The Rise after the Fall

I stepped around the last couple of people around her and stood beside her carefully, hoping I didn't seem so abrupt. I looked up to take a look at the large painting she was observing, not wanting to be too in her face or too shy and she turned her head to look at me briefly, accepting my presence.

"It's a nice piece," I said, continuing to gaze up at the portrait of a woman whose face was emerging from a body of water, her features just beginning to break the surface.

"Yes," replied the woman beside me, turning to look at me again, her eyes not returning to the portrait this time as her vibrant green eyes inspected me. "Oh... Do I know you? Forgive me, I see a lot of faces, but you somehow seem familiar."

"Oh, I'm Sarah, Sarah Callis. I was in the hospital a month ago exactly today, actually. I just remembered you from there, since you were the doctor who treated me. I thought I'd just say hello," I grinned as her face began to light up with recognition.

"Wait, was it an accident? A car accident wasn't it?" she asked, clearing her thoughts as she recalled me. I nodded in agreement while she put the pieces together, sounding more certain with every word.

"Oh, I think remember you, wasn't the accident in Hill Street? I have friends who live there that were on the scene instantly. I heard later on that it wasn't at all your fault which is a good thing I suppose. It was still a terrible thing to happen though. How are you anyway, Sarah?" she beamed and I found it twice as difficult to form a sentence while I was internally stunned.

"I'm well thanks, much better when it comes to the injuries, most of which are almost entirely healed, thanks to your help. How are you?" I replied, realizing that she was wearing more makeup than she had at the hospital.

Her lips were a deep crimson, her cheekbones enhanced with a richer blush, a look I could never pull off. I noticed her eyelids had been evenly traced with a dark eye shadow giving her a more mysterious air. She was even more striking than I remembered, her slim black dress a little more flattering of her figure.

"I'm glad you're well, and it was a pleasure to help you with your injuries, although I guess I was just doing my job," she laughed, "I'm great by the way, just enjoying a little time off while I have tonight and tomorrow free from work," She smiled as she took a sip from her glass.

"Ah, yes, I don't envision that you have much free time in your field. Did you come here with a friend or...?" I wasn't sure if she'd come with someone else who happened to wander away momentarily.

"Oh, no. Tonight I thought it would be better to just enjoy a simple night out without friends coming along. Plus I know this artist's works well; I have several of his original pieces at home, I couldn't miss this opportunity to see some of his newer works."

"Really? You're very lucky, his pieces are in high demand these days, he's very popular. I was curious if you were content on your own, I won't keep you if you'd like some space," now that I knew she had come here alone I was getting ready to retreat if she didn't want company.

"Oh, that's a matter of context," she laughed, inclining her head towards me.

"What do you mean?" I said, not following her direction.

"Well, I guess what I mean is that despite my busy professional life and my ongoing social life, part of me thought I might find someone new, someone interesting. I guess that's why I'm here tonight, I'm not completely content with the more romantic side of things, or my current lack of them," she laughed lightly and an empathy for her settled within me. I wondered how long she had been without someone in her life and I suspected that despite all the things in life keeping her busy, she was perhaps a little lonely.

"I see, I'm surprised you're not spoken for though. Although then again, with such a busy profession it's not a complete mystery, Doctor."

"Oh, call me Laura please, I should have told you earlier," her hand flourished apologetically, "And yes, my work is what I focus on the most. What about you though Sarah, are you here with someone special tonight?"

"I'm here on my own, I'm single anyway, but I happened to meet up with some colleagues earlier so I did have company," well at least I'd put it out in the open that I was single.

"Now it's my turn to be surprised, I would've thought you'd be with someone for sure," she seemed taken aback that I wasn't in a relationship and I wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or intrigued.

We talked about our careers and what we had planned for the next week. I explained that I had some design projects from work to continue at home throughout the weekend, but was going to a friend's birthday celebration the very next day. She seemed interested in what I had to say as we talked about our families and backgrounds.

