AURORA

XXV

JANUARY 2020

THE MODERN WORLD

LOUIS AGNOR

-

I has no clue what she was doing to me. I had no idea why I was even here, no clue why I had asked her for coffee, no idea why I felt bad for her as I saw her sitting alone on that bench. And definitely no idea, why I felt so relaxed and calm with her.

Everything was a mystery and that intrigued me.

I took a deep sip of my latte to catch my thoughts, while I stared at her. She was beautiful, her green eyes held my gaze and she smiled. That also intrigued me. I had not many women who were so comfortable with themselves So comfortable to flirt and check me out. It wasn't that she had no boundaries, no – it was just that she knew her worth.

I grinned at her, "I think we'd have to determine that in the situation, love."

She rolled her eyes. But did not respond. She was quick witted, yet she allowed the silence to do the work for her sometimes and that was powerful.

"I guess, our second meeting went better than our first," I said, "More carefree, less deep." She gave me a look, laden with amusement.

"You have a horrible definition of good," she said, her eyes wide, "That meeting was horrible."

"It is always the perfect that is imperfect," I responded, using a variation of the phrase my father had always said.

"What are you, Shakespeare." I think I looked confused for a moment because she jumped forward and fixed me with a glare.

"You don't know who Shakespeare is?" she squealed. I shook my head and she scoffed at me.

"I thought you were a businessman," she said.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean, I managed to finish school."

"Ahh, so you pulled it that way," she said. I nodded,

"I always knew I'd attract a no-gooder," she said sighing. I put my hand up.

"Now that's not true," I said not determined to make her flustered. She was too composed. Too cool, nothing seemed to faze her, and I would be stupid to admit that didn't scare me.

"How so," she asked coolly, a small smile on her lips.

"I'm good at weights and excellent in bed." She laughed but it was carefree and composed, it didn't distract her.

"I am good at both too, how does it make you better than me," she asked, "If I was to give you a point, It would be due the fact that you never give up."

"You are one smooth speaker," I muttered.

"And you never give up," she repeated again.

"Never," I said. The word shocked me, it sounded too much like a promise, like I meant it. I didn't, I couldn't possibly mean it. She grinned.

"We'll see."

I sat back as we descended into a comfortable silence.

"Would you want to something illegal," I asked.

"Like what."

"I dunno," I shrugged forcing myself to keep quiet. I shouldn't be speaking. Why was I inviting her to do something more with me. I should just pay for the drinks and leave. Let her do her thing and I'll do mine.

"I want to something good, not illegal," she said and all previous thoughts of leaving her disappeared and I found myself agreeing with her.

"You look a little shocked at yourself," l said.

"Well, yeah, I didn't expect myself to want to something good," she looked a little ashamed at herself, like she shouldn't have told me the truth. I smiled.

"Then don't do it."

"But I want to," she replied quietly. I guess we has the same effect or impact on each other. What were we doing.

"You know, you haven't told me your name," I said, suddenly feeling a deep desire to know it.

"You're not deserving of it," she replied briefly. I laughed.

"What should I do, to deserve the glory of knowing your name," I asked a small smile on my face as I watched her smile forming a smirk

"We'll see," she responded.

"So, what did you want to do then," I asked, calling the waiter to pay for the drinks. She watched me carefully as I took out my wallet but did not object to me paying. But I could see the minute struggle in his eyes.

"Could we go to an orphanage," she asked quietly. I watched her, she looked very uncertain of herself and I felt bad. Only a few moments ago, I had wanted to fluster her but now I wanted her to go back to her normal self.

"And do what, there," I asked cursing myself a second later. I should have said that I had other things to do.

"Cook, play, have fun," she said, "I dunno, I wanna cleanse my soul."

I leaned back and thought of it. She looked innocent and clam as she stared back at me, I felt my soul go out to her and I nodded.

"I think we all need to cleanse our souls, once in a while."

OOMPA LOOMPA