Chapter 10


    We drove past the bus terminal in silence. Teddy’s demeanour became more rxed, he reached


    forward to turn on the stereo to let soft ssical music into the room. If he felt triumphant he did not


    voice it aloud. I watched a single finger tap against the steering wheel as he listened to the tune,


    enjoying the song that put him in a better mood. It could be my imagination, but it seemed that his


    mood lifted the further he drove away from his home. There was lightness to his face, a particr glow


    that seemed to capture my attention. I do not know how long I was staring at him, except that when he


    turned his head in my direction I could feel heate over the sides of my cheeks in embarrassment.


    A look transpired between us, but he said nothing to solidify the gravity of our unspoken words. Teddy


    looked back onto the road, and decided to let the silence speak for itself.


    ***


    Teddy’s car was parked outside of my apartment building. He let his hands rx over the steering


    wheel before turning an earnest gaze towards me. “Here you are,” he dered. “Safe and sound.”


    A shy smile escaped me, while I tried to ignore the nervous butterflies that fluttered in the pit of my


    stomach. His gaze was unyielding, so focused on my visage that I feared he could read every


    expression.


    Rain was pouring down over the windshield, but with the engine off it allowed water to cover the whole


    of the ss until you could barely see past it. My fingers curled together in a ball over myp, while I let


    my eyes fixate on the curve of my wrist. “Thank you, Teddy.”


    I never heard a sound from him, although I had the sense that he took my gratitude rather well. When I


    finally looked up he was still gazing at me, his eyes full of a strange enchantment that he could not hold


    back. I found my teeth biting down on my bottom lip, twisting it cruelly before I forced myself to speak


    up. “Would you like toe inside?”


    His eyebrows shot upwards in surprise.


    “For coffee,” I continued. “I might have some lemon poppy-seed loaf left. Although, tea would pair


    nicely with that.”


    “Are you sure?” he asked through barely parted lips, for he was caught off-guard by my suggestion.


    “It’s the least I could do.”


    “Then I ept.”


    I broke my gape from him to retrieve my bright yellow raincoat. I handed Teddy his carefully folded


    jacket as well, ensuring the water droplets did not drip all over hisp. The umbre was retrieved next.


    Water sprayed over the front of my pants from the dripping wet umbre that was longer than I was


    ustomed to. “Should we go?”


    “Yes,” he said with confidence, and with a certain grace that only he could possess, Teddy opened his


    car door wide and stepped out into the pouring rain. I watched him move in front of the hood of the car


    and only when he was in front of my door was I willing to push it open. He took the umbre from me,


    only to open it wide enough to block out the rain. His free hand was used to close the door, and then he


    laid a light hand in the center of my back to lead me to the front door. Rain sshed hard against the


    smooth pavement; the ring horns of the bustling town was a stark contrast to his own settings.


    Teddy was looking across the city block while I was retrieving my set of keys from my small purse. You


    could hear the roar of the engines down the street, the heavy pounding of shoes against the pavement


    as people tried to outrun the rain. My key was finally ced into the lock, allowing me to open the first


    set of doors before I could enter the second one. A short whizzing sound was heard behind me, a


    peculiar sound Teddy’s umbre made when he shut it closed so abruptly. I watched him shake out the


    long umbre to make it less wet before I stepped through the open doorway. He followed me as quick


    as he could, stepping into the small area where I opened a second set of doors. We entered the main


    lobby in no time at all, and once we were there we shook out our raincoats and tried to get as dry as


    possible.


    “I am on the fifth level,” I told him, and then motioned my hand towards the elevator. He followed my


    sure footsteps, only stopping once we reached the main area where I could press the button to bring


    the elevator down to the main level. A metallic scent lingered in the air,ing from the machinery that


    was in front of me. We could hear the faint sshing of water against the faded grey floor where a


    custodian was mopping the tiled surface. Teddy let his eyes linger over the middle-aged woman for a


    moment, while I stared nkly at the closed elevator door. “I don’t really have visitors,” I nervously


    stammered.


    “I know the feeling.”


    “But I wanted to thank you for everything.” I was finally brave enough to turn my gaze towards him.


    “Driving me home and all.”


    “A gentleman first,” he assured me. The elevator made a sharp binging noise, before it swooshed


    open. “Ladies first,” he eximed. His hand was raised upwards to direct me forward, encouraging me


    to step into the elevator door before him. Once he was at my side, I pressed on the ck circr


    button that would bring me up to the fifth floor.


    “My ce is very small.”


    “Are youparing your ce with mine?”


    “Yours is very fine,” I feebly exined. “Mine feels more like a closet inparison to yours.”


    “I would not judge you, S.”


    I pulled off my bright yellow jacket with nervousness, hoping it was not a mistake to invite a man I


    barely knew over to my ce.


