Something to talk about.

Something to talk about.

“I had a great time tonight, Daniel, same time next week?” Lydia asked as she was walking out of Daniel’s apartment after having watched the latest fantasy movie ‘Clash on the Fire Plains’.

“Sure, sounds good, and do you have a movie in mind for next week?” he asked curiously as since they became friends the two of them started having movie night once a week at Daniels apartment taking turns on suggesting a movie for the night.

“It’s a surprise” she said with a hint of playfulness in her voice as she smiled once more at him before closing the door leaving him alone in his apartment. Feeling satisfied after a pleasant evening with his best friend Lydia he started the routine of cleaning up the dishes from dinner and getting ready to turn in for the night. When a knock came at the door.

“Daniel you home?”

Daniel could recognize that voice even when it was muffled by the door and so he just let out a sigh and called out to his friend on the other side of the door. “Yeah, Jake come on in” he said as he put the last dish away and in walked Jake and making a bee line for the fridge and grabbed himself a cold drink that Daniel had stocked for guests.

Cracking open the drink and taking a long guzzle of the cold refreshing liquid before speaking up. “So…” he said as he let his voice linger like he was trying to imply something.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing I was just trying to remember how many times visits that makes so far… thirteen or has been twenty so far.”

“What are you getting at?” It was late at night and Danial had no patience for Jake's riddles. “Out with it.”

“I’m not one to usually pry…” he started to say before Daniel cut him off. “Pry? You always pry. You’re like the sports announcer at a ball game telling the play by play of everything happening in this apartment building.”

Jake took another sip of his drink before putting the cold can down on the coffee table, making Daniel annoyed enough to intervene and pick it up to put one of his coasters beneath it. He has always been fastidious about the upkeep of his furniture, making sure to keep it nice and clean and in good shape.

“Fine you want me to be blunt about it, then here it is.” Clearing his throat for what he was about to say next he composed himself like a professional speaking in a manner to get under Daniels skin. “When are you going to propose to Lydia?”

“What?” Daniel was shocked to say the least. “She is just a friend, nothing more.” He said sounding defensive about the idea.

“Come on, you can’t see the way she looks at you, the way she sits next to you, the way she hangs onto every word despite your not such a good joke teller.”

“Out” Daniel was not having any of it. “How many times do I have to tell you, we are not dating.”

With that Jake stood up and took his drink with him. “Alright, alright, alright, I’ll shut up about it.” Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he looked back in. “For the record, all the guys at work are thinking the same thing.”

“Why are you even telling me this?”

“Cause I’m your friend and I care about you bud.”

And when he finally closed the door, he left Daniel to think about what he said and inwardly he denied all of it. He cared deeply about Lydia and valued their relationship too much to risk it by taking it further.

The next day at work Lydia was walking into the office humming a little bit of the theme of the movie she had watched last night at Daniels place. When her friend and co-worker Lilian ducked out from around the corner of the hallway to catch up to her.

“How was the movie?” she said in a low sultry tone so only Lydia could hear.

Lydia playfully shoved her friend away and rolled her eyes and refused to talk since she had been hearing the same thing from her friend for the past few weeks and it’s always been the same. That she thinks she and Daniel are dating which she knew was not true but found it hard to convince others of this fact. Feeling a little bothered by her friends pestering she just shrugged her off like she had to work to do sat down at her cubicle and began to work as Lilian just smirked and left her alone.

The computer hummed to life and the screen turned on, her eyes drifted to the photo of her and Daniel on her desk next to the computer. It was a photo of them both wearing heavy coats surrounded by white snow. That day was a lot of fun for both of them, they had day passes for a ski resort and had felt adventurous enough to try skiing for the first time.

There was a slow build up of emotion welling up inside of her, something tugging at the back of her mind that she couldn’t or wouldn’t acknowledge. She had never considered Daniel in any romantic way before but for a moment there was something as she looked at the photo, her gaze lingering on Daniel.

For a moment she could sense some reality of their relationship, that this wasn’t some TV show with some musical score to hint you in on the emotional state of others or your own. Part of her wanted some undeniable sign or clue that she and Daniel belonged to each other and was looking for more proof than just the rumors spread by others.

Meanwhile in another part of the building Daniel was making himself coffee in the break room when Stan walked in and gave him a nod of his head as he acknowledged Daniel in the room to which he did the same. Not a single word spoken in the greeting as the two men had their coffee.

“Can I ask you something?” said Daniel breaking the silence and then looked around to check if the coast was clear before speaking further. Stan nodded nonchalantly, not thinking it was any big deal.

“What is it that others see that make them think that Lydia is interested in me?” He genuinely wanted to know now, perhaps, he was too close to her to see any of the signs, or he was just too blocked headed to see.

“You really want to know?” Daniel nodded and Stan shrugged “Oh, well if you think you can handle it. It is the little things really.”

Daniel listened intently to his co-worker who was more observant than him at the actions of others.

“It’s the way she acts around you, she doesn't act the same way to anyone else. Everyone see’s it clear as day when you enter the room she lights up, its like she is broadcasting her interest.”

Daniel didn’t know what to say or do and so Stan could see he was stunned by what he said a so just excused himself and left him to process what he just said. He stood there in silence recalling all the interactions with Lydia he could remember and the more he thought back to those events. The more he could see it and started to become clear but now the next question, does he feel the same way? This was a question that hounded him for the next few days as he went through the motions.

When it came to movie night the following week, he was getting everything ready for Lydia and the night ahead, his heart raced at the thought of how this night could go and it could go either good or very badly. As the knock on the door alerted him, he walked over and let Lydia in, and they each gave a hug to the others. It was the usual routine as they settled in for movie night.

The movie that played on the screen told a story of two lovers separated by a vast distance and the man did everything he could to get to his love and during the climax of the movie he got to thinking about Lydia.

“Lydia…” he said softly still feeling nervous about what he was going to say.

“Yes?”

“Nothing, it can wait” he said as he scolded himself mentally for chickening out of asking her about her feelings for him. She wouldn’t admit it, but she felt a wave of disappointment rush through her, hoping that he would say something to her about what he felt. Since talking to her friend, she couldn’t help but feel her mind drawn to the idea of being in love with Daniel.

It was like a storm building up inside of that needed release, but she was afraid if he didn’t feel the same then it was turn inward and destroy her from within.

“Oh okay.”

Aside from the sounds of the TV, it was very quiet between the two of them till it came time to leave for the night and the two went through the usual motions as she gathered her belongings and readied to go out the door when she was about to leave.

“Lydia”

She stopped in her tracks as Daniel walked up to her and held the door open as she looked up at him in awe. Before she could say anything, he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips and the next feel seconds felt like an eternity. When he finally pulled away, she was stunned for sure.

“Sorry if I am too bold, I couldn’t help myself, I’m...” he was cut off when she kissed him back and with more passion than before. The two would only separate as they needed to come up for air.

“What about the others at work?’ she asked as she looked into his eyes.

“We’ll certainly give them something to talk about, won't we?”