This was her third foray to WasherWorld and she liked it less each time. Today she was attempting to manage for the first time without her crutches and so far so good, but it just made her a little more aggravated with the situation. The only consolation was that it gave her time to finally finish reading her book while she waited. There was one more wash day scheduled before she and Genie planned to see the film on opening night. The book would be as fresh in her mind as the clothes would be on her body as she suffered through what she was sure to be the worst adaptation of the greatest work of literature ever written.
The buzz that signaled her garments were dry was timed perfectly. Kristen was finishing up the last paragraph of chapter 41. She had to remember to bring the tissues when she read the end next week. She slapped the novel on the folding table and hobbled to the dryer with her basket as she noticed some small commotion at the front door. The pain in her leg forced her to concentrate on the task at hand. She loaded up and shuffled back to the table. Her leg tired easily and she realized she should have brought her crutches. Oh well.
She stood there sorting her garments. She preferred to fold them shirts, pants, undergarments, and socks in that order. As she began the first blouse the front door opened and a scruffy guy practically leapt in. He glanced about the room, took in Kristen’s presence as the only patron at WasherWorld and peered out the glass door down the sidewalk.
Kristen tried to ignore him, but she was too curious. Was someone chasing him? Was he a criminal or something? She tried to be inconspicuous as she chugged through her folding.
After a bit he was satisfied because he abruptly turned and asked Kristen if he could sit for a while in one of the chairs near her as if it were her establishment. She shrugged as if to say, ‘You’re kidding, right.’
He sat apparently catching his breath, pulled out his cell and removed his shades.OH MY GOD! It was Kyle from the cemetery. His hair was a bit longer, his face scruffy with a week of non-shaving, but it was definitely him. He chose just that moment to glance in her direction and she jerked her gaze away. When she found the courage to peer back she saw him bent over his phone with his free hand at his temple obscuring his eyes and face from her.
She tried desperately without success not to overhear his conversation. The party to whom he dialed wasn’t in and he left this message, “Hey, it’s Joe. You’re not gonna believe it, but it happened again. I slipped into some Laundromat. I’m gonna wait a few and then I’ll be on my way.”
Joe snapped the cell shut, slid it into his front pocket, and stood. He craned his neck toward the door sensing that the coast was clear, nodded at Kristen and walked off.
Damn! She can’t let him go just like that. Kristen was not one to allow opportunities to pass her by. She groped quickly for something to say, anything, she prayed the right thing.
“Everything ok now?”
Joe whipped his head toward the words. He took in Kristen again with something like surprise or maybe even fear. Then he relaxed and grinned almost in embarrassment as if the two were sharing an inside joke that he was the butt of.
“Yeah, I guess. You know how it can be.” He was still glancing out the door making sure the way was safe. Then he added quickly, “I mean you can imagine.”
She had no idea what he was talking about but she nodded knowingly wondering if she could keep him here talking and then somehow get him onto the subject that she craved to hear: His trips to the cemetery.
“Well, goodbye,” he nodded and turned again.
“Wait.”
He looked again, the fear returning, maybe even deepening to dread. She wondered what was going on with him that he would regard her as such. Was she acting like some crazed Hollywood weirdo? She didn’t think so, but felt the longer she paused the more possibility it might appear so.
“Um…” Her eyes rolled to the side in thought and words just came out, “Can I ask a favor?”
The dread abated as he gazed at the floor obviously searching for an excuse to extricate himself from the situation. Still, he stood expectantly as if his mother wouldn’t let him go play football with his friends until he kissed Auntie Bertha on her mustachioed mouth.
“Sure”, he held his hand out toward her.
“Um”, she wasn’t sure if she should go over and shake it or what. He sure was acting strange, but then again she figured she must be a nut to him. She plunged on quickly.
“I wouldn’t normally ask a stranger-“
“It’s alright.”
“See, I broke my leg and I just got the cast off-“
“I understand.”
“And I didn’t take my painkiller this morning-“
“Really, I don’t mind.”
“So could you carry my laundry to the car for me?”
He looked like someone slapped him.
“What?” it came out almost angrily and Kristen flinched.
“No don’t worry, I can handle it. I see you’re in a hurry.”
Kristen gripped the handles of the basket and slipped it off the table thinking she had terribly misjudged the situation. Trying to avoid eye contact and weighted down by clean clothes she limped around Joe toward the front door, but no sooner had she taken two steps he was beside her and removing the load from her hands.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’ll help you.”
He glanced into the basket and noticed the dog eared novel lying on top.“Ah ha. You’re reading The Longing Heart, huh?”
“For about the hundredth time. It’s my favorite book. Have you ever read it?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Um, no.”
Kristen thought that was a strange question and this was turning out to be a strange encounter. She had previously envisioned meeting Kyle as she lie on her couch at home, leg elevated and wrapped in plaster. Certainly none of those daydreams had gone anything like this. The Kyle of her dreams was sweet and friendly. He didn’t swivel his eyes about shiftily as if he expected the cops to bust him at any second. He was charming and soft spoken, not alternately terse and snapping. Her Kyle smiled in a way that made her weak in the knees. This Joe fellow had yet to smile at all. In fact, he struck her as a Hollywood Player; the worst type of man available in the dating market of Los Angeles. Still he was capable of the sort of love so intense he could mourn for his lost loved one in the manner he had previously.
