Bahar (trans: outside)

After The Kiss, Alex and I quickly got our food and tried to pay for it but Maria and Clara wouldn’t hear of it and left after finally giving up. Since Alex had also taken a cab to the flower shop we decided to take my cab, which was still waiting outside to the apartment. The cabbie looked up from his newspaper and saw me coming with Alex and jumped out to help us with the flowers and the bags of food. He recognized Alex and said “Ke haal ya? Kithe rehnda va hoon tu? Tere mummy daddy na hoon kady nahe vakiya (How are you son? Where have you been? I haven’t seen you with your parents much lately?)”

“Me theek ya uncle ji, tu se kanj? Me kaam kar da wa downtown vich ase laye me ithe rahnda wa (I’m fine. How are you? I work in downtown so I’m living here instead of living at home)” Alex said

“Theek ya. Hoon daso kithe jana (ok. Now where are you two going?)” the cabbie said

Alex and I had decided to get dropped off at a beach a few blocks away from his apartment because we didn’t want to give the cabbie the wrong idea. We both knew that if the cabbie dropped us off at Alex’s appt building, it would be all over Seattle in a matter of hours that Alex and I were “in love” or dating and that I was going to Alex’s apartment along with him. People would take it all the wrong way and my reputation and the reputation of my parents would be tinged.

We told him the address and the cabbie pulled away and started driving while at the same time peppering Alex and occasionally me with questions. It was almost a relief when he finally pulled up the beach and Alex and I could get out. After getting all our things together, Alex got out his wallet to pay, by Sulkhan Uncle (the cabbie) shook his head and said we didn’t owe him anything. Alex and Sulkhan Uncle argued for a few minutes but Sulkhan uncle would not take the money no matter what we said. We finally gave up and said thank you and Sulkhan Uncle got back into the cab and left.

Alex and I started to walk towards his apartment, taking about everything and anything under the sun other than the kiss. It seemed like both of us were pretending for now that The Kiss hadn’t happened. When we finally got to this apartment, Alex took the bags of food I held and handed me the flowers. We both headed into the kitchen so he could heat the food and I could grab a vase for the flowers. Even though this visit was the first time I had been in his apartment, we moved like we had been doing this forever. As I arranged the flowers and grabbed the dishes, I kept thinking how natural it left. I didn’t feel like I had to pretend to be more talkative then I really am and the silence was comfortable and natural.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I realized Alex had said something to me. “Sorry, I was spacing. What did you say” I asked

He laughed and repeated “do you want to eat at the table or on the terrace”

“Like that’s a serious question. The terrace, of course. It’s sunny and beautiful for once in Seattle and the view is gorgeous” I said as I grabbed everything I had set out and headed outside

Alex followed me with the food and then went back inside to grab drinks. “Are you going back to work” I asked as I started helping myself to the delicious food.

“No” he said “I told my secretary a couple weeks ago when I found out that you were coming, to not schedule any appointments after 12 today”

I smiled at him and we started eating and talking. When we were both done with the food that was better than I remembered it, we silently cleared the table and put the few dishes me had in the dishwasher.

Without any discussion both of us headed outside again and sat on the oversize outdoor chair/couch instead of the table. I got up a moment later and went to lean on the railing and looked at the view of the sound. A moment later I felt Alex come and stand beside me and when he rested his arms to either side of me on the railing, I leaned my head back into his chest and we stood silently staring out at the water which was glittering in the sun like it was made of diamonds.

I don’t know how long we stood there before I turned around so my back was against the railing and I was facing Alex. He looked down at my face and smiled and I felt the troop of butterflies in my stomach start doing the salsa again. I reached up and touched his hair, warm from the early spring sun. I smiled at him and gently pulled his head down until I could reach up and press my lips to his. The kiss seemed to go on and on again until I finally stepped back and put my head against his chest, breathing hard.

A moment later I felt Alex moving and stepped back when he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the chair. He sat down first and then gently pulled me down until I was half on his lap and half on the chair. When we were finally settled on the chair he looked at me and said “every kiss that we’ve had until now, I’ve let you start. I think it’s time I caught up” and then tilted my face to his and leaned into kiss me…