An Expert Patch Job

Status
Not open for further replies.
Well, a lifetime of being basically illiterate until quite recently had given her a very good memory. Ayla nodded happily. "Am hope is look good, too. Maybe will be short search!" she said, giggling a bit. She hadn't really spent time with someone like this in so long, it was making her feel giddy. The world suddenly turned a bit golden as the sun peeked out through a break in the clouds. "Oooh!" she exclaimed, peeking out from under the umbrella.
 
Joshua looked out as well and smiled. He checked for more rain drops before moving the umbrella and folding it up. "Maybe it will at least be a dry one! Can't trust weathermen. They're usually always wrong." he winked at her and kept walking.
 
Ayla just snuggled closer to him and enjoyed watching the sun glint off the sidewalk and the trees as they walked leisurely down the street. She watched out for cars driving past, making sure they stayed well away from the edge of the sidewalk to avoid being splashed by puddles. "Is nice area, yah?" she observed as they headed towards the apartment.
 
Joshua nodded, hugging her arm and swinging the umbrella when he knew he wouldn't hit anyone with it. "Yeah, it really is. It surprises me a little, with how close to the port it is..."
 
Ayla thought about this. "Am no very familiar with port. Is like the same in other city? I am not much know about port here..." she considered. She suddenly pointed to a street sign. "There is, is very close here now, yah?" she asked, looking around to find the building numbers.
 
"Maybe I'll take you on a tour sometime. But ports aren't usually the nicest part of the city. The busiest to be sure, but not the nicest." He looked up at the street sign and grinned. "Great!" he looked at the paper he had with the organized list of apartments. "We are looking for 2303..." he said, looking around for building numbers as well.
 
Ayla looked for the building numbers, and spotted it first! "That corner! Is over there!" She eagerly began tugging at his arm to cross the street, not looking out for the traffic in her excitement.
 
He looked and smiled, but was a little harder to tug than she might have liked. He hugged her arm, stopping her at the curb as a car went past. "We should wait for the light." he said, looking up at the street light, then down at her again with a happy smile.
 
Ayla shied back a bit as the car sped past, and hugged his arm in thanks. "Yah, let's wait..." she said, a bit subdued for a moment. He would still feel her excitement though, as she bounced in her shoes, waiting for the light. She smiled up at him, returning his grin.
 
He laughed softly and gave her arm another squeeze. She was so young and hopeful and happy. He needed more of that in his life. When the light changed, he escorted her across the street, then let her drag him excitedly towards the building.
 
Ayla giggled and pulled him over to the building and up the steps. She stopped at the door and looked at the row of buttons, looking for the correct buzzer before pushing it confidently. She grinned up at him impishly as they waited for someone to answer the door.
 
"Yes, hello?"

"Hi. I'm Joshua Munroe. I called you yesterday about the apartment?"

"Yes, yes, one moment!" The door buzzed. "Come on in!"

"Thank you, ma'am." he said, opening the door and letting Ayla in first.

An older woman was waiting for them, smiling brightly and squinting through her thick glasses. "You are here for the apartment, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am." he said, holding his hand out to shake.

She shook his hand and smiled, then looked over at Ayla. "Hello, dear. Are you his daughter?"
 
Ayla went pink up to her ears. "Ah! No, am, eh, only friend. I find ad for him while out of town," she explained lamely, suddenly realising how awkward this looked. Did he really look old enough to be her father? She gave him a mortified look.
 
The old woman just sort of laughed it off. "Of course, of course..."

"Wow, I hope I don't look that old." he laughed. "I have a daughter, though. She's only 8. My oldest is 12."

She laughed again, leading them inside and towards the stairs. "Ah, of course, of course. My eyes are bad. That is all. Second floor, apartment 208. Not too many stairs, but I don't get up there much anymore. My grandson takes care of all of the repairs..."
 
Ayla managed a weak laugh, but she was much more subdued now, following Joshua quietly up the stairs. She was still quite pink from embarrassment and staring down at her feet, so she didn't see the apartment at first when they stepped inside. It was only when Joshua said something she didn't quite catch that she looked up.

"Hm? Oh..." she started a bit, caught by surprise at being in the apartment.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back