Subway Girl Ch. 04

I woke with a start to the sound of a key turning in the lock, then the deadbolt turning. Jeff was back. The knob turned, but he couldn't open the door because of the small latch-hook on the inside of the door. And there was the matter of the couch blocking the door as well.

He started banging on the door, "Thomas? Ray? Open up! It's me."

I relocked the two locks and didn't answer.

"What the fuck? Open the goddamned door!" He banged louder. "Thomas! Ray! Open the motherfuckin' door!" He unlocked the door again and I saw the knob twist. Then he started banging on the door. "Open up!"

"Forget it, Jeff. You didn't pay, you can't stay here anymore," I yelled through the door.

"Ray! You better open this fucking door right now or I'm gonna kick your ass!"

I felt surprisingly calm as I locked the door again. I did feel irritated that he was keeping me awake when I had a game in the morning, but I wasn't all that worried that he would get in. But then he started kicking again.

"Ray! Open the door! Now!" he yelled.

I didn't answer and turned on the light. I made up my mind that if he came through that door I was going to kick his scrawny drug-addict ass. I was sick of his shit and there was no way he was going to stay here ever again. Anger started to well up in me as I wondered why I ever let him intimidate me in the first place. Just because he was loud and crazy didn't make him tough. Hell, I started to hope he would bust through that door and I hoped he tired himself out in the process. I stood there with my fists clenched, staring at the door as he continued to kick and kick, yelling at me to open up. I could see one of the screws on the latch was protruding and the wood trim on the door was starting to split. It seemed like time was passing really slowly and I wondered why he had not busted through yet. My senses were heightened and I was imagining the feeling of my fist connecting with his face, what that would feel like. I felt myself swelling with anger, a feeling I had been ignoring for a long time and now Jeff was about to give me my opportunity to put it to good use. Fear had completely left me and I felt like a wild animal ready to pounce the second he came through that door. Jeff kept yelling and hammering his foot against the door, ranting about kicking my ass, and I was ready to get on with it. I was getting so impatient I was about to open the door just so I could shut him up once and for all, but then it got suddenly quiet. I heard some mumbling and then a loud rap on my door followed by "NYPD! Open up."

It didn't sound like Jeff, but I wasn't certain so I moved the couch and unhooked the latch. As I opened the door a crack I saw a badge. The cop asked me if I lived there, what my name was, and then asked me to hand over my ID. I didn't see Jeff, but the cop told me his partner was questioning my friend and he wanted my version of what was going on.

I told him Jeff used to stay there but he had not paid his rent and I wasn't going to let him stay anymore. He asked whose name was on the rental agreement and I told him me and Carlos. He asked if I had ever been arrested and I answered truthfully, "No." He took my ID and excused himself for a minute while he stepped outside.

I sat down on the couch and waited but it was way longer than a minute. I wasn't worried about what would happen to me, but I wanted Jeff gone. After about fifteen minutes the cop returned and gave me my ID back. "Okay, Raymond, you checked out fine, but your friend won't be back anytime soon." He ran his hand over the wood trim and I asked about Jeff, "Did you arrest him for trying to break in?"

The cop laughed and said, "No, he didn't actually get in, did he? All he did tonight was disturb the peace. A few of your neighbors called it in, but he had warrants and some prescription drugs on his person that don't belong to him. They belong to a woman who got mugged yesterday. He was too stupid to ditch the bottle."

"Whoa, really? I knew he was a creep, but that's pretty bad."

The cop laughed and said, "Yeah, really bad for him. He's a creep alright. Tried to tell us he bought the pills off someone else, but he matches the description, and there were witnesses." He pulled out a card with his name and number and said goodnight as he headed out the door.

I put the couch back in front of the door out of habit and flopped down. I turned the light out and tried to sleep but found that I couldn't. There was too much adrenaline flowing through me from getting ready for the fight that never happened. Plus, I was hungry as hell, so I ate the rest of my cereal, drank all my milk, and thought about Jeff getting booked in jail.

I read until the sun came up and felt really amped up about my game and the anticipation of seeing Alicia afterwards. Louisa gave me my clean soccer shirt and shorts and also my clean t-shirts so I could put one on after the game. I asked Louisa if she had a grocery bag so I could carry my spare shirt in it and she said, "You can't walk around with a grocery sack full of clothes! You wanna look like a bag lady?"

