He stood up to leave four times. I counted every one.

About me

Last night a guest stood up to leave and sat straight back down four separate times. I counted all four. By the final one I had stopped hearing a word he was saying. Every time he stood, I stood. Every time he sat, I sat again. My smile never shifted. My patience died at attempt number two 😏 When the door finally shut I put my back against it and let the air out of me. Four goodbyes in one evening is three more than anybody needs. Then I did the thing I had been picturing for a whole hour. I rang somebody. Not for a chat. I told him the flat was empty and that he should come exactly as he was. He was outside in twenty minutes and he did not stand up to leave even once 🔥 No guest, no goodbye, nothing polite about him at all. The doorway held the two of us for a good while. My back on the wood, his teeth in my shoulder, my hands already somewhere they had no business being. That same doorway had swallowed four false goodbyes a few hours earlier. I bit him back and the sound he made is still in my head 😈 So it happened again, slower, to be sure of what I had heard the first time. I was loud. Whoever shares this wall knows exactly how the evening went. He tried to stay quiet and gave up on that early. Afterwards I lay across him and refused to shift. He said something about needing to go. I laughed in his face and he stayed exactly where he was. Around two he tried standing up and thought better of it, which is the only sensible standing up anybody has done in this flat. Morning came and nobody in this flat had stood up four times 💋 Knock at my door, or leave yours on the latch, and find out how long I can drag a goodbye out for.