Penelope

They happened to be in the same city at the same time: he for business, she for pleasure. They arranged to meet at his hotel: he after work, she after the museum. She sat in the bar and waited for him. In truth, she felt a little out of her league. The clientele was well dressed and city-sheik. Yes, she did look good for her, but if you looked really close you would see that her make-up was not the right color for her skin and her shirt was not of the finest quality.

He arrived when she was halfway through her first drink and had just finished putting on lipstick. He smiled and she smiled back. He told her to put the drink on his room. She needed his room number. He wrote it down. She got off the stool and they walked out of the bar and through the lobby. Her heels clicked on the tile floor. She could tell he was exhausted. She asked if he wanted to put down his briefcase and he said yes. She told him she’d wait for him downstairs. He asked her to come up. She didn’t think any thing of it and said yes.

Once in the room he put his bag down and sat in one of two chairs over looking the city skyline. It was beautiful, almost magical. The windows went from the floor to the ceiling and you had the sensation of flying between the twinkling lights of the buildings. He asked if they could sit for a while before they left for dinner. She said sure, she was in no hurry. You look beautiful he said to her. She still didn’t get it. Thank you, she replied. They sipped on whisky straight out of the little bottles you get on an airplane. She couldn’t stand the taste so she told him she was going to get some ice.

When she got back he told her about his day. It had been the usual day of presentations and boredom. She asked what the presentations were about and he told her. Although her green eyes blazed with intelligence, she didn’t really understand the terminology but she pretended to. He started to pepper his conversations with remarks that he couldn’t believe she was in his hotel room.

She finally asked, why, because you’re my cousin’s husband? He said you know you shouldn’t be here. Still not getting it she said, if it makes you feel any better, no one knows I am here. Nor can they, he said.

They talked a bit more, tip-toeing around their biggest commonality – family – and then there was a knock at the door and he got up to answer the door. For a moment she thought it might be her cousin. It was a very drunk woman thinking it was her room. This isn’t your room, she heard him say. Yes, it isss, the drunk woman insisted and then wobbled around the wall of the entryway and teetered over to the bed and slumped down. ‘Dis is ma rum, the drunk woman slurred. Ma boyfrien’ iss here. The drunk woman began to remove her shoes.

There was another knock at the door and she told him that she’d get it this time. It was the boyfriend, very embarrassed. Not a problem, she told the boyfriend. The boyfriend came in and collected his girlfriend, apologizing the whole time. She walked them to the door. It crossed her mind that the boyfriend thought she and he were a couple in their own hotel room, instead of a cousin and a cousin’s husband.

She sat back down on her chair. You are wearing heels, he said to her. Yes, she said. Are you wearing them for me? No, she told him with a smile. I love you, he said. This took her by surprise, but by her reaction you would not know it. Are you flirting with me, she asked? No, he said. I love you. The air stopped moving and the darkness outside became darker as the lights became brighter. She realized he was serious. In her mind, she admitted she loved him, too. And that single admission shed clarity on her reasons for being in the city and drove home the ramifications of the situation.