-Leo-
Leo burst out of the apartment building and onto the sidewalk of a suspiciously familiar neighborhood. He looked around and turned left, walking slowly while realizing that he knew exactly where he was. With a groan, he registered that he was only about a ten-minute walk from home. He began slowly trudging home at a leisurely pace, with the pink box of pastries tucked securely under his arm. His hangover was still wreaking havoc in his skull. If he attempted to go any faster, he was certain his head would, in fact, implode.
He looked down at the box in his arms with a roll of his eyes. Damn it. Now I'm a scumbag, as well as a thief!
Leo felt guilty for his behavior at Darren's. He had seemed like a sweet guy and Leo had completely erased any possibility of seeing each other again. He just wasn't built for relationships. Half the city under the age of 40 knew this about him by now. Okay, 55. Who was he to deny a silver fox or cougar some sugar?
Leo finally made it back to his apartment complex and up to his unit. The complex was home to mostly senior citizens, and Leo wouldn't have it any other way. They were quiet and never used the complex pool. Even better, the older ladies never hesitated to bring me food while making a case for why I should marry their granddaughters.
As he was unlocking and opening his unit door, one of the aforementioned older ladies, Estelle, from across the hall, opened up her door.
"Oh, hello there Leo. Did you have fun last night?" She asked, giving him a cheeky grin. She was holding a platter covered in plastic wrap.
"Good morning Estelle! I had a fabulous night. How are you this morning?" He responded in a sing-songy tone.
"I'm great. I just finished whipping up some breakfast sandwiches. I thought I would bring some over for you and show you some photos of my beautiful, and very single, great-niece on vacation in Miami."
Leo closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remain calm, dreading having to look at photos of her niece again. He knew for a fact that she was a verified lesbian. Considering she had told him as much last time she visited Estelle. Not that her haircut hadn't given it away.
"Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much, Estelle. You shouldn't have!" Leo kept up a facade of excitement as he grabbed the platter of breakfast sandwiches and slid into his apartment and shut the door. He peered out of his peephole and could see a look of confusion on Estelle's face.
"Oh. I'll just text the photos of Sarah over then! Enjoy!" She shouted, with a forced smile, as she retreated back into her own apartment.
Leo could hear her muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like greedy bitch, but he couldn't be sure. Once Estelle was safely back in her apartment and not trying to marry off any more of her young, single, female relatives, Leo took a deep breath. He was home at last.
His apartment was like all the other apartments in the complex, but everything had a touch of Leo. His walls were covered with colorful artwork and photos. There was a bookshelf along an entire wall that was full of books and vintage fashion magazines he had collected over the years. Littered among the books were tchotchkes he had picked up from flea markets, arcades, and friends. None of his furniture matched, and it looked more like a tag sale than an apartment. Vintage pieces rescued from trash heaps made up the majority. It might not have been glamorous, but it was his. Having a place to call home after growing up in the foster system meant a lot to him.
Leo tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter, along with the platter of sandwiches and the pink box of pastries. He unwrapped the platter and grabbed a sandwich before taking a big bite. It was hangover heaven. Bacon, eggs, and cheese on a homemade biscuit. He closed his eyes and chewed with a look of complete contentment on his face. He thought about how perfect this would be with a cup of coffee. Leo took a break from the magical moment he was having with the sandwich and began making himself coffee. Equipped with a cup of hot coffee and his breakfast sandwich, Leo walked across his living room and onto his small balcony.
His balcony had a small table and two mismatched bistro chairs looking out over a sea of parking lots and other apartment buildings similar to his. Along the railing were planters filled with flowers and fresh herbs he used for cooking. He sat in one of the chairs, placed his coffee and sandwich down, and closed his eyes. His eyes were closed for about two seconds, before someone opening up the sliding door that led to the living room disturbed him.
"Leonard!!", a shrill voice rang out from the person who disturbed Leo's peace. There was only one person that threw around his government name like that.
He opened his eyes to find his bestie from another testes, Rena, holding a danish in her hand along with a mug of what was likely the last of the coffee.
Leo let out a loud, dissatisfied sigh, "Who lied to you and said you could have one of those danishes? They are stolen and now you're an accomplice!"
A look of confusion formed on Rena's face before she took a ferocious bite out of the danish, "What now?"
Rena was small and petite, at only 5'1", but she was truly a beast. She could eat more than anyone he knew, was terrifying when angry, and would crush anyone that came for one of her friends. They had been friends since a 6-year-old Rena rescued a 5-year-old Leo from a bully in the group home's playground. Leo saw her as family from that moment on.
She took a seat at on the other chair at the table and continued munching on the danish., "Tell me!" She said impatiently.
"Also, why do you look like shit?" she asked.
"Wow, thank you so much for bringing me down. God forbid I get too confident," Leo said sarcastically.
"What? I call it how I see it!"
Leo glared back at her and began answering her questions. "Yes, I may have accidentally stolen a box of danishes from the guy I hooked up with last night. And I just got home like 10 minutes ago."
He looked down immediately, blocking the incredulous look he was sure he would get from Rena with a hand over his eyes.
"Honestly, why am I surprised? Only you could create such unbridled chaos."
Leo peeked out from between his fingers to look at Rena, "I was honestly expecting a larger reaction from you."
"This is a no-judgment zone. Don't you forget it."
He gave her a big, warm smile before taking a deep breath. The story about that morning's escapades was a long one. He started the tale of what happened with Darren. After he had told her everything, including a colorful description of Darren's post-shower body, they both sat in silence for a few moments.
"So, why did you run away from a tall, attractive man? A tall attractive man that also brought you breakfast? A tall, attractive man that is also clearly into you?!" With each sentence out of her mouth Leo could hear the exasperation in her voice.
"What do you mean why did I run away? That's what I do Rena. Relationships aren't for me. And until I find THE perfect person, it's going to stay that way."
"But, how do you expect to figure out if he was the perfect person, if you never gave him a chance?" She said with a slight frown. She was worried about Leo. Ever since his last relationship, he had sworn off anything more serious than casual hookups.
Leo paused for a moment, realizing that maybe there could have been something there between him and Darren. He quickly dismissed that idea with a slight shake of his head, like a human etch-a-sketch. "Well, it's too late now. I don't have his number and he probably never wants to see me again after the stunt I pulled this morning."
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