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Breaking and Entering (Part 2 of an untitled series)
They talk until the coffee shop closes. He finds out that she's a writer and she learns that he's a pianist. She tells him that she sings and he confides that he loves to dance. He hates vodka even though he's Russian and she can't eat balut even though she's Filipino. They walk around New York aimlessly until they reach a building somewhere in front of Central Park.
"I know this building" she says as she cranes her neck up. "The view of the park must be spectacular from up there."
"Would you like to see it?"
She grins. "Are you suggesting we do a B&E?" Mischief glints in her eyes.
"Well, it isn't a B&E if you've got a key." He smiles
"Sorry to break it to you buddy, but I live in Queens. I got a view of the broadside of the next building though and the entertainment is endless. 12 windows worth!" She laughs.
"We'll do that next time. C'mon!" He puts his hand at the small of her back and led her in. She walks a few steps and suddenly stops.
"Oh Jesus Christ on a stick..."
He stops as well, surprised and confused. "What's the matter?"
"You live here." She says accusingly.
"I can't do this." She went rigid and was ready to leave.
"Louise! Wait! You can't do what?"
"I can't go up there, where you live. It's..." She's waving her hands, trying to emphasize her point but ends up looking like she's doing a botched up job of a hula. "...the cycle! It's the start of the...it's complicated." She finally stops and puts her hands on her hips in an exasperated manner.
"Louise, calm down. It's not anything. I just thought you'd want to see the view. We can go somewhere else, if you want."
"You must think I'm a nutcase or something. I'm not. It's just...you wouldn't understand...I'm sorry." She babbled as she walked toward the street.
"Louise!" Mikhail chased after her. "Louise! Please stop!"
She does and she turns to him, her face all apologetic and embarrassed. She lets out a breath and starts to speak. "New Year, you know? It may sound so cliche and trite but I want to make a new start - or maybe put an end to something. I don't want to have to go up there and take in the view from your assumed gorgeous apartment and start feeling all lonely and then look at you like you can fill the void only for me to look stupid because I started the cycle again. I'm sure you're a nice guy and all but that's it, you're a nice guy that has a nice life and I tend to mess things up as I go through life so I'm just going to stop right here." She takes in a breath and looks at him. He has an amused but slightly confused look on his face. "And that was too much honesty or the first day of the year...pretty spastic too..."
He threw his head back and laughed. "It's pretty honest and I actually appreciate it. It's also very amusing."
She made a face. "Well, I'm glad you think so." She turns away from him and starts to walk. He follows her and starts matching her pace.
"Wait! Just slow down..." He holds her elbow to get her to stop - to which he succeeds. She looks at his hand and then at him. He was flushed from the running and a smile was still on his face. " I didn't mean to offend you. All I wanted to say was that I find it refreshing that you can be so honest. I don't get that kind of honesty too often."
She sized him up and judged that he was sincere enough. "Okay..." she breathed out, half relieved and half embarrassed by her display. They found themselves smiling at each other after a few seconds of awkward silence, then she broke the void.
"I have to go. My friends would be worried." She pointed at a random direction.
"Queens would be that way." He pointed.
"Right..." she blushed. He walked to the curb and started flagging down a cab. One stopped and he opened the door for her to climb in. She said her thanks and was surprised when he climbed in after her. "Uh...where do I drop you off?"
"I'm taking you home. I mean, I'm going with you to make sure you're home safe."
"Dude, you live like four feet away."
He chuckled. "For a woman with such a capacious vocabulary, you astound me with your usage of the word 'dude'"
"Irrelevant." She scoffs. "You don't have to do this."
"What kind of rescuer would I be if I don't follow through with the validation of the damsel's safety and safe return to her chateau?"
She rolls her eyes and smiles. "You have got to stop reading Harlequin books. Trust me, go for Tolstoy instead."
This time he lets out a deep laugh. "To Queens, my good man." He addresses the driver and off they went.
"I know this building" she says as she cranes her neck up. "The view of the park must be spectacular from up there."
"Would you like to see it?"
She grins. "Are you suggesting we do a B&E?" Mischief glints in her eyes.
"Well, it isn't a B&E if you've got a key." He smiles
"Sorry to break it to you buddy, but I live in Queens. I got a view of the broadside of the next building though and the entertainment is endless. 12 windows worth!" She laughs.
"We'll do that next time. C'mon!" He puts his hand at the small of her back and led her in. She walks a few steps and suddenly stops.
"Oh Jesus Christ on a stick..."
He stops as well, surprised and confused. "What's the matter?"
"You live here." She says accusingly.
"I can't do this." She went rigid and was ready to leave.
"Louise! Wait! You can't do what?"
"I can't go up there, where you live. It's..." She's waving her hands, trying to emphasize her point but ends up looking like she's doing a botched up job of a hula. "...the cycle! It's the start of the...it's complicated." She finally stops and puts her hands on her hips in an exasperated manner.
"Louise, calm down. It's not anything. I just thought you'd want to see the view. We can go somewhere else, if you want."
"You must think I'm a nutcase or something. I'm not. It's just...you wouldn't understand...I'm sorry." She babbled as she walked toward the street.
"Louise!" Mikhail chased after her. "Louise! Please stop!"
She does and she turns to him, her face all apologetic and embarrassed. She lets out a breath and starts to speak. "New Year, you know? It may sound so cliche and trite but I want to make a new start - or maybe put an end to something. I don't want to have to go up there and take in the view from your assumed gorgeous apartment and start feeling all lonely and then look at you like you can fill the void only for me to look stupid because I started the cycle again. I'm sure you're a nice guy and all but that's it, you're a nice guy that has a nice life and I tend to mess things up as I go through life so I'm just going to stop right here." She takes in a breath and looks at him. He has an amused but slightly confused look on his face. "And that was too much honesty or the first day of the year...pretty spastic too..."
He threw his head back and laughed. "It's pretty honest and I actually appreciate it. It's also very amusing."
She made a face. "Well, I'm glad you think so." She turns away from him and starts to walk. He follows her and starts matching her pace.
"Wait! Just slow down..." He holds her elbow to get her to stop - to which he succeeds. She looks at his hand and then at him. He was flushed from the running and a smile was still on his face. " I didn't mean to offend you. All I wanted to say was that I find it refreshing that you can be so honest. I don't get that kind of honesty too often."
She sized him up and judged that he was sincere enough. "Okay..." she breathed out, half relieved and half embarrassed by her display. They found themselves smiling at each other after a few seconds of awkward silence, then she broke the void.
"I have to go. My friends would be worried." She pointed at a random direction.
"Queens would be that way." He pointed.
"Right..." she blushed. He walked to the curb and started flagging down a cab. One stopped and he opened the door for her to climb in. She said her thanks and was surprised when he climbed in after her. "Uh...where do I drop you off?"
"I'm taking you home. I mean, I'm going with you to make sure you're home safe."
"Dude, you live like four feet away."
He chuckled. "For a woman with such a capacious vocabulary, you astound me with your usage of the word 'dude'"
"Irrelevant." She scoffs. "You don't have to do this."
"What kind of rescuer would I be if I don't follow through with the validation of the damsel's safety and safe return to her chateau?"
She rolls her eyes and smiles. "You have got to stop reading Harlequin books. Trust me, go for Tolstoy instead."
This time he lets out a deep laugh. "To Queens, my good man." He addresses the driver and off they went.
