Coffee and Cigarettes and Everything in Between

Twenty-three

Winter

Warm comfortable pajamas. Brushed teeth. Combed hair. Closed curtains. I was just about to sleep when my phone on the bedside table started buzzing. I tried ignoring it. It was probably past eleven in the evening and who in their right mind would call someone in the middle of the night? Five seconds after, it went silent. A few seconds more it buzzes again. The sound filled my room. It resonates in my head. Damn.

It was lying face down so I didn't saw the caller ID. With my eyes closed, I swiped the device and answered absentmindedly. "This better not be a prank call or else—"

"Hi baby." A deep and husky voice answered back. Karina. I checked the time again. 11:35PM. Why is she calling at such an ungodly hour? Did something happen? "Hello? Baby? Are you still there?" she asked again.

"Yes... I'm here. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah everything's okay don't worry. Did I wake you up?"

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I slipped under my covers. "No. I was just going to bed when you called."

"Awww. Hate to break it to you baby but you're gonna need to say goodbye to your bed at the moment. Can you get ready in ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes? For what? Why?"

"Just trust me okay?" She says and I can already tell she's smiling on the other line. But ten minutes? For what? And in the middle of the night?

"Why? What are...Where...Wha—" I tried asking her but words failed me. My mind can't still grasp anything that's happening.

"I'm in front of your building right now so lift that cute little butt of yours and get moving okay? I'll be waiting for you." That made me jerk up in bed.

"Seriously?" Shoving the sheets aside I put on my slippers as I started to move to and fro across the room in search of any clothes that I can find at the moment. Pants and sweater. These would have to do.

"Yes. And don't bother bringing your car keys. I'm driving. Bye!" She hangs up and I was left to scramble around my room: slipping off my pajamas and squeezing in my pants, finding my socks while wearing my sweatshirt and the likes. It was a wonder how I didn't ended up falling on my butt or tripping on my own feet.

Before I leave the apartment. I wrote a note for Giselle in case she wakes up and finds my room empty.

White polo shirt loosely tucked in her jeans. Black converse. Long cream brown coat. Cigarette in hand. Her loose jet black hair swaying with the wind in this chilly night. A smile grazed her lips as she saw me walk out of the building and cross the street where she was standing just outside of her grey Honda car.

She drops her cigarette and step over it once I'm in front of her. She looks really excited, her smile never leaving her face. "Let's go" she says, taking my hand.

Once in the warmth of her car, she leaned into me and kissed me gently on the lips taking me by surprise. "Sorry for messing up your sleep routine tonight." She says as she pulled away.

Still trying to find my voice, I managed to squeak out, "Yeah...It's okay."

"But you were about to go on full rage on me earlier on the phone if I remember it right." A grin appeared on her face making her cheek dimple pop up as she teases me.

"Well I—" I tried to reason out but she cut me off with her lips.

"That's for actually taking ten minutes to get ready."