Original Stories Fan Fiction / Realism Fan Fiction ❯ 13th Floor ❯ Stuck ( Chapter 6 )

Stephan paused to look at his watch - three o'clock. He was supposed to take Lynn out for lunch to celebrate the purchase of her first apartment. If he didn't show, she would be upset, and he already had exceeded his “upsetting Lynn limit” this week.

He bid Summer farewell, and she kissed him lightly on the cheek. It was no more than a brush, but it was enough to make him want more. He nearly returned the favor more roughly, but, remembering his appointment with Lynn, dismissed this urge. Stephan grudgingly rose off the rumpled sheets of the large bed. The man looked around the small room, dimly lit by a few rays of sun that leaked through the dark curtains, for his coat. He wordlessly handed her twenty dollars in cash and quickly slid on his jacket. He knew it would sound bad if he told anyone that he was cheating on his girlfriend with a woman whose rent he was paying with his father's company account, but, he thought silently, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. He then left to see his girlfriend.

It wasn't that he didn't like Lynn. He thought she held the trinity of what a man wanted - sweet, smart, and sexy. However, liking and loving were two different things, and loving and being in love were miles apart, so it only would make sense that liking and being in love came from two entirely dissimilar universes. Stephan wasn't in love for sure. He didn't think he really loved Lynn at all. Their relationship was based purely on obligation. After all, she loved him, didn't she?

And there was Stephan's problem. It wasn't his only one, but it was his biggest. He just couldn't say no. Such a pushover in a non-pushover-y way!

“Hey, what took you?” asked Lynn, trying to be casual. She tried not to fidget, so she clasped her hands together in her lap. Her eyes darted around the restaurant, and she felt uncomfortable in her small, plastic chair. The sun shone in her eyes at their outdoor table. She could count her heartbeats, and she felt damp and sticky.

“Lynn,” the soft power of his voice commanded her attention.

“Yeah?” she asked tentatively, squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun.

“How's the new apartment?”

“Nice,” she replied blandly. It was more than just nice. It was a symbol of her independence. It showed how she was no longer a child. She had bought it and everything in it herself. Even if she was on a student loan for med school that she wouldn't be able to pay back for at least another ten years, she did have a job - which she would have to give up soon to continue her studies - and she did it all on her own - sort of. Of course, she said none of this since she could focus on nothing but how uncomfortable she was.

The two rambled quickly through lunch. The meal was so droning and dull that Lynn couldn't even find solace in the taste of her Panini. They split the bill. When it was time for goodbyes, there were no displays of affection or even acknowledgement of the end of their date aside from Lynn's quiet, “I'll call you” and a quick peck on the cheek. It was almost like a business deal. You get me a student loan for med school; I'll pretend to love you. Both simply got up and walked to their respective forms of transportation - Stephan retrieving his little foreign sports car and Lynn waiting for the subway. Screw carpooling, and screw global warming.

Lynn silently thought that favors were created to send people to Hell on Earth as she clung tightly to the handhold hanging from the ceiling of her compartment. In the eyes of an optimist like Maria, a favor was like a gift. However, you must give the sender a gift back. In the eyes of a pessimist like Anna, a favor was a prettily dressed up plea for help. Lynn placed herself in the category called “experienced optimists” also known as cynics. She believed that a favor was basically politely forcing someone to give you what they wanted. When Lynn had first gotten her student loan, Stephan had wanted her.

At first, Lynn had thought it was amazing kindness that he had gotten his business tycoon father to give her the loan. His reasons for doing so were “simply because you're so beautiful.” Feh. The things men will do for a piece of…her thoughts trailed off.

Lynn knew about the other women. The lies. It wasn't the cheating that hurt. In fact, she wasn't in the least bit hurt, or even jealous for that matter. She was freaking pissed! How dare he have the gall to call her his girlfriend, cheat on her, and act like she didn't even know?! But she was stuck with him until she could pay off the loan. Or at least until she finished med school. Then she wouldn't have to be reminded of her debt everyday. Perhaps she was being illogical, but of course, Lynn always put her pride before her paycheck. She just couldn't bring herself to say, “I can't do this.” Who knew four one-syllable words could be such a big deal? So now, thanks to her cheapskate parents and her massive ego, she was in serious debt and a dead-end relationship. Hell.

The underground train came to an abrupt halt. As the automatic doors slid open to the crowded metro station, Lynn looked up. Then she saw his face.

 

 

 

 

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