Buddha, miles of prayer beads, the Star of David, a frame with words to the Serenity Prayer, even a crucifix. The room has a soothing feel to it, but it’s weird.
There’s no futon as I imagined, just a nice big comfy bed with loads of pillows and a navy comforter. There’s a desk in one corner, piled with books, papers, and no Jenna photos as far as I can see. And, surprise, surprise, in the other corner sits a keyboard and two guitars. I knew I picked up the musician vibe.
Noah messes around with his iPod before placing it in a docking station. He kicks back on the bed and pats the edge for me to join him. “What do you think?” he says.
“I had you for the music for sure, but I’m not sure what to make of the whole rabbi-Dalai Lama-priest-monk thing you have going on here.”
“Does it creep you out?” H is eyes search mine.
“No, why? Should it?”
“No. God, I hope not.”
“So what gives? Where did you get all this stuff?”
“Here and there,” he says. “There’s a Tibetan shop in Linden Hills and a bunch of random stores in Uptown. Plus, my parents travel for work. They brought me back a few things from China and India.”
“Why the interest in global religions?
“You know how we talked about going through rough times?”
I nod.
“Learning about different religions and getting into some of this stuff helped pull me out of mine. Now I find it more fascinating than anything else.”
“Very productive. You know , a lot of people take a different route when they hit a rough patch. Drugs, sex, isolation. I’m impressed you went the other way.”
“Don’t be. I’m not saying I didn’t go through some of that stuff first.” He winks.
I want to ask him what happened. I want to know if his rough spot was as bad as mine, but I know we’re not ready to go there. I know I’m not. “You’re an interesting guy, Noah Adler,” I say. “I’ll give you that.”
I accept his invitation and move to sit on the edge of his bed.
“You’re interesting too, Tabitha Kelly.”
He catches my arms that currently hold my body on his bed and lets them, and me, drop onto his pillows.
“Take a load off.” He laughs and drops a pillow on my head. “Let’s relax a little before we get to work. I want to know more about you.”
I look into his green eyes and take a breath, then I tell him about me…just a little.
###
As the weeks pass, I spend a lot of “study time” at Noah’s and he does get to know more about me. More than I would like.
Today he i s relentless.
“What more could you possible want to know?” I ask.
“I haven’t even got to all the basics yet,” he says before firing off a million questions. “What do you want to be when you grow up? How many kids do you want to have?”
I roll my eyes.
“Okay, then, something less personal,” he says. “What’s your favorite movie?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why?”
“Because it might change your opinion of me.”
“Come on,” he says, pinning me down. “Tenacious reporter, remember? I won’t give up until I have my answer.”
“Stop,” I tell him, his breath on my neck driving me crazy. “Okay,” I say between giggles. “Okay. It’s Dirty Dancing .”
“What?” Noah asks, sitting up now and looking at me like I’m his most fascinating interview.
“You heard me.”
“ Nobody puts baby in the corner? Really, Tab. Isn’t that movie like fifty years old?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I can’t help it. I love the dancing.”
“But it’s dirty dancing. I’d think you’d be more into Black Swan or something.”
“Mmmhmm.” I slap his chest. “ The only reason you know about that movie is because of the girl-on-girl action.”
“I cannot confirm or deny.” He wraps his arms around me. “But really. Dirty Dancing ?”
“Have you even watched it?”
“I can’t say I have.”
“N o judgment then. It’s so good, and the dance scenes are amazing—it’s not even acting. You can
There’s no futon as I imagined, just a nice big comfy bed with loads of pillows and a navy comforter. There’s a desk in one corner, piled with books, papers, and no Jenna photos as far as I can see. And, surprise, surprise, in the other corner sits a keyboard and two guitars. I knew I picked up the musician vibe.
Noah messes around with his iPod before placing it in a docking station. He kicks back on the bed and pats the edge for me to join him. “What do you think?” he says.
“I had you for the music for sure, but I’m not sure what to make of the whole rabbi-Dalai Lama-priest-monk thing you have going on here.”
“Does it creep you out?” H is eyes search mine.
“No, why? Should it?”
“No. God, I hope not.”
“So what gives? Where did you get all this stuff?”
“Here and there,” he says. “There’s a Tibetan shop in Linden Hills and a bunch of random stores in Uptown. Plus, my parents travel for work. They brought me back a few things from China and India.”
“Why the interest in global religions?
“You know how we talked about going through rough times?”
I nod.
“Learning about different religions and getting into some of this stuff helped pull me out of mine. Now I find it more fascinating than anything else.”
“Very productive. You know , a lot of people take a different route when they hit a rough patch. Drugs, sex, isolation. I’m impressed you went the other way.”
“Don’t be. I’m not saying I didn’t go through some of that stuff first.” He winks.
I want to ask him what happened. I want to know if his rough spot was as bad as mine, but I know we’re not ready to go there. I know I’m not. “You’re an interesting guy, Noah Adler,” I say. “I’ll give you that.”
I accept his invitation and move to sit on the edge of his bed.
“You’re interesting too, Tabitha Kelly.”
He catches my arms that currently hold my body on his bed and lets them, and me, drop onto his pillows.
“Take a load off.” He laughs and drops a pillow on my head. “Let’s relax a little before we get to work. I want to know more about you.”
I look into his green eyes and take a breath, then I tell him about me…just a little.
###
As the weeks pass, I spend a lot of “study time” at Noah’s and he does get to know more about me. More than I would like.
Today he i s relentless.
“What more could you possible want to know?” I ask.
“I haven’t even got to all the basics yet,” he says before firing off a million questions. “What do you want to be when you grow up? How many kids do you want to have?”
I roll my eyes.
“Okay, then, something less personal,” he says. “What’s your favorite movie?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why?”
“Because it might change your opinion of me.”
“Come on,” he says, pinning me down. “Tenacious reporter, remember? I won’t give up until I have my answer.”
“Stop,” I tell him, his breath on my neck driving me crazy. “Okay,” I say between giggles. “Okay. It’s Dirty Dancing .”
“What?” Noah asks, sitting up now and looking at me like I’m his most fascinating interview.
“You heard me.”
“ Nobody puts baby in the corner? Really, Tab. Isn’t that movie like fifty years old?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I can’t help it. I love the dancing.”
“But it’s dirty dancing. I’d think you’d be more into Black Swan or something.”
“Mmmhmm.” I slap his chest. “ The only reason you know about that movie is because of the girl-on-girl action.”
“I cannot confirm or deny.” He wraps his arms around me. “But really. Dirty Dancing ?”
“Have you even watched it?”
“I can’t say I have.”
“N o judgment then. It’s so good, and the dance scenes are amazing—it’s not even acting. You can
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