Clockwork Romance (18 page)

“Exactly…” I chime in. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-four,” she answers. “You know, I’ve never properly thanked you for that night we spent together. So, thank you. And I want to apologize for leaving you like that. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be,” I say. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I suppose I should thank you as well. With your help, I was able to change. Before I met you, I was just a bum. Not an actual bum, but you know. I used women and I hated myself for it. But after we met, you gave
me the motivation to change. To be honest, I wanted you to stay that night. However, a few days later, I met the girl of my dreams. And as I’ve already illustrated, the rest is history. Truthfully, within these past few months, you’ve been one of my best friends. Thank you.”

“Well you’re welcome,” she says. “But I’m curious as to exactly how I caused you to change.”

“I was unhappy for a while. After that night, I realized I was missing something… someone. You helped me become a better man.”

‘I don’t know what to say. I’m flattered. And touched. I’ve never been so significant in someone’s life before.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have,” I tell her, trying to shine her on.

Bibi looks at me very softly, very sincere, and tells me, “You’ll be happy one day, Luke. Guaranteed.”

“I feel like I already have been, and now that time is gone. I don’t know what comes after.”

“Only more happiness,” she says. “I promise. And as for your girlfriend, if she has a sane mind whatsoever, she would take you back.
Whatever it was that happened, don’t let it be the end. You’re a great guy, Luke. You deserve to be happy. And just for your information, looking back at it now, I wish I would have stayed.” She stands up, and I feel compelled to do the same. We hug, not caring who sees us.

Once we let go of each other, I tell her, “Look, I should probably be getting home now. Thank you. For everything.”

“Don’t mention it. Maybe I’ll see you around some other time,” she says

“I’d like that.” Bibi gives me one last encouraging smile before I turn around.

“Next thing I know, I’m slowly pacing myself back to my room. I throw myself on the bed while I let Bibi’s words sink in. Do I really deserve to be happy? I shouldn’t question it, but take Bibi’s words as motivation. I should listen to her, but I still have no clue on how I’m going to win Karina back. I find myself wondering for about a half hour, before I am interrupted. There’s a knocking at my door. Is it Bibi? Who else could it be at this time of night? She must remember where I lived. Maybe she wants to spend another night together. But I can’t. I have to convince her I still have my heart set on someone else. I get up to answer the door, hearing the knock a few times more as I walk. I open the door to find that I am wrong. It isn’t Bibi. I am string into the sorrowful eyes of Karina. And for the moment, time stands completely still.

“Karina,” I say. I don’t know what else to say.

“Luke, can I come in,” she asks. She know I’ll let her in no matter what.

“Of course, of course,” I tell her.

As she walks in, she wastes no time speaking. “Over the past few days, I’ve been giving us a lot of thought. A lot.” She takes a deep breath before she continues, while I shut the door. Neither of us choose to sit, so we both just remain standing, which only makes me more nervous. “I… still… want to be with you.” I have never been so relieved. I have Karina back, but everything isn’t settled yet.

I step toward her, our eyes locked, then I slightly extend both of my hands. She takes them, and we kiss. I think both of us feel like shedding a tear, but we both manage to keep them at bay for a moment.

Our lips release each other, and with my forehead pressed against hers, I say, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry for lying, I’m sorry for everything.”

“I’m sorry for saying those things, and for hitting you,” she says.

“No,” I say, looking back into her eyes, “What you said, what you did, was right. I deserved it. I shouldn’t have kept that from you. And I… I’ll
always
be sorry for that.”

“So,” she says, “Is there anything else we should let each other know before we move on?”

“There might be,” I confess. “Throughout all the time that I did what I was doing, I’ve accumulated a great amount of money. That’s how I’ve been able to afford everything. My car, this place, school, all this stuff. And right now, there’s almost two-hundred thousand dollars sitting in the closet of that room.”

Karina is shaking her head like nothing I’m saying matters.
“I don’t care if you’re worth one dollar or a million dollars, all I want is an honest man. A respectable man.” In this moment, I can see Karina is not a woman who cares about somebody’s status or background. She doesn’t care where you come from, or what your shortcomings are. She cares about what’s inside. She wants a man who can treat her the way she ought to be treated. And so far, I haven’t been that man. Not by lying and hiding important things from her.

“I wish I could take back everything,” I plead. “If I could go back in time, I never would have kept that from you. I never would have started doing any of that to begin with. All I need is you. But I’ve been stupid, ignorant. I’ve been spending the past three days wondering how I’m going to make everything right. I thought I lost you. I thought I may never get to you ag--.”

Karina cuts me off. With a kiss. She grabs me by both sides of my face and pulls me in. Then once our lips are locked, she throws her arms around my neck. I wrap both my arms around her waist. She puts her cheek against mine, turning our kiss into a tight hug.

