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By the time I caught up to him he was passing the front desk. He saluted the lady sitting behind it casually and she blushed, waving shyly back. As I hurried up behind him, he glanced lazily over his shoulder at me, that perpetually lopsided smile still on his face.
“Mi knew yuh wouldn’t let me wander ‘round dis big city alone.” He smirked. I tried not to look annoyed. Guilt at betraying my promise to Jeremy was already welling up in my chest.
We pushed through the smudged glass doors and stepped out onto the street. I again, had the sense that I was horribly stiff and awkward around him. What did normal people talk about? The weather? Local sports teams? I was hoping it wouldn’t be the latter. I knew enough about sports to be aware that Michael Jordan used to play basketball, and that was where my knowledge ended. Conrad saved me the trouble of coming up with something to say.
“So, what do yuh all do for fun here? Wheneva mi come tuh Canada mi usually stay wit mi sistah. We dun get up tuh much in di city.”
What did people do for fun? Shit, I didn’t know. I usually went to the library or the movies; always by myself. Somehow, I didn’t think either of those things would appeal to someone like Conrad. I imagined he was the type of person who would hop on a sailboat without bothering to ask where it was headed. I almost smiled at that thought.
“I’m not really sure. I’m usually…pretty low-key.” I replied. He rose his eyebrows at that.
“What’s a low-key girl like yuhself doing in an anger management class then?” He teased. I glared at him.
“I don’t know. What’s a tourist doing in a Toronto anger management class?” I shot right back. He shrugged.
“Seemed like someting different tuh do. Wi dun do tings like dat in Jamaica. If you’re pissed, yuh fight. When di fight is ova, it’s ova.” I bit back a laugh at that.
“Really? Well, that’s why I was in there. Too many fights.’” Conrad chuckled as I pulled my hair back and yanked the hairband off my wrist. It was only May and it already felt like July. A rare hot spring in Toronto.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” He mused as he gave me a quick once over. “Yuh seem like a fighter. That’s why mi figured wi would get along.” He winked at me playfully. I allowed myself to smile at him. His eyes widened at my grin and he laid a palm flat on his chest.
“She smiles!” He gasped. “Be still mi heart.”
My face flushed, but he punched me playfully in the shoulder. We continued walking down the street, headed in no particular direction. Due to the invisible bubble that seemed to constantly repel people from me, we had no problem navigating the busy streets side by side. “What brings you to Toronto?” I asked and marveled at myself. Look at me go. Making conversation like a human being. I gave myself a mental pat on the back. Conrad was quiet and for a moment I thought he wasn’t going to respond. Finally, he told me.
“Mi here on behalf of mi grandmother for some… business.”
“What kind of business?” I pressed. He smiled at me wickedly.
“A dangerous, top-secret mission obviously.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, don’t tell me.”
“Hey, do yuh like ice cream?” He asked changing the subject. “Mi could use a snack.” His eyes gleamed and he rubbed his hands together. I let myself smile again, as I remembered him piling his plate high in the rec center.
“Sure, there’s a place we can go around here. I’ll take you.”
3
Conrad and I had wandered about the city, chatting about nothing for over an hour. I told him about being suspended earlier that day and what had happened with Neil Green. He had laughed so hard when I told him about hitting him with the chair that I worried ice cream would shoot out his nose. I also gave him a subpar tour of the city. I showed him some cool stores to check out and pointed out my favorite haunts. When we passed the Toronto Public Library I paused. I had originally planned to stop by on my way home from the anger management class. I was almost out of reading material and hated to be without a good book. Conrad noticed me hesitating and cocked his head to the side.
“Di library? Really?” He asked. I nodded.
“I love to read.” I said, still eyeing the curved stone face of the building. Conrad’s curiosity it seems, couldn’t be contained.
“What do you normally like to read?” I shrugged.
“Fiction mostly, but I also like poetry,” I admitted with a small smile. Conrad laughed.
“Good. For a minute, mi was worried yuh were gonna ask me tuh study wit yuh.” I turned to face him, surprised.
“You want to go to…the library with me?” I asked, shocked that something so mundane would appeal to him. I mean, this was the guy who went to an anger management class just to see what it was all about. He shrugged.
“Sure. Mi could be tempted tuh read some fiction.” He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at me again. “Since yuh dun have school tomorrow, yuh wanna meet up here?” I tried not to gape at him. I almost wanted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. Not only had he been the first person to approach me of his own volition in well…ever. He actually wanted to hangout a second time. This couldn’t be real.
“Uh, yeah. I’d like that.” I said smiling up at him.
“Cool.” Was his easy response. He glanced at his watch and winced. “I suppose I should walk yuh home though. From what yuh told mi about Jeremy, I doubt he’d appreciate mi taking you home late.”