Kristen held the door open for Joe and pointed him toward her Honda which was pretty close. If she wanted to learn more about the story of Kyle, er Joe and Emily she’d better think quickly.
She unlocked the passenger side door and opened it wide for Joe to put his bundle inside. She smiled apprehensively and waited.
Joe was regarding her inquisitively; perhaps sizing her up. He looked her up and down as if really seeing her for the first time. Suddenly, he smiled warmly at her, playfully in a way that gave her the tingle she’d dreamed of for months. God damn, he was cute. She couldn’t really see his face in detail from her apartment window but there was something about the expressiveness of his eyes. They were almost a chestnut shade while inside the Laundromat, but outside as they walked to the car they were more hazel. Now as he placed the laundry basket in the car and turned to face her so the sun caught him full, his eyes sparkled a bursting bright green. Only upon further inspection did she notice the bands of golden yellow on the outside of his irises.
She came out of her reverie realizing she had been staring at him. He wasn’t uncomfortable about it and that shook her a bit.
It was do or die time and she had to act immediately or this encounter would either be over or could become horribly embarrassing. She took a deep breath.
“Would you like to get a cup of coffee?”
That shook him. He opened his mouth to say something, but slowly closed it into that bemused tingle inducing smile. She held her breath as he took his time weighing his decision. His head cocked to the side as he peered at her. His eyes narrowed.
For her part Kristen, though certainly no prude, had never been quite so forward with a man she’d never met. She was almost as shocked by her offer as he was. Well, what the hell was wrong with wanting to get to know someone who interested you, Kristen wondered. Wait a minute, she thought, is he checking out my body?
“Sure, we can get some coffee”, said Joe.
Kristen and Joe sat in the back corner of the coffee shop. The place was within walking distance of WasherWorld and the two chatted haltingly on the way over; mostly about the beautiful weather and how close to the Laundromat they both lived.Now, with her heated cup of chai tea warming her hand she began conceiving a way to steer the conversation to the cemetery without blurting out how she had been watching him. For his part, Joe said very little. He didn’t get anything to drink for himself and indeed wouldn’t even go near the counter while she made her order. He seemed very off-put by the things she asked him as if he anticipated so much more then small talk. Kristen wondered exactly what he was expecting. She probed him gently discovering he was from the Midwest, which coincidentally was where she grew up. He was close to his family and had two sisters. He was way into music, played guitar, and had briefly been in a band in Ohio. She wondered if he was a wannabe musician. She’d dated a few and found them all emotionally crippled with the biggest egos she’d ever encountered.
Joe answered her questions with geniality, but without much substance and never asked any of his own. Kristen hoped this didn’t mean he was self absorbed. He didn’t appear to be.
She finally asked if he was married and got a little chuckle.
“I was wondering if you’d ask something like that.”
Joe elaborated on this subject with greater range then previous ones. It made Kristen self-conscious. Did he think she was trying to pick him up like some little airheaded groupie? Well, wasn’t she? Sort of: Only not the groupie part. No, of course not, she countered. She just wanted to hear about his version of Emily and get what promised to be a wonderfully emotional and poignant love story.
She watched his mouth as he spoke, his lips stretching over various words yet always pulling into wry smirks that were gorgeous. He had full red lips that practically begged to be kissed.
Ooops, she had gotten off track and glanced down at her drink that was now mostly empty.
Joe had finished speaking and sat silently waiting for another question, but was now looking about the shop as if ready to leave. And he confirmed her worst suspicions when he said, “So. You wanna come to my place?”
He must have seen the terror in her face for the confident smile he’d kept throughout had fallen and he sat up straight thinking of something to say to put her more at ease.
Perhaps this was the end of their acquaintance. Kristen took a deep breath and Joe sat reluctantly waiting her out.
“You know, we haven’t even been properly introduced. I’m Kristen.”
The grin began reemerging; at least half way.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Kristen.”
He stared at her. The amusement was still there as was the expectation. Still he said nothing more as they gazed at each other. Finally her brows rose as she queried with her eyes as forcefully as she could.
It took him another moment, then, “Oh, I’m Joe”, as if she should have known already.
That was it. Kristen didn’t know what else to say besides launching into an ‘I’m not that sort of girl’ speech she had memorized. On the one hand she was interested in him and there was definite attraction to boot, but she wasn’t now and had never been the type to go to a stranger’s home despite her prior knowledge of him.
He was staring intensely at her again, completely absorbed in some thought. When he completed the process it was as if he had become a completely different person. His attitude changed abruptly. He relaxed and she felt his presence far more then she had since she first spied him in the Laundromat. He was really there.
“I didn’t mean to presume…”
He let that hang for a moment, a precursor to his motives.
“You know they made a movie of “The Longing Heart”, right.” He waited for her nod of consent, “Have you seen the preview?”
“No.” Now it was her turn to size him up. She wasn’t sure where he was going but he was way more accessible now so she determined to continue. “I never watch TV.”
“Never? Not even the news or something.”
“I read the paper or get my news online.”
He was thinking again.
“I kinda have to go now,” he glanced at his watch and Kristen wasn’t sure if she was getting blown off or not, “Can I get your number so I can call you. Tonight maybe, or tomorrow. I’d really like to talk to you some more.”
It ended so abruptly. Joe practically dashed out the door. Kristen noticed a few girls staring at him and giggling behind their hands to each other as he left. Well, he IS extremely cute, Kristen thought, but, he’ll never call…
STAY TUNED FOR THE END - PART 3
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