“But you have me now, and I don’t ever want you to let me go,” she whispers.

“Karina?” I say. She pulls her head slightly away to look into my eyes as I tell her, “I’m ready.”

“Really?” she asks.

“Yes,” I answer, before giving her another kiss.

We walk, holding each other all the way to the bed. She takes off her top while I take off mine. Then we fall on the bed, her on top of me. I undo her pants while she kisses my neck. I get her pants off, down to the middle of her thighs, then she finishes taking them off herself, while still remaining on top of me. My hands go to her butt, and as I squeeze it, she knows how much I’ve missed her.

I roll her over, me on top now, as my lips make their way down her body. When I get to her panties, I sit on my knees, and her legs widen. I stare at her black panties, knowing in a few moments, they’ll be lying on the floor. With her knees up, I reach under her legs, and grab the edges of her panties on both sides. My heart is racing as I slowly pull them off. Before I know it, I am holding them in my hands, then tossing them aside.

I work my way back up her body, but she can’t wait to get her hands on my pants. She undoes them, then I finish taking them off, along with my briefs, leaving me naked. Karina sits up, and undoes her bra, tossing it aside. She brings me back in, desperate to have our naked bodies touching. I put myself inside her, as she holds my waist. We stare into each other’s eyes the entire time. Thrust after thrust, she moans, calling out my name.

I take myself out, fall back, as she climbs on top of me. She puts me back inside her, then her body moves forward so we can resume kissing. Her hips sway back and forth with such rhythm, I moan myself. Her hands on my chest, she clenches her nail into me, as my hands move up and down her side. I have never felt a woman so soft.

We sit up, me still inside her, our legs wrapped around each other. Then I hear a sniffle. I look at Karina and see that she is crying. I pull her close,
and her head buries in my shoulder. I immediately begin to wonder what happened. Have I done something wrong? Should I ask? I’m not sure, but I do know that I have a feeling over me. A feeling I need to let out. But Karina does so first.

She lifts her head and looks into my eyes once again. Her eyes are teary, her makeup has run just a little, but I don’t even care. She is as beautiful now as the moment I met her. She takes one last sniffle, and she says, “I love you.”

“I love you,” I say back, holding her tight.

I lay her back down softly on the bed. I think we’ve finished, so I lay beside her. She instantly turn
s to me and holds me. I hold her like this until we eventually fall asleep. After all we’ve been through, with everything out in the open, I believe that we will make it. I love her, and I’m not afraid to say that now.

We’ve been through so much already, and I’m finally ready to begin
living the rest of my life with her. I will never do anything ever again to make her walk out on me. I must be the luckiest man in existence to have Karina come back into my life after what I did. Hopefully the future won’t be as rocky.

As we lay here, I hear a tapping sound outside my window. It’s beginning to rain.

Act III

                                                       
Chapter 15

The following morning. Friday. I’m awaken by the sound of rain pouring down outside. But it sounds a little louder than it should be, like someone has turned the volume up on the rain. I roll over, and I notice Karina leaning on the windowsill, arms on the flat surface, looking out the open window. Her hand moves up toward her mouth, a cigarette held between her fingers as she takes a drag. Then I witness Karina taking a deep breath before she exhales the smoke. She looks over at me and sees that I am awake. “Good morning,” she offers.

“Good morning,” I return. “I thought you quit.” She’s never explicitly said that she had quit, but I haven’t seen her with one the entire time we’ve been dating. I just assumed that she’d given it up. The next thought that immediately came to mind was the situation in which some people smoke a cigarette after having sex. Either way, she must know that I don’t really care for it.

“Well, I’ve cut back. I still have one from time to time. I didn’t realize you hadn’t noticed.” She takes a final drag before flicking it out the window. Still facing me, she moves her lips to the side of her face to blow the smoke in the direction of the open window.

Afterwards, she closes the window and comes back to bed, as I figure out what to say next. Karina looks like she wants to go back to sleep, so I didn’t say anything. There isn’t much sun out right now, the clouds are all gray. I think it might rain for some time, if not all day. It hasn’t rained in a long time, so it’s probably a good thing. It’s been hot t
his whole summer and I was afraid the city was going to enter a drought. Rain makes people stay inside for the most part. I’m not sure if Karina will want to go out today, but that’s okay. Our newly rekindled relationship should have time to heal.

On
e of my favorite things to do on a rainy day is watch movies, particularly scary ones. The rain provides a lot to the atmosphere, sometimes making those movies feel a lot more realistic. Maybe Karina would like to do that later on. For now, I don’t think I can go back to sleep, so I stay up for a minute, thinking about what to do.

