You've Left Me No Choice

6

[the next morning]

"Richard, please pick up. Just talk to me, honey. I miss you, alot, you know.." She sighed. "I know you didn't mean to kiss me, like that, an-"

"Hello?" Linnie answered the phone.

"Oh, uh-- Hi... Linnie. Could I please speak to Richard?"

"No." She hung up.

"Damn it." Emily redialed. It went to voice-mail. "You know what? I'm getting really tired of this, Richard. I try to call you, and work things out, but it looks like you're going to keep avoiding me. I'm getting ready to stop calling, and stop trying." She irately hung up the phone.

"Still no answer?"

"Nope. I'm pretty sure Linnie knows now that I mentioned it right before she answered. I asked to talk to him and she hung up on me!"

"Oh my.. well, maybe he'll come around eventually."

"I doubt that." She paused. "I'm gonna go.. somewhere. --Try and take my mind off of this."

"Good idea. Do you want me to come with you?"

"I think I just need to be alone."

"Of course."

"Thanks, Sweetie. Maybe I'll try to meet someone, who knows?" She smiled, and walked to the room that she was staying in. It was so sweet that she let her stay there, Emily thought.

She got ready. She wasn't feeling like wearing a dress, so she decided that she was going to wear one of her mini skirts, with a turtleneck. Not all that colorful, though it was the 60s. It just wasn't her style. She found her old black go-go boots, and a belt. In the 60s, the skirts were getting shorter, but the hair was getting longer. That wasn't completely true for Emily, though. She kept her hair at around.. shoulder length. Maybe a bit longer, but not usually. Anyway, she put on her back stockings, and makeup, and was finally ready. "Alright, Sweetie, I'm gonna head out."

"Okay, have fun. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye." Emily said, and then walked out the door. She stopped in her tracks. "Richard?"

He sat against the wall, asleep.

She bent down. "Richard?! Oh my god." She shook him.

"Emily.." He woke.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me that you stayed outside."

"I did."

"Oh, Richard.. come on, get up.." She helped him up. "Give me a minute, hon." She walked back inside.

"Wow, that was quick."

"Richard has been sitting outside since midnight!"

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"Well, tell him to come inside."

"What?! I can't 'tell him to come inside'!"

"Why not?"

She sighed. "I don't know.."

"Invite him in."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine." She walked back outside to see him sitting against the wall, again. She helped him up. "Come on, let's get you some tea.. hm?"

"I can't."

"Oh, sure you can." She led him inside.

"Waddup, Richard?" Sweetie said, flipping through a magazine.

"Don't even." Emily retorted.

"Sorry!"

"Sit, sit." Emily smiled. She started to prepare to make tea, and sat down. She sighed. "Richard, I-"

"We don't have to talk about it."

"Oh. Okay."

"So, how'd you sleep?"

"Um.. not so good, honestly.Paappqpqp"

"Well-- me neither." He laughed.

"Right.."

He gave up on avoiding the elephant in the room. "I.. I stayed because it didn't feel right to leave you."

"Oh, so we are gonna talk about this now?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

"I realized that I sort of.. came onto you, and I did not mean to. --And all friends have kissed, at least once."

"Well, maybe not three times, but I get what you're talking about."

"Ah-- tea's ready." She got up and gave him his drink.

"Mm. Tea's good."

"I'm glad."

"Do you wanna take a walk?"

"I-"

"Well, after you're done with your tea, of course. I just.. remember that we used to love taking walks."

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it sounds nice."

"..Okay. It does."

--

"I really liked the tea. What kind was it?" They walked side by side, not holding hands like they usually did.

"Earl grey, actually." She paused. "Listen, I don't want things to be awkward between us. I understand that our.. situation was completely my fault."

"Oh, it wasn't just your fault. I.. misinterpreted things. Everything has been so crazy lately, I just.. I don't know. You're a very attractive woman, Emily. I am, for one, attracted to you, if it's not that obvious. I think you're absolutely stunning, and you completely rock my world.. but, we both have boundaries."

"Yes, and I didn't-.. I didn't run away because I hated the idea of kissing you, or something.. it was that, you have a girlfriend, and you know.." She trailed off.

"I know." He gently took her hand.

"I hadn't been kissed like that in a while, I didn't really know how to react."

"I know." He repeated himself.

"And I'm so sorry for.. hurting you, like that. I feel just horrible."

"I deserved it."

"No, you didn't."

"I did, Emily. You really put me in my place.. you definitely humbled me."

"It was-"

He interrupted her. "I did imply that you were asking for it, and you surely weren't."

"But, you didn't deserve that. I'm not a violent person, Richard, I hope you know that."

"If anything, I know that. I deserved that slap-- I had it coming, honestly."

"Don't say that. Here, hit me." They stopped walking.

"What?"

"Hit me back."

"No way."

"Just do it, Richard. I deserve it."

He rose up his hand, as she closed her eyes. Instead of hitting her, he gently placed his hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes. "I can't. I won't." He said.

"Oh, why not?"

"I would never, under any circumstances, land so much as a finger on you."

"Damn it."

"You want me to hit you?"

"I deserve to be hit for that."

"No, you dont."

"Why are you so nice to me? I slapped you so hard that I made your nose bleed, and you still are being sweet to me."

He put his other hand on her cheek, and kissed her forehead. "Because I love you."