Noah and Leigh

12: Leigh

            Leigh was getting curious and she couldn't deny it. Noah had consumed her thoughts day in and day out, but he was a faceless image with a great taste in music and books. A mystery.

            Leigh probably wouldn't have been craving so much more of Noah if he hadn't given her his jumper. She hadn't taken it off since she had gotten it. It was so warm and comfortable and soft. Plus, it smelt like him; of soap and new books. It was her new favourite aroma. 

            She wore it to the library the next day, even though she knew she ought to give it back. She wanted to savour the moment and make it last as long as she could. Leigh decided she'd take it off before she left. In the meantime, she had plans to match a face to the name that repeated itself in her head like a song on the radio. But first, she decided to complete her essay on Module B.

            With her earphones in and her phone in the car, Leigh didn't have many distractions. Within the first hour, she managed to type and edit two pages. As soon as she finished writing the sentence she was up to, she paused the playlist she was listening to and went on her bathroom break. But rather than exiting the building, Leigh disappeared between the aisles of books and crouched near the non-fiction section, with a clear view of her desk.

            Leigh wanted to know who Noah was. She wanted to match the eyes that read the book recommendations she gave, the ears that listened to the music on the CD he gave her, the hands that wrote his notes. She wanted to finally dream of the face that belonged to Noah and not blurry, grey images of unidentifiable features pasted on a fictional body.

            So Leigh waited.

            And waited.

            And waited.

            Five minutes went by. Then ten. Then fifteen. And finally twenty. People were starting to look at her funny, some sympathetically. Leigh chewed on her bottom lip and stared at her untouched desk, thinking that if she willed his appearance enough, it would happen.

            But Noah never came.

            Noah never dropped a note on her desk.

            Noah never left a jumper or a CD or a voucher.

            Maybe he was busy? Maybe he hadn't written a reply yet? Maybe he was sick?

            Leigh didn't know.

            Noah remained a mystery.