Up on the Roof

by A. L. Brooks

  Without spending another moment thinking it through, she marched across the room to the stairs and stomped down them. After unlocking the door, she walked quickly down the passageway to Megan’s front door and knocked rapidly.

  She waited.

  And waited.

  She knocked again, louder this time, her knuckles smarting at the energy she put into the action.

  After a few moments, the music reduced in volume and the door swung open. Expecting to be faced with Megan, Lena prepared to launch into her complaint but stopped short when she realised it was the other woman—Jen, she vaguely remembered—staring at her, a wide grin on her face.

  “Well, hello again,” Jen said, running her hand over her very short-cropped hair in what Lena had to begrudgingly admit was an extremely sexy gesture. “How lovely to see you.” Jen smiled widely.

  Lena bristled. Was this woman actually trying to flirt with her? Now?

  “Where’s Megan?” Lena snapped.

  Jen’s eyes lost a little of their sparkle, and she took half a step back. “Um, somewhere inside. Want to come in?” She gestured behind her, and Lena glanced into the low-lit flat to see a room full of people, all swinging and swaying to the music and knocking back drinks like there was no tomorrow.

  “Please get her,” Lena said through gritted teeth. As if she’d want to step into…whatever it was they were doing.

  Jen shrugged and her smile faded. “All right, whatever you want. Be right back.”

  Lena watched her walk away and fidgeted on the worn carpet of the hallway. She was suddenly, excruciatingly aware of how she was dressed compared to the people she could see in the room beyond. They in their sparkly tops and tight jeans, and she in her pyjamas and, she glanced down—oh, no—floppy-eared bunny slippers. Maybe she should go now, before Megan appeared. Maybe facing her tomorrow, in the cold light of day, would be a better idea. She took a step backwards, forgetting that the awkward shape of the slippers—with the big ball of a tail on each foot—always inhibited any reverse movement, and in the next moment found herself on her backside. Before she could scrabble to her feet, Megan appeared in the open doorway. Eyes wide, rushing forward to help Lena to her feet, the drink she was carrying in her hand sloshed over the rim of its glass and in a graceful arc, made a beeline for Lena. It was as if it happened in slow motion, and yet there was no time for Lena to dodge it; in the next moment, she was wearing a significant quantity of something orange. And cold.

  “Oh, shit!” Megan flushed and quickly deposited the now empty glass at her feet. “Oh, Lena, I’m so sorry.”

  Lena stared up at Megan. Vaguely, she noted Megan was wearing a bright purple T-shirt with the words “Bite me” stencilled on it in silver letters. Megan’s long hair, almost white it was so blonde, draped over her shoulders in a way that Lena found inexplicably alluring. She wondered how soft it was. It looked like it would be incredibly silky to the touch, if she ran it through her fingers and—

  Her chest was cold. Very cold. She plucked at the front of her pyjama top, her cheeks flaming as she realised where her thoughts were going and how they had completely made her forget the predicament she was in. She was also acutely aware that she was still flat on her backside with her legs akimbo, her now very wet pyjama top clinging in places that would leave little to anyone’s imagination. She wanted to sob from the embarrassment.

  Ignoring Megan’s outstretched hand of help, she hauled herself back to her feet under her own power, pulling the soggy pyjama top away from her as much as she could. She took a deep breath, emptying her mind of everything except her annoyance.

  “You okay?” Megan asked, her smile tentative, her face only a shade lighter than beetroot. “I’m so, so sorry,” she repeated. “Can I get you a towel?” She made to take a step back but Lena held up a hand.

  “I’m…fine,” Lena lied, wishing her own blush would fade as rapidly as it had appeared. “I’ll deal with this—” she gestured to her wet chest, then blushed again “—when I get back inside. I only came down to ask you to turn the music down.”

  Megan’s eyes widened again. “Oh, God, sorry. I didn’t think. Have we woken you up?”

  Lena snorted, her eyebrows lifting. “It’s only nine. I wasn’t in bed.”

