Inner Peace

Man, nothing in life feels better than a long, hot shower after a full night of sleep.  The caress of the hot water, the swirling steam, the peaceful sound of water beating against the tile.  I could stay in there all day!  I stood there, conditioner soaking into my hair, basking in the water's warmth and clearing my mind.

No thoughts of Eric.  No thoughts of Michael or Manda.  No worrying about Kate and her destructive habits.  Just me, right here, enjoying a steaming shower.  Of course, all good things come to an end, and I shivered as I dried off, wrapping my hair in a towel.

It had been a week, now, since I'd last seen Eric.  We'd briefly chatted through text, nothing of substance and no plans to be made.  I realized I wasn't too sad, really.  I like Eric, truly, but when we are apart, I feel so disconnected now.  When we first met and started texting, it was flirty, provocative banter and chit-chat.  It was nearly constant contact.  I'd still like to see him, obviously, but he hasn't made an effort.  If he doesn't ask to make plans within two days, I'll do the asking and we will see how it goes.  I found myself daydreaming about our last encounter and wondering just what happened between a deep kiss goodbye at the door and now.  Who knows, maybe he's been courting another woman?  We aren't exclusive and he's a very sexy guy with a lot to offer.

I pushed those thoughts from my mind and poured a glass of orange juice.  The best part of having a roommate who loves vodka is the variety of juices the fridge always held.  I had the day off and planned on trying out yoga with Kate later in the afternoon.  She's always been fit, even moreso after she became a stripper, and she swears by yoga.  She assured me that pregnant women attend all the time and the instructor is more than willing to accommodate and assist anyone who needs modified poses.  I smiled at the thought.  It's funny how Kate and I are really bonding and spending time together now, just days before my move-out date.  Despite all my bitching and irritation with her sometimes, Kate is a truly awesome friend.  She's been letting me live on her couch for months for cheap which is something she really didn't have to do.

I dug through my purse for my phone, stopping to pet Whiskers who was perched on the back of the couch.  It's weird, at first I was so aware of Kate's cats when I moved in.  Whiskers and Roofus would wake me up constantly, climbing on my head and belly or knocking things over, meowing loudly during the night. I don't know if they calmed down, I got used to them or a combination of both. Now they just blend in with the furniture. Michael was very anti-cat when we were together, despite my desire for one.  I liked having them around.  When Kate worked late nights at the club, I at least had the kitties for company.  I gave Whiskers another scratch behind the ears and sank into the couch, unlocking my phone.

I had a text from Kate, confirming our yoga date.  She'd be finishing her shift at the library around 3 and we'd be meeting at 3:30 at the gym.  I texted back that I'd see her there.  I had another text from Rob, asking if I'd be free around 7.  He's having dinner with his lawyer sister Rebecca, who had offered to help me out with my Michael/Manda issue.  Knowing now that he worked from home a few days a week, I decided to just head over to his apartment.  I threw my hair into a low ponytail and pulled on my trusty yoga pants and a loose, comfy shirt.

The cold weather had broken for now and I was thankful for the warm sun on my face.  Sunshine makes me so happy!  Knowing the Midwest, it would feel like winter again within a few days.  

I knocked on Rob's door, hoping he wasn't too busy.  He pulled the door open, smiling when he saw me.  His dark hair was tousled and he hadn't shaved in a few days.  The scruffy look suited him well.

"Hey, Emma, come on in!" his green eyes sparkled brightly in the sun.  I hadn't noticed what pretty eyes he had until now.  He had thick, dark lashes that I envied.  Why was it that men always seemed to have the gorgeous, natural lashes that looked like a mascara ad?

"Actually, I was hoping we could sit on your deck.  The weather is beautiful and I won't be staying long."

He nodded, leading me inside then back out to his balcony.  We each settled in to a chair on his balcony.  I stretched out, tilting my face towards the sun.

"You look happy today!  Anything I should know about?" Rob teased.

I made a face at him and laughed.

"Nah, I just love the weather.  Today feels like it will be a good day.  I have a yoga date with Kate later.  Plus, I saw your text and wanted to let you know I'm free."

"That's great!  My sister wants to meet up at that new burgers and beer place, Brew Kitchen.  I figured if you could make it, we could just ride together.  Unless you have plans after?"

"Nope, no plans after.  I've heard of that place, actually.  My friend Holly went there and she loved it, I've been wanting to try it.  So that's perfect!"

We sat in the sun, chit-chatting for a bit and confirming that we would leave his place at 6:30.  That gave me plenty of time after yoga to hang out with Kate and get ready to go.  Rob spoke very highly of his sister and I was excited to meet her.  I told Rob I would let him get back to work and walked back to Kate's.  I ate a light lunch and cleaned up a bit around the apartment before it was time to head to the gym.




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The restaurant was smaller than I expected.  Old beer taps hung from the ceiling.  An entire wall was painted with chalkboard paint and an expansive beer list stretched from floor to ceiling.  I have never been a beer drinker, yet even I was impressed by the selection.  After yoga (which was actually really fun, Kate was right about how great the instructor was!), I had headed home and changed.  I wasn't sure what type of atmosphere the restaurant had, so I kept it simple.  I wore black leggings and an emerald green tunic-style top, plus my favorite black flats.  I had cracked up laughing when Rob opened his door wearing a button-down shirt that was nearly identical in color to my own.

We slid in to a booth, perusing the menu while waiting for Rebecca to arrive.  

"Oh, she's here!" Rob said, waving his hand to get her attention.  Simply put, Rebecca was stunning. She had the same green eyes and black lashes as Rob, a beautiful Roman nose and full lips.  She looked like a model, not a lawyer.

Her smile was warm as she greeted Rob.  He stood to kiss her cheek and ruffle her immaculate hair.  I stood to shake her hand and introduce myself.  Rob slid back in to the booth, beside me this time and gave my knee a gentle squeeze under the table.  He could tell I was a little nervous.

The siblings chatted animatedly while we waited to order.  Just looking at the menu had my mouth watering!  I settled on a burger topped with smoked burnt ends, Gouda, crispy onion strings and whiskey BBQ glaze with Parmesan dusted truffle fries on the side.  Rob ordered something which ccontained blue cheese, which I could smell clearly over my own meal.  I made it halfway through my burger and fries before the blue cheese smell overwhelmed me. I delicately nudged Rob, whispering my apologies and begging him to vacate the booth. By the time I made it back, all of our meals had been boxed up.  Rebecca and I had barely chatted, but she had stated she had enough information to take me on as a client.

I stepped out and left that booth as a lady on a mission.