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Aside from Ned, the small balcony in the back was my favorite part of my apartment. By balcony, I meant fire escape, but it served the same purpose—a chance to be outside and feel the world turning around me. Today, it was too cold to sit out there, but on most days, that was where I relaxed. I brought my laptop with me and pulled up Netflix, or sometimes, I just observed people moving about in the neighborhood behind my building. It was peaceful, as was the knowledge that I could sprint down those stairs should I need to. Not the best way to live, but it could have been worse. I knew. I’d seen worse. Shrugging off my coat, I headed straight for the shower to wash away the nasty residue that clung to me from class—both sweat and fear—though one was far easier to be rid of than the other. The memory that had resurfaced during class left an oily smudge in my mind; a greasy imprint that wouldn’t wash away no matter how hard I tried to distract myself. Between losing myself in the memory and my accidental admission to Tamir, it hadn’t been my finest evening but berating myself wouldn’t help. Even if I’d stirred Tamir’s curiosity, nothing would come of it. By the time I saw him again, I would have fortified my walls and made sure nothing further slipped past my defenses. If I had any luck at all, he would write me off as mildly unstable and lose interest in me entirely. It wasn’t likely, but a girl could hope. OceanofPDF.com Chapter 2 Tamir “I can’t imagine anyone will show up. We should have nearly a foot of snow by the time class ends. Most of the city has already shut down for the night,” Matthew noted, his voice crackling over the phone line. Bad connection. The day before had been cold, but now the city was feeling the full effects of the storm. The winds had started raging a couple of hours before, and snow fell in heavy flakes that blanketed everything in sight. “I’m sure you’re right. If anyone happens to show up, I’ll let them know class is canceled.” I lived in the apartment above the studio, which made me the most logical person to be there during a snowstorm. The location of my apartment and my extra duties weren’t coincidental; that’s how Matthew paid me. He got to step away from the studio and focus on his family, and I got a roof over my head in a respectable part of town. Not that I couldn’t afford my own place, but this made everything simpler. No paycheck. No taxes. No trail. It was an ideal arrangement for me. “Sounds good. We’ll see how the night goes and chat in the morning about tomorrow’s classes. Stay inside. It’s cold as hell out there.” “You don’t have to tell me twice. Talk to you tomorrow.” “Night, man.” I ended the call and slipped the phone into my back pocket before taking the stairs down to the studio. The lights were still on from my earlier classes, but the warmth created by exercising bodies had already fled the building. I figured I’d wait at the desk to inform any students who hadn’t seen our email that class had been canceled. I could have simply put a note on the front door and shut down, but I had nothing better to do, so I planted myself at the desk and pulled my phone back out. I didn’t even have a chance to check the updated forecast when the glass door plowed open and a snow-covered woman bounded inside. Her back was to me as she dusted off the snow, but I knew who it was the second she swept her hood off to reveal jet black hair pulled back in a high ponytail. It reminded me of the sleek black feathers of a raven, glossy and deceptive to the eye. Most women I encountered were fairly straightforward creatures. They valued personal relationships above most aspects in life, and therefore, put an abundance of value in honesty and appearances. Phones and social media were a staple in their lives in order to maintain those personal connections, and they rarely left the house without a coat of lipstick in case they saw someone they knew. Their mindset was often entirely focused on pleasing the people around them. Nothing was wrong with that orientation, but I found myself unable to relate. Emily was different. I knew so because as often as she found herself watching me, I studied her just as intently. Unlike her, I’d had years to master my skills of observation. She had no idea she’d even registered on my radar, but she’d piqued my interest from the moment she first slipped into the back of my class. It quickly became clear that she didn’t talk with others out of a desire to connect. She did it out of obligation, only engaging in minimal conversations to maintain propriety. When she did speak up, she didn’t seem particularly shy or introverted, so why the reluctance to form attachments to the people she saw on a daily basis? I rarely found myself curious about a woman, yet the sensation was a welcome reprieve from the monotony of everyday life. Emily slaked the boredom, and in response, I found myself drawn to her. Observing her. Dissecting her every action. She stilled as she lifted her head and realized the studio was empty. Slowly, she spun around to find me staring at her from behind the desk. Her eyes rounded with surprise, making her look even younger than she already was. The brief glimpse past her carefully constructed walls only lasted a second before she regained her bearings, and her stoic mask, once again, slipped back into place. “Were classes canceled?” she asked, an octave or so higher than her normal sultry tone. She didn’t intentionally use her voice in a s****l manner, but the natural base and gravel to an otherwise female voice was inescapably seductive. It made me glad she didn’t say a lot in class—a voice like that could distract a man to the point of madness. “Yeah, Matthew sent out emails, but we knew there was a chance not everyone would receive them.” “I came straight from work, sorry. Not that I check my email anyway.” She gave an impish smile. “Not a problem. That’s why I’m here.” Her brows pursed as she scrutinized the empty room. “Well, if you were going to be here, why didn’t we just have class?” Her question could have been deemed argumentative, but when her eyes drifted back to mine, I could tell she was simply curious. Those dark depths contained no malice or irritation.
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