Page 14 of Dark Room Junkie

The architects can manage if I don’t show up there anymore.

Restlessly, I stood up again, retreated to the kitchen, and opened the fridge. Was I hungry? Or not? No idea. I didn’t even know what I was looking for. But it felt like I had a ticking bomb inside me, and sitting around doing nothing only made me even more nervous.

As I stared into the fridge, my thoughts drifted back to Noé. I liked his slim figure, but I wondered if he ate enough. I also liked his long hair, numerous tattoos, and captivating smile. His confident demeanor was almost overpowering. I pondered about the color of his eyes. The light was never bright enough to see them.

It was comforting to know that I still had the opportunity to see him again if I wanted to, which helped me calm down.Does he want to see me again?Although he seemed open to anything and anyone—even for sexual practices—that didn’t necessarily mean it was true. Maybe he was just polite?

I grabbed a beer and closed the fridge. Lost in thought, I approached the window with a view of the city and took a big gulp. As I stood there, something made me pause. Maybe it was the position of the sun, but I went to the table and glanced at my phone. It was just before noon.

Good Lord! You’re starting to drink this early now.

Shaking my head, I left the beer and disappeared into the bathroom. A hot shower would do me good. This time, I used the bathroom in the bedroom and took extra time—just like Noé did last night.

What was he doing here?

Okay, he washed his hair, which probably took longer for him than it did for me.

With only a towel around my hips, I stood in front of the closet and selected fresh clothes when I heard my phone ringing. I rushed to the dining table.It might be Livio. Maybe he’s still planning a session.My heart was already racing as I reached for the phone, not paying attention to whose name was on the screen.

“Yeah?”

“Hello? Alex?”

“Oh, hi, Corinne.” It was hard to keep the disappointment out of my voice, and my mother noticed it right away.

“Oh, hi, Corinne?” she mimicked, then laughed. “Who were you expecting?”

“Sorry. I ... Hello. How are you?” I returned to the bedroom and picked out my clothes.

“Good, and you? It’s quite a surprise to catch you answering the phone. Usually, you disappear on weekends.”

“Yeah, there was a change of plans.” I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “What’s up?”

“I met up with Vivi for coffee yesterday. She told me that Chris hired you for a concert?”

“Yeah, but it’s not a real job. More like a favor.”

“That’s great! I was already happy to hear that you still keep in touch.”

“We’re not really,” I replied, pushing my wet hair back. “He called me. That’s all.”

“By the way, I found the old Rolleiflex. And there were five films with it.”

I laughed. “And where did you find it?”

“It was wrapped in my ski jacket.” My mother laughed too. “No idea how it got there. I guess I won’t be wearing it anymore.”

“I understand.”

“But the camera is still good. The lenses are clean, and there are no scratches. I can bring it over to you.”

“Yes, that would be great. Although I’m pretty busy for the next few weeks. I have to go to Geneva, Bern, and eventually to Ticino.”

“I’m on vacation next week anyway. Markus and I are going to Lake Como.”

“That’s nice.”

I was happy for my mother. She had been through enough. Even though I wasn’t entirely on the same wavelength with Markus, I was glad Corinne found him. He was a good man, loved her, and treated her with a lot of respect. Plus, he had enough money himself, so he wasn’t interested in my mother’s family fortune.

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