Chapter Two: Present

As the bus pulled to the curb, Casse let her present begin to sink in. Her 6th floor apartment waited. Sure, it was empty now, holding only her queen sized bed and a short table in the living room, but it just screamed 'New Life Loading...." every time she stepped inside. Stepping off of the bus and having to walk for less than 250 feet into the lobby, Casse smiled. She was so ready.

"6th floor, please." Carrying two shopping bags in one hand and 2 grocery bags in the other, Casse was glad there was someone else going up in her buildings’ elevator. She'd lived here for a week and the only person she knew was Mrs. Metz. Mrs. Metz lived on the third floor and was outspoken and super judgmental.

"What do you mean you're not married? You're pregnant? Who does that?" Ms. Metz was that one. From a generation where broken marriages and unhealthy relationships didn’t exist, weren’t discussed, or both.

"No problem." A very deep, male voice answered from someplace above her head. Casse turned to thank him, and secretly took a peek. Pregnant or not, she was still a girl, after all.

She simultaneously smiled inside and wished she hadn't. He had to have been at least a foot and a half taller than her, as she was looking up at his very well shaped Adam's apple. His hair was a little darker than chocolate, but not quite black and styled on the longer side. If it hadn't been swept back, it might have covered his ears. He had full lips, though they didn't look like they smiled much. His eyes ...she couldn't see his eyes well, and it was probably for the best. She'd gotten caught up in a pretty set of ocular organs before. Her eyes slid down his body to his waist, then away. She looked down at her belly.

Standing beside him, she felt 100 years pregnant and 80 lbs heavier than she already was. In an instant, she was acutely aware of what she was wearing and what she wasn't. Edmund's shapeless brown t-shirt (she was pretty sure there was a bleach stain someplace on it) had once been a flattering fit on her, now stretched a bit across the midsection. She'd paired it with a red, bo-ho style skirt (the first thing she'd touched) and it matched not at all. Black flip flops and a super-messy ponytail completed her look. No makeup. No jewelry. No chance.

"Thank you." Moving to the back of the elevator car, that only held the two of them, she tried to disappear. His coal gray, business suit and matte finished, black shoes mocked her. He was completely put together. His hair was obviously held in that perfect swish by something, but it was not greasy. His teal and silver paisley printed tie was well suited to the suit he wore, adding a pop of color without being garish or overstated. And he smelled good.

Turning her head as if to adjust her purse strap, Casse did the secret sniff. She hadn't showered this morning. It wasn’t a conscious decision, it just hadn't mattered until now.

"Still fresh." She said quietly to herself.

"Pardon?" His voice reached out to her, smooth and rich like coffee.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself." She looked up at the floor numbers as they changed, slightly embarrassed and so glad he couldn't hear her thoughts.

"Oh. No problem. That is said to be one of the traits of highly successful people." He smiled. Yup, even his teeth were perfect.

"Really. I was always told it just means you’re crazy." she smiled, showing no teeth. More than that shower had been left off this morning.

"No. It’s when you answer yourself back that there is a problem."

Cassi smiled again and nodded, having nothing else to add, but wanting to seem interested.

"Here we go." The elevator stopped and he offered to help her with her bags.

"No thanks. I don't want to hold you up." She started past him. He held onto the grocery bags.

"You aren't. This is my floor as well." He easily leveraged the grocery bags as well as the shopping bags from her hands, smiling slightly the whole time.

"Which way?" He pointed toward the hall with his chin.

"Oh. Umm...number 11. 611." She hustled, not quite at full waddle to walk ahead of him to open the door to her apartment. Plus, she didn't want to stand beside him. She was sure the casual passerby would see them as a walking ad for 'wear this, not that'.

She'd never seen him on this floor. But then, she rarely came out, except to ride the elevator down to the lobby.

"I'll take it from here." She turned to take the bags. He stood, not offering them up.

"I could just put them inside."He tilted his head a little to the side, fixing her with his whole gaze. Gray, heavily rimmed with dark lashes. They matched his suit.

"I don't know you, sorry." Her thoughts had slipped out. She was unable to form correct, polite yet dismissive sentences.

"My name is Aiden...Choi. I live in 13. 613. I'd shake your hand, but my hands are full." He smiled. Why did he smile? Her brain stuttered.

"Ok...but please don't come in my house and murder me. I finally got a job. I start on Monday." Hiding her pin pad with her body, Casse pushed her code and opened the door.

Selling her house had allowed her to afford a very nice 2 bedroom, 1 bath with a smallish kitchen and largish living room. It was everything that she needed and a little more than she had hoped for.

"Humble abode, meet Aiden. He's not a murderer."She smiled, forgetting to hide her less than perfectly hygienic teeth, in response to his laughter. It was clear and deep like his voice. As much as she had fought it, she was disarmed.

"Aiden, humble abode." Her now empty arms swept wide over the clean apartment. Clean, and completely devoid of furniture, save a low, square coffee table sitting in the middle of the living room.

Walking past her to put the bags on the kitchen counter, Aiden came back to stand beside her at the entry space, staring in the living room area.

"So...minimalist look?" His perfect brows were slightly furrowed as he looked at the open expanse. The curtains and knick-knacks on the faux mantle suited each other perfectly...but there was no furniture to speak of.

"Oh, no. I just haven't gotten around to it." Cassi shrugged. She was just glad the apartment still smelled like her burning oils. With selling her house, finding this apartment, and landing a job while visibly pregnant, furniture had been the last thing on her mind.

After the silence stretched out, and she could no longer not scratch her stretched out belly, Casse thanked him and showed him the door.

"Have a nice night." He lifted his hand in a little wave and walked two doors down. She stepped out into the hall and watched as he entered the code. He looked back at her, smiling again.

"Just making sure." She told him, waving one last time and closing her door.

Somewhere down in her purse, an alarm went off on her phone.

"Vitamin time." She walked through the empty living room to her bedroom. In the master bathroom she found the days vita-pak and shook the contents into her hand. She threw them into her mouth and leaned over the faucet for water to swallow them down. She had to do it fast, she'd gag if she thought about it too much. That done, she went on with her preparations for the coming day, and shutting down for the night. She had to get an early start.