by Michael Vu
On the way to the train station, Cookie noted how lovely Chloe was.
“She is pretty. I like Chloe.”
“Chloe is sweet.”
“So what is she doing with you?”
Cookie nudged Noah’s arm with his shoulder. The two had a chuckle.
“Do you think you guys will get married? Have children? She seems really into you. A little too clingy for me.”
“I think if you could, you’d settle for anyone. But, I’m not sure. We’ve talked about marriage, kids, and a big house. I mean, when I think about it, she would make the perfect companion. She’s pretty, smart, fun to be with. I know she would make a good mother.”
“But?”
“But, I don’t know, she’s also a really good friend to me. I guess there’s just this something I am looking for in her that I am missing.” A few thoughts passed through Noah’s mind. He asked: “Hey do you remember Elizabeth Little by chance?”
Cookie and Noah land in the West Village. They bar hopped for a bit. Cookie had a lot of drinks. For a man his size, Noah did not expect him to be able to put away so many drinks without showing its effect. Cookie said he drank often with friends in the Chicago area, where he resided. He still hung out with people from school.
Noah mentioned a few names and, through Cookie, was able to be reacquainted with friends he grew up with. They talked about their episodes with Scottie, Randy, and Rob. It comforted Noah to know that each was still misbehaving in some fashion back at home.
Cookie slammed his empty beer glass down. He appeared ready for another round. It was Noah’s turn to buy. He took the empty glasses to the bar, and attempted to wave over the bar man when he noticed at the opposite end a familiar face: It was Mitchell Schlossberg.
Noah watched him for a bit. He recognized the man’s mannerisms, his charming smile and cheerful expressions. A blonde woman took a seat next to him. Noah could only see the back of her head, but recognized her as the woman with Mitchell in Union Square! Oh the nerve!
The bar man filled two empty glasses full of beer. Noah paid, took the two glasses and walked towards Mitchell. This was it! He was going to confront the man. He would give him an earful and declare his love to Elizabeth at once!
“Mitchell! Mitchell!”
Mitchell turned his attention away from the woman to Noah. He smiled.
“Noah!”
“Mitchell, I got you…” as Noah started to say this, he recognized the blonde woman to be Elizabeth. “Elizabeth! It’s you!”
“Yes, who were you expecting silly?” said Elizabeth with a loud laugh.
Mitchell turned his eyes down with embarrassment.
“Elizabeth what are you doing here?”
“We’re having a drink silly. We just got back from dinner. Mitchell wanted a drink before heading to the theater. What are you doing here? Is Chloe with you? Where is she?”
As Elizabeth looked around the bar for Chloe, Cookie approached from behind her shoulder. He tapped it.
“Cookie! Is that you?” Elizabeth jumped out her chair and hugged Cookie. She was much, much taller than he was. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m visiting Noah for a few days. How have you been? We haven’t talked since high school. You look so great! It’s so cool that you two are out here in New York now.” Cookie turned his attention away from Elizabeth and looked at Mitchell. “Hi, I’m Cookie.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Mitchell Schlossberg. Cookie? That’s a cool name. How did you get it?”
“Well, when I was six my brothers made fun of me because I was so short. To tell you the truth, I obviously haven’t grown much since,” said Cookie cheerfully. “But anyways, at our grocery store, they placed the chocolate cookies we liked on the lower shelves. My brothers used to make me get them. They would say, ‘Cookie, get the Cookies.’ And then they would hit me in the face.”
The group laughed. Mitchell said:
“Well, let’s pull up a few chairs shall we?”
Noah watched Elizabeth. He watched her so intently that Elizabeth was able to catch his gaze. She did not seem to be harmed or threatened by the forwardness of his eyes. She merely accepted it as a compliment in the form of a smile. Her confidence was boasted as the night progressed, and along with alcohol mixed in her system, Elizabeth became more vocal and flirtatious.
Noah was a bit agitated. He felt let down. Why couldn’t Mitchell be with another woman? He was a liar, a cheat, and the truth needed to come out. Tonight, would have been a perfect opportunity.