  “Oh,” Megan said, pointing to Lena’s pyjamas. “I guess I assumed…”

  “Well, yes. Whatever.” Why couldn’t she stop blushing? “I was trying to read and your music is too loud. I read. In the evenings. And you are disturbing that.”

  Megan held up her hands. “Again, I’m sorry. I’m not making a very good impression on you, am I? Since I moved in, I mean.”

  Lena closed her eyes momentarily. “It’s…well, I guess we just have to get used to each other. The situation, I mean. You living here.” She stopped talking. Why couldn’t she string a sentence together? Yes, Megan’s pale eyes were ridiculously distracting, but she was angry at Megan for disrupting her evening, her routine, and for throwing a glass of whatever it was all over her. She needed to focus only on that. “Anyway, the music. Turn it down. Please.”

  Before Megan could respond Lena turned, carefully making sure she didn’t trip over the extended ears of her slippers, and walked back towards her flat, keeping her clammy pyjama top away from her skin as best she could.

  “Will do,” Megan called. “And if you need the pyjamas to be dry-cleaned, please give me the bill so I can pay for it.”

  “I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” Lena snapped over her shoulder.

  “Okay.” There was a pause. “By the way—nice slippers.”

  Lena’s cheeks flamed red again as she pushed open her front door.

  Chapter 4

  “Stop ignoring me, Leelawati.”

  Madhu’s voice carried more than a hint of frustration. The voicemail was the third Lena’s sister had left in as many days, and Lena sighed as she deleted it. She couldn’t avoid her forever; Madhu was a force of nature once something had wound her up enough. From the sounds of it—especially as she was using Lena’s full birth name—she’d now reached that point. Knowing it was better to get it over with, Lena scrolled to Madhu’s number in her list of missed calls.

  “Alive then?” The greeting from her younger sister was acerbic.

  “Madhu, please.”

  There was a loud exhalation. “Sorry.” A pause. “How are you?”

  Lena settled back into her sofa. “I’m okay,” she said quickly, then, before Madhu could follow up, “How’s Jay? And the baby?”

  Madhu chuckled. “Jay is fine. Working all hours, of course. The baby is kicking way too good, and I can tell you, that is not nearly as much fun as Mum led me to believe.”

  Just that single sentence stirred up a host of emotions in Lena, and she swallowed hard before responding.

  “Is she helping you?”

  Madhu sighed. “Yes and no. She means well, but… Ugh, it’s all such old-fashioned advice. And I’ve lost count of how many aunties have been on the phone since she spread the news, all with their own top tips for a healthy pregnancy and baby. And don’t even get me started on the suggestions for names.” She groaned. “But I know it’s coming from a good place, so I bite my tongue and let them chatter on while I ship orders.”

  It was good Madhu was still sounding happy about being her own boss selling cosmetics and henna supplies on eBay. Lena felt a stab of envy at her being able to work from home with the blessing of her husband, Jay. Now, with the baby on the way, it made even more sense for her to be working from home. The downside, clearly, was Jay having to pull extra shifts at the bank’s call centre to bring in whatever additional money they needed with their first child on the way. Lena could picture Madhu surrounded by her stock in the small spare bedroom and wondered what would happen to it all once the room became the nursery.

  “Business good?” she asked.

  “Not
too bad at the moment. The summer was crazy, with wedding season and holidays.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “So, seriously, Lena, how are you?” Madhu was nothing if not tenacious.

  “Like I said, I’m okay.”

  “Okay doesn’t sound that good.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Fine isn’t much of an improvement.”

  “Oh, Madhu, please!”

  “Lena, it’s only because I care. I-I worry about you. On your own.”

  “Ugh, now you sound like Mum.”

  “How dare you?” Madhu sounded horrified, and Lena snorted. Madhu started giggling, and suddenly the tension was gone.

  “Madhu, I am okay. Yes, I am on my own but that is my choice. My work keeps me busy and…well, everything else will happen when the universe is ready for me.”

