Chapter 7

I knocked on the door a second time. Damn, had I taken the wrong one? I glanced around. It did say Nina on it, but maybe there were more than one around. I waited for a few more seconds, then turned to head down the stairs when I heard the handle turn.

“Hel-... Oh….”

She stared at me with wide eyes. For a moment, I was too stunned to say anything, before I recovered and held out her jumper to her.

“You forgot this…”

She stared at the piece of clothes in my hand.

“Oh…”

Why didn’t she take it? Damn, this had been such a bad idea. I should have just forgotten about it.

“You forgot it… I… was just around, so I thought I’d give it back.”

Stupid shit, why did I repeat myself? She must think I’m an idiot.

“Oh… Okay… T-thank you…”

She carefully took it from me. So…that was it. Mission complete. She stared down at the ground.

“It’s… a nice flat you have here”

Stop talking. Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut and leave her in peace?

“Thank you”, she whispered.

“So… Yeah…”

I turned to walk down the stairs and then paused.

“You… You don’t want to go for lunch? I was just on my way.”

Dammit, why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut for once? Why would she want to go to lunch with me? She had her own life.

“Lunch…?”

“Yeah, but, you know… I guess you’re busy…”

An awkward silence fell over the stairwell.

“Well… Anyway… Enjoy your day...”

I turned back down the stairs.

“Okay…”, she whispered.

I halted.

“I can come with you for lunch”, she said quietly.

She went inside and closed the door behind her, leaving me standing in the stairwell. She’d… said yes? Did she actually want to have lunch with me? Moments later, it opened again, and she came out with a jacket in her hand, staring down at the ground. I tried to come up with something to say, but my mind was blank, so after a moment’s silence, I just gestured for her to follow.

We continued down the stairs in silence. Had it been a mistake to ask her? Maybe she’d just said yes to be pleasant? Stupid shit.

I gestured for her to get into the car as we came down, and she took a seat without a word.

“So…”

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel.

“Any place you want to go…?”

“No…”, she whispered.

“Sure… Or I mean…”

I turned the ignition and pulled out onto the street.

“I know a place…”

We drove in silence. This had been such a bad idea. Why did I even ask her? I was such an idiot.

It wasn’t far, and it didn’t take me long to find a parking spot. I turned off the engine and then pointed awkwardly to the other side of the street.

“So… That’s the place.”

She only nodded. I stared out at the street for a moment and then blinked. Lunch… I got out of the car, and this time, she followed suit without me having to knock on the window. We stood awkwardly for a moment.

“So… Yeah…”

I pointed to the other side of the street, then remembered she already knew, and instead gestured for her to follow.

It was a quiet bar, luckily, and if the waitress recognised me, she didn’t say anything. Good shit. She seated us at the table.

“So… You can choose whatever you want, I’ll pay”

I gestured at the menu on the wall. Nina nodded. Damn, this was so awkward. She must think I’m dumb. Why did I ask her out for lunch? I should have just left her jumper, or better still, forgotten about it altogether.

I told the waitress my drink order, and Nina murmured hers, and we were alone again.

“So… What you’ve done since last time?

She murmured something I couldn’t hear.

“Sorry…?”

“Nothing really…”, she whispered.

“Oh… Okay…”

The waitress came back with our drinks and placed a bread basket on the table. I took a piece just to keep my hands busy.

“So… You’re a graphic designer, right?”

She nodded.

“Any new designs?”

This was going shit. I shouldn’t have done this.

“A logo…”

“A logo? Oh, well, that’s great. You like that?”

She nodded.

Damn, the rest of the conversation was just a haze, but I guess I must have kept talking…