Rainy Day Out -part 2

A little short story about a woman and her man during a rainy day.

Characters:

-Paula Porter -AGE 24

-Richard Rhodes -AGE 28

-12:10PM-

 

The two were standing at the front counter of a Starbucks. Richard was standing there wearing his blue coat and looking around in boredom, Paula stood patiently in her grey coat and had on a pair of black framed sunglasses.

“Grande mocha espresso with some chocolate topping, please.” Paula ordered.

“Medium black coffee.” Richard ordered.

“Tall.” Paula nudged.

“Tall black coffee.” Richard corrected himself.

The place was full of the usual kind of people in a Starbucks, people too young to drink coffee and people so old they should’ve stopped a long time ago. While waiting for their drinks, Richard could hear Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams playing on the cafe's radio.

 

      Thunder only happens when it's raining

      Players only love you when they're playing

      Say women they will come and they will go

      When the rain washes you clean, you'll know, you'll know

 

At least they got good music today, he thought to himself. Their drinks came up and they walked outside, nudging their way through a small crowd. The rain stopped an hour ago, but the sky was still filled with dark clouds and the occasional rumble of thunder can be heard. Cars drove by, making all sorts of noise and splashing water off the road here and there.

“You’re so plain.” Paula mocked a bit, poking his shoulder.

“I like black coffee. Besides I’m trying to lose some weight, no sugar and no cream.”

“Yeah, but espressos are tasty, mochas are tasty.”

“It’s mostly sugar and syrup in that cup.” He chuckled.

“So, are you calling me fat?” Paula deadpanned.

“What...” Richard stopped dead and looked at her fast with slight shock.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Paula laughed, holding onto his arm with a big smile. “Don’t worry, please! I’m fine!”

“Okay, good, good.” Richard laughed as he relaxed a bit, holding himself steady walking with Paula hanging off him. “You’re in a much better mood.”

“Because I have my Starbucks.”

She sipped her coffee as they walked but let out a loud yawn afterwards, cracking her neck too.

“You alright?”

“Just a bit tired I guess.” She shrugged. “Working long hours can do that to ya.”

“Still waitressing?” He asked as he sipped his coffee.

“Yeah, but I not for long…” She answered half-thinking, not really paying attention.

“What do you mean not for long?”

Instantly she woke up as she became aware of what she said, letting go of his arm. “I mean, it’s just that… I don’t really like it.”

“Nobody likes their job.” Richard answered a little too bluntly.

Paula was silent at this, not saying anything as they walked. After a couple of minutes Richard felt like he put his foot in his mouth, but also, he didn’t feel like he was wrong. Although, he couldn’t shake this feeling that something else was been bothering her. He racked his mind for things to talk about while they walked.  

“Anything new going on?” He asked, trying to be kinder.

“Nothing really.” A quick answer.

“How’s your family?”

“They’re good.” She sipped her coffee.

“Been to some new restaurants?”

“Same, same.” She shrugged.

“You’re roommate’s pretty funny.”

“She’s a handful.” She scoffed.

“Been to some fun shows lately?”

“A few.”

He was running out of things to talk about, except the one thing she liked the most.

“So, how’s your music been going?”

“Fine.” She answered quickly and quietly.

“Just fine?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

This time though she didn’t answer back. They kept walking for a bit before Richard decided to be a little direct. The two came to a crosswalk and stood there waiting for the lights to change.

“So, what’s been on your mind?” Richard asked, sipping his coffee.

“What do you mean?” She wasn’t looking at him.

“You seemed pretty down when I came by.”

“What are we doing?” She asked out of nowhere, catching Richard off guard.

“What do you mean?”

It was a minute of silence as they stood there, Paula being quiet and Richard anticipating her next words. Finally, Paula broke the silence.

“It’s just been so rainy lately… got me in a mood.” Paula shrugged, lazily sipping her espresso while staring off ahead.

“Alright then.” He studied her features for a bit, trying to decipher her but also mainly because he didn’t know what else to say that wouldn’t piss her off. He just kept his mouth shut, a trick he learned from much trial and error.

Paula kept her eyes forward behind her sunglasses, she wasn’t looking at Richard, but she could feel he was looking at her. Not wanting the conversation to keep going and to try to get his mind off it, she mentally sighed and tried a gamble.

“Thanks for the Starbucks.” She said as she linked one arm with his and put on her best relaxed smile as she looked up into his eyes.    

Richard knew something else was on her mind, at least that’s what he thought as he looked down at her but decided not to keep pressing her on it. He already caused enough trouble.  

At least she’s happier now, he thought.

The lights changed and the two wandered along the busy streets checking out stores every so often, usually clothing stores. The area they were in was a bit of an artsy community so most of the buildings were clothing stores, cafes, bars and hippie shops. There were also some overpriced apartment buildings and old houses that rented out rooms far back on the other street.