"No, ma'am, I sure don't," I laughed, happy that I actually cared.

"Hold on a minute." Louisa closed the door and returned a minute later and handed me a black backpack. "Use this. Give it back when you're done."

"Wow, really? Thanks, Louisa. I don't even have to wear my jacket now, I can keep my stuff in here."

"You look stupid in that jacket when it's so hot outside."

I laughed and thanked her again. She was right, after all.

"Play hard, Ray."

I walked to the park, stopping for coffee on the way, and also got a bagel. I'd need some energy to play soccer and bagels cost more than donuts, but they seem to last longer. Arriving at the great lawn I saw Marcus and the other guys warming up. Marcus's wife was there with their two kids and she told me she had a Gatorade for me. Marcus patted my back and asked about Carlos. I admitted, "I need to call him."

I didn't expect to see Alicia for a while. She sent me a text saying she would be there around 11:00 and I texted her back saying, "Just look for the Hispanic guy in a soccer uniform," which was a joke because there would be about a hundred guys in the park fitting that description. Alicia texted back "I'll be the cute blonde in black sunglasses," which I thought was pretty sassy of her.

I got into the game and didn't start looking for her until the second half. Eventually I saw that cute blonde in sunglasses. She wasn't kidding. I had never seen her in casual clothes and she looked so young and incredibly cute I felt like tackling her, but I just waved and she waved back. She was wearing jean shorts that were truly short with a sleeveless yellow top and flat sandals. Her hair was up in a tossled, more casual way and she had big black sunglasses on. I shot a few glances her way, but mostly stayed focused on the game.

I am sure I turned it up a notch knowing Alicia was watching me and dug deep in my reservoir to go after the ball -- or maybe it was a rush of testosterone -- but I had a good game. I got to tackle twice and even showed off with a scissor move. We ended up losing 3-2, but I was about as happy as could be. Alicia was talking to Marcus's wife when I walked up and I didn't want to hug her because I was too sweaty but she hugged me anyway and I didn't stop her.

"That was so awesome! You're really good, Ray! Gloria was just telling me about how you and your friend Carlos totally improved the team!"

I felt a combination of pride and embarrassment as she said that. I was ashamed of myself that I didn't know Marcus's wife's name before that moment and here she was bragging about me to Alicia. "Oh yeah, we were the youngest on the team. We had a lot of energy back then."

"You still do! It was so cool to watch how fast you are." Alicia was smiling, I was smiling, even Gloria was smiling, and it was a little bit too much for me until Marcus came along and smacked me on the back and called me a show-off. Gloria handed me a bottle of Gatorade and I thanked her and sat down on the grass next to my backpack to drink and stop sweating.

Alicia sat down too and kept talking to Gloria. I was blown away at her ability to make small-talk with strangers. She had already learned the names of their kids and how old they were. I could tell that my pretty friend was making a big impression on both Gloria and Marcus. On me too.

After Marcus and Gloria gathered up their belongings and their kids and said goodbye, Alicia asked if we could sit in the shade. She had a backpack too and took out a thin blanket for us to sit on. It wasn't very big so our feet hung off. "Are you hungry? I brought food."

"You didn't have to do that." I felt embarrassed thinking she brought food because she knew I was broke.

"Well I thought you might be hungry after your game, and I'm hungry too and kind of a picky eater," she laughed.

"Well, I'm always hungry, but especially after playing soccer."

Alicia started taking food out of her backpack. She started with a container of strawberries, grapes, crackers and cheese, and then she pulled out a sandwich that was on a bagel. But it was the strawberries that blew my mind. They were so sweet and juicy. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had eaten fresh fruit and I said so, "I guess I've been eating like crap for some time now. These strawberries are amazing."

"Well, you are lucky you play soccer and are super fit. But it is really important to eat right, you know."

"Believe me, I know. But it is easier said than done. Now that my roommate is gone I can probably start keeping food in the apartment and not eat fast-food crap."