Elizabeth tossed her hair. The blonde pieces of hair flew in the air like golden strings dancing with another. Her neck was open. Noah thought he jump out of his seat and attack her skin with his lips. He also thought he had too much to drink. He tried to look away from Elizabeth.
But he could not help his eyes, which casted on her frequently. She wore a tight black dress. Her long legs were revealed. Noah imagined his fingertips scrolling up her legs towards her upper body. Why couldn’t he feel this way about Chloe? Why was it so difficult to be truthful to this beautiful creature?
His mouth may have betrayed his thoughts, but at this moment, his eyes spoke of the truth. And he didn’t care if anyone saw him, especially Mitchell Schlossberg. Perhaps, with the alcohol lurking now in his blood, he had an excuse to be forthcoming.
“Are you seeing anyone Cookie?” said Elizabeth interrupting Noah’s thoughts.
“I was.”
“What happened with that anyways? The one in her early forties, right?” asked Noah.
“Yeah, Mary. Well, she caught me with her mother. I have a thing for older women. For me, they just get better with age. Please don’t judge me.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Elizabeth was dressed for a night out. She was putting the final touches on her face in the bedroom mirror. She picked up her purse and shouted:
“Mitchell are you ready? We better hurry if we want to get dinner and make it to the theater on time.”
Mitchell came out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a grey suit, white shirt, but was not wearing a tie. The top button on his white shirt was left open.
“Yes. Let’s go my queen.”
Elizabeth did not like it when Mitchell called her this. She reserved that calling for only one person; and this one person was not Mitchell.
They ate dinner in the West Village. Mitchell had roast chicken and vegetables, and two glasses of beer while Elizabeth feasted on a vegetable omelet. She was not a big meat eater. It grew in her mind that eating another’s flesh was unethical. She had considered for several years to give up meat all together. It nerved her to think what toxins she consumed. It also bothered her to learn how much damage meat consumption had on the planet from transporting the animals.
“My queen, will you have some chicken. You are all skin and bones lately.”
Elizabeth was a thin woman. The flesh against her skin, particularly in the face, allowed the lining of her bone structure to show. She was blessed with fine jaw line that assisted her high cheekbones. The older she became, the less resemblance she had with her sister still living at home.
It was not uncommon for Elizabeth to receive stares. With age came experience and more beauty. Elizabeth received all the attention without the slightest sign of acceptance. It made her indifferent.
“What do you say about that quick drink after this my pretty lady?”
At the bar, Mitchell ordered two drinks. As the bar man was making this, Elizabeth excused herself to powder her cheeks in the ladies room.
On her way back to the bar, men around the room watched her glide across the room. She moved her long legs with ease; her posture was not perfectly aligned, but this imperfection seemed to only add more attention towards her. The black dress she wore hugged her thin body; it showcased her body’s assets.
She sat with Mitchell and sipped her martini. And then to her surprise, she heard a familiar voice. She turned to see Noah approaching with gazing and judgmental
eyes. He looked lovely and the sight of him made Elizabeth’s heart pound profusely. Hers thoughts wandered around Noah until an old friend appeared.
As she listened to Cookie speak, she could feel eyes all over her. But these eyes were different; these eyes gave her a certain type of attention she craved and was happy to be consumed by. Elizabeth, without being conscious of it, flipped her long blonde hair in the air to entice more attention.
She glanced at Noah with tender eyes. She loved him deeply. The blood streaming in her veins flowed with heat like that of lava swarming the insides of a volcano. The conversation the group was engaged in meant nothing to her. She wanted deeply to go home with Noah Spence.
But this did not happen.
They finished their drinks, said goodbye, shook hands, offered hugs, and then Elizabeth found herself seated next to Mitchell at the theater. She did not enjoy the performance. Her mind was uncontrollable, and thus distracted.
CHAPTER FORTEEN
“I do,” said Mitchell.
“And do you, Elizabeth, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?”
“I do.”
