The black
Tesla
pulled into the parking lot of the
Apartment
building that had its unit doors directly facing outside like an old school
motel
.
Zach's goodbye felt nice. Like a sentimental ribbon tied onto a package that made all the things that had happened nicer. He needed that. A few hours to just clear his brain and relax.
But as soon as the Tesla drove off the thoughts that had flew away while he and Zach were driving around returned. And the heaviest thing to think about was his stolen bike. It made him feel so depressed compared to the previous few hours that he immediately took out his phone and checked
Tinder
.
Jasmine had left him a few messages. She seemed excited about the picture of the
package
he had sent. A little too excited actually. He read the messages one by one, and given that he wasn't using his phone for a few hours he saw that Jasmine grew more and more impatient with each message. Until the final two read:
"I'm coming over."
"I'm here."
His heart picked up the pace. Not like an action movie where he could feel it thumping out of his chest, but suddenly he felt poised for action. He started walking towards the motel-like apartment building. He climbed up the stairs with one hand on his phone and the other glossing the twisty, black metal railings. Every step, each contact of his foot to the concrete felt more significant than the usual mindless steps he normally took.
He reached the second level, and then he stared down the platform, the lights from the units casting onto the concrete and the railing. Some had the soft, warm glow of lamps. Others the blue ray of televisions.
His unit was smack dab in the middle. Too far from the stairs for him to be able to see whether the door was open or not. He took more steps, the concrete beckoning his feet as it had its own
gravity
.
As he got closer to the unit he saw that there was a light inside. A soft lamp. The person inside had turned on his coffee table lamp, but had not turned on the ceiling lights that came with the building. He was sure that somebody was inside. He had not turned any of these lights.
He thought about looking at his phone one more time. Maybe he could message Jasmine so that he wouldn't scare her by barging in. Or maybe he was more scared of her being inside of his unit.
He thought of this but then he didn't touch his phone. He was too immersed into what was happening. The reality. This reality. Instead he took his free hand and grabbed the door knob and spun it open.
Inside, a head attached to crossed legs turned around.
"It's about time you showed up. Why haven't you been checking your phone?"
He looked down, exited Tinder and saw that he had text messages from his ex Cassie.
"Sorry. I had a rough day."
Cassie's face changed from wanting to deride him to wanting to comfort him. The look disappeared after a moment though and she put on a neutral poker face. The kind exes wore when they didn't want to get re-involved.
