, to the maid. And yes. Just me."
"No boyfriend?"
"What? No."
"Girlfriend?"
"No."
"Ace?"
"What now?"
"Are you asexual?"
"No. I… I'm not."
"Just like it single… gotcha."
"Could you please stop moving?"
"Sorry… I forget that boundaries exist." Ava met her eyes and smiled. "Thanks for letting me use the loo."
"The loo?"
"Isn't that what you call it? I've watched some British tv." Beatrice couldn't help but smile.
"You're odd."
"You have no idea." Ava stared at her. "So…?"
"So?"
"My apartment? The keys?"
"Right. I'm sorry… I should have… yes of course." She went to a set of hooks on the wall and grabbed a set of keys. "Her let me open your door." She walked ahead of Ava and stepped into the hall. She wasn't worried about her own door shutting. She had the keys to all of the apartments on this keychain. She unlocked the other door and held it open.
"My hero." Ava smiled as she picked up a box and was about to walk past Beatrice holding the door open. She stopped, stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you." She stepped into her apartment and set the box down by another dozen boxes nearby. It took a moment before Beatrice could activate her brain again.
The apartment came furnished so that wasn't surprising. It was the lack of everything else. In all, Beatrice counted 18 boxes including the ones in the hall. "Do you need help bringing in the rest of your things?" She wasn't sure why she asked but it felt like the safest thing to want to come out of her mouth.
"Sure. It's just the rest of the boxes in the hall. I didn't need to bring much with me." Ava stared at Beatrice who was distinctly blushing as she set about to bring in the fairly light boxes. "Aren't you tired tho? You said you went for a run and then the gym? I'd be tired." She raised and lowered her voice as Beatrice moved in and out of the hallway.
"There. And no… I have pretty good stamina." She stuttered after she realized what she said. Ava bit her lip.
"We will have to test that someday."
"I should… go… shower…" Her words stumbled about as gracefully as she did out of the apartment. She didn't stop moving until she was safe behind her own apartment door. "Fuck."
Mary continued to sip her drink. "I still don't hear any kissing happening."
Beatrice blinked. Her own glass was half empty. They were both still on their first thankfully. Whiskey wasn't her preferred and would no doubt drain her inhibitions quite faster than a lighter fare she usually had. "She kissed my cheek."
"Not real kissing."
"I'm not done with my story." She took a drink.
"Then get on with it cause I'm feeling like someone's granny is telling me a tale."
"Hey." Beatrice laughed because she knew Mary was trying to keep her at ease.
"Go on…"
Back to earlier….
Beatrice took a long shower. She tried a hot one, but it didn't help any of the tension she was feeling. She tried cold and while it was refreshing, she was still tense. She was toweling her hair dry and walking through the apartment when there was a knock at her door. She frowned then was hopeful maybe it was Mary or Lilith asking her to come down and help out. It was early afternoon yet, but she could do with the distraction. When she opened the door, it wasn't either of them. Ava stood there with two pizza boxes balanced in one hand and a 6-pack of beer in the other.
"I wanted to thank you… for all the help. And I didn't know what you liked cause it isn't like we had a chance to talk about that, I got two pizzas. One is half cheese, half pepperoni. The other is half mushrooms and half pineapple." She spoke as she casually entered the apartment and headed for the kitchen. The two apartments had similar layouts so it wasn't a mystery to its location. Beatrice stared her towel still in hand.
"I'm sorry… thank me? Wait… pizza?" She was beginning to think her brain had suffered some kind of breakdown as her words tripped over themselves. She finally let the door shut and followed into the kitchen.
"Are you an eat right out-of-the-box or a plate girl? I'm thinking plates." Ava set about opening the cabinets until she found what she was looking for. "So what's your pleasure?"
"My…" Beatrice felt her mouth go dry at the question. The tension in her body threatening to scream itself into living existence. "Oh um… cheese is fine… mushrooms also… pepperoni can be greasy… and why pineapple?"
"Why not?" Ava smiled and dished out a slice of cheese and a slice of mushrooms before handing the plate to Beatrice. She herself took a slice of pepperoni and a slice of pineapple. She put her plate down and grabbed two bottles of the beer. She popped the tops and handed one to Beatrice who draped her towel on the counter in order to hold the plate and the bottle. Ava stepped around her and walked to the couch. She sat down cross-legged after removing her sneakers.
"Come on. Take a load off and tell me all about your ninja skills."
"I don't…" Beatrice was fairly confused at everything taking place. She hadn't invited Ava over. She didn't ask for either pizza or beer or even be thanked for simply letting her into her own apartment. But she couldn't say any of that. She wanted to feel put off, annoyed but couldn't. "I don't have ninja skills." Instead, she walked to the couch and sat opposite Ava.
