“Dan, the problem here is that I’m a rapist.” She said after she laughed.
“No shit. Really?”
“I think I would pass for one.” She said and nervously laughed.
“I guess its sufficive enough to say that none of us are rapists.” I concluded. “And you don’t look like a rapist by the way.”
“Thanks.” She said with a sigh. “What I’m trying to say is that I don’t really know anything about you.”
I then proceeded to tell her about my life story. It all came too natural. It's like I've known her my whole life. It's crazy how friendships work.
I had told her where I was born, where I hailed from, what I do for a living, how I hate my younger sibling but loved my elder one. How I hate the person I am and wished that I would be someone else. I told her how I am, as of currently, losing a bit of my sanity every aching day of my miserable life. She was interested enough to listen and by the end of it all, she had the same predominant face whenever she would see me, worried.
“Are you seeing a professional?” She asked.
“Yeah a psychologist, and a friend of mine. Kristoff. At least I like to think that he would still be a friend of mine if I wasn't paying him.”
That got another smile from her.
“That’s good.” She said. “Are you looking for a relationship with me or are you just looking for someone to fuck?” She asked. She became straightforward real fast. “Cause I don’t think I’m good with any of those things.” She added.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“Honestly, right now, I’m just looking for a friend.” I finally said.
I proceeded to tell her about my recent dream, but not of my reoccurring hallucinations. We talked a lot and I learned about her. She was a college student and she was eight years younger than me which made me feel bad simply because she didn’t have much friends and she was stuck with making friends with an old geezer like me. She had a loving family who calls her every other day. She hates college more than anything else but vowed to finish it by the end.
During the entire time we were talking I couldn't help but notice someone from the other side of the street staring at me. Someone with only one glaring eye.
After a couple of months, our friendly relationship turned into something intimate. I wasn’t expecting much but it was there, just waiting to happen. She didn’t help much with my situation though. Ever since the coffee shop, I vowed to never take sleeping pills ever again. That came in with the cost of sleeping time I had. By the time that I asked her out to come have dinner with me in a nearby fancy hotel, my sleeping time was cut into two hours short, and decreasing by the minute. The hallucination of Stephenson was still there but he never attacked again. Maria was someone I didn’t see at all though, but maybe that was because I don’t spend time in hotels. Except for this one night in, where I asked Leslie out so that I may confess my feelings for her.
The State is a fancy five star hotel that has a fancy mall and a fancy restaurant all in one. And if you’re feeling generous, you can afford most of the stuff there, even a room. And if there’s one thing I have been saving my whole life (my sanity is clearly not one of those things) is money. I asked Leslie to meet me there.
There I saw her in a red glimmering dress. Enough to turn everyone’s attention to her. I can’t help but hear the song “Lady in red” as I watch her enter the lobby. When she saw me, she waved and smiled. Her red hair complimented everything she was that night. She looked completely gorgeous.
I approached her.
“Gosh did I overdress?” She asked.
“I think by a bit. Enough to cause some attention.” I said with a smile.
“That a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Just take it as a good thing.”
We walked together to the restaurant. She couldn't help but look around like a child. Everything around her interested her. And well, when she saw the prices on the menu that was enough to throw her off.
“Uh, Dan I don’t think I can even afford their bottled water here.” She said despairingly.
“Don't worry, it’s on me.”
“I can’t have that.”
I placed a hand on top of hers.
“Just for tonight, you can.” I said with a glaring smile.