"I never eat fast food. I take my lunch to work with me." Alicia insisted the sandwich was for me but that didn't make sense after she said she was hungry, but she said she had already eaten hers. "So, are you up for exploring the park with me?" she asked.

"Sure." I stood and pulled off my soccer shirt and swapped it with the clean t-shirt in my pack. Alicia stood up and started putting things back in her backpack and it gave me an opportunity to study her from behind. She had toned muscular legs that that led to a nice rounded butt and a small waist. I was really admiring the curve to her ass when she turned around. I think she caught me staring, but if she did, she didn't say anything. She held a sheet of paper in her hand and said, "Let's go."

As we started walking, Alicia told me she found information online about all the things to see in Central Park and that it would take days to see everything, so we could just focus on the mid-section since that is where we started. "For example, did you know the great lawn used to be the city's reservoir? It was drained in 1937." Alicia suddenly blushed and looked embarrassed. "I hope you don't think I'm a dork for looking all this up."

I laughed and told her I thought it was cool that she was excited about the city and no, I didn't know that about the reservoir.

"Oh good. Well then, you wouldn't know that they failed to remove part of the reservoir wall underground and it created drainage problems and the grass wouldn't grow. In the nineties they had to tear it all up."

I laughed again and said, "No, you're right. I didn't know that fact either. But what I do want to know is why you're an accountant and not a teacher."

Alicia laughed and said accountants make a lot more money. "But it isn't just that. I like accounting because... Well... You can solve every problem. There isn't any mystery or ambiguity. If something doesn't balance, I can always figure it out. Accounting makes sense and it is a puzzle I can solve."

"So you don't do well with uncertainty?"

"No. Sorry, I guess that makes me sound kind of rigid and not very appealing, but I like order. I like answers. I like black and white."

"Nothing wrong with that, I guess."

"Hey, have you ever been inside the Belvedere Castle?"

"No, have you?"

"No, but I really want to check it out!" Alicia was as excited as a little kid and she really seemed a lot younger in her shorts and sandals. She was walking quickly and saying, "Come on, Ray!" while I was purposely lingering to get another look at her ass and legs from behind. I was relieved to find out it didn't cost any money to get in the Castle, but then I started to wonder if Alicia really gave a shit about this stuff or was just doing it because it was free, for my sake. She seemed enthusiastic, and I really hoped she wasn't being phony.

Inside, the castle was small and crowded. There was a "flora and fauna" exhibit about things that lived in the park that I thought was cool; we would have hung out there a long time if it weren't so congested. We stepped outside onto one of the balconies to get some air. We were pretty high up with a great view of the park, and Alicia started pointing things out to me like the Delacorte Theater and the Ramble. She was talking all bubbly and going on and on, but I wasn't listening that well. I was studying her lips and thinking about what it would be like to kiss her, but she interrupted that thought by saying, "Let's take a picture!" She took out her phone and pressed the button for a selfie and held her face right next to mine. Our cheeks were actually touching and she took the picture and said "Oh, it came out great! And look at the skyline in the background! Don't worry, Ray, I won't put it on Facebook."

"It didn't even cross my mind to worry about that, but I do want you to text it to me."

"You don't mind if I put it on Facebook?"

"No, why would I?"

"Oh, I don't know. Psychotic ex-girlfriend maybe? Or you don't want to be... Oh, I don't know, lots of reasons."

"Alicia, I have not even looked at Facebook in over a year."

Alicia's face froze. "You are joking, right? Ray, are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. I was never that into it anyway, but I haven't even looked at it since... I can't remember."

Alicia gazed at me with big eyes for a second, before going on, "That is how I communicate with all my friends back in California. Don't you keep in touch with your friends from back home?"

"I haven't felt like it."

She looked at me with a blank stare and waited.

"Look, Alicia, when I moved to New York things started out really great for me, but then everything went bad. I just don't have much to brag about and that is what Facebook feels like to me -- everyone saying look at me and how great I'm doing, and I haven't had anything to say."

"I get it, Ray. I have to take breaks from it once in a while too, but a whole year..?"

"Well, I've just been surviving up until recently. That hardly seems like a cool post. "This is Ray, barely squeakin' by in the big city."