She was part of a family of white collar professionals from Chicago, progressive traditionalists nonetheless, they had adopted and grown with modern ideals. The middle child between an older brother who was a lawyer and younger sister who taught in a Chicago high school, Laura had always sought to prove herself amongst her successful family-and she had succeeded. She'd been living in Aurora for around three years and I felt disappointed that I'd never even seen her before in all that time, although her busy schedule answered for her lack of time out in public for leisure.

"How would you feel about spending a little longer out tonight, with me?" she asked at some point during our conversation.

"Well, I don't mind. We're already here so why not?" What was I doing? Oh god, it was so unexpected to see Laura here, let alone being asked to spend time with her.

"Okay, good. I don't know about you, but I've had a look at virtually all of these works, what about if we were to go elsewhere?"

"Sure. I've spent enough time looking around, where would you like to go?" I tried to think of a reasonable bar to go to, since I hadn't been familiar with the bar scene for few years.

"Back to mine, if that's alright?" I had barely heard her last three words as the first three sunk into my mind. Why would she want me to go back to her place, surely there were other places to chat? She barely even knew me, and I was surprised she'd be that open with someone who was virtually a stranger. My mind conjured up other scenarios which I shoved out of my thoughts, trying to focus on her in the present moment.

"Er, I guess so," I replied, "Unless you'd like to go somewhere else, like a bar or something?" my doubts were unable to escape her notice.

"Oh, I'd probably prefer something quieter after a busy day I wouldn't mind relaxed company, more specifically, your company. It would just be for a drink, and it would be a good chance for you to see my private collection of works? I won't keep you for long and you can return home afterwards, what do you think?" she persuaded, resting her hand against my arm in the hope that I would agree.

"Well, as long as you're happy with that, then why not? Besides, can't really say no to seeing your collection of art," I agreed, feeling my face turn slightly numb as Laura's features softened into a appreciative smile, before she finished the remainder of her drink. As we made our way through the crowded exhibition space I hoped Nick didn't see that I was leaving with Laura- I didn't want him stirring me up.

Unfortunately, he appeared out of a group of people, his eyes widening curiously as he noticed the stunning woman I was with. However, before he could say anything, I had slipped away and through the crowd with Laura, before he had his words out. I laughed within myself at Nick's reaction and his curiosity, predicting that there would be some questions back at work on Monday, but I knew that was then and this was now.

We ventured through the gallery and wandered out to the stairs leading to the street outside. The air was warm and the open space of the outside world presented me with a sense of invigoration. When I had felt stuffy and constricted in the gallery, despite its large rooms, I felt at ease with the fresh air outside. Nevertheless, Laura still emitted a radiance of some kind of energy that had my heart racing and I prayed that the roaring heat I felt would dissolve as the conversation continued freely between us.

Once we hailed a cab to travel to her house, I found that sitting beside each other in the backseat was an exhilarating experience, for me at least-I had no idea what she was thinking. It felt like an electrical bubble had wrapped around Laura and I, a kind of sparking current flowing around us. It was probably just my imagination though.

I noticed her fragrance drifting around her, and deciphered a mixture of rose and citrus notes layered with traces of a light spice. After this first whiff I had to make sure I didn't breathe too deeply in such close proximity to her-I was having trouble retaining my conduct as it was without overloading my senses.

Our conversation remained light and easy, with the exchanging of words being a remarkable feat for me since I had to control my thoughts, words and actions all at once. Laura, however, was as relaxed as ever, the streetlights casting drifting shadows across her prominent features.

At one point it occurred to me that I felt a great deal of gratitude to this woman, after all she had done for me after the accident, but I knew that gratitude wasn't all that I felt for her. I found her alluring and I was without a doubt attracted to her, but I couldn't forget that I also felt a definite sense of respect and admiration for her.

She had assisted me when I had been through a situation I could had never predicted and had healed me before I was even aware I had been injured. I wasn't sure if I'd placed her on a pedestal, but I was at least certain that I felt a connection with her; partly since she had seen me in a vulnerable state but also because she was so magnificent with her beauty and intellect.

