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“Easier said than done,” he breathed out. As soon as those words left his mouth, he looked down at mine and softly smiled. “By the way… After you and I hung up from talking on the phone last night, when I was brushing my teeth, I took a closer look at myself in the mirror because I noticed my lips were sparkly. Your gloss was all over them.”
“Oh shit. I did not even notice that before you left my house. I was, I guess, just so caught up in everything.”
“I know. Me too. And I’ll tell you again that I don’t mind your lip gloss being on me. Do you see my struggle going on here?”
I nodded yes. “I’m just as conflicted about things as you are.”
“I keep teetering back and forth. One minute, I regret taking things as far as I did with you, but then I don’t regret it. But then I do again. I just want you and me to be like we were before that first kiss happened: two people with a whole lot in common who enjoy each other’s company.”
“Our commonalities will always be there and I’ll always enjoy your company, Zac.”
The words between us stopped and we stared into each other’s eyes. I could feel myself wanting to give in to him again. So much, I wanted to tell him that I didn’t mean what I’d said last night. I really did wantthis—I wanted to have an affair. I wanted any pieces of Zac and his life he could give to me because even in the smallest of pieces lay such treasures.
The doors began opening on one of the elevators, instantly snapping the two of us back into the reality of where we were standing, how close we’d gravitated toward each other while talking, as well as the way we were looking at each other. Zac quickly took a step away from me as four people began exiting the elevator.
“Are you getting on?” he asked me.
I nodded and stepped into the empty space. Zac was right behind me but no one was behind him. It was just the two of us alone again, standing side by side this time. We both reached for the control panel and our hands brushed one another. I pulled mine back and so did Zac, and then I looked up at him. The corners of his mouth were curled up.
“Go ahead,” he said, nodding toward the panel.
“Which floor?”
“Sixth.”
After pushing the sixth-floor button, I pushed the fourth and watched the elevator doors start closing.
“I have something for you,” Zac said, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to me. “I was hoping I’d get to see you today or sometime this week so I could give it to you.
As soon as I unfolded the paper and saw what was on it, I pressed it against my chest. It was a picture of a mermaid with long blond hair, a black bikini top and a blue tail. Malcolm had made this for me and he’d written his name at the bottom. I couldn’t get over the detail of the mermaid nor the fact that Zac’s mini-me was already able to write his name.
“I absolutely love this,” I said, looking back at Zac. “This picture is going on the front of my refrigerator as soon as I get home today.”
He smiled so big and the usual happened: his eyes squinted and crinkled around the corners, and that dimple in his right cheek appeared. I wanted to touch it with my fingertip like I did in my swimming pool yesterday but made myself hold back.
“After Malcolm and I got home last night, he told me that he wanted to color a picture for you. He didn’t want any of his coloring books, though. He asked me for a sheet of paper, so I got it for him and then the two of us sat down at our breakfast table and I watched him draw and color that for you.”
“And also write his name.”
“Yes.”
“He’s so gifted.”
“I know. He’s obviously a child, but there are times when he reminds me of an old man. It’s like he’s got an old soul and it comes out in the random things that he says and does. He’s way beyond his years.”
“I agree,” I said, looking at Malcolm’s drawing again. “This is really special. Please tell him that I said thank you and also that I love his picture.”
“I will.”
The elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors opened. There wasn’t anyone waiting on the other side. It was still just Zac and me. I stepped off and then turned around to look at him again. When the doors started to close, he pushed the open button on the panel but kept his arm up. I couldn’t see what he was doing now but my guess was that he had his finger pressed against the hold button.
“Don’t you need to go up two more floors?” I asked.
“Yes, but it can wait.” He searched my eyes, looked down at my lips again, and then went lower—all the way down to my feet and back up. “What you’re wearing today looks really nice on you,” he went on to say.
I had on a navy blue suit with a beige silk blouse underneath the jacket. My skirt skimmed the tops of my knees and my beige high heels matched my blouse.
“Thank you.”
