Chapter Four: A terrible excuse
854 Words
Joshua’s POV
The problem with making bad decisions is that sometimes they don't feel like bad decisions until later.
I was standing outside Symphony's salon for the second time in two days.
I looked at the glass entrance from my car then at the salon.
And thought to myself, maybe I should leave.
Unfortunately, curiosity and common sense had never been friends.
I was walking through the door, five minutes later.
The bell chimed and Symphony looked up from behind the counter.
For the first time since meeting her, she looked genuinely surprised.
"You came back."
I pointed at her immediately.
"Don't start."
She smiled and said "Start what?"
"The fortune teller behavior."
"I told you that you'd come back."
"You also called me late."
“I can swear i didn’t call you” she replied
"Oh really, i must have been dreaming then"
She bursted into laughter.
And I loved seeing her that way.
The salon wasn't busy today.
Only one customer sat near the window scrolling through her phone while waiting for her appointment.
Symphony closed the notebook in front of her.
"So, what brings you here?"
I had absolutely no answer and she noticed.
The fun in her eyes made it worse.
I shouted "Oh my God."
"What?"
"You don't know."
"I know."
"You really don't."
"Fine." she sighed.
"I was nearby."
"Lie."
"I was."
"Joshua." she called my name like she was about to punch me.
I giggled and said "Okay, maybe I wasn't."
"That's better."
The customer by the window suddenly snorted.
Traitor.
I looked at her.
She immediately pretended to be interested in her phone.
Coward.
Symphony was trying very hard not to laugh.
Unfortunately, she failed.
"You drove all the way here because you were bored?"
"That sounds bad when you say it out loud."
"Because it is bad."
I rubbed my forehead.
"This conversation is going terribly."
"It really is."
The funny thing was that I didn't even mind.
Some minutes later, her customer was called into another section of the salon.
The whole place became quiet.
Symphony sat on a stool behind the counter and I took the chair opposite her.
Neither of us seemed interested in ending the conversation.
"Busy day?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Three meetings."
"Important?"
"Unfortunately."
She tilted her head.
"What exactly do you do?"
"Investment company."
"That sounds serious."
"It mostly involves people arguing over money."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It pays well."
"Ah."
I pointed at her.
"See? That reaction."
"What reaction?"
"The one where you suddenly understand why I'm always stressed."
It all felt like she was getting comfortable around me.
"You know," she said, "when I first saw you, I thought you were going to be rude."
I looked offended.
"I'm delightful."
"You walked into my salon looking like you hated humanity."
"That was Vanessa's fault."
The words slipped out of my mouth.
Symphony's expression changed.
The teasing disappeared.
"Bad day?"
"Bad year."
She nodded slowly.
I didn't mind telling her things and I don’t know why.
I usually kept people at a distance.
Especially after Vanessa.
But talking to Symphony felt easy.
She rested her chin on her palm.
"You loved her."
It wasn't a question.
I looked away for a moment.
"Yeah."
The answer felt lighter now than it had a few months ago.
Maybe because I was finally starting to accept what happened.
Or maybe because for the first time in a long time, somebody else was taking up space in my head.
The thought made me glance back at Symphony.
She was already looking at me.
We both stared at each other for a long time. Then her stomach loudly.
I laughed.
Symphony covered her face.
"No."
"Oh yes."
"No."
"You haven't eaten?."
"This is embarrassing." She groaned.
I was still laughing when I stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"To solve a problem."
"What problem?"
"You."
Ten minutes later, I returned carrying sandwiches and two coffees.
The look on her face was worth every second.
"You actually came back."
"You sound surprised."
"I thought you were joking."
"I'm very committed to unnecessary things."
Neither of us noticed how much time passed after that after the whole eating and conversations.
Not until the sun disappeared.
Symphony stared through the front windows.
"You okay?" I asked
She blinked and then smiled.
"Yeah."
I didn’t really believe her but I forced myself to.
And somehow that felt like progress between the both of us.
I glanced at my watch and stood up.
“I should probably leave before my friend Daniel starts a missing person investigation.”
“That’s probably wise.” she said laughing
I grabbed my jacket from the back of the chair.
Then my phone buzzed.
It was Daniel of course.
I answered immediately.
“What?”
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
There was a strange pause.
Then Daniel spoke again.
“Joshua, do you know a woman called Symphony?”
Every part of my body went still.
I turned slowly toward her.
She was already staring at me.
And for the first time since meeting her, Symphony looked scared.
- Writer
