Eve

I was trying to concentrate, but it was almost impossible. I got a couple of hours in the morning that were silent and peaceful, but once noon rolled around and the man upstairs woke up, there was no more quiet to be had. He was loud with everything that he did and at one o clock, it was back to me trying to ignore him. It was impossible though, everything about this apartment felt impossible. Why couldn’t he be like the nice man that had come down and helped before?

Getting up from my seat, I tried to think of something else to do that didn’t need quiet, but it was work that called to me and that was more important than anything else. That was the reason that I had moved to the city in the first place was to work for the paper, but I was missing my small town more and more. I liked the excitement of the work and I liked having my name in print, but was it worth it? Everything felt so different here and it felt like I didn’t belong.

Carlos was the name of the guy upstairs and I couldn’t help but wonder what it was he did. He didn’t work in the day time like most people and he was gone until late in the night, but after he got home there was usually a party going on. A couple of times I had heard a knock at my door, but there was no way that I was answering at one o clock in the morning. It couldn’t be that important.

So I sighed to myself and left the apartment. I wasn’t going to get any work done until around five when the loud man upstairs went to work or wherever it was that he was going.

I almost ran into a woman that was going into the building.

“Sorry about that.” It wasn’t my fault, but it just seemed easier than arguing with her. Moving out of her way, I almost wanted to ask her a question about the man she was going to visit, but I didn’t have the guts to do such a thing. What I really wanted to know was what in the world he did all day, but that wasn’t something I could ask.

“Does Carlos live here?”

Her voice overturned the one in my head that had been musing about what it was he did all day. When I turned back around, she was looking at my door and then to the stairs that led to Carlos’.

“I think the guy that you are looking for lives upstairs.”

The redhead smiled and thanked me before making her way up there. She was certainly in a good mood to be seeing him. All I could think about was the noises that came from his apartment when he had women over. It was enough to make me blush.

Putting the Ipod ear buds on, I started down the street in a slow jog. I had already gone earlier that day, but I needed some fresh air and time away from the loud music and soon to be moaning that would be coming from the neighbor’s house. It had only been a week and I was already debating how plausible it would be to find somewhere else to live. I would lose all of my deposits, but that might be better than losing my sanity.

Stopping at the crosswalk, I was surprised to see Joel coming out of a restaurant. He spotted me and waved, crossing the street to say hello. I didn’t really know him all that well, but since I knew almost everyone less, I talked to him for a few minutes and eventually invited him over for dinner. It was supposed to be to thank him for helping me move in, but if I was honest it was more about some kind of buffer for the neighbor. Maybe I could have Joel talk to him. I seem to remember him telling me that they were related.

“I have to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things. I’ll have dinner ready around seven or so if you aren’t busy.”

“Eve, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

I smiled back at him and I couldn’t help the draw of his dark eyes. He looked a lot like the man that lived upstairs, even though I had only seen him from the distance a couple of times. I could tell that there was a resemblance.

After telling him goodbye, I did as I was planning to do and picked up a few things for dinner. It was something that I missed, having someone to cook for. I didn’t see Joel as a potential mate, but I did look at him like he could be a friend, something I needed far more.

When I got home, the music was loud and the moaning was louder. I looked over at the clock and saw that I only had another hour of the racket before he would have to leave for the night. It was my favorite time of the day and I couldn’t wait for the time to change so that he would leave. Then I would be able to hear myself think again and possibly get some work done.

***

“Sorry I am a little late.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was just getting some work done. It’s hard to do when it is usually so loud, so I try to squeeze it in when it is quiet like this. Come in.”

“I take it that Carlos is a bit louder than you had thought.”

I pressed my lips together, not really sure what I was supposed to say. I didn’t want Joel to say anything to him, but in a way I did.

“I’m just not used to living so close to everyone. I think my last neighbor was almost a block away in my hometown.”

“The city is a lot different. I don’t know if I would like the slow pace of a small town, though I didn’t know that there were girls like you there. Maybe I would have moved a long time ago.”

He made me blush and it was the first time I realized that he was attracted to me in that way. Joel had been nice and for some reason I hadn’t looked at him in that way. He wasn’t my type, if I had one.

“I am sure there are plenty of small town girls here in the city to choose from.”

“None like you.”

My face was red, I could feel the heat, but I didn’t want to give him any ideas. I wasn’t after all looking, but I didn’t know what to say to let him down easily. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I just kind of laughed it off.

“How do you like the city so far?”

My mind went to my crazy neighbor and I once again just kind of shook my head, not saying anything one way or another. It was clear to me then that I was just going to have to keep that to myself.

“It’s been okay. It just takes a little getting used to.”

“Has Carlos came down and introduced himself to you yet?”

I shook my head that he hadn’t and Joel didn’t look so surprised about it. It was easy to see that he knew exactly what kind of guy his cousin was. I was already pretty sure I knew what kind of guy he was and I had only met him in passing from a distance.

“Carlos is just hard to get to know. Once you know him, he has a heart of gold, but he can be a little aloof at times. I was hoping that the two of you would hit it off.”

There was nothing to say and I just kind of smiled back at him. I saw my mistake rather quickly when his eyes had darkened and he as looking at me in such a way. I realized then that it wasn’t the best idea to invite him over. Not now that I knew what he wanted from me.

“Well you are nothing like him, I can see that. You are a good man Joel.”

“We are cousins, but not too much alike after that. I always looked up to Carlos, but we never agreed on how to treat women.” He looked away like he had said too much. “So how is your writing going?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t getting near enough done because of the noise upstairs. “It’s going. I am just used to more quiet. It can get loud around here at night and early in the morning.”

“I bet. You can always come by and write at my house if you want. I stay upstairs sometimes, but even I need a break from all of that. Carlos just has a certain kind of lifestyle that is fun, but exhausting if you are not used to it.”

My mind went to the moaning that I heard almost always on a daily basis. It did sound exhausting.

“What?”

My smile faded and I told him that I was just thinking about something. I wasn’t going to tell him what, but Joel didn’t push and I was thankful for that. The rest of the evening I tried to keep my mouth shut on his cousin and keep him from thinking that this was a date. It was just dinner. It was just a dinner between friends.

The differences between the two men were stark and I was glad that I had gotten to know Joel. It didn’t help me understand his cousin any better, but it did make me feel a little less lonely in a city of strangers.