The Tallest Building

Despite the earliness, she was already waking up. It was never the same sleeping in someone else’s bed. A grey light leaked through the bare window. She wondered if anyone could see in but imagined they were probably too high. It was drizzling outside, which only added to the sense of it being too early to be awake. Through the haze she could see the grey outline of the space needle. It always made her laugh how many cities boasted some tall building as a tourist attraction. Like she didn’t have anything better to spend $20 on than riding up a tower. If you want the view, find a hill or hell even the second tallest building in the city. She closed her eyes. The body next to her shifted. There was no use fighting it, she was awake. She sat up part way and scanned for her clothes, which had been discarded in stages throughout the room. She spotted her underwear near the foot of the bed and made a grab for them. The body next to her rolled over.
-Where you going beautiful?
The voice was full of sleep and raspy from dehydration.
-I can’t sleep.
An arm encircled her waist and pulled her gently back into the nest of the covers.
-Then come cuddle with me.
She lay back down. It was cold outside the blankets. Her bus wouldn’t leave for a few hours and it was raining. The arms, two sleeves of tattoos, pulled her in close, wrapping around her like an octopus. She admired the detailing on the koi fish on the right bicep. A stubbly chin rested on her shoulder and he ear filled with warm morning breath, beery but not rank.
-Fuck, you are so beautiful.
She smiled into the covers. The delivery was terrible but the early morning and the hangover stripped away all pretenses. It was sincere. The lips started to kiss her neck. She pulled away a bit and turned to face the man next to her in the bed.
-I stink.
He laughed. The laughter reached the dark green eyes which were now open and candidly examining her.
-You smell amazing. Like sex.
-Mmmmm
She kissed him, noticing, but not really caring, that her chin was already tender from his stubbly cheeks. His hands moved into her hair and she let herself enjoy the moment for a minute before pushing him back.
-I need to brush my teeth. I wouldn’t mind a shower either.
He caressed her breast, which lay exposed above the edge of the sheets.
-Can I join you?
She pulled the sheets over her chest, pushing his hand away in the process.
-Is it alright if I just jump in alone?
He shrugged. She could tell he was disappointed but she wanted a proper shower without the pressure of trying to be sexy or intimate. She kissed him on the cheek.
-I’ll be quick. Then I can treat you to breakfast before my bus leaves.
-You don’t have to do that.
She kissed him again.
-I know.
-There should be a clean towel under the sink. If not, the one on the back of the door shouldn’t be too bad. Sorry.
-Hey, no apologies. You’ve been a good host.
She slipped out of bed, grabbing items of clothing as she padded towards the bathroom. He watched her with a sleepy smile, enjoying the show as she bent to retrieve each piece. She slipped on her shirt and shut the bathroom door behind her.
She examined herself in the mirror. She hadn’t washed her face the night before and there were smudges of mascara under her eyes. Her hair was a massive tangled bush and her chin was red. But still, not bad.
She turned on the taps in the bathtub and waited for the water to grow hot. She tried to ignore the hairs floating in the puddles at the bottom of the tub and the thick yellow ring in its blue plastic. When the water was near scalding, she pulled the little lever and the shower came on. She pulled off her shirt and stepped in. There was very little around the edge of the tub: cheap shampoo – no conditioner- and a grimy sliver of soap. That was part of his appeal, the cheap bear he was drinking at the bar, the slight hair on his lower back that confirmed he didn’t wax or shave any part of his body aside from his face and his apparent lack of beauty products. When the hot water had almost stripped her skin, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in the towel that hung on the back of the door, not bothering to search for a clean one under the sink. She stepped back into the main room.
-You jumping in?
-Later.
She dropped the towel and began pulling on the clothes she had assembled.
-Mmmm. Careful or you’ll get me going again.
She threw the damp towel over his head.
-Come on. I’m all clean and I want to eat before the bus ride.
He grumbled but rolled out of bed. She took a quick peak at his body before he threw on the same clothes he had been wearing the night before. Not bad. She pulled a sweater out of her backpack and did up the straps, hauling it onto her shoulders. He laughed.
-How long are you going for again?
-Not sure. So… where’s a good place for greasy breakfast around here?
He gently pulled the bag off her shoulders. She held on to the strap for a moment and then let it slide through her fingers.
-Let me take this. I’ll drive you to the bus station. There’s a good place not too far from there.
-That’s not necessary.
He kissed her.
-I know.

They sat across from each other each other in the booth. The walls were covered in found artifacts: a junked piano, bicycles missing wheels, flattened brass instruments, antiques sports rackets and such, but even with the eclectic décor they could find nothing to say. They were both relieved when their meals arrived.
-So…
He paused to chew a bite of egg and toast, wiping the yolk from his chin with a crumpled paper napkin.
-Remind me how to pronounce your name. Sorry.
She finished her bite of avocado.
-It’s ok. I’m used to it. Hazheel. Ha like something is funny and zheel like zeal, zealous.
She could tell he didn’t know what she was talking about.
-Rhymes with feel.
He nodded.
-What’s the origin?
She sighed. There was no interesting story. She stayed silent.
-Well, it’s very pretty and unique. Like you.
-Thanks but you don’t have to be all…nice.
-What’s wrong with nice?
She continued eating, following each bite with a gulp of bitter coffee.
-I just want you to know that…it’s not like I do this all the time. You are…wow.
She knew he wanted her to say something similar but she couldn’t. The waitress came with the bill. He reached for it.
-Hey, I told you it was my treat.
She pulled it out of his hand and slapped a few bills down.
-Thanks.
She stood up and slipped her massive bag onto her shoulder, glad she had grabbed it out of his back seat.
-Well, thanks for the hospitality.
-Hey, I’m going to drive you to the bus station. I’ll wait with you.
-It’s only a block away. I like walking.
-Well at least let me get your number.
-I don’t have one right now.
-Ok, well let me give you mine.
He scribbled it on a napkin and handed it to her.
-Great.
She shoved it in her pocket knowing she would toss it whenever she remembered to take it out of her pocket. She doubted she would ever come through this city again. Even if she did, a city was never the same the second time around. She knew he was watching her as she walked out the door, being careful not to hit any diners with her bulky bag.

The depot smelled of piss and sadness and looked as if it had been attacked by an army of spray paint cans and sharpie pens. The hunched man behind the counter informed her that her bus was running late.She sat in the one free chair. Like so many of the bus stations now, they had removed all benches to deter vagrants from sleeping on them. She watched the oversized clock tick off the minutes. The metal grid of the chair bit into the flesh of her legs. A man beside her hacked and coughed. An infant wailed on the knee of its obese mother, who jiggled it absentmindedly but otherwise paid little attention to the screams. Hazheel thought about taking a walk but she was scared the bus would come and go while she was gone.