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I must look like a fool but I can’t help it. Just her three-word text has my heart practically pumping out of my chest. So, I send her another text but she starts to leave before she reads it.
“See you Wednesday, Jonathan.” She says as she walks the two steps back towards her car.
“See you Wednesday, Em.”
I make myself turn and walk back into the gym to get my stuff otherwise I know I’ll just stand and stare while she drives away. I don’t wanna scare her off.
I see Devon inside and he can tell just by looking at me that it went well. I’m too happy to talk about it so I just hold up my hand as I walk out the door. I jump in my truck and read her text:
Georgia: Thank you.
Gracie: You’re welcome, Georgia.
The use of her nickname for me is yet another glimmer of hope. I know it’s foolish, but it is hope I’ll feed off of to get me through the next four days until we meet for coffee.
I start my truck and take the first full breath that I’ve taken in five years.
4
Emily
You can do this Emily. It’s just two old friends having coffee and catching up. It’s not like you are going to have to go sit across from the love of your life whose heart you broke over five years ago and act like it’s not at all awkward. No, that would be too painful for even you. That’s why it’s just two old friends meeting for coffee. No. Big. Deal. So you tried on everything you own to go get coffee, who doesn’t? You can do this. You owe it to him to at least give him some of your time after the way you left things.
As luck would have it, the only parking spot is right in front of the little local coffee shop…and the little two-person table that Jonathan is already sitting at and…yep, he’s seen me and has his hand up in a wave. Guess it’s too late to put it in reverse and take off now that I have been spotted. I can’t even take a moment to catch my breath because he’s right there!
I. Can. Do. This. I tell myself.
As I get out of Justine, my trusty old Jetta—I must admit I named her after spending my week with Scarlett—I take the five steps it takes to get to Jonathan and I see he has a friend with him.
He gets up and awkwardly comes in for a hug. I lean to the right and he leans to the left so we clank our heads together. We both reach our arms up to take the hug high and that goes wrong too. This is just too funny and I can’t help the giggle that bubbles out of me.
“Well, we’re off to a great start,” I say.
“Oh man, that was just terrible,” he chuckles.
“Let’s try again. I’m gonna go arms high and head to my right, got it?” I say with a smile on my face that I couldn’t stop if I tried.
“Got it. I go arms low and my head to the right too.”
Just to continue to lighten the awkward move I start to count and he joins in.
“1…2…3…hug!”
As we embrace we both hold on a little longer than we should. So long we are swaying a bit to the rhythm of both of our hearts that are beating a little faster and louder than normal. He feels like home.
Jonathan pulls away and says, “Well, that went a bit smoother than our first try, thank goodness.”
“Yes, it did. But don’t be rude, Jonathan,” I say with my hands on my hips. I amuse myself while I watch the scared confusion that breaks out across his handsome face. “Introduce me to your friend here.”
I can see the relief fill his body when he exhales a large breath and says, “Ah, yes. How could I forget my sweet girl…Emily, this is Frances or Frannie. Francis, this is Emily.”
“Oh, Jonathan, she is so sweet!”
I bend down so I can properly introduce myself and give Frances—the cutest little dog I have ever seen—a proper hello. A few scratches behind her ear and a few licks to my cheek and I tear myself away to tell Jonathan how adorable she is.
“Thanks. I rescued her about a year ago. I take her everywhere with me. Hope you don’t mind me bringing a third wheel?”
“Of course not, she’s awesome. What breed is she?”
