Saturday, March 04, 2006
Full Moon, Part Two
On the morning of the Lunar New Year, I stirred awake as light hit my eyes with a snap. K was pulling back the curtains. Birds were chirping, the smell of eggs filled my nostrils and my head felt as if it was filled with lead.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and watched him as he shuffled back to the stove. "How do you like your eggs?" he murmured, his voice as thick as clotted cream.
"Scrambled." He handed me a cup of tea, his eyes lowered. Did he remember what happened last night? Did he feel guilty? And, most important, could things be different between us?
I was so relieved to know nothing physical had happened--but at the same time, angry because of his words. No one had ever spoken to me that way before. I was also disappointed in myself for going home with him. When did I become this doormat?
We ate and watched television in silence for two hours. I purposely left my glasses on and didn't brush my teeth. Finally, just as I was going to make up an excuse about my roommate getting kidnapped by North Koreans, his phone rang.
"The
"I'll go," I said, reaching for my backpack and pulling out my toothbrush.
"Wait, you don't even know what it is. It's--"
"I'll be ready in twenty minutes!"
I'd met NYer on New Year's Eve and again last night. He was tall, with a bird's nest of brown hair and eyes as clear as glass. A former freelance photographer, he was teaching in Seoul to raise money so he could attend grad school in California. I was smitten from the moment we'd discussed Hemingway over cheap champagne and chocolate chip pancakes.
He was pulling on a pair of patched jeans when K and I entered his room. "How was last night?" he asked as K left to talk to a woman in the hall.
I stared at my sneakers. "How was yours?"
"This girl tried to hook me up with her gay friend. When they found out I was straight, she began hitting on me." He grinned sheepishly. I melted.
"Anyway," he added, "thanks for going to this museum with us. K will probably sit in a corner and fall asleep. He's not interested in cultural stuff like you."
He leaned in, whispering. "Most westerners only want to hit the bars and pick up women. It gets boring after a while, you know?"
"Yeah," I whispered back. "But you're different."
A blonde in a red teddy wandered in, shaking out her hair. She briefly took me in before throwing herself on the bed and smirking at him. He gave her a small smile and shook his head before pouring her a cup of coffee.
"So you and K are together?" she asked, watching NYer over her cup as she sipped.
"No, but she molested me last night," K said, joining us. He threw an arm over my shoulder. I ducked and edged towards the door. "Don't let her mousy appearance fool you. She's a wildcat in the sack."
NYer threw me a wry look. "Happy Lunar New Year," he said.
Pia at 10:10 AM
1 Comments
-
at 10:26 AM
Kevin Sole said... I still don't like him. *grr*
But NYer sounds nice. I've had people assume I was gay... but even then, they weren't trying to set me up with anyone. :p
Reminds me though, I still need to work on centering your blog. You were supposed to remind me! I warned you!
:)