The reception party was elaborate. It was held at a popular hotel in Midtown. Noah watched as Elizabeth danced with her husband. He wanted to vomit all over his rented tuxedo.
Guests circled the area as if the event were a networking job fair. They ate without embarrassment; consumed beverages in diversity and quantity. Many in attendance wiped their plates clean and dove in line seconds afterwards.
Cookie was also in attendance. He kept matters light and fun; this was expected of his nature. Chloe was also in high spirits and thus, proved to be good company. She hinted to Noah her thoughts on marriage; it was safe to assume she was more than prepared to accept a proposal, which she hoped would be coming soon. Weddings fascinated her.
Noah drank a beer glass too many. That night he returned home with Chloe in haste. He aggressively pursued her until their feet landed in the bedroom.
“Bad boy you are,” whispered Chloe into his ear.
“Take off your clothes.”
“Turn off the light first.”
Noah stayed next to Chloe all night. He watched her sleep. He wanted to forget Elizabeth; he wanted even more to forget her new bond to Mitchell. Noah vowed to love Chloe even more. He demanded of himself more effort and compassion towards her.
He remained in bed until the sun came up.
Weeks passed by. Elizabeth and Mitchell came over often. They found an apartment in Forest Hills, not too far from Noah’s. The four often dined together. At the dinner gatherings, Noah constantly glanced at Elizabeth’s wedding ring. The shine of the diamond beamed light into his eyes like a lighthouse looking for a ship.
Chloe and Elizabeth vowed to be a stronger pair now that they were living close to one another. It was not uncommon for the ladies to share clothes. They roamed the city together, did grocery shopping with each other when time permitted, and compared yoga notes before and after sessions every Saturday morning.
This forced Mitchell to spend more time with Noah. Noah was cordial to him. He poured him a glass of scotch when it was empty; he offered him a seat on his couch when a football game was on; he even cooked some of his favorite dishes for him. Often when the ladies were musing around, the two men went out for glasses of beer.
But Noah could not help his ill feelings towards the man. When Mitchell turned his head in the opposite direction, Noah gave him looks of disdain and disgust.
Though Mitchell was successful, good looking, and could provide all the comforts Elizabeth required, Noah still believed that he was in the wrong. He believed desperately that the man was no good.
His feelings for Elizabeth never changed. If anything, her marriage to Mitchell increased his sentiment towards her.
The month of October approached. The leaves outside, brown and pale, fell to ground from trees nearly bare. The clouds dominated the evening sky. The stars were not present at night, but when they were, they appeared dull and lethargic.
Noah was walking around Forest Hills. He stopped by Elizabeth’s apartment and stood near the entrance looking up. She lived on the sixth floor. Noah wished she lived in lower level apartment so that he could peer into the windows. But all he could see was the light on in her bedroom and living area.
He started to walk away, when he noticed Mitchell outside smoking a cigarette. He was hidden behind the trees. The darkness engulfed him. The only way Noah noticed a man was there was because he saw the orange-lit light from the cigarette.
Noah was about to cross the street to greet him when he heard Mitchell’s phone ring. Mitchell answered it. Noah could not hear what the man was saying. He elected to stay across the street.
Mitchell ended the call. He dropped his cigarette to the floor and dug his right foot into it until the orange glow faded. Mitchell started to walk away from the building.
“What time is it?” whispered Noah to himself.
He took out his phone and pressed a button. The light illuminated Noah’s face. It was near midnight.
Noah followed Mitchell to the train station. Mitchell paid the fare at the turnstile and proceeded to Manhattan. Noah stayed one subway car behind and in order to conceal himself, pulled over his head his hooded sweatshirt.
Mitchell got off at Bryant Park. When he reached the sidewalks, he looked around the area in search of someone. He spotted a woman. It was the same blonde woman he was with in Union Square several months ago! Mitchell hugged her. She was dressed up nicely in a fitted red dress that hugged her body tightly. The length of it fell well above the knees and revealed the top of her breasts. Her hair was down and around her wrists were several pieces of gold jewelry.
