The way home was uneventful. Themis had to avoid direct sunlight, chasing shadows like a vampire, but the long walk helped with the hangover. The city woke up abruptly as the sun was fully up, within minutes the quiet of the night had disappeared as cars rushed in the streets and the pavements filled up with pedestrians. Themis noticed new buses roaming the town, and city workers emptying trash cans and repainting traffic markings. So the new mayor had gotten busy. Themis wondered if it had anything to do with Tracey. What Artie said about her the day before was still floating in her mind.
Eunice was opening her shop as Themis turned the corner across the street. The women exchanged glances and waves, but by the time Themis got within talking distance Eunice had disappeared inside the store. Themis did not walk in to say hello, instead she went straight for her building. It was too early for the front to get busy, but just early enough for the super to start doing his rounds. Mr Brown was picking up his mail when Themis walked in.
“I’ll be damned, if that ain’t Themis Adamou!” he exclaimed with a smile as he laid eyes on her.
He was a jovial older man in his late forties. The grey on his hair signified someone much older, but he had been greying since before Themis was born. His face was the same, deeply marked but it was laugh lines rather than wrinkles. He stood in a robe over a tank top and slippers. He picked up a few envelopes from his mailbox with his free hand, a cup of coffee occupying the other.
“Good morning Mr Brown,” Themis smiled back and paused as she walked by him.
“I didn’t know you were back,” the man said, leaving the mailboxes and approaching her.
“I just arrived, I didn’t have time to see anyone,” Themis shrugged. “How is everybody?”
“Eh, same old, same old, you know how it is,” Mr Brown said. “Emily just came back for spring break, so the Beckham household has been a lot more lively. Remember Emily?”
“Of course,” Themis said. The girl was less than three years younger than her, but Themis used to babysit her in highschool whenever her mother worked late. The girls had formed a sisterly bond.
“Let’s see, what else… Oh, June moved out…”
“Did she?” Themis raised an eyebrow, her smile widening a little. “Did she finally open that gym she was talking about?”
“That’s right,” his face lit up even more as he talked about his daughter, if that was even possible. “She’s been flooded with work. But she’s been asking about you. She didn’t take your disappearance very well.”
“I understand. I’ll make sure to pass by the gym whenever it’s on my way.”
“I’m sure she will love that, thank you,” the super shook his head. “I think that’s it for updates. The rest is as you remember it.”
“That’s wonderful! Thank you, Mr Brown.”
“Oh, Themis? About your apartment…”
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to say, don’t worry about it. Artie took care of the rent. I thought she’d move in with how much time she spent living in it.”
“She did?” Themis cocked an eyebrow.
“Mhm, she’d show three or four times a week, spend the night then leave again. If she hadn’t I’d probably have given it away. I’m glad to have you back, though.
It only took a moment for the idea to click for Themis, and suddenly she didn’t feel so bad for the mess her apartment had been in. Artie lived in a tiny apartment and the walls were thin, it hadn’t been once or twice she had complained to Themis about it. Themis had a lot of space and Artie was always welcome to spend the night, or even stay over until she could get something better than the dump she lived in. But her baby sister always insisted on making due on her own, more out of pride than a sense of practicality. With Themis out of the picture, things changed.
“I see. Thank you, then.”
She tried to walk away when suddenly she thought of something and paused.
“Is everything alright?” Mr Brown asked, sipping his coffee.
“What time is it?” Themis asked.
“Hmm, let me check… Seven thirty.”
“I see. Can you do me a favor, Mr Brown?”
“Of course! What do you need?”
“Can you give my sister a call? I’d do it myself but I don’t have a phone.”
She explained the hangover and gave the man strict instructions to keep ringing her until she either picked up or destroyed her phone. Then she took off, climbing up the stairs in a rush. She slipped out of her clothes the second the door behind her was closed, and she walked straight to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later she walked out dripping, still amazed at how much faster showers went without her hair getting in the way. She had to walk to her lounge room to grab her only towel from her table.
A shudder went down her body as she picked up the wooden statuette she had knocked over the previous day. For a moment she reminisced about the girl that had given it to her. Themis found her hitchhiking at the side of the road, she had blown a tire and didn’t know how to change it. Themis helped her out, then the girl helped Themis out. The back of her Camry was tight, but the girl was tighter, neither woman lasted long. Themis wouldn’t mind a second go at that. If only she and the girl had kept touch. They didn’t even know each other’s names.
Regardless, she dried herself and threw an oversized t-shirt on, just long enough for her cock not to hang under the hem. Then she strode to the kitchen, shifting through her pantry and her fridge. She saw eggs, cheddar, and bacon as a plan started hatching in her head. First things first, coffee. She set the machine up, letting it quietly hum in the background as she prepared to start working on breakfast.