Richard thought they were all ugly and mishandled and people charged way too much for rent. Most of the time they just crunched together ten people in a single room and squeeze out every penny out of those poor saps. Funny enough Paula lived in one of those houses with five other girls she told him once, but usually more girls and their “boyfriends” would come and go; so, the place was more like a hostel rather than an actual home. He wondered what that would have been like, she told him stories occasionally when he got some wine into her, recalling all the various drama and “fun nights” she would have in that house. She didn’t mention anything dirty except the times some girls walked around half naked, usually during laundry day or very hot summers. He sometimes wondered if she did any drugs during this time, she did after all hang out with those kind of crowds and enjoyed the culture, she even said plenty of the girls that stayed in the house were druggies, but she also joked that everybody was an alcoholic.

“It was part of the art, man.” He remembered her saying, part sarcastically, part truthfully.

But she didn’t say whether or not she did anything too hard or crazy. She smoked some dope before of course but hated the stench. Aside from that, she liked her wine and her music and staying up for nights on end doing God knows what. Richard never thought too hard about it. I guess we all dabble in some weird stuff here and there, he thought. God knows he did, although he didn’t care to talk about it much.

He knew that this area was a place that many people came by to try to have some fun or follow their passions whether it’s art or music, but he also knew that many of these places, mostly bars, attracted certain weirdos, panhandlers and con artists.

There were some cute hippies though.

 

 

 

-

The shop they were in was filled with exotic trinkets and such like mediation books, jewelry, various little stones, weaved handbags and new age stuff. There was a small stand filled with various brochures and pamphlets advertising some upcoming bands and special events in the city. Paula was drinking her espresso while looking over some brochures and reading up on some shows she’d like to see eventually. She liked supporting some local artists, also she mostly just enjoyed the culture. She always enjoyed that beat generation vibe and the underground music scene, she would often spend her money coming to clubs and pubs featuring open mike poetry or some local band trying to pay their rent. Ever since she was a kid she loved music, flute was her forte but she wasn’t afraid to try new instruments, plus she really wanted to try singing some songs she wrote. A big reason why she moved to the city was because of that, she couldn’t really afford the college classes though, but she worked towards it still. Along the way she had to make some compromises and try out new things of course. During her time in the city she was a part of a couple bands and groups to try to gain some experience and more importantly expand her connections but most of the time she ended up farther back than when she started. Trying to break out on your own is a big gamble and only the ones with lots of dedication and lots of luck usually make it big.

Or the ones with money.   

She looked over at her boyfriend, who was preoccupied with looking around at the various stuff inside the store. She thought back to when she first met him and her first initial thoughts upon meeting him. Anybody that knew her would never imagine that she’d be with a guy like that, which at times she laughed at when it was brought up. He may have been “very square” or “unimaginative” as some of her friends would say, but she has seen what he can do when he’s in the mood. She enjoyed the moments when his eyes would take a darker shine and his mouth would have a small sharp smirk, knowing full well that he had a mischievous side to him. Richard was a very stable and at times playful man. He wasn’t afraid to rock the boat or pick a fight; he rarely did, but she enjoyed it when it happens.

The guys that she dated before would always be these overly emotional bleeding hearts or these obnoxious adrenaline freaks; they either read too much sappy poetry or smash their instruments too much. Problem too is her love life; they would either be too afraid to touch her or don’t understand the concept of “boundaries”. Paula didn’t think of herself as a prude, although her friends did, but she also didn’t want to be a skank. Richard was a good balance. It was also nice that he had a good sense of self-respect and didn’t ruin himself with booze or drugs. She saw that all the time living in the city ever since high school; lots of people living like rats, eating garbage and injecting junk into their bodies. A couple people she knew would resort to doing degrading stuff to get another hit, there were a few times where she had to stand back and watch helplessly as somebody she knew would just rot away. Sometimes it got pretty heavy.

There were times that she cried the night away and slowly became numb to the hardships around her, she even considered a few times to just run back home to her family, although she never really wanted to resort to that. She was glad that she was living with Jean now. Sure, she was a troublemaker, like what happened that morning, but it wasn’t anything horrible now that she thought about it; just cheeky. Jean was a party girl but was much better than most, she always paid her bills and she would help out Paula from time to time when she needed it. She was also glad to be dating Richard, although she wasn’t quite sure yet if they were a couple, but she would keep that to herself. Funny enough, she didn’t really know what she wanted from this relationship, or what he truly wanted.

Richard was a good man that she cared for very much, maybe more than she actually knew if she sat down and thought about it. He was hardworking, reliable, caring albeit blunt, playful at times and got along pretty well with people, even though he didn’t like most of them. He was a few years older than most of the guys in her clique, so she noticed he did feel a little like an outsider, not to mention the fact that his occupations and “working for the man” persona didn’t help him blend in to her crowd. But despite all of that and his awful taste in music, he can actually hold a conversation with some of her friends, not just about music but other stuff as well. Guys were cool with him and some girls even liked him. Sometimes she would notice them flirting with him, much to her annoyance. He was no George Clooney, but he had a good physique and he wasn’t shy about it, in fact he sort of enjoyed flirting when given the chance.