Noah followed them to a nearby hotel. It was an ordinary place with no extravagant decorations and was quite bare. Inside the lobby, he listened as they checked in. The blonde woman paid for the room. The reception lady said:
“Room 426. Take the elevator to your right. Enjoy your stay.”
Noah watched as the couple headed out of sight. He sat in the concierge area. Guests ranging from all ages check in and check out.
Noah formed a plan. He walked up the reception area.
“I’d like a room please,” said Noah eagerly. “Is room 425 open by chance? My wife is on her way here. We had that room the last time we stayed. Is it by chance available? We would love nothing more than to stay in it again.”
Noah took a deep breath. He thought he was being too needy and obvious and thus, profusely shifted his weight while his eyes wondered around the hotel.
The reception lady typed on the keyboard and stared at her screen with focus. She looked up.
“Room 425 is taken.” She typed a few more keys quickly.
“But, room 424 or 427 is open. Would either of those do for you?”
“Sure. We can take room 427. That should be no problem. That would be very lovely. Thank you.”
“Wonderful, I just need your credit card.”
Noah opened his wallet and hands her his credit card with a generic smile.
“Wait, may I pay with cash?”
“I’m sorry sir, we require a credit card. It is policy so we can reserve your room. But you may pay by cash when you check out. We apologize for the inconvenience.” She spoke in a robotic manner, as if she were repeating words off a manual book.
“No problem,” said Noah nervously as he handed over his card.
“Thank you Mr. Spence. Take the elevator to your right. Enjoy your stay. I’m sorry I could not help with the room you wanted.”
“That’s no problem. This room will do just fine. Thank you very much.”
Noah took the elevator up to the forth floor. He looked for his room, found it, and inserted the card to open the door. It showed green and he entered.
By the time he took a seat on the bed, he noticed his clothes were drenched with sweat. He walked up to the mirror to have a look at his sweaty face. He rushed to the bathroom t
o towel himself dry. But it was pointless, sweat continued to pour out his skin like water running down a river.
Noah opened the small fridge. He pulled out a bottle of cold water. Within a few sips he felt much better. Noah stood up and placed his ear against the wall. He could not hear anything. It was silent.
“What are you doing in there Mitchell?”
As his nerves calmed, Noah observed his own room. The walls were painted in a beige color. The bed was a queen size. The room was bare and small. He thought it was a poor place to bring a lady; it wouldn’t do service for someone like Elizabeth.
Next to the fridge, near the entrance, was a door that led to the room adjacent. Noah walked up to it and wondered if he could somehow break the lock. He turned the door handle. To his surprise, it was unlocked!
Hours passed by. Noah passed the time by watching television. He had no idea what to do next. He thought he should leave the room for the train station and head home to Chloe, when an idea popped into his head.
He placed his ear to the wall, but there were no sounds.
“Stealth mode.”
It made Noah feel ridiculous to call such words still, but he was at ease when it rolled off his tongue. He was happy to learn that his nerves could still rely on such a stupid mind tactic.
Noah opened the door and stepped into the adjacent room. The room was dark and very cool. Noah waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did, he slowly walked up to the bed. The room was completely silent except for the blowing air conditioner.
In the bed were two bodies at rest. Noah prepared himself. He nervously took out his cell phone. He walked gently up to the lamp sitting next to the bed. He slowly reached his hand underneath the lamp and gingerly turns the switch. Light flowed through the room.
“What the hell?” Mitchell said while covering his eyes. “Amy?”
“Mitchell?” cried Amy.
Amy started to move. She sat up and attempted to cover her eyes.
Noah waited for the two to uncover their eyes so that he could get a good photo of them in bed together.
“Noah? Noah? Is that you?” cried Mitchell.
There was a long silence. Noah mumbled and fumbled words. And then he shouted:
“It’s me Mitchell! I got you this time!”
Noah was about to take a photo when he realized he was not in fact holding his phone. He was holding his wallet. Embarrassed, he checked his pockets, but there was no phone to be found. He realized it was left in the opposite room on the counter.