Loneliness
Loneliness … Delphine could only think about it when she was at home.
It's been a few months since she arrived in San Francisco. She managed to obtain a scholarship to finish her Phd in immunology in the USA. So, she had leaved her appartment in Paris to come here, away from her friends and family.
Because of her schedule she didn't have the occasion to meet new people, execept some lab partners, but nothing close to real bonding, just a few words exchanged during their experiences in the lab.
This evening, when she arrived at home, Delphine decided to take a bath, she came into the warm water, a glass of red wine in the hand. It was a tough day. When she takes the first sip of her glass, she sigh in relief. She slightly tip her head backward to rest it on the edge of the bathtub and closes her eyes. It's when she's about to relax completely that she heard someone knocking at her door.
“Merde...” she tells to herself.
She hesitates to do as if no one is here, but the knocking picks up again.
She decided to come out of the bath, takes her robe and puts it on while making her way to her front door.
“Just a minute please !” She cracks her door open to see who is behind it.
It's a young brunette in pj's, with dreads, black thick framed glasses and cat-eye shaped eyeliner.
The small brunette seeing the door open says rapidly “Hi, sorry to bother you !”
Delphine opens her door “ Yeah, can I help you ?”
The brunette slightly freezes when she sees the beautiful woman in front of her, only covered by a robe. “Oh... Yeah” when she's able to pull herself together she adds “ I... You'll think it's totally weird but I wedged my door to take my trash out and it closed itself with my keys inside my appartment...”
Hearing this, Delphine couldn't help herself but slightly laugh.
“So, I was wondering if I could borrow you phone to call a locksmith.”
Delphine was watching this young women talking hurriedly, with her hands ponctuating every sentences, a bit embarrassed by her request and maybe the situation she puts herself in.
Delphine lets out a sigh while smiling to the young women “Sure, come in.”
“Oh thank you !” called out the brunette. Delphine fully opens the door and steps aside to allow the small woman to come inside.
She went to her coffee table to take her phone, she unlocked it and handed it to the brunette. “Here, i'll be right back.”
The young women can't help herself but stare at Delphine when she goes to her bedroom.
“Whoah” she tells to herself. She comes to her senses and dials the number of a locksmith.
Delphine for her part, changes into comfy pants and t-shirt, and went to empty her bathtub. When she came back to her living room, the young women was ending her phone conversation with the locksmith.
“So ?” asked Delphine.
“Oh... He's busy, he will not be here for at least an hour. But thank you very much !” Says the young woman heading toward the front door of the appartment
“I... You can wait here if you want” says Delphine. It's been a while since she had company and something in this woman tantalize her.
“Oh... Ahem if it doesn't bother you, I...It's okay.” replies the brunette with a smile.
Delphine returns her smile and held out a hand “Delphine”.
“Cosima...” replies the young women while shaking her hand. She was surprised by the softness with which her hand closed around hers.
“Enchantée” says the blonde, motioning to her to sit on the couch.
“En-chan-tée” tries Cosima with a heavy accent.
Delphine laugh a little when she heard the young women's accent. “Can I offer you something to drink ?”
Cosima, sat on the couch and turned herself to Delphine “Oh yeah, thank you.”
“Is red wine okay ?”
“Perfect !” Says Cosima with a broad smile.
Delphine went to the kitchen to open a bottle of French red wine. Meanwhile, Cosima stood up and went to Delphine's bookcase, she was going through the titles of the books laid on it. She stopped herself on a copy of The Island of Doctor Moreau , she took it and started to read through it.
“Did you find something you like ?” Asks Delphine, while entering in the living room, a glass of wine in each of her hands.
Cosima, who hadn't heard Delphine approach, turned around surprised, her face was like the face of a child caught doing something wrong. “Oh I'm sorry... I couldn't help myself to take a look...” She says, showing the copy of The Island of Doctor Moreau to Delphine.
“Oh I see... My favorite.” She says smiling, coming near the bookcase.
Cosima couldn't help herself but stare at the young women. It was like she was approaching her in slow motion. She had only one word in mind to describe this woman : gorgeous.
Cosima took some time to understand what Delphine just had said. Then she realized “Oh ! you too ?” She looked, surpised.
Delphine lets out a quiet laugh. “Oui” she gave her glass to Cosima.
“My father often read me parts of it at night when I was little.” She says smiling, at the mention of this memory.
“Oh, interesting.” She made a pause and look at the brunette in the eyes.
“So, santé !” says Delphine bringing her glass close to Cosima's. “To The Docteur Moreau” she continued, laughing.
“Yeah” says Cosima toasting with the beautiful blonde.
She leaves the book on it's shelf and they sit together on the couch. Talking about everything and nothing, they didn't see the time fly by. Then Delphine's phone rang . She takes it but doesn't recognize the number, she picks it up.
“Allô ? Oh yes good evening.”
She mouthes to Cosima that this is the locksmith.
“Yes, you can knock at the appartment number 7 on the second floor. Thank you.”
Delphine hangs up the phone, it didn't take more than two minutes to hear someone knocking at her door.
Cosima got up to open the door “ Hello, I'm the clumsy one who has let her door shut while outside of her appartment.”
The locksmith smiles while nodding at Delphine, who was behind, to greet her.
“Oh don't worry, it's not the first time I intervene for this kind of things. Shall we go ?”
“Yeah it's right across the hall.” Cosima shows him her door.
While the man works on Cosima's door , the brunette turns herself to Delphine “Thank you for helping me, I owe you one !”
Delphine slighty shakes her head “Oh non, it's nothing.”
“I should go” says Cosima crossing the doorstep. Delphine comes close to the brunette and kisses each of her cheeks.
The brunette was a bit surprised and thought “ Yeah, she's French .”
“Au revoir Cosima, have a good night.” Says the blonde waving at her, while closing her door. Cosima did the same and went by her door. The locksmith opened it rather quickly, she payed him and entered in her appartment.
Delphine just after locking her door, lets out a sigh. Something about the brunette troubles her. “Elle était vraiment mignonne” she thinks while nipping at her bottom lip.
She gets a grip on herself, finished her glass of wine, and prepared herself to go to bed. She found it difficult to sleep, she couldn't help herself to think about the brunette, about her smile and, what a beautiful smile...