  Madhu sighed. “I take it you still have the cats? Has that woman arranged anything about—”

  “No.” Lena cut her off, noting that it had taken her sister only three minutes to launch into her monthly rant about the cats, Chris, and Lena’s situation in general.

  Lena closed her eyes momentarily, willing her voice to come out evenly as she said, “No, and I know I have to get this sorted out, but it’s been very busy at work. I will do it.”

  Her sister snorted.

  “I will!”

  “Lena, the woman cheated on you, moved out with no warning, left you with her cats, which you are allergic to, and you’ve done nothing about it in six months. When exactly are you going to do something about it?”

  Lena knew Madhu didn’t mean to sound so harsh. She knew her sister was only speaking from a place of love and concern, but she really wished she’d shut up.

  “Madhu, I will do it. This is my battle to fight, so let me fight it.”

  “But—”

  “Enough!”

  There was a strained silence. Then, “Sorry.” Madhu’s voice was small.

  Lena accepted the apology graciously.

  After a moment, Madhu spoke again. “Lena, I really don’t want to sound like Mum, but I don’t like the idea of you being on your own. I know you don’t go out much, and you bury yourself in your work and those books, but—”

  “I know. Madhu, I-I don’t want to be on my own forever. I don’t. I just need some time. Chris was—”

  “Chris was a cheating cow,” Madhu interjected.

  “Well, yes. Yes, she was.”

  “Has it put you off? You know, being lesbian. I mean, she was your first real girlfriend.”

  Lena smiled. “It doesn’t quite work that way.” She chuckled. As supportive as Madhu had been when Lena finally took the plunge to come out to her family four years ago, she still seemed to think it was some kind of choice that Lena had made. As if Lena could have controlled it, somehow, and should therefore be able to switch it on or off at will. As if the intensity of those feelings was ever something Lena could have ignored…

  “So,” Madhu said after a few quiet moments. “How’s work?”

  Lena spoke about her job and the progress she felt she was making in the role. She’d been there a little over eight months now—changing jobs had, unfortunately, coincided with her discovery that her girlfriend of nearly two years had been cheating on her for the previous two months. Lena was still amazed she’d managed to keep the job given how hopeless she’d felt in those first few weeks as she dealt with both situations.

  The break-up with Chris had been…ugly. Chris had obviously been frustrated at Lena’s career focus, and the additional hours she’d been putting in to add a corporate tax qualification to her accountancy background. However, rather than talk to Lena about it, and negotiating for more of Lena’s attention, she’d gone looking elsewhere. And yet still come home to their place every night after each of her…liaisons…with that woman. Belinda the diamond dealer. Chris had apparently met her at a work function her company was hosting in Hatton Garden. Lena still flushed with embarrassment at not realising what was going on. She’d only found out when Chris sent her a text that was clearly meant for Belinda. The fight that night had been short and nasty; by the time it was over, Lena had the flat to herself and all evidence of Chris had gone.

  Except for the cats, of course.

  “Oh, and someone finally moved into the flat below.”

  “Yeah? Have you met them? Man or woman?”

  “Woman. Megan.” Saying her name conjured up—surprisingly—not irritation at all the problems around her moving in, but an image of those pale blue eyes. Lena shook it off. “She’s… Well, she’s noisy. And clumsy. She damaged my front door on the day she moved in. And she has lots of loud parties.”

  Madhu chuckled. “Oh, no. This is not going to go well, is it? I know how you love your peace, and no disruption to your little routines.”

  Lena bristled. Her routines were her friends. Dependable. Reliable. Comforting. Her family had teased her endlessly as a child, and her peers at school had thought her more than a little odd. Lena simply liked things done a certain way, preferably at about the same time every day, and ideally with no interruptions. What was wrong with that? Yes, Chris had scoffed at her too, at Lena’s obsession with order and cleanliness. The fact that Chris had deliberately tried to goad Lena about it in the last few months they were together should have set alarm bells ringing, but Lena had been oblivious.

  “Madhu, you make it sound like there’s something wrong with me,” she said, petulance colouring her tone. “I just like things done my way.”