Alicia laughed and said, "Yeah, if Maslow wrote his 'hierarchy of needs' today, he would probably put 'Update Facebook status' on the third or fourth level."

I laughed and made a mental note to look up this Maslow guy because I really didn't know what she meant.

"Oh hey, look! Our photo already has four 'likes' and one comment. My friend Janet said 'Who's the hottie and does he have any friends?'" I laughed and realized I liked being called a hottie, but no, I don't have any friends. Not a single one.

Alicia put her phone away and looked at the paper she printed out about the park and asked if I wanted to walk through the Ramble. Of course I did. I would have agreed to just about anything. As we squeezed back through the crowded castle I took her hand so we wouldn't get separated and I didn't let go when we got out. Alicia didn't let go either.

We walked for a while, silently, and I didn't mind that. I liked the Ramble because it is like being in the woods and you could forget you are even in the city surrounded by millions of people. I am always surprised that so few people go through there. Then I started worrying if she was having fun. I like it quiet sometimes and hoped Alicia did too, but she had been quiet for a while, maybe thinking. Hopefully not questioning what she was doing here with me. Finally she broke the silence. "Ray, I really think you should check your Facebook."

I laughed in relief upon hearing the reason for the serious expression, but asked, "Why does it matter?"

"Maybe you missed something important. Besides, your life isn't all that bad right now. You played an awesome game of soccer, it is a beautiful summer day, and now you are seeing the sights with me. I think that sounds like an awesome day!"

"Well, I completely agree with that, but I don't see what Facebook has to do with anything."

"I want to send you a friend request and I don't even know your last name."

"Kelly."

"Really? Kelly?"

"What, did you expect 'Sanchez' or something? I'm half Irish."

"That explains the green eyes."

We were now deep into the maze of trees that make up the Ramble and I stopped Alicia on the trail and looked at her. "I'll check my Facebook page -- but on one condition."

She looked up at me and I said, "I want our first kiss to be in the Ramble." Alicia's eyes got big and she asked, "Now?"

I nodded my head and put my hand on the side of her face and lowered my face right up to hers and for a second I didn't kiss her; I just looked in her eyes until she closed them, and I met her lips with mine, once very softly, once a bit more firmly, then once a lot longer. I backed my head up, not wanting to be too greedy right away, looked her in the eyes, and said, "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

"Me too," she answered in a soft voice. Then she took my hand and started walking again. We walked all through the Ramble, and sat down and talked a few times, and walked around some more and talked awhile. Alicia took a few scenery shots with her phone. When we got back to the lawn she put her blanket under a tree and we sat down. I was fighting the urge to kiss her again. I didn't want to be too pushy, but now that I had tasted those lips I wanted more.

She told me she had to go a party that night for a coworker, a cocktail party that was a bridal shower, and said they didn't have those types of showers in California. She felt kind of awkward about going, but she had a friend from work to hang out with there.

I knew that our time together was coming to an end and I wanted to make plans to see her again, but I still had the problem of lack of funds. "Want me to check my Facebook now?" I asked, not because I wanted to, but because I didn't want to say goodbye.

"Yes!"

Alicia leaned her head on my arm as I took my phone out and tried to remember how to do it. I didn't have that little icon on my phone and had to go through the Internet. As soon as I did Alicia squealed, "Oh my god, Ray, you have 94 notifications!"

I was surprised as well. "I have a friend request from a guy I know from school, and a cousin, and oh, look at this cutie named Alicia Klaer. I'll have to take a closer look at her later."

I started scrolling through my page and aside from a bunch of old Happy Birthday messages, I saw a few friends from school saying "Hey Ray, gonna be in the city, let's get together," or "Hey man, long time, how've you been?" One guy tagged me in a few old photos and then there were more and more of "Where've you been, how've you been, tried to call you." It went on like that for quite some time, but the one that really caught my attention was from a cousin who said, "Thought of your mom today. I know she'd be proud of you." I noticed the post was on my mom's birthday.

I stopped reading and set the phone down on my thigh and I didn't want to say anything because I was feeling overwhelmed. I finally looked at Alicia and was startled by the fact that she had tears in her eyes.

"People miss you, Ray. A lot of people miss you."

"I had no idea."

"Where have you been?"