He had some angst too she noticed. He was sort of like a more relaxed James Dean in fact; at least that’s what she thought. In that sense she considered herself Natalie Wood, an idea that she fancied very much. It was sort of romantic.   

Plus, it helped that he wasn’t flat broke. Money wasn’t a giant thing on her list, but it was nice when a man takes her out on a date to someplace other than McDonalds. Although, when you’re always broke you get pretty used to the taste of McDonalds.  

The only things she could think of that was bad about him was his bluntness, strong indifference to most things and the long-distance part of their relationship, which wasn’t too bad but wasn’t too great either. Honestly, it was weird. She was used to being around so many people at every hour of the day that it’s strange to date someone you only see every couple of weeks. He lived a few towns over so usually they would chat on the phone in between his visits. But whenever he visited, even if it took a while, she would genuinely be happy that he’s around, although she tried not to show it too much. She made him work for that first time they had sex, three dates he had to behave, something most guys would not tolerate, usually trying to force her into giving something and if it didn’t work, they would give up.

In fact, she was a bit surprised in herself, it was only quite recently that she started to play harder like this. Back then there were times that she gave it up a little easier.

But nobody needs to know that. 

She talked about herself all the time, but he didn’t have too much to say about his life, it made her wonder what he was like when he was her age or even younger. He said that he was a real “square” when he was younger and she didn’t doubt it, but she couldn’t help but wonder. Aside from that she couldn’t really think of anything too bad about him. He would sometimes tease her though about her lifestyle, but she didn’t mind too much. I never did anything too crazy, she thought, at least nothing he needs to know. Besides, he was no saint either, she knew he used to do cocaine before; but never a lot he would assure her.

“Just tried some at a few parties.” She remembered him saying.

She wondered how many was “a few” to him. She didn’t like druggies and she hardly smoked weed anymore, not that she did a lot to begin with; at least not as much as her friends. People tried to get her to try the harder stuff, but she always refused.

“Real artists don’t need that.” She would always proclaim.

Most of the time it wasn’t because of art either, most of the time it was just people looking to get away from their problems and their lives for a few hours. People these days wanted everything and at the same time nothing at all. It all made her sick, one reason because she viewed them as the weak and the wounded, the people that gave up after getting beaten. Another reason is because she felt that way too at times, sometimes she would just indulge not in drugs but the bottle and spend her precious time with people she didn’t really care about; or like. It created a powerful fixation in her mind, this feeling that it’s all or nothing, that she is either chasing her dream or she would abandon everything all together. Better to burn out than to fade away. It was very common for people her age, but it wasn’t any less real because of that.

Paula argued a few times about that with Richard, it wasn’t a shouting match every time, nothing near that level, but it was obvious that he disagreed on those things.       

But he never talked down to her, he’d be blunt, and he didn’t care about most of her interests, but he never treated her like a doormat. He understood that she loved her music, he would question a lot of it, and it would create real tension between them, but he knew that was her passion.

But there were times that he could be real hurtful…

Despite that though, she enjoys being with him. Even if it doesn’t go on for long, she’d like it to last a few years at least.

What am I going to tell him? She thought as she looked back at the pamphlets, flipping through papers. I don’t even know how to feel about it…

Her thoughts were broken when she felt two fingers tapping hard on her shoulder, causing her to quickly turn around and look at said person standing next to her. He was still holding his coffee in one hand as he looked down into her eyes with a bored expression on his face.

“Ready to go?” He asked.

“Sure… just give me a minute.” She responded.

“Alright.” He shrugged as he walked away.

After a few minutes they both made their way back outside. The clouds were rumbling a bit more meaning the rain was soon going to be upon them. Richard pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a white lighter, he threw one into his mouth and lit it up with Paula watching him.

“Those will kill ya, you know.” She said with slight disapproval.

“I know.” He shrugged. “You’re a musician, you smoked when I first met you.”

“Not all musicians smoke and I quit a while back.”

“Oh, really?” Richard asked with one eyebrow raised.

“Yes, last month.”

“That’s good.” He chuckled.

Paula shook her head and sipped her espresso as they wandered off, her mind still full of troublesome thoughts.

 

~TO BE CONTINUED...

 

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Author's Note

Inspired mainly by Bob Dylan music and Jean-Luc Godard films. The cover picture is from the film Masculin Féminin [1966].

Reviews

[Anne’sRants]

I love the insight into your characters and the way the dialogue opposes that of their thinking. I can see the guard in Richard and how much he holds back from saying so as not to hurt paula. They are both so tentative in their relationship - scared to hit a sore spot. Even the simplest conversations hold so much complexity behind them.

[MarkAndTheOcean]

Thank you for the kind words, Anne!
I'm trying my hand at more short stories so I'm glad you enjoyed reading this.