As we travelled, Laura sat behind the driver's seat, her knees resting together just below the hem of her dress, while the rest of her body relaxed into the seat. Beside her, I had an excellent view of her side profile and at times I found myself savouring the definition of her neck and the sharpness of her jaw as she spoke. She was beautiful, her face swept with the combination of light and shadow from the night around us.

I wanted to brush her cheek with the tips of my fingers and lean in to place my lips against hers, tainting my lips with the crimson of her lipstick. The sparks of electricity from her gentle touch back in the hospital hadn't left my memory and I longed so badly to relive the same sensation. Despite my yearning, I did none of those things I longed to do, instead I kept my hands to myself and carried on with our conversation.

I hadn't noticed any self-explanatory signs that she was attracted to me, but she wasn't particularity easy to read either. She hid her thoughts behind her smiles and her emerald eyes and I found that it only intensified her enigma. I wouldn't hold out hope for the unlikely forever, but hoping that slim chances will prove fruitful is an enjoyable folly of mine, so I continued to quietly anticipate any possibilities.

"We're almost there, this is my street," Her eyes flickered out the window about ten minutes into the cab ride and she turned back to me as I peered out into the street we travelled along. We were passing through the residential apartment areas of Aurora, one which I hardly visited, about twenty minutes away from my apartment and much closer to the inner city.

Moments later the cab had pulled up and before Laura had paid for the ride, I slipped out my card and pressed it into the driver's hand, smiling despite Laura's protests.

"Oh, thank you Sarah, I appreciate it," she succumbed, giving me a grateful look.

"It's the least I can do," I replied as we stepped out from the cab and made our way along the path and up to a large apartment, much newer and more liberally architectural than mine.

"Here we are, this is my apartment," she clarified, as I followed her lead into the entrance hall and through to one of the assortment of elevators. I braced myself for the cramped area of the elevator, knowing that I felt a lot less nervous with more space between us. After pressing the button for the seventh floor, Laura settled beside me as the elevator lurched swiftly upwards. I found the mirror in the elevator slightly distracting, with two duplicates of Laura I realized I could barely handle myself around one of her, let alone a perfect duplicate.

I tried to act just as normal as I would in any other instance, and I was pleased to see that I kept up my calm demeanour. Her gaze fixed on me curiously for some moments and the eye contact simmered through me, that newly remembered sense of energy surging through my chest vigorously. I wondered what she was thinking in moments like that.

The elevator sang out its arrival to the seventh floor and Laura led the way out into a well lit and spacious hallway. She strode down the hall and I was once again impressed by her talent at walking so well in heels. Stopping by the door of her apartment she paused to scan her card and enter a code in the keypad on the door, she opened the door and stepped through. I followed behind her and found myself in a spacious, modern living area complete with leather lounges and a large flat screen television.

Laura beamed as she placed her handbag on a small table beside the clothes pole, at which she gestured, "Please, leave your jacket there if you'd like, it's quite warm in here."

"Sure," I obliged her and slipped my jacket off to hang it up.

"Would you like a drink? Wine maybe, or something else?" she asked, still smiling.

"A glass of water would be good, please."

"Okay, I'll be right over in a moment," she nodded and turned to move to another side of the room where a large kitchen adjoined the living area, beside a large dining table arrangement.

I moved slowly into these new surroundings, enjoying the warmth and lightness of the pale colour scheme and dark, bold furniture. I noticed a few artworks along the walls, tastefully providing a little colour and expression in the consistency of the furniture, but there were none of the artist's works from the exhibition earlier. I guessed that she must have kept them in another area of her apartment.

The sounds of a cupboard opening and a tap running could be heard from the kitchen as I wandered through the living room and approached the kitchen until Laura came into view. She placed a glass of water down on the counter before fetching a bottle of wine from a small cooler and pouring another glass with a bottle of pale wine. I complimented her apartment as she handed me a glass of water and she brought her glass of wine around from the kitchen as we returned to the living area.

