she tantalizes the parts of him that long for a meaningful connection. nearly lulls him into a mawkish abstraction. allowing himself any small measure of respite, though, may dull his sharpened edges. even now, an emotional dissonance prevents any words from forming. & when she speaks, touching him dearly & melting away the ice, all she’s met with is silence, save for his purposefully even breathing. ‘then what is it you’re interested in’, is what he would like to ask. but digging deeper into that rabbit hole would only make it harder to crawl out of. 

     it’s easy for eyes that have watched him for so long to see his resolve shifting beneath the surface. she can see how he grapples with the parts of himself that are at odds with one another. a shrill beep dissolves his tension, muffled from within his trousers. rough bristles brush along the dark collar of his grim, inky suit as he fishes the cell phone from his pocket & checks the text on the screen. he’s finding it difficult to meet her gaze.

          “ maybe. i’ll let be sure to let you know. “