Chapter 60

Our winter coats attacked me like a horde of grabbing zombies as I pushed them to the side while digging into the back of our coat closet. I found the folding shopping cart and pulled it out, ignoring the coats as they resettled into their normal hanging positions as if I had never been there. It took only a moment to remember how to open the shopping cart so that it would stand on its own. I needed it to do grocery shopping without Paul. Since Paul took our only car to work, we had made sure there was a grocery store a short distance from our apartment building. It was a one-and-a-half block walk. I used to walk farther to school. The cart didn’t hold much, but we had decided we’d do our large food shopping together with the car.

Although, even with the car, it would still be difficult. It wouldn’t be like my parents’ house where my father parked in the driveway and they made several trips, carrying the bags from the car up the cement steps, through the house, to the kitchen. We couldn’t park in front of our apartment building. Not unless we were lucky and there was a parking spot available. So the car would likely be far from our building. The grocery store might even be closer. So maybe once our apartment was stocked with food, all I needed were frequent trips to replenish what we used. I didn’t have much else to do during the day anyway. But right now, being in a new apartment, the refrigerator and pantry were both empty.

The shopping cart had two wheels on the side of the handle. And two stubby feet on the other side so that it would stand upright when not tilted and being rolled. I rolled it to the grocery store and then strolled up and down the aisles choosing what we needed most. Things like bread, milk, cans of tuna fish, and so on. Food to live on until the weekend when we would do a large shopping with the car. Not that I was a good cook. Which explained the many cans of tuna fish. That was something I promised myself I would learn.

As I dragged the full cart into my apartment building, a man stepped into the elevator. I rushed for the elevator, but the doors started closing and I knew I wouldn’t make it. One thing I didn’t like about the apartment building was the slow elevator and waiting for it. But just as the two sliding doors were about to meet, an arm shot out. The doors banged into the arm and reversed direction. The man held the side of the door to keep it from closing again.

“Are you going up?” the man asked.

“Yes, thank you,” I said and pushed the cart into the elevator car.

The man hovered his hand in front of the panel of buttons as the doors closed. “Floor?”

The elevator lurched as I said, “Six, please.”

His hand dropped without pressing a button. “That’s where I’m going. Haven’t seen you around. New here?”

“Just moved in.”

“Thought so. I would have noticed you.”

The way he said that turned my cheeks pink. “Just back from my honeymoon,” I quickly said.

“Welcome to the building. I’m Kirk, Kirk Stinger.”

“I’m Julie Marino. I mean Nimo. Julie Nimo. Are you a teacher?”

“A teacher? No. Why would you think that?”

“You’re not working,” I said. “Teachers are off during the summer.”

“I work nights. As a waiter. That pays the bills, but I’m really an actor.”

The elevator jerked to a stop on the sixth floor and the doors opened. Kirk placed a hand on the door to keep it from closing while I rolled my cart out. Then he came out of the elevator. We stood in the hallway as the elevator doors closed, followed by a hum and then a grinding and clanking noise as the elevator went to the floor where the next person was waiting. Neither of us moved or said anything. It made me uncomfortable.

“You mean on Broadway?” I asked, breaking the tense silence.

“Not yet. Some Off Broadway. And some summer stock.”

“How about movies? In any of them?”

“Trying to get rid of me?” Kirk asked with a grin.

“What? No. Why, um...”

Kirk chuckled. “I mean I’d have to move to California. That’s where they make movies. Anyway, I don’t think I’d like making a movie. I like having a live audience. Knowing the people are there, hearing them laugh or groan or clap, it’s the best.”

“Have you lived here long?”

“New York? All my life.”

“I meant this building.”

“No, I’m pretty new, too. I was living in the Village.”

“Oh, that’s so cool. Why’d you move?”

“Too much drugs there. And I got robbed twice. The subway is a block away from here so this place works. Can get to Times Square real quick.” Kirk pointed to my cart. “You better get those groceries in the fridge before they spoil.”

Kirk held his hand out. “Nice meeting you, Mrs. Nimo.”

I shook his hand. “Call me Julie.”

Still holding my hand, Kirk said, “Okay, Julie.”

He carried my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Then he said, “When you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave.”

I yanked my hand from his and stared at him blankly.

“Sorry,” Kirk said, “I tend to quote Shakespeare. That was from Much Ado About Nothing. I did it at the Shakespeare festival in Connecticut one summer. All I meant was that it was nice talking to you, and when you leave that happiness will go away. I can be silly sometimes.”

“No, it was beautiful.”

Kirk swept his arm across his midsection and bowed from the waist. “Why, thank you, Milady.” He stood up. “I’m in 6B if you ever need anything.”

“I’m 6D. We’re almost next-door neighbors.”

We walked together down the hallway. While I was unlocking my door, Kirk continued on to his. I glanced one last time at him before entering my apartment and caught him looking at me. I was going to like living there.

I was so happy to see Paul when he came home from work. I had fussed around our small apartment, moving things here and there, especially in the kitchen rearranging the items in the cabinets, but that hadn’t taken more than two hours. If that. I dusted a little, and almost went to the grocery store again just to do something, but I ended up sitting alone most of the day. So when Paul came into the apartment, I met him at the door and flung my arms around his neck.

“Hello, Mr. Nimo,” I said and kissed him on the lips.

Paul put his briefcase down. “What are we having for dinner?”

I backed away from Paul and my eyes narrowed. Is that all he was interested in after being without me all day? But then I realized he had a full day at work so I smiled.

“We don’t have much food in the house. I went to the grocery store today and bought a cantaloupe because I know you like melon and it was even on sale. And I’m going to make a salad. But all I have is tuna sandwiches.”

“That’s okay. I’m tired anyway.”

After we ate the measly meal I made and I cleaned up the kitchen, I went into the living room where Paul was sitting in his chair listening to music. I climbed onto his lap with my arms around his neck and laid my head on his shoulder. My lips were next to the side of his neck.

“How was work?” I asked.

“Busy. I’m not even caught up from being away.”

I waited for more, but that’s all he said about his day and he didn’t ask me about mine. I nibbled the side of Paul’s neck and then moved my mouth to his and kissed him. Soon Paul’s tongue was inside my mouth. I grabbed the back of his head and tightened my fingers in his hair.

We kissed for a while and then I slid off his lap. I opened his belt, lowered his zipper, and stuck my hand inside his underwear. His cock was soft, but my fingers soon brought it to life. When I folded the front of his underwear down, his hard cock sprang out. I wrapped my lips around it and sucked.