Beginning

The wind felt cold against her skin.

Chilling her to the bone, rattling her until she shook.

Her black boots stomped across the parking lot picking up speed as she ran from the wind. She pushed the red door open; welcomed by the warmth and the smell of grease and beer. She tugged at her scarf, widening the neck to let the heat soothe her skin. Looking around and not seeing a face she recognized she walked forward towards the lounge. Her boots thudded against the four steps that separated the dining room from the bar, and seated in the circular room at a window seat was who she expected to find.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi! I didn’t see you come in, I was just looking at the menu and I kind of think I’m ready for dessert. How’re you?” Her voice was loud, it carried through the room. It was the type of voice that commanded attention. It sounded powerful, yet despite that Aisha sensed a slight intonation of hysteria in it. She wondered how easily the wall that separated the two could be brought down.

“I’m good. Work sucked, but that’s only because people suck,” Aisha shrugged her shoulders, pulling off her jacket and laying her keys and phone on the table between them.

Aisha examined Daya. She was beautiful. Her large dark brown doe eyes shone with intelligence. Her skin was smooth caramel dressed around broad shoulders, strong arms, and long legs. Her white teeth flashed even when she smiled and she enacted a certain childish charm. Again, Aisha noticed a subtle undertone to her demeanor. She had a feeling the seemingly innocent appearance could easily turn to venom if pushed hard enough.

“Yeah, dude the service industry sucks. I used to work in it and people are the worst sometimes.”

Mindless chit chat went back and forth. Unnecessary words filled the space between them. Aisha hated this part. She considered the first meeting between two people to be the most mundane of experiences. Humans like to shield themselves with small talk. The surface level conversations hide who they really are. It seems to be the gentle way to get to know people. Aisha couldn’t stand it. She’d rather be knocked down with vicious words than be bored to death discussing the weather.

“What was he like?” Aisha asked. Words shifted to love. It was always better to be the one asking questions she thought. There was safety in being the investigator, instead of being the investigated.

“He was wonderful. But he was also distant and cold. It seemed like his emotions escaped him sometimes. As if he didn’t know how to articulate how he was feeling. The important moments felt robotic. And that made me feel alone. Other times it felt like all he could do was grab at my body and drag his tongue down my skin as if that made up for the silence between us. But honestly it just made me feel dirty. A lot of the time I felt like I was just a body to him. Just pretty brown skin he wanted to sink his teeth into. And that was hard to deal with. Especially since he was suppose to be the one person who wouldn’t treat me like that. But he did it anyways. Intentionally or not. That’s how it was.”

It was like hearing her own story from a different woman. Aisha thought the similarities were too striking. Too close to her own experiences.

Then there were tears.

Hot droplets rolled down the smooth cheeks of both women. Aisha wasn’t aware of when she started crying. Only that it was now happening in full force. Deep breaths.

In

and

out.

To control the flow. To ease the tension that filled the restaurant they were in.

Pain brings people together.

Two voices weaving a tale of abuse, misery, and doubt.

Love that should have been pure.

Love that wasn’t.

Love that had taken more from their bodies, their touch, their tongues.

Love that left them empty.

Two voices.

“I didn’t think this is how tonight would go.”

Daya laughed, “Me either.”

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