I could lie here and wait for Karina to wake back up, but there’s no telling how long that could be. Hours, maybe. I don’t want to wait that long. I could get up and make breakfast, and wake up Karina, sort of how she did for me. But my cooking skills aren’t anything compared to Karina’s. She might think of it as a lovely gesture, and maybe even chuckle at my attempt, but still, I don’t want to mess up the kitchen this early in the morning. But what else is there to do?

Maybe I could read a book. That always kills time. I have some books in storage that I haven’t read in forever. I might have a few horror novels which might be great to read right now that it’s raining. But what else? I could listen to music. I haven’t really been listening to very much lately. Maybe I could on my laptop and look for new music. While I’m at it, I could watch funny videos or something. I heard some people get lost for hours going through dozens of viral videos. That’s about how much time I have.

But I don’t feel like doing that either. I’m just trying to find ways to distract myself from what I’ve actually been thinking about, beginning last night, right after Karina and I made love. I should probably take a walk in the rain while I think it over. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. I have an umbrella I could take as well, so I might as well be all set. I sit up in bed, still naked, somehow I had forgotten. When Karina was standing at the window earlier, she was wearing nothing but her
panties. It didn’t even register with me that she was topless. I had just barely woken up, still a little groggy, while most of my attention was on the fact that she was smoking. I turn my head to see Karina has fallen back asleep, her body snuggled up underneath the covers. Oh how I want to put my arms around her and hold her tight.

I get up, throw on some clothes, and go into my closet for a jacket. I try to remember where my umbrella is, probably in my other room somewhere. When I find it, after rummaging through some clutter, I go back into the living room, taking one last look at Karina before I leave. Hopefully, she doesn’t wake up while I’m gone. I’d hate to make her think that I’ve left her. But she is in my apartment, so she knows I’ll be back.

I go into the hallway, locking the door right after stepping out. As I begin to walk, I immediately stop. There is something off, something confusing. The hallway is looks a lot longer than normal. Since my room is the last room at one end of the wall, I turn around to see the wall behind me. It looks the same. I turn back around, and the hallway still looks longer than it should be. There is a window at the end of the hall, which is normal.

I walk towards it, and the window seems to be getting no closer to me as I continue to walk. About three-fourths of the way there, I stop. I turn around to see the distance I’ve walked so far.
This is about the distance where the hallway should end. Confused, I turn back around once again to find myself standing no more than three feet from the window, while the rain outside beats down on it.

It’s too early in the morning to be starting this. I’ve just got too many things on my mind right now, and it’s making me see things. I don’t want to pay it any mind, so I proceed to make my way down the stairs until I reach the lobby. There, I get read to open m
y umbrella before going out the front door of the building. The rain isn’t too hard when I step outside, but it is showering. I look up, and I see the sky is nothing but one giant wall of gray.

I make it about one block when I begin thinking about what I came out here to think about. Karina. We’ve been through all of these stages and we have survived them all. I’m so nervous to say it, yet alone think it. We’ve only been dating for a little over two months, but I have never been so sure if anything, and I think Karina feels the same way. We love each other. And I want to marry her.

Of course, that’s just the way I feel right now. I don’t think or even believe Karina has ever been asked the question. I’m not sure how she’d handle it. Maybe she’ll think I’m moving too fast, in which case, she’d probably be right. We should perhaps give ourselves more time. It’s not like I’m planning on asking her as soon as I get back to my apartment. I haven’t even looked for a ring. Maybe it’s too soon for me to be doing that as well.

I must have been thinking too hard, because I’ve just stepped into a puddle of rain. I instantly back up, shaking my foot the way a wet dog would. I think I feel like taking a shower anyway, so I should probably be heading back.

For fun, I take out my cell phone and search for engagement rings. Karina has told me she is more of a fan of silver, and that she loves diamonds. What girl doesn’t love diamonds? I also know that her favorite color is purple, so I might be able to find something with amethyst. After a minute, I think it is becoming too forward of me to even be looking for engagement rings. However, I do feel like I should get her something. I’ve been thinking about getting her something since the moment we began dating, so maybe now is the time for that. I think she might like a necklace. Some are very nice, as well as pricy, but I believe Karina is worth every penny I spend. I might go to a jewelry store later on, oh I can’t wait to surprise her. With today being Friday, we could go out and she wouldn’t even suspect the slightest thing. Today already sounds like a plan.

I wipe my shoes on the doormat before walking back inside the building. I think a walk was just what I needed to get my mind clear, even though I was out for only fifteen minutes. This time, I take the elevator back up to my floor. I could have taken it down, but I had strayed too far away from it, chasing the end of the hallway earlier. I had gotten close to the stairs, so I we
nt ahead and took them instead.

When I got into the elevator, I pushed three, then watched the doors closed. I stood there, just waiting, feeling the elevator rise higher. But after a moment or two, it felt like I was rising higher than I should. The light at the top, above the door, lit up the number one, then barely lit up the number two. Still, this is taking longer than it should. I feel like I’m going all the way to the top floor of the empire state building.

