He sat at the small table, his chin resting on his crossed arms, twirling a pen in his right hand before tapping the edge of it on the little wire rimmed glasses. Letting out a deep sigh, Caleb tossed the pen down as he decided to get himself another coffee.
It had been 5 months since he'd seen Estelle. She'd taken a job in Sault Ste Marie working at a small magazine.
Caleb had been doing his best to keep himself as busy as possible, but there were those moments; usually just before he went to bed at night and first when he got up in the morning that he just could not escape from. Those twenty or so minutes where the city was quite and he let his mind drift. That's when the loneliness would strike him hard.
He turned on the radio that was near the stove, the one he liked to listen to at night when he did the dishes. A slow song was playing. Dropping his chin, the dark haired man let out a small sound. It was one of Estelle's favourite songs. Caleb suddenly felt like the universe was plotting against him.
Looking at the clock on the microwave he saw it was still early, Estelle wouldn't be home from work for another hour or so. But there was just this nagging feeling that he couldn't shake. He needed to hear her voice, to know she was okay.
Grabbing the little cell phone from the kitchen table, he dialed her number. "Hey Estelle, it's just me. I'm sitting here and just ... weird vibes. Let me know you're okay. I'll be up for another few hours."
He watched the clock for the next half hour before giving up and deciding to take a walk.
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The dj was just setting up the booth for an open mic night when he walked into the little cafe. Caleb had wandered around the city for close to an hour and just needed something to drink. The guys had mentioned a hockey game, but he hadn't been in the mood when they'd called. Now, he was wishing he'd joined them, but it had already started and he was clear out the other end of the city.
He'd barely sat down with his cappuccino and a slice of carrot cake when his attention was taken by the tall brunette in the corner. A deep heat spread across his pale features as he tried not to be seen. He suddenly wished he'd worn a hat or something to hide his face, but all he could do was slump over in the chair and pray.
The woman turned from the man she had been flirting with and headed straight for the table Caleb was sitting at. Lisa, still the party girl he remembered from college; was dressed in a skirt so tight and short it left no room for underwear.
"Hey stranger, what brings you here?" she asked sitting down next to him her hand finding it's way to his knee.
Clearing his throat Caleb shifted in his seat so that her hand fell off him.
"Just having a bite before getting back to work." It wasn't a complete lie, he did have a ton of work he needed to do, just nothing that he intended to do that night. He thought about just asking for a travel mug for his drink and leaving, but thought better of it. Lisa would get bored in a matter of minutes if he knew right and he'd be left in peace long enough to finish his food.
"I always wondered what happened to you." she said flicking her hair, leaning in. Caleb smiled to himself staring at the slice of cake in front of him just as his cell phone rang. Letting out a sigh of relief he answered it.
"Hello." it was Estelle returning his call. Caleb felt a calmness ripple through him as he heard her voice.
"Hey you got my message?"
"Where are you?" she asked her voice sounding strained.
He looked around to see if there was any signs then shook his head to himself. "Coffee place on Arthur. "
"I'm at the airport. Can you meet me?"
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His shoes made soft squeaking noises as he crossed the floor of the main lobby. The airport was surprisingly void of people. His stomach did flips as he scanned the room for her, but not finding her anywhere. Reaching into his pocket for his cell phone, he was just about to text her asking where she was when he spotted her coming out of the ladies' room a few feet away.
She looked tired, in a pair of black yoga pants and an over sized hoodie. Her red hair was still it's short style, but there was just something different about Estelle that he couldn't place. Taking her suitcase for her; he pulled her tight for a hug.
With one brush of her lips, she somehow turned the hug into a kiss that brought a weakness to Caleb's knees.
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Part 12 soon
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