"I'm sorry, but no one is that happy over rice and beans." Lena snorted, and Esi retracted out of her daydream.
"Hmmm?" She turned to face Lena. "Sorry, babe, did you say something?"
Hands on her hip, she gave Esi a searching look. "What're you hiding?"
"I'm not hiding anything." She answered quickly.
Lena came to sit on the island stool next to her. "Oh yes you are! You were literally smiling into your plate just now.
Wait..." she slapped the counter with glee. "Was it a guy? Did you meet someone?"
Her silent response gave her away, and she had to cover her ears to save herself from Lena's screams.
"Talk, girl! You gotta tell me everything."
It was Sunday afternoon, and she'd just come back from church with her parents. Her mother tried to get her to come back home with them for Sunday roast, but because of her volunteer work yesterday, she was a bit behind with her work. The plan was to quickly shove down the dinner that was left for her then hit the books so that she could email her next thesis outline to her advisor. How Lena found time between Sunday mass and orchestra to cook a meal was beyond her.
Esi knew at the rate that she was getting interrogated that she wouldn't get any peace. Lena was leaning on the counter looking at her expectantly. They had a stare-off for at least fifteen seconds before she sighed and gave in. The incessant tapping of her fingers on the corian countertop did not help.
She put her fork down on her plate since she realized that she wouldn't get a moment to eat her food. She pushed her plate away and turned to her nosy friend.
"It's really nothing like what you're thinking. I just ran into someone that I know...well, not really know. I met him a month ago, I think." She searched her mind to try to accurately remember when she ran into him at the bookstore.
"Hold up...when was this? I thought the only place you went was to the church yesterday for the volunteer thing."
"I did go to the church yesterday." She paused dramatically to draw out the moment.
"And...?"
"And...Yea. I ran into him there."
She shrugged as if it was no big deal.
Her face wore a questioning expression that resembled mine when I had seen Porte yesterday.
"He was at the church? And you'd never seen him there before?"
It was now Esi's turn to slap her hands on the countertop, narrowly missing her plate. She spun in her stool to face her friend.
"Girl, that's what I'm saying! I've been going there for so long, and I've never seen him before. Granted, I don't normally go to these Saturday art classes, but apparently he goes to the Sunday services too, and I've never seen him."
"Hmmm. That's interesting. So...like did he remember you from before? Wait. Don't answer that. Obviously he did, because you had that ridiculous grin on your face."
Esi scowled playfully. "I was not grinning."
"Yes you were." She said matter of factly.
"When did you say your fall recital was?" Lena was getting her Masters of Music, and she was a magician with the Cello. Her hope was, at the end of earning her degree to be accepted in a Quartet Fellowship.
"No no no. Do not change the subject. You and I both know that it's weeks before my recital, and I know that you know the exact date. So, cut it out and just tell me."
It's not that she didn't want to tell Lena, but she was trying not to make a whole thing out of it. And, it wasn't like it was anything romantic—which she wasn't sure that her mind could wrap around—he had said that he just wanted to be friends. So why couldn't she just speak about it.
Subconsciously, Esi knew why. There was something about Porte that stood out to her. Despite how he joked with her, there was something about how he looked at her—like if she allowed this friendship, that he would eventually see into the depths of her, and she wasn't sure if that was something that she could allow.
Lena must have sensed something because she leaned across to lay her hand on top of Esi's. Softly, she said, "I'm not asking you if you like him in that way." Esi figured that perhaps she thought that the hesitation was due to what happened their sophomore year.
"I'm just genuinely interested to know about a new person you met. I mean...no pressure, honestly."
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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