The Following Night
Coffee House
4 AM
She catches his eye as she momentarily looks up from her law books. Tilting her head towards the coffee bar, she raises her eyebrow. He nods, and she gets up, grabbing the pot and going over to him.
"What? No attitude? I actually get service at my seat?"
Téa grins. "Consider yourself lucky, I'm in a charitable mood."
"You have to be bored out of your mind reading that law shit."
"Hey, I happen to like that law shit."
"I don't get it."
Glancing around at the empty coffee house, she slips into the chair across from him. "I don't know, maybe it's a sense of power, or control."
"How does reading boring law books give you that?"
"Making sense of it, understanding it, figuring out how to use it to my advantage. Maybe someday getting some client off because of my understanding it, my ability to manipulate it."
Todd looks at her, a glint in his eye. "Or screw someone over."
Téa laughs. "Yeah that too."
"Is it because you haven't had much control in your life?"
Téa tilts her head at that, contemplating his question. "Maybe. I certainly feel like everything in my life is out of my control, you know?"
"Yeah, I do."
The bell on the door rings and Téa turns, ready to go man her post behind the counter. She smiles tiredly at the woman who enters.
"Hey Lisa, listen, I appreciate you coming in early for me."
"No problem, it's so dead here now, good time to get some work done."
"Tell me about it," Téa responds. She turns back to Todd. "Well, I'm outta here."
"Where you goin'?"
"Oh, just have some stuff to do."
Todd couldn't explain it, but a sudden rash of jealousy plunged through him. What the fuck? he thinks, ticked off at himself. Where the hell was all this coming from. A darker mood settles over him as he glances up at her, watching her take her long hair out of the ponytail it was in.
"Or someone."
Téa does a take at that, looking at him wide eyed. "Excuse me?"
He snickers, a sneer covering his face as he watches her. "Oh come on Delgado, where else would you be going in the middle of the night?"
Téa's shoulders straighten immediately, and she is shocked to feel the tears come to her eyes. It astounds her, at this moment, that she is actually hurt. She barely knows this guy, why should she care what he thinks?
"Wow, okay. Silly me."
Todd notices the shininess in her eyes and feels a stab of guilt. It was so hard for him, to control himself when he felt wounded. And he had to admit to himself, for some reason he couldn't explain, he felt wounded thinking she was going off to be with some guy. Felt....betrayed. Which was ludicrous, they barely knew each other. But on some level, Todd felt like he knew her better than anyone, and that she knew him better than he knew himself. Scared the fuck out of him.
"Silly you?"
"Yeah, here I was thinking you actually saw me as, I don't know, a human being, but it turns out, you're just like everyone else. I'm nothing but a Puerto Rican slut right? And a golddigging one too, although apparently not a very good one since I haven't fucked you yet."
She walks quickly behind the coffee bar, needing to get away from him. Grabbing her books, she heads for the door, but immediately feels her behind him.
"Téa, wait."
"Why, wanna insult me some more?"
"What do you want from me? I'm a bastard alright? An insensitive bastard. Look...I didn't mean it alright?"
"Yeah, right," she replies, turning to walk away from him. He stops her by reaching out and grabbing her arm.
"Hey, I very rarely apologize, you might wanna get in on this."
A small grin crosses Téa's face. She turns to him, eyebrows raised expectantly.
"I'm..I'm sorry."
"Gee, that was stunning."
"Look, ya gotta understand. Most of my experience with women, they've been lying, backstabbing, and not exactly faithful. With a notable exception here and there."
"Well even if I was seeing someone tonight, which I'm not by the way, I didn't realize that would make me unfaithful."
Todd does a take at that, realizing what he said. "You're not. I mean, look...man I'm gonna regret this."
"What?"
"I hate everybody."
"Wow, you are full of wonderful sentiments tonight."
"Will you just listen?"
"Fine."
"I hate everybody. My life, it's taught me to expect the worst in everyone. It's kinda hard for me to adjust when I meet someone who seems fairly decent."
"Fairly decent? Well, I've been called a lot of things..."
"I say a lot of stupid shit. Can't help it, believing everyone will eventually turn out to be scum, it's kind of programmed into me. What can I say, it's a hard habit to break."
Téa steps closer to him, which surprises him. She's not in the least bit intimidated by him. "If we're going to attempt to hang out, I'd appreciate it if you'd try."
He looks directly into her brown eyes, and is surprised to find himself intrigued by the strength he sees there. It's not often that he feels the need to explain himself for his idiotic remarks, but something about her...something he can't put his finger on, made him do it with her. Like...he didn't want her to think he was a complete jerk. He breaks eye contact with her, unnerved for the umpteenth time tonight by these thoughts, these feelings, he seems to be having. What the hell did he care what she thought? Or anyone else for that matter? He watches as she turns from him and grabs the door. For some reason, again that he can't explain, Todd has the urge to walk outside with her into the dark early morning hours.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it isn't exactly safe to be a chick walking the streets in the middle of the night?"
Téa laughs. "Now you're worried about me? Or is this just your sneaky way of finding out where I'm going?"
Todd shrugs, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Whatever," he mumbles, "and I don't care where you're going."
Noticing his defiant gesture, Téa can't help but smile. She has no idea what it is, but she just feels so...drawn to him. Drawn enough to share one of her biggest secrets. For some reason...she feels like he just might understand.
"Well, if you're not doing anything...I could show you where I'm going."
Todd raises an eyebrow, ready to jump at her offer, but not wanting to look like he's ready to jump at her offer.
"Yeah, well like I said, you shouldn't be walking around this city alone, this time of night. Never know what kind of creeps are walking the streets."
"Who knew you were such a gentleman?" Téa grins mischeviously, knowing that his curiousity is killing him.
"Hey, I'm just watching out for my future lawyer. Getting in on the ground floor might get me a reduced rate when I need legal assistance."
Téa glances at him out of the corner of her eye. "Whatever you say Manning."
To Be Continued...
