Tea, Rain, and a Long Walk Home

I step out of the shower onto the mat. Kate steps out next to me, opens a cabinet, and grabs a pair of towels. She hands me one as she wraps herself with the other. As I dry myself, she quickly walks out of the bathroom. After I finish, I stand there waiting, unsure where she's disappeared to. A couple minutes later, she walks back in with the towel wrapped around her hair and wearing the same skirt and blouse from earlier. She tosses me my clothes. "The dryer's done," she says. She walks out the doorway and down the hall.

I dress quickly, disappointed by the turn of events. I'd hoped for more after she led me into the shower. But there's nothing I can do. After buttoning my shirt back up, I walk out into the hallway and back into the front room. Kate's sitting at the table with a glass of water in one hand, and a magazine in the other. Looking up, she says, "It was good to meet you, Kevin." She motions to the door with the hand holding the glass.

"It was good to meet you, too, Kate," I reply, a bit dumbfounded with the turn of events. The look on her face, though soft, indicates that no further conversation is necessary. I turn to the side, walk to the door, open it, and leave.

I decide to walk home. The intense ups and downs of the afternoon have instilled in me the desire for a long walk. I don't remember until after getting home much later that evening that I'd left my laptop bag in the entrance hall of Kate's apartment.

To be continued in a sequel to this story.