Then, the light goes to three, and the elevator stops. But the doors don’t open. I stand there, facing the door, waiting, giving an expression on my face that says, “Come on.” The doors finally open, and I step out, feeling a year older. This isn’t the third floor. The doors close behind me as I stand in a hall that looks unfamiliar. The lighting is the same, just as it would be on my floor, but everything is different. The furniture is different, there are different paintings on the wall, and the tiles on the floor are different. At least the hallway is the length it should be.

I couldn’t have pushed another button, I even watched as the light lit up three. I stand, puzzled, wondering what to do. The elevator might just be broken and have taken me to the
wrong floor. I guess I could go back into the elevator and try pushing another floor, or I could make use of the stairs again.

Just then, I hear a door open on the other end of the hall. An old man with a fedora and a cane walks out, and begins walking towards me, surely about to use the elevator. I walk step by step towards him and say, “Sir? Hi, can you tell me what floor this is?”

“Oh, sure,” he says, offering a kind smile. “This is the ninth floor.”

“Thanks,” I offer. “Are you about to get on the elevator?”

“Yes,” he answers in a way that makes it sound like he thinks something’s wrong. “Why?”

“Well it’s just that I was trying to ge
t off on the third floor and it brought me up here instead,” I explain.

“That is strange,” he agrees, “but I have to use it anyway. I’d rather fidget with the elevator several times rather than go down the stairs, if you know what I mean.”

“Of course,” I tell him. “I guess I’ll give it another shot, too.” The elevator doors open immediately after he pushes the button to summon it. We go inside, and I notice the light above the door is on nine now. “It looks like it’s working now,” I say. “Are you going to the first floor?”

“Yes, thank you,” he says. I push one and three, then the doors close. As we’re riding down, the man decides to start conversing with me. “You don’t happen to be Tom’s son, do you?”

I turn my head and say, “I’m sorry, I don’t know anyone named Tom.”

The old man looks straight ahead at the door. “Well you look just like him,” he mutters. The bell dings when it
reaches the third floor.

“Alright, you have a good day, sir,” I say, exiting the elevator.

The door was closing as he replied back, “You too, Luke.”

I spun around, but the door was already closed. How did he know my name? I didn’t tell him my name. I’ve never even met him before. Maybe he knows me from some place or something. I stare confusingly at the elevator before I shrug it off. I am on the right floor this time, so I go back into my room, setting the umbrella down by the door.

I quietly close the door in case Karina is still sleeping. When I make way my way to the arch, I peek in and see Karina still asleep. Right about now, I feel like I could use a shower. I pick out some fresh clothes and go into my bathroom. Hopefully, the shower won’t be too loud and wake Karina up.

During the middle of my shower, I hear the door open. I must’ve woken up Karina. “Karina, is that you?” I call out. The curtain is pulled open, and Karina is standing there naked, climbing into the shower with me. “Good morning,” I say, with a pleasant morning smile. This would be the first time Karina and I have showered together, obviously,
since last night was the first time we’ve seen each other completely naked.

Karina doesn’t say a word, but instead begins kissing me. We make out in the shower, which I believe is hotter than the water itself. But before I know it, Karina drops down to her knees and holds onto my waist while she moves her head back and forth, making me grow to my fullest length. I’ve told her before that she didn’t have to do this, that I didn’t want her to. But it feels so good, I can’t find it in me to tell her to stop. I shut my eyes as I reluctantly enjoy it.

Karina will only become embarrassed if I tell her to stop now. But damn, does she do it well. I don’t know how close she is to finishing, but I know I’m just about there. But before I arrive, I feel a rush of blood race to my head. Then I breathe out, and I don’t feel anything anymore. My eyes are still closed, so I think she might have just stood back up. I open my eyes to see her, but she’s gone.

She’s not in the bathtub with me, so I pull back the curtain to see she’s not even in the bathroom. The door is closed, and I’m alone in the whole room. She felt so real, like she was right here. I need to get a grip, or I’m going to go insane. Too much shit has already happened today, and it’s still only morning.

I finish my shower, trying to keep as much of a sane mind as possible. When I’m done, I dry myself off and put my clothes on. Stepping back out into the living room, I can see Karina still lying in bed. She must be better rested than I am. When we come back later on, I think I’m going to need a nap.

Walking into my bedroom, I hear Karina make a sound in her sleep. It sounded like she might have been talking in her sleep. I continue to put on
my deodorant and fix my hair. Then I hear Karina making more noises. I turn my head to look at her, noticing that she is tossing and turning. Maybe now would be a good time to wake her up. I walk over to her side of the bed, as she continues to produce vocalizations that I am unable to comprehend.