“I don’t think having a boyfriend’s the answer.”
“No, but it’s a cool start.”
They sat in silence, then Sassy spoke up again. “It’s okay, man. We feel what we feel because we are sentient beings, and we shouldn’t apologize. If you feel that way, then it’s real. I guess the next question is, what are you gonna do about it?”
Marion opened her mouth to speak, then she snapped it shut when the elevator lights suddenly went on. She covered her eyes against the unexpected brightness, and Sassy squeaked with relief. They got to their feet as the elevator rumbled back to life, and Marion stared at the floor, wishing the power would shut off again. She had said too much to this stranger. She wasn’t sure how to even look at her now.
Sassy noticed. “That was pretty heavy. You okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” The door rattled open at the fifth floor, and the two faced each other in the hall. “Home sweet home at last.”
The mysterious door across from the elevators clicked open and closed. The women exchanged a glance.
“What’s he looking for, do you suppose?”
Marion felt an unexpected pang of sympathy. “Maybe he’s just lonely.”
“Maybe. You know, Marion, it’s okay if you’re square. Lots of people are. It’s fine. We’re all different.”
Square. Exact edges and straight lines. Yes, that described her perfectly, which only added to her frustration. “Thank you, Sassy. It was nice getting to know you. I’m kind of glad we got stuck in there together.”
“Hey, do you wanna come hang in my place and have some wine? It’s just me. You might have seen Davey before, but now it’s just me.”
“Davey? Is that your ‘old man’?”
“Nah.” She dropped her gaze. “He’s a gas, but he has somebody else now.”
“I’m sorry. Is that a bad thing?”
“It’s whatever. We believe in free love, you know? Nobody can tell us what’s right or wrong or good or bad.”
“I see.” But there was pain behind Sassy’s words. Marion heard it.
Sassy laughed. “I can see that you don’t. Come on. Have some wine with me. I could really use the company.”
A flurry of butterflies beat in Marion’s chest at the thought. She was tired, she was melancholy, and she had her defences down. Sassy was so young. Marion wasn’t sure she was up for that kind of energy.
“I don’t think so. Not tonight.”
Both of them turned, hearing raised voices come from behind the next door.
“The Romanos,” Marion commented, walking past. “Too much basil in the sauce, probably.”
“They make great food,” Sassy said, stopping at the end. “Here’s me. You sure you don’t want to come in?”
Marion thought about Chester, waiting by his bowl for her. Of her quiet apartment and the thunderstorm she could watch through her window, if it was still happening.
“Oh, I don’t think so. It’s been a long day.”
Sassy flung her door open, giving Marion a peek at her living room. “Come on. Live a little. Stay and have a glass of wine with me. We can just hang out.”
A flash of bright-coloured furniture and intriguing art on Sassy’s walls caught Marion’s attention. She spotted a yellow beanbag chair in the familiar, yet very different living room. Vivid blue and green stripes made up the rug in the centre, and yet somehow, the cherry-red couch fit in. She was amazed by how the two identical apartments could be so distinct from each other. The only thing she recognized was a pot of bright orange, soaking-wet calendula flowers on the balcony.
Sassy and Paul were right. Marion needed to live a little. Her resistance crumbled.
“I’d love some wine,” she decided.
She stayed an hour, unexpectedly comfortable on Sassy’s couch. She wasn’t ready for the beanbag yet. Might never be, but that was okay. She was enjoying a simple unwinding evening with a new friend. When was the last time she’d done that, if ever? It felt good. As they sat and talked, with the storm streaming noisily beyond the window, she became aware of the sharp corners in her mind beginning to round. That’s how she liked to think of what happened when she had a little too much wine. Soothed by Sassy’s chatter, she relaxed into it.
