CHAPTER FOUR

Bryan was having the most fun he'd had in weeks just by conversing with Beverly. It wasn't hard to tell that she was learned; she had a depth to her that he wanted to see. It made no sense how he was attracted to her, he tried to talk himself out of it, but it was as futile as pouring water on a rock and hoping it breaks. No matter how much he tried to not think about it, he ended up thinking about it even more. She was larger than life; she had a virility to her, a sense of life, of wholesomeness. She kept thanking him even though he thought that she didn't need to. For some reason, she didn't stop. She made him laugh out loud with her medieval reference, likening him to a knight of a royal palace. That statement warmed his heart, and he even managed to flash his most brilliant smile. She brought a sense of friendship with her, a camaraderie. She was beautiful when the light caught her hair as it glowed like it was made of fine silk. Her eyes were her most prominent feature; the beauty in them couldn't be overstated. She had the universe in her eyes, a clashing of the cosmos.

He couldn't explain it; it made no sense to him even. He just felt drawn to her in many ways, many ways he couldn't even explain.

"Can you tell me about you? I'm curious, pardon me." She asked him as he gave her a toothy smile, his perfect dentition in full view. She found more and more reasons to fall in love with his smile, his mannerism. He was so thoughtful, with an innate depth that she couldn't for the life of her figure out how he pulled it off. Getting close to him was like standing close to an open flame that felt warm to the touch, but the possibility of it burning you to a crisp was a probability, but it had an allure, the dangers of trying to decipher what wasn't meant to be understood.

"Okay, I guess I owe you that. Get ready to be bored, though, and there's really nothing to know." Beverly stoke, hoping to dissuade him from getting to know her since she was dying to know more about him. She wanted to understand the man in front of her, the man who changed her perception of life in the space of a few minutes.

"Trust me, nothing about you would ever be boring. So, regal me with tales of your adventures and your exploits, I'm dying to know. Humor me, even if it's just for tonight."

Beverly knew that she couldn't look into those eyes and say no, it was as impossible as her being able to push her car back home. She relented and gave a sad smile before she began.

"Be warned; I’m boring. Anyway, my name is Beverly Bowens, and I love jazz music. Not big on trap though, but I think it's good enough to listen to. I know I'm rambling right now, but honestly, I don't think there's anything to know. I went to New York University, graduated with a degree in Physics. Asides from that, I've gone on tours in different places, one of the most memorable of all was Niagara Falls. I was with my best friend by then, even though she's married now. I think that lies are irrelevant, if the truth cannot be said at all times, then it's either fear is present, or you're keeping the wrong crowd. I'm blunt, at least my best friend, Cameron says so. We went to the same school and stayed in the same dorms. We'd been virtually inseparable since high school and even after then. She used to stay with me, at least until before she got married. She was one of the few who I admired since I wasn't big on company. I-I'm so sorry, I started rambling and forgot what I was meant to be doing. Truly sorry."

Beverly apologized over and over again, but Bryan kept looking at her with childlike fascination. He had an expression of surprise on his face, a mixture of surprise and concentration. She wondered why he kept looking at her the way he did, but he offered no explanations immediately, at least until a few seconds later.

"You miss her, don't you? Your best friend, Cameron?" He spoke out of the blue, and Beverly was once again reminded of how perceptive he was, how he was able to pick out the main thing in all her ramblings. But she was going to admit that easily, she needed to be sure.

"Well, where did that come from?" She asked sipping the tea that had long gone cold due to the fact that she focused more on him than it. He was distracting, and she knew that for a fact. Yet she couldn't turn away from staring at him. He reminded her of the sky and a bazillion stars. The way he smiled reminded her of the brightness of the sun; there was nothing he did that she didn't find admirable. The cultured way he talked, the gentlemanly way he acted, the way he was sensitive to her, the way he read in between the lines of her words, everything he did. She had no words to describe him with; she felt that there was nothing close.

"I think you know, oh, I think you do. So, do you miss her? You don't have to lie, remember, except you're scared or in the wrong crowd."

