Silence filled the studio apartment. Sebastian had paced around the room for hours before leaving only to turn around in the lobby and return. The computer sat idle. Only the desk lamp and a small light in the kitchen provided any aid against the dark night. The phone loomed on the coffee table with Kerry’s note sitting next to it. The words written on the page stared at Sebastian as he paced around the big couch, his eyes darting from the phone to the note and back again.
His mind wandered . . .how could she know, was it that obvious? He remembered clearly the look in her eyes as she handed him the note. He felt a comfort when he was with her that warmed him from the inside out, and yet he could not pull himself to pick-up the phone. The chimes of his clock sang out through the darkness tolling the midnight hour. Sebastian looked out the window and across the city. The snow had stopped, but a thick blanket of white covered the world outside. He sank back into his couch his eyes heavy. Sleep hit him hard and fast.
The shrill tone of his phone broke him from his slumber rudely. Sebastian rubbed his eyes as he sat up, pulling the crick from his neck. The phone continued its abuse on his ears as he leaned forward to pick it up. His hand paused at the handset a moment as his eyes scanned Kerry’s note. His heart skipped a beat, then being restarted by the shrill tone once more.
“Hello.” Sebastian spoke groggily into the phone. A grumpy voice barked back at him. It was his editor, a generally angry man that was almost constantly provoked by Sebastian’s unique ability to just make his deadlines within seconds. His editor continued to heap verbal abuse on Sebastian. Holding the phone out from his ear a few inches, Sebastian slowly got up and moved into the kitchen. He moved about slowly pouring a glass of orange juice and walking back over to his desk.
“5 o’clock this afternoon. You will have the completed work.” Sebastian sleepily placed the phone on his desk and began to look through his creation. His eyes scanned the screen quickly, pausing a couple times to make minor corrections. He sat back in his seat as he read to the end. Only it wasn’t the end. It was simply where he had stopped writing. He placed his fingers on the keys and began to type. He stopped a couple lines in and deleted the words he had just written. Sebastian found himself typing “Kerry” instead of “Elizabeth.” He shook his head and decided he needed his coffee and bagel to help clear his mind and finish his book.
The cold air hit him like a wall as he stepped through the lobby doors onto the sidewalk. There were more people on the sidewalk than normal, but fewer cars and cabs on the still snow covered roads. The bakery at the corner was crowded this morning. People were barking for coffee and confections. Some seemed relaxed and ready to enjoy the day Mother Nature had given; others were thoroughly annoyed with the whole situation.
The little girl behind the counter saw Sebastian sheepishly making his way through the crowd and quickly poured his cup and bagged his bagel. She came around from behind the counter and handed his coffee and bagel to him. Her delicate fingers touched his as she held the cup for him.
“It’s on the house today. See you tomorrow.” She whispered into his ear, before quickly returning to the counter and answering the beckoning calls of the other customers.
Sebastian stood in awe for a moment watching the young woman move quickly efficiently around the counter area. She had a huge smile on her face as she dealt with the nice and equally well with the rude. Sebastian could tell that she was thriving on the pressure and excitement of this mornings rush. He smiled to himself and squeezed his way out of the small bakery and onto the street.
He stood on the corner and looked across to the park. He wondered if on this morning Kerry would go for her run. The wind kicked up a gust of loose snow and Sebastian decided that his coffee and bagel would be better eaten in the comfort of his apartment.
Sebastian returned to his apartment and sat down in front of his computer. He sat quietly drinking his coffee and finishing his bagel. He didn’t type a single character, but looked at the screen every once in a while glancing over his shoulder to look at Kerry’s note still sitting on the coffee table. As he downed the last of his coffee he moved his chair back from the desk toward the table. Reaching out a long arm Sebastian grabbed the note and looked over it once more. His eyes darted around the room.
Quite suddenly he got up from his seat and began to move about the apartment straightening the piles of books and notes. He cleaned the few dishes in the sink and bagged his laundry, tossing it toward the back of his closet. He gave the bathroom a once over. He changed into a fresh pair of jeans and sweater. As he moved about, Sebastian could feel his mood lighten, his energy increased. He walked out across the large room sliding to a stop on his socked feet right in front of the desk and the phone.
He slowly reached forward and picked up the phone and the note. He held the note in one hand looking over it again for the thousandth time. He lifted the phone, punching each digit slowly. He paused before hitting the last number. The note began to shake in his hand; he opened his mouth as his breath shallowed. His eyes darted to the computer screen, the note and back to the phone. Quickly he shut off the phone and sat it down. He paced around the room, crumpling the note in the sweaty palm of his hand. Returning to the desk, he took a deep breath and picked up the phone once more.
Each number press was deliberate. Again he paused before the last digit, his thumb poised over the button ready to send. He stared at the keypad; the numbers seemed to shrink away into tiny dot in front of him. His thumb loomed large over the number, his heart raced. With a deep breath he pressed the key and held the phone to his ear.
The silence gave him time to question his decision and just as he started to pull the phone from his ear he heard the first ring. A soft ring that lasted just the right length. It was actually the same ring he always heard when calling anyone, but somehow this was a different ring, better. The second came, followed by a third. Sebastian began to panic. What if her machine picked up? He hadn’t considered that possibility, he was at a loss. What message would he leave?
“Hello?” Kerry’s soft voice calmly interrupted the fourth ring.
Her gentle voice snapped Sebastian from his spiral of panic and into a whole new level of anxiety. His heart leaped into his throat and cut of the flow of air to both his brain and his vocal chords. “Ehem . . . Hello, Kerry?”
“Yes?”
“Uhm hi, uh this is Sebastian, from last night?” He stuttered his words coming slowly.
“Of course! I was hoping you would call. I didn’t go for my run today, and was just thinking about you sitting on your bench. Did you go to the park?” He could hear the smile in her voice.