  “I know, I know,” Madhu soothed. “So, want to come up and visit?”

  From one thorny subject to another, thought Lena, sighing. Her sister was on a roll tonight. “Let me get the cat situation sorted out, and then we’ll see.”

  They said their good-byes, and Lena set to work laying out the ingredients for her lunch. The vegetables for the Thai curry were laid out in the order in which she’d need to use them—they had been scrubbed clean minutes after being brought home from the supermarket and only needed a rinse now. The chopping board was set squarely in the middle of the counter, and the knife she would use for chopping sat alongside it within easy reach. The can of coconut milk she placed next to the hob, with the can opener in front of it, and the pan she would use was given a quick wipe down and set upon the biggest ring. She was reaching for the pack of rice in the storage cupboard when a gentle knock sounded at her door.

  After quickly wiping her hands, she motioned the cats away as she walked down the stairs. The spy hole revealed a wide-eyed Dorothy a few paces away from the front door. Lena smiled to herself. That could only mean one thing.

  She swung the door open and said, “How big, and where?”

  Dorothy wrung her hands together. “Oh, Lena, thank you! As big as my hand and in my bath.”

  Lena smiled and moved past Dorothy to the stairs. “I’ll shout when it’s safe to come back,” she said, and trotted down the stairs.

  She pushed Dorothy’s front door open and walked confidently to the kitchen to grab a glass from the cupboard, and a piece of junk mail from the pile Dorothy always accumulated on the table. She breathed in the enticing aroma of whatever it was that Dorothy was cooking today. She’d have to ask and see if she could get the recipe…

  The bathroom was at the back of the flat and was small, like her own, but brightly lit from the south-facing window above the bath. And that light was all she needed to see the beast that had interrupted Dorothy’s day. As she’d suspected, the spider wasn’t nearly as big as Dorothy’s hand, but she knew that Dorothy’s arachnophobia would always exaggerate her nemesis.

  “Well, you certainly picked the wrong day to come indoors, didn’t you?” she murmured as she placed the glass over the spider and scooped it up by placing the piece of paper underneath. She walked it out of the flat and to the main front door, which she
opened with one hand while the other kept the glass and paper firmly attached to each other. The spider was given its freedom in the hedgerow that separated their building from the one next door, and within moments Lena was placing the glass in the sink in Dorothy’s kitchen and the paper in her recycling bin by the back door.

  “All clear,” she called up the stairs as she pulled Dorothy’s front door partially closed behind her, not wanting the older woman’s heat to escape too much on this cold day.

  “Oh, bless you, Lena,” Dorothy said as they passed on the stairs. “You are an angel sent from the Lord above. I know not why He sends me these trials, but I thank Him for sending me you.”

  Lena blushed. “Any time, Dorothy, you know that.” She smiled to herself as she let herself back into her flat. Another rescue mission complete—for both the spider and Dorothy.

  Chapter 5

  Lena slotted her key in the lock and paused. She looked down at the pristine new panel in her door and gave a contented sigh. It had taken her two weeks to organise, but the repair had been completed three days previously, and it still gave her a happy little glow every time she looked at it. The man Megan’s brother had recommended had done a good job; you would never know the incident had happened. The whole door had been repainted to suit the new panel, and the glossy whiteness of it shone in the bright light of the communal hallway. And Megan had been true to her word, paying for the whole thing.

  Lena had to admit she had been pleasantly surprised; she’d assumed Megan had been saying only what Lena wanted to hear when offering to pay for the damage. That she’d come through with the money, and in cash, the same day Lena presented her with the bill had led Lena to up her respect level for her noisy and clumsy neighbour.

  Finally, she turned the key and stepped into her flat. Midnight and Snow were on the bottom step, staring silently up at her. It unnerved her every time they did it; something about their eyes was particularly creepy, as if they were busy plotting her undoing. She knew the relationship she had with them was strained, given the circumstances, but at least she hadn’t thrown them out. They could be a tad more grateful about things, instead of stalking her at every opportunity.