"Tell me, have you ever considered having a family?" She asked curiously.

"Er... Not really. I'm not sure it would work at this stage."

"Oh, why not, just the lack of time?"

"Partly, I guess I just haven't found the right..." I paused nervously, knowing I might as well state the truth,"...Woman, as well though, too." I swallowed and took another sip of water to wash away the bitter taste of nervousness that had filled my taste buds.

"Fair enough, neither have I," Laura replied, a hit of sympathy in her voice. I almost spat my drink out as her response had my mind whirling in bewilderment.

"What do you mean?" I asked dumbly, my heart racing twofold.

"Well it's been tricky finding the right woman I guess. Or maybe I've been fussy or just unlucky, I'm not sure, probably both," she laughed uncertainly, possibly trying to ignore my surprise at the fact that she was interested in women.

It's stupid, I know, but I foolishly couldn't help but feel startled by the knowledge she was interested in women. I'll admit it, she looked just like any other classic feminine hetero woman and I was glad my shitty belief in stereotypes had finally just been shattered. I was filled with a wave of surprise, then pure exhilaration.

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. It can be difficult not only with being busy, but with a slimmer pool of fish to choose from, I guess," was the sympathy I offered her, as my mind reshuffled its thoughts frantically like a stack of cards. I realized that this entire situation had taken on a different meaning and I had perhaps found myself with a genuine, valid chance with Laura after all.

"Yes, we'll find that right person someday anyway," she smiled, before changed the subject as she drained the last mouthful of her wine, placing her lipstick stained glass on the coffee table. "Would you like to take a look at the collection now?" she asked, standing up gracefully.

She led me along to the other side of the living area and along a spacious hallway with several doors along it. Along the way I realized that her apartment was actually quite large and found myself wishing that mine was as spacious.

We reached a door which Laura opened and on following her through I found myself in an open room with two lounges as the only furniture within. The white walls were adorned with eight of the artist's works and a few other artist's works as well. I was actually surprised that the room was so neatly arranged but I respected Laura even more. I appreciated that she placed a preference on ensuring the works were perfectly presented-a lot like she presented herself, I realized.

I wandered throughout the room, taking in all of the works, but making sure I wasn't taking too long, knowing I didn't want to overstay my welcome. Laura and I chatted as we progressed through the works and she pointed out her favourite of all of them, a painted portrait of a woman with gold tears dripping along her cheeks. I wondered if the painting held some kind of personal significance to her, but I didn't feel like prying-I wanted to keep things simple at this hour.

I was beginning to think I had better mention that I should probably get going, anyway. I made to turn around and let Laura know I was planning to call it a night, since she had moved along behind me and out of view. She was presumably moving off to take a look at one of the other works or moving to sit on one of the lounges. However, as I began to turn, I felt something brush against the upper centre of my back and missed a breath in surprise.

Laura's hand had settled against my back, her palm held firm against my shirt, her fingers spreading as they trailed downwards. I tensed with surprise, registering in a split second how unexpected her touch was. I turned to face her, absorbed by the lightness in her eyes as she stared through me, and I could see a contemplation within her gaze that startled me. She smiled, but her eyes kept their pensiveness as she moved her hand to rest on my arm.

"Listen, I don't really know how to say this, but I need to make something clear," she whispered, as I made to ask her what she was doing. She held my wary attention as she continued, her voice still low and almost cautious, "I've enjoyed tonight, it's been nice and I've been thinking that if you'd like to, you can stay a little longer?"

I blinked, knowing her hand was still against my arm and her proximity to me was making my stomach flutter. I could see the intricate patterns of her iris shining at me as I prepared a response. "Well I don't really want to stay too long..." I trailed off as I tried to think of a reason why I should go, but my nervousness was clouding my thoughts and I failed to come up with something in time.

"Oh, I think I could persuade you to stay just a little longer," Laura interjected into my silence, her expression shifting. Before I knew what was happening, her eyes had darkened behind her lashes, her head inclining towards me, as a mystifying shadow danced along her sharp features.