wanted it to go down. But what could I say? We wanted two different things and it was better for us to go on our own different paths before we really hurt each other. I was grateful when the barista called his name and held up the two coffee cups. We walked over and he took his coffee and I took mine. I took a sip and smiled, enjoying the taste of the minty mocha.
“This is really good, thank you,” I said, as I held it up to him.
“Hey, no worries.” He nodded and we walked toward the door. He opened the door for me and we headed back toward his building. I wasn’t sure what to say next. Most probably I should just go home. Lucas had texted me and asked me if I wanted to come over to watch a movie and I hadn’t responded. Maybe I’d go, watch something and then fall asleep in his arms. That way I could forget about Connor.
“So, I have something for you. I hope you don’t mind.” Connor looked at me. There was a slight pause in his voice. He looked less confident than I was used to and that surprised me. I never expected to see him anything other than the arrogant, confident guy that he was.
“Oh yeah? You got me a Christmas present?” I smiled at him softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”
“It’s okay, I didn’t expect anything. Can we go up to my apartment real quick and I’ll give it to you and then I guess, whatever.” He shrugged. I knew what he was saying. He was saying and then I would leave and walk out of his life and we’d never see each other again.
“Sure,” I said, and nodded. We walked into his apartment building and then got into the elevator. We rode up and then walked into the corridor, he walked ahead of me and there was silence between us. He opened his door and we walked into his apartment. I stood by the door and waited.
“Let me go and get it,” he said. I stood there for a couple of seconds and he walked back with a big box wrapped with a big bow.
“This is cool, thank you. What is it?” I said as I took it from him.
“You can come in and open it, you don’t have to stand by the door,” he said with a slight smile. “Come to the living room, I’ll get you a drink, a glass of wine or something?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I shouldn’t.” But then I shook my head. “Sure, why not? A glass of wine sounds nice.” I walked over and sat on his couch as he walked to the kitchen to open the wine. I opened the box slowly, carefully taking off the paper and the red bow. Inside was a book and I stared at it in amazement. It was a photographic journal. At that moment, Connor walked back into the room, a glass of red wine in his hand. “Oh my gosh, this is amazing,” I said, as I held up the book.
“This is a collector’s piece. This is from one of the lost tribes in the Brazilian rain forest. This is a photographic journal of one of the last anthropologists that went into the jungle in the ‘70s.”
“How did you get this? I’ve been looking for this for years and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere.”
“I got friends in cool places,” he said, as he handed me the glass. “I had a feeling you might be interested in it.”
“How did you even know this book existed?” I looked at him in surprise. “Most people who aren’t in my world don’t know anything about this.”
“I asked a couple of friends.” He shrugged. “A friend of mine who’s an archeologist, mainly in Egyptology, but I told him where you worked and what you studied and he said a book about artifacts or fossils might be good for you and then I started to look for books on the Amerindian tribes of South America, because I remembered you told me that you studied them and that was what your work was about.”
“I didn’t even think you were listening to me.” I gazed at him in surprise. I held the book to my chest. “This is really thoughtful, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m really glad you like it.” He smiled and sat down next to me on the couch. “I meant what I