Wait until the music's over

39. Stars, clouds, promised beers and smiling chairs

I see Grace coming when she's still on the bus, even though she's sitting on the other side of it. She's focused on the search of something in her bag, probably her keys, and only notices me when she gets to the few steps outside her apartment building, where I've been sitting for about an hour waiting for her. Her reaction is exactly the one I was expecting: she briefly looks up at me, but without really seeing me, then goes back rummaging into her purse, at least until her brain registers my presence. She stops walking, looks at me and...

"Stone?"

"Hi Grace"

"Why... what are you doing here?"

"Well, surely the range of possibilities coming from sitting here alone on this staircase at half past five in the evening is endless, but try to narrow it down"

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Wow, you're great in narrowing, I thought I had to make you go through at least three or four further intermediate steps before you'd get to the point"

"Well, you kind of suck at getting to the point though. Couldn't you just say 'Yes, I was waiting for you'?

"No. Too redundant"

"Isn't long-winded speaking just as redundant?"

"Nah"

"And why were you waiting for me?" she shakes her head, she knows she can't win this round and decides to give in.

"You know, since it's basically impossible to contact you through common means of communication, see phone, I made due with the face to face thing"

"How do you know where I live?"

"Oh I just lucked out, by pure chance. I blindfolded myself then pointed at somewhere on the Seattle map and decided I'd have waited for you there. That is here. I had removed the blindfold when I decided. And then, you know, also the fact I drove you home after the concert a few nights ago and saw you entering this building had something to do with it somehow"

"Are you going to make fun of me at every question I make?" she folds her arms and her look is more resigned than threatening.

"Mmh yes. Anyway, if I were you I had that phone repaired"

"Which phone?"

"Yours"

"My phone works perfectly"

"That's weird, 'cause I've been trying to call you from that very night but you never answer, I also left you messages on your machine. You should have that checked too"

"I'm sorry Stone, it's just-"

"You keep on paying the phone bill for nothing, I mean, it makes no sense wasting money for services you don't benefit from"

"I've been kind of busy these days, you know..."

"So busy you didn't have the time for a phone call?"

"Well, it sounds strange but-"

"I thought you might have left the city. Or the state. I even imagined something bad could have happened to you, but then I thought that in that case the police would have noticed the suspicious amount of phone calls from me to you and contacted me during investigation. You know, they do have time for picking up the phone and call someone after all"

"Stone"

"Same thing if you were arrested, even in prison you're granted a fucking phone call"

"Listen..."