    “I feel nothing but gratitude,” Teddy continued. “That you should even invite me up here.”


    “Well, that was my intention.”


    A sharp bing rang from the elevator speakers, and soon enough the doors spread apart to let us


    through. We walked together in perfect unison, though Teddy looked at every door we passed by as if


    he expected me to open it. “I am all the way down the hall.”


    “I see.”


    “Near the stairwell.”


    “Better than the elevator.”


    “Yeah, especiallyte at night,” I nervously chuckled. “Nightmare. You would hate it.”


    “That insufferable bing would drive me mad,” he noted. “Do you have a t mate?”


    “No.”


    He nodded his head sternly, but made no otherment. We eventually reached my door, letting me


    pull out another set of keys to ce it into my lock. I knew my t would be in a bit of a mess, not as


    nearly as clean as Teddy’s, so I hoped he would not judge. “Here we are,” I announced, after I turned


    on the living room light. “You can ce your shoes over the mat here. I will take your coat. I don’t have


    a rack. You mind if I hang it up in the bathroom, the water will drip into the tub and-”


    “-I understand,” he interjected, and handed me his long ck coat at once. “Perhaps, I could head


    there. I want a towel to dry myself off.”


    “You cane with me.” It took me a bit longer to remove my tall rain boots, but Teddy was ever so


    patient as he waited behind me. Once I was free of it, I pulled off my socks and went on the tip of my


    toes as I headed towards the bathroom. The floor was cold upon my feet and with the ceiling fan going


    off I feared that I would catch a cold. “Light is on,” Imented, after I flicked the light switch on. “And


    now a towel.”


    Teddy ced our jackets over a hanger before he set it upon a ledge that would let the water naturally


    drip itself into the tub. I was holding two sets of towels, silently grateful for his help. “Thank you,” he


    hushed, after I handed a towel to him. “My shirt is a bit damp.” He looked around the room as if


    contemting something. “I suppose you don’t have anything.”


    “I don’t have any men clothes lying around,” I told him in truth. “But I should have a baggy shirt or


    sweatshirt. I will be right back.”


    He nodded his head stiffly and let me leave the room to retrieve some dry garments. By the time I got


    to my bedroom I threw off my work clothing and put on afortable long-sleeved cotton shirt, a long


    rosy pink cardigan for extra warmth and skinny jeans. I found a baggy shirt that my younger brother


    mailed to me once, a ssic “I love N.Y.” t-shirt that was two sizes too big for me. Iughed at the


    spectacle, before I managed to find arge grey hoodie that would be more eptable to Teddy.


    I knocked on the door politely and then took a step back from the bathroom door. “I have something for


    you.”


    “You mind just leaving it outside of the door for now?”


    “Yes.” I ced the neatly folded clothing outside of the door. “I will be in the kitchen to pop the kettle.”


    “Be right out,” Teddy called out. I left the spot to attend to business, hoping to clean up the kitchen and


    start a cup of tea before he had a chance to find me. It took several minutes to put it into a manageable


    state. The small dining room table had been cleaned off, and now there were two small tes and two


    mugs that did not match upon the table. Teddy walked into the room, wearing my hoodie with the


    sleeves rolled up slightly. He was a tall man, so the sleeves did not exactly reach the curve of his


    wrists. He offered me a tiny smile, doing his best to appearfortable when he was filled with nerves.


    “I hope you like regr ck tea.”


    “Yes, I do.”


    “Lemon?”


    “Lemon will suit me fine.” He was standing on the other side of the table, staring at me intently. It was


    interesting to see how shiny his dark hair had be, and the bulkiness of the sweater that made him


    look two times his size. “Do you need any help?”


    “Everything is done actually.” I turned away from him to retrieve the tea pot. Teddy continued to stand in


    front of his chair, not wanting to take a seat just yet. I ced the teapot down upon the table, and then


    went away to bring back some milk and sugar.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    “I see you have avender nt next to your windowsill.” His hand was pointed outwards with a single


    finger gesturing towards the only nt in my room.


    “I like the scent of it,” I informed him. “And lcs.”


    “What about roses?”


    “Roses are sweet smelling,” I admitted. “But they have such prickly thorns.” I went around the


    countertop to retrieve thest of the lemon loaf I had purchased from the bakery two days ago. “I


    should be used to it by now because of my job. Then again, my mother was never fond of them. I


    believe my grandmother was, but she had a fondness for anything that was beautiful.”


    “She must have liked you then.”


    “Yes, she did,” Iughed, before I realized what Teddy had just implied. I froze in front of him, startled


    by the directness of his words. He watched me with care, taking in my every expression. I managed to


    walk forward and ce the tray of lemon loaf upon the table. Teddy observed me slicing a thick piece


    of the loaf, and gently raised his te so I couldy it over the t surface. His eyes were ever so


    resolute in seeking mine out, but I would not give in.