He looked at her as he spoke, and she realized that he'd picked apart her words, and if she lied about missing Cameron, it was going against everything she said earlier. If she admitted it to him, then she'd admit it to herself. If she did that, she'd fall into absolute loneliness, one she didn't even want to think about. The presence of Cameron in her life made her brave the harshness of the world, and if she admitted to herself that Cameron was gone, she didn't know if she'd feel good or even worse off. She could bet her money on the latter, and the night was already emotional enough; she didn't want to add to it. With just a few words, Bryan had succeeded in disorienting her for good. There was no way she could bypass the question without it looking suspicious even though she'd have preferred anything else to answering that question. Before she could respond, though, Bryan spoke.

"So, how was New York University like? Did it give you that much of a hassle?"

She watched him with tears of gratitude shining in her eyes as he gave her the perfect excuse not to answer the question. Once again, he proved his sensitivity to things, to her. He was more than she could see, that much she could tell. He truly understood how humans work, how she worked. She found herself stumbling over words of gratitude with the words he spoke, words of gratitude she had to struggle no to spill since she'd thanked him enough for the night. She didn't want to seem like the kind of girl who'd grovel at his feet for every little thing he said or did. She had to remind herself that she wasn't the emotional type; she was the blunt one, the one who said things as they were and never apologized for it. It was who she was, who she was proud of. If she lost that aspect of her, there was a huge probability that she was going to lose herself, lose the walls that she used to protect herself from the hurts of the world. She decided to launch into a lengthy explanation of her life at New York University, to distract herself. It was the only thing she could come up with on such short notice.

"At first, I didn't want to go there, to be honest. But when Cameron chose New York University, I had to turn down the other universities I applied for and chose New York University instead. Cameron was the happiest person when we got to the dorms, and she found out that we could stay together. She squealed like a child, and it didn't even matter how many times I shushed her, she just didn't care. Lectures were a drag at first, but I learned the ropes after a while. The parties at school were fun as long as I was alone or with Cameron, even though they were boys, they were always boys. Boys of all calibers, it was a fun experience, I guess. I learned to see from different points of view and managed to have some people I could call friends. The most beautiful thing I learned was that I wasn't right all the time and I had to come to terms with that. They were people smarter, better, friendlier, more beautiful, more popular, and so much more. I thought of university as an upgrade of high school; nothing really changed asides from the ages. The people were the same, children trapped in the bodies of adults, trying to navigate life in ways they didn't even know. They had no idea what they were doing, but they barreled through the only way they knew how, with fun and games, friends, and parties. Even though the methods weren't always right, it couldn't be denied that they were valid. I learned from them that life wasn't so hard if you had the right people around you; it was only hard when you were alone. I had Cameron, and that was enough for me, enough for me to get the full experience of a university. I didn't mind not having fun like the others, and I was more focused on being happy there. And I can say that I achieved it, to an extent. That's all, I guess."

Beverly trailed off, and the silence was absolute. It was then she realized that the rain had stopped and she turned to look at the clock that hung on the wall, shocked that so much time had passed. It was past 1 am, and she arrived by 10:30 pm. She had already talked to him for about two hours, and still, she wanted to keep on talking. He made her feel comfortable, made her feel safe.

"You know, I have a story too. Maybe not about school but something to keep you entertained for the time being. Do I tell it?" He asked, courteous as ever. It was funny the way he deferred to her like she was above him. She found it so attractive because she was used to men talking down on women and not expecting to be reprimanded for it. Most of the time, they felt like they were above any law made by the women, and it was a bone of contention with her. But then, seeing the way Bryan acted around her, caring for her in ways that she never thought possible. He was always thinking ahead of whatever she was thinking, and it endeared him to her even more. The way he spoke, the way he laughed, the way he lived. She loved every single thing about him, even if she didn't know the rest of it all. He called to her in ways no one else ever has or maybe, ever will. His effortless grace, thoughtful ways, and beautiful face. Everything he did screamed cultured; everything he did screamed refined. He was the crème de la crème of all the men she'd ever met, and she was beyond grateful he came for her.

"Tell your story, you know I'd love to listen." She flashed him a toothy grin, which he returned. She didn't mind the time, and she was at home with him. Now, all she had to do was listen to him.

"Brace yourself."

Those were the two words he said before he began. She listened, listened to him speak. It was like a Siren's song, a beautiful melody. The way he pieced words together was something artistic, even the way he tapped his pinky finger on the table.

She had found art in human form, the most priceless of them all.