"I don't know… I think you have a lot of hidden talents and I'm going to make it my personal challenge to find them all out."
"Your personal challenge?" She chuckled. "Anyone ever tell you you're odd?"
"Oh yeah… I'm pretty sure the guy that delivered me told my mom as such." She ate some of the pineapple and let out a happy noise. Beatrice looked down at her own plate and took a bite of the cheese slice. "This is good pizza. I was a little worried cause I don't know the area… not really." She was talking with her mouth full but trying to cover it. "But it was the closest place. If there's a better place, you can let me know for next time."
Beatrice continued eating as she repeated the words next time in her head. "Do you plan on making it a habit to lock yourself out of your flat?"
"Ooh… flat I like that… and no.. not a habit but an eventuality. I don't always think ahead."
"You leap as you go?"
"Yes! See, I knew we were meant to be friends. You already get that I'm weird and a woman of action."
"Clearly." Beatrice smiled and drank from the bottle. "You really didn't have to do this." She ate more of the pizza. "I'm happy to help and clearly as I don't want you sleeping in the hall, it's my duty."
"She's dutiful… hmm.. is there anything you do that's fun?"
"What?" Beatrice shook her head. "That's absurd. How would you know I don't do a lot for… fun?"
"No offense but it's a gorgeous day out… you went running… then the gym. Neither high on my list of fun." She finished the pineapple slice and started on the pepperoni one. "Ooh so good… and yes greasy. You have a lot of books… lots of reading… no trashy romances… a lot of text-like books… nothing in here screams party time Bea. Hate to burst your bubble."
"That is…" She couldn't argue. Was she so easy to figure out? Her friends surely knew her customs, but this woman is a total stranger. Someone she'd never met before today and already she had figured her out. "No. I'm not much of a party person. But I do have fun."
"Hmm…" Ava took a long pull from her beer. "I'm just messin' with you." She licked her lips. An act that did nothing to calm the energy around Beatrice. "Thanks… for letting me in. With the pizza… and the beer. I…." She bit her lip once more looked almost bashful. "I wanted to celebrate… getting my own place… but I didn't want to do that with my family… love them but they've ooh'd and ahh'd over the whole thing and I can't deal with more of that… and my friends…" She tilted her head to the side. "They're night owls… like really out way past any regular late night hours… so they're dead to the world right now."
"I see." Beatrice smiled at the thought that Ava had actively wanted to share in what seemed like a momentous occasion with her. Even if they didn't know each other. She thought that rather brave. Something she wouldn't necessarily have the wherewithal to do. "Well… who am I to turn away free pizza?"
"Ahh! So the truth comes out… you're using me for the food." Ava laughed as she made eye contact.
"What else would I use you for?" The words were out of Beatrice's mouth before she had a moment to think of the implication.
Mary was giggling, outright giggling. "You said that?" Beatrice was relaxed into the couch, nursing her empty second glass. "You must have lit up like a Christmas tree."
"I'm blaming you and Lilith and Camila… this is all your doing."
"Oh no baby girl… You are on your own on this." She was wiping the tears out of her laughing eyes. "You did that all yourself."
"I didn't mean to… it slipped out… she's… Her thoughts have no filter… she thinks and then speaks and it makes no sense to me how she can because I can't. I need to weigh it all but her… It's like…"
"A hurricane." Mary admitted as she poured herself a third and debated pouring more for Beatrice. She knew that the alcohol would hit more in the next hour and it could lend itself to her friend falling asleep on the same couch albeit different circumstances. "She's like that, yeah. But I still hear fuck all about kissing."
"You were the kind of kid who read the last page of a book before reading the whole thing weren't you?" Bea held out her glass as she spoke. Mary poured but a considerable less amount than her own glass. "There's kissing I swear…"
"There had better be. And no I didn't read the last page. But I prefer action to… whatever it is you do."
"I have a lot of action." Beatrice said loudly as she sat up. "I have ninja skills." They both looked at each other before exploding into laughter.
"You have a black belt."
"Two."
"My bad… two… but ninja? Fuck no."
"Do you want to hear the rest or not?"
"Sorry sorry… go ahead."
"Thank you." Beatrice took another gulp and marveled at how the amber liquid no longer burned.
Ava was smiling at Beatrice who could barely breathe. Her statement had cause a wave of heat all over. "Was that an offer? Is there a list I can choose from? Like a menu?" She knew the other woman was teasing but there was something there. She realized both plates were on the center table and the beer bottles were sitting there empty sans coasters. Normally she would have rectified that but she didn't care. That was surprising.
"I don't… no menu no." She spoke and could hear her own voice an octave lower. She licked her lips.
"Shame." Ava leaned in closer. "Is there anything you're wanting to use me for?" It was such a bold statement that Beatrice couldn't fathom what to say. Instead, she leaned forward and placed her lips on Ava's.