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“So, are you working four days a week, ten hours a day or are you one of those guys that work three twelves?”
“I’m lucky enough to work three twelves. It’s really twelve and a half hour shifts, and then once a month you work an extra day to make up the difference. It makes for long days but it’s nice to have four day weekends. So, I’m a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday guy. Doesn’t Mick work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday? We work different precincts so I don’t see him much, but we both lucked out and get part of the weekends off. Anyway, boring stuff, but at least you know when I am around if you want to get coffee again. What about you?”
“Me?”
“Your schedule?”
“Ha, oh that. At the moment I don’t have much of a schedule, but school will be starting next week. I’ll be a Teacher’s Aide in the Special Education class for one of the high schools in the district. That’s only part-time though. I’m also going to school to get my Masters in Special Education.”
“Is that why you moved in with Mick?”
“That would be it. Ugh…I just couldn’t afford California anymore. If I want to go to school and try to get it done in 20 months, I need to work part-time and not to mention I…well, anyway. It’s just a lot and Mickey was nice enough to offer his place up. So, I finally sucked up my pride and did it. My mom offered too, but she’s in a two-bedroom apartment and I don’t want to invade her space. Mick’s place is bigger and he’s rarely home. It won’t be forever.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I’m proud of you, Em.” He says with a lingering stare.
To break the stare, I pick up my phone and see the time and realize I have to go.
“Sorry, I have to get going but it was so nice catching up.” As I bend down to give Frances some love I say, “And meeting this pretty little lady.”
“It was really nice, Emily. I’d love to do it again sometime.”
“Well, I’m sure that we’ll bump into each other around town and maybe coffee again will work out sometime. I’ll have to see what my schedule is like once my job and classes get started.”
I turn to leave and take the few steps to the curb where Justine is parked and I turn back to see him watching me go. I step off the curb, and holding open her driver’s side door I yell to Jonathan, “Justine!”
“Who’s Justine, Em?”
That look of confusion on his face is pretty cute, I must say, but not as earth-shattering as the smile I get when I say, “You’re lookin’ at her. You once told me that you always name your cars and your guns. Well, I don’t own a gun, but I do have a car that I have loved for years and since it’s pretty obvious she’s a girl…I couldn’t name her Justin, so I went with Justine.”
Now that I’ve backed out of the awkward little parking lot that Elka’s is in and away from the handsome smiling man and his darling dog, I let the smile I’ve been holding back spread across my face. I let out a little shriek of delight at the fact that I had the last word and that it got the reaction it did. It was like I had given him some sort of gift with just the simple fact I remembered something from the time we were once together. That I had actually listened to him and acted on it. The fact of the matter is the joy on his face was gift enough to last me until Christmas.
On my drive to the house, I call Cami on my Bluetooth and tell her we have to talk, and like the best friend she is she says she’ll meet me at my place in five!
Cami shows up just after I do and when she walks in she looks around and asks, “Are we the only ones here?”
“Yep!”
“Spill it, chica!”
“Oh my God, it was so great Cam! At the very beginning, it was awkward but then it felt like old times. Just like before. We were so comfortable with each other that we just talked and talked. The most important thing Cam…he doesn’t hate me.”
Just as my eyes start to swell with tears she grabs my hand and I repeat. “He doesn’t hate me, Cam. He said he’d like to get together for coffee again.”
“There isn’t anybody on this planet that could hate you. You are the best person I know, and from what I remember Jonathan is a pretty smart guy, so of course he doesn’t hate you.”
“Now what?”
“Give him a chance, Em. Tell him.”
“I know and I have nothing to hide. I am proud of everything that’s happened in the last five years, and I’ve worked hard to keep my head above water. If we get together again I’ll tell him, I promise. I just didn’t want to remind him of how I had hurt him when things were going so well. I didn’t want to dredge up the bad memories. Next time though, pinky swear.”
I hold my pinky finger up, Cami does the same and we lock them together and the promise is sealed. Now, when will that next time be?
“Listen, I have to get to my next showing so I have to run, but I am so happy it went well. Please give him a chance. He’s been through a lot, and you may be just the person he needs in his life right now.”
We hug it out and as she walks through the door she says, “Give kisses for me.”
“Promise!”
