Imagining Us

Chapter 8

Esi sighed. "I know. I know. It's..It wasn't flirty or anything of that sort. There's just something about him that I can't quite put my fingers on."
Ready to become defensive on her behalf, Lena asked, "Something like what? Something negative or like serial-killerish?"
"No no no." Her hands flew up to defend him. It was strange to do that for someone that she just met. "I mean he's silly in a way that makes me laugh...sometimes. But I feel like he can be a bit intentional, and he can look at me so intensely sometimes...but not in a creepy way." Esi searched her mind for her few interactions with him. She was convinced that those eyes saw more than they should have.
Lena looked like she was pondering on what Esi had just said. Her next words were careful and soft, like she couldn't anticipate what reaction she would receive.

"Do you...want to be friends with him?"

She knew the answer to that question before it was even asked. Her pause answered for her, but she still voiced it.
"I mean...we seem to have similar interests." She shrugged.
"Well...there you go. You can just take it at your pace."
Esi smiled. "Yea I know." She raised her eyebrow at Lena and with as much sass as possible asked, "Do you think maybe..I can eat now?"
Lena laughed and pretended to think about it. " Oh yea sure...after you tell me his name."

Esi narrowed her eyes at her.
"What?" She exclaimed, " I need to know who's trying to take my place as your best friend. Well..best friend here in the US. I know Afi and Bri have that role elsewhere."
That made her laugh as she remembered Porte's declarations.
"His name is Porte...Porte Danvers, I believe."
"You're joking! Nah, girl. Segura?" Confusion marred Esi's face, and she couldn't figure out why her roommate was reacting this way.
"Yes, Magdalena. I'm very sure."

Lena jumped up from the stool and walked around the kitchen island to face Esi. "You know who he is right? His family?"
Her face must have still spelled confusion because that was apparently an invitation for Lena to continue her speech.
"The Danvers are like this wealthy family that deal with finance and art. They have firms in New Haven, Manhattan and I think London because the dad's actually British."
Was it judgy of her to say that he dressed like he was rich?
Lena snapped her fingers. "Hey, look at that...something you have in common."
"I guess.." She filed away the knowledge of that. "Anyway, you said something about art too?"
"Yea they have an art gallery where they normally have charity  galas for some foundation. Not really sure of the specifics. I think I've heard that his mom was into art so that's probably why they're so heavily involved in that scene. Hey...maybe you'll get to go there some time."

"You're getting a bit ahead of yourself there."

"I'm not. Him aside, I think you'd like their art and photography."

Esi chuckled. "Why are you trying to convince me like you work for them for something? By the way...have  you ever been to the gallery?"

"Actually...yes" she paused and held up a finger. "I have been there." She really wasn't expecting Lena to respond affirmatively.  " They have one of the most famous cello art pieces in the world. Learned about it in one of our music history lectures."

"Ahh. Now it makes sense because I know you're not into art."
Lena nodded in agreement. "I can't draw to save my life and kindergarten arts & crafts has traumatized me." She shuddered. "Color within the lines, they said. Follow the black outline as you cut. Ughh."
Her mockery of her kindergarten's teacher's voice incited a laugh from Esi.

"It's just not for me, but...this piece that I'm telling you about, you've gotta see it. It's called Irrésolu. It is..." She did a chef's kiss gesture. "I mean..it's just my professional opinion but..."she said coyly. "You could probably ask Porte Danvers about it." That induced an eye roll from Esi.

"I'm not sure..I know I said so the last time but we didn't even exchange numbers or anything so I can't really ask him. Sorry. How do you even know about him and his family? I understand the part about the painting...but I doubt you went to the gallery and did a deep dive into the family."
Maybe a little part of her was sorry as she came to the realization that they had no way of contacting each other.

"Firstly, everyone on campus knows about him and his brother. What school have you been going to? Also, girl, what age are you living in? There is social media." Lena looked at her like she'd grown two heads.

"No. Nope. Absolutely not. I will not be sliding into his dms," she hissed.

Shaking her head Lena responded with a sigh. "Honestly, I don't know where I went wrong with you. I know that you're not this—she searched for the word—prudish." She leaned back against the kitchen sink and perused Esi. "Afi tells me things about London, but I don't see you act that way over here."

Esi snorted. "Afi? The same Afia Solomon that I know? You know how dramatic she can be."

She was desperate for a subject change because she knew that if Lena continued that she would somehow end up dming him before the night was over. The girl was unnaturally persistent when she wanted to be.

There was something that Lena said previously that kept running through her mind.

"Hold on...did you say his mom was into art? Like she retired or..." Her words trailed off because she didn't want to utter the last bit of that sentence.
Lena looked at her sadly because she knew that the topic of death caused Esi to deflect. "Yea...a car crash I believe." She seemed as if she had more to hide, but was hesitant to do so.

"He survived."

Esi held the back of her hand to her mouth to contain a gasp, but it escaped when Lena finished her sentence.

She didn't finish her meal.

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A/N
This was a long one. I hope that you enjoy, I tried to work on the spacing a bit.

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