MATT
It's been a long time since I've slept so well. I've shared my bed with Wendy for almost a year and having all the space for myself feels like a treat. My alarm clock says it's a bit past noon and I lie back on my pillows to enjoy the rare occasion of sleeping late.
When I came back home last night, Wendy and Kyle were gone, together with her things. Where to, I don't know and I don't care. If she didn't appreciate the good life she had with me, then she's better off somewhere else. After leaving the club last night, I reflected on our relationship and realized that it was never a good one to begin with. I met her at a Halloween party and we were both terribly drunk and horny. I brought her home and my mind was blown by her energy and sensuality. The next day, she asked me if she could use my phone when I was about to take a shower. I then heard her conversation where she told the other person on the line that she had been thrown out of her apartment and had spent the previous nights in her car.
I felt really bad for her and took the sudden decision of asking her to stay. My mother has always criticized me for taking decisions without giving them proper thought, but in this case, I felt that any time spent thinking would mean that Wendy had to sleep in her car. I didn't know anything about her besides that she was great in bed. Things worked out for a while and she seemed grateful to have a safe place to stay. Until I had a photo shooting out of town and she got madly jealous when she realized I would be working with models. Things escalated to even a worse point when she found the brief for the project and read that it was about swimsuits. I tried to talk some sense into her. Models are colleagues and my main objective is to photograph the piece of clothing they wear. I even invited Wendy to come along and meet them, but she couldn't be bothered. That's when I started doubting on whether we were right for each other. I love my career and it annoyed me immensely that she threw a fit and didn't trust me. I'm kind of glad that this is over and I can do as I please without having to walk on eggshells around her.
Charged with positive energy about my new circumstances, I get out of bed and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I reach for the toothpaste, I see the faint silhouette of the moon stamped on my hand and it makes me smile. Erin was great company and I'm so grateful for her care and attention; it made me forget about my misery for a while.
My stomach growls and once again, I take the sudden decision to try the lunch menu at Moonlight House. If I'm lucky, I'll not only have food as good as what I had last night, I'll be able to say hi to Erin.
The short drive is pleasant and uneventful and I feel lucky to find a spot to park in the street. The guy at the entrance booth gives me a once-over that makes me feel a bit self-conscious but he then smiles at me.
"Welcome to Moonlight House. Lunch or just a drink? Party of one?"
"Lunch please, and yes, it's just me."
The man grabs a menu and I follow him up a set of stairs I didn't see the night before. My assumption was that they set tables in the club area for people to eat at. Once upstairs, I see the gallery that surrounds the club space on three sides that is quite busy. The host motions me to a table and I take a look over the balcony. My heart does a happy flip when I see the bar downstairs and the stage, the setting of an unforgettable night. The blonde guy that I believe is called Noah seems busy mounting lights, which gives me good hopes that Erin might be around as well. I grab my menu, but I feel curious about the other people having lunch and how they are talking and laughing. This is the first time in my life that I sit by myself in a restaurant, but I don't feel lonely, more like at home. It's also difficult to believe that I'm in the same loud place of last night.
"What can I get you to drink?" A beautiful woman with long black hair and dark eyes set on tanned skin asks me.
"A soda, please. Hey, sorry to bother you. I assume you have eaten here often. What do you recommend? I can't make my mind as there are too many nice choices."
Her warm smile is comforting, maybe being nice is a top quality in the employees at Moonlight House.
"I know the problem. Sam is a great chef and everything he makes is delicious. I'm quite partial to his pasta carbonara dish as he puts heaping portions of bacon in it. I like bacon, didn't know I could crave it so bad," she rubs her stomach and I assume it means that she's pregnant.
"Your advice sounds perfect."
"I would usually send a server for your food, but now that I know what you want, I'll arrange it. I'll be back with your drink."
"Can I ask your name?"
The woman stops on her tracks and looks at me with curiosity.
"It's Imogen."
"Pleasure to meet you Imogen. My name is Matthew, Matt for short. I was here last night and met a girl called Erin. She told me she's one of the owners of this place. I was wondering if she's around to say hello."
"Oh, so you are the Matt she dedicated a song to. I'm sorry about what happened to you. Erin is downstairs in the basement. I'm sure she'll be happy to come by."
I'm left with my mouth half open at her words. I don't remember seeing her last night at the club, although my mind was busy with too many things to notice. A few minutes later, a waiter comes up carrying bread baskets and my mouth waters when I see an inviting portion of butter next to it.
"I believe the point is to divide the butter equally for all the slices."
Erin smiles cheekily at me and I feel incredibly happy to see her again. She's every bit as beautiful as last night.
"So you are a butter expert. It's very nice to see you," I stand up and offer her a hand. Erin holds it and pulls me towards her to leave a kiss on my cheek.
"Butter expert among other things. How are you feeling today?" She asks as I motion for her to take place on the chair available.
"I'm doing okay. Actually, surprised I feel calm about the situation. She's gone and I had a reflection on how things were never right between us. I want to thank you for everything you did last night. No one has ever taken care of me before."
"No one? I bet your parents did or do."
"Not since my teens. Let's say that their attention is more geared towards pointing out each other's faults. I learned to take care of myself at a young age."
"Do you see them often?" She asks with a kind smile.
"Mostly around the holidays. When I'm around I feel like their referee. They literally hate each other but don't seem to want to end the war. As you can imagine, with the holidays coming up in a few months, I'm already dreading the visit. And here I am, boring you with more of my personal drama."
"You are not boring me," she holds my hand over the table. "I'm honored that you trust me enough to share."
"It's crazy, right? I just met you, but I feel comfortable enough to share these things with you. Let's talk about positive things. Do you also have a show tonight?"
"Yeah, we perform from Wednesday to Sunday. On Mondays and Tuesdays we are closed. We tested with opening times and those days are simply dead in the evenings. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, being free and not doing much. Well, I have to do laundry, but I mostly wear black so I'm done in a few loads."
The simple topics of conversation make me smile and not wanting her company to end I get an idea.
"Erin, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow? I will be by myself the whole day taking photos of a bunch of toys for a catalog, so it will be nice to actually speak to someone who speaks back to me."
The server comes with my drink and sets a plate of delicious looking food in front of me. Erin hasn't answered and just stares at the tablecloth. Was I too forward?
"You are not obliged to. I just figured that you will need to eat dinner and I could use the company. Just two friends having a bite and getting to know each other."
Erin then looks at me and there's anxiety in her face. "Matt... I... I would love to go on a date with you, but..."
"But? Erin, please talk to me," I place my hand over hers, but she moves it away and looks embarrassed.
"I'm damaged."
"Damaged? What do you mean?"
"A few months ago, I got molested by a man on my way home. The thought of being with a man makes me anxious."
Her words leave me in shock. She looks so sad and vulnerable and I curse the bastard who dared to harm her.
"It's understandable. The offer is open for a friendly dinner and a chat when you feel ready. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't have many friends and I would really like it for you to become one."
"Leave me your phone number," she gets a paper pad and a pen from her back pocket. "I'll give it some thought. Don't let your food go cold or Sam will get upset with me. I need to get back to my inventory."
After writing my number and giving the pad back to her, she stands up and kisses my cheek once more. I touch the place where her lips made contact with my skin and make a silent promise to return the favor and take care of her.