“I hope it wasn’t too weird having that guy give you my number. I uh…I saw you out at his stand the other day, but by the time I got down there to speak, he said you were gone.”
In my head I imagined AJ flying out the door like Giuseppe explained it – ‘like the building was on fire’. I smiled to myself, feeling some kind of way about him doing all that to get to me.
“No, it wasn’t weird at all,” I blushed. “You live in that building by his stand?”
“Yeah. Third floor.”
“I hear those units are pretty nice.” At least that’s what Jason said.
“I’ll let you know once I have some furniture in here,” AJ joked.
I smiled uncontrollably and he hadn’t even said anything substantial. Just hearing his voice was enough to do the trick.
“Are you liking the city so far at least?”
He hesitated and then laughed a little. “Ehh…It’ll take some getting used to.”
I remembered us discussing living here in the past; he wasn’t all that keen on the idea back then either. “It can be a little overwhelming at times. Give it a month and you’ll know the streets like the back of your hand.”
He laughed again and replied with a doubtful, “We’ll see.”
“The restaurants are amazing, though, right? Tell me you haven’t had some of the best food you’ve ever eaten since you moved here.” I leaned back into the couch and crossed my legs, trying to picture him at home doing whatever it was he was doing when I called.
“I haven’t had the chance to really venture out. By the time I get off work, I’m beat. I’m almost embarrassed to tell you what my diet has consisted of lately.”
I smiled again. “I’ll have to show you where some of my favorite spots are sometime,” I said without thinking, making it known that I had every intention of not only talking to him again, but seeing him too. Realizing what I’d done in this careless stupor he had me tangled in, I fell silent.
“Sounds like a plan,” he replied without hesitation.
My mind wandered and I scrambled for something to say. “Have you talked to Dee and Karl lately?”
“Actually, no. Karl’s been pretty busy with work just like I have. We always seem to miss each other when we call. What about you? Have you talked to Dee?”
I thought back to the last phone call she’d made to me – the one where she told me about AJ’s proposal. “No, it’s been a few weeks.”
“I’m sure they’ll be here to visit sometime soon,” he added.
“Yeah. Probably.” I remembered that this was just a friendly call and that I should at least ask about his….Kira. “Your, um…fiancé, how is she?”
It burned my throat like you’d never believe to say those words aloud, but I was trying to be mature about this, wanting him to know that I was going to be respectful of the life he’d made for himself. I owed him that and then some for the way I’d left things.
He hesitated – like, really hesitated. “Good. She’s good,” was all he said back, sounding a little shocked that I’d even asked.
Should I not have said that? Did he think I was overstepping my bounds? I was just trying to –
“And how’s…..what’s his name again?” AJ asked.
I couldn’t tell if the oversight was made purposely, but either way I found it funny. Jason was so far from my mind, I too almost forgot his name. “Uh – Jason. He’s fine,” was the only answer I had because I’d ignored every single one of his phone calls for an entire week straight. All I knew was that he was breathing and still had use of enough of his fingers to dial my number. I cleared my throat to rid my mind of the lingering negativity that came when I thought about the wife and kid Jason kept hidden in Boston.
Freakin’ bastard.
“How’re your parents doing?” AJ asked, interrupting my train of thought.