Megan waved at the white Toyota Prius across the street. She took one last look at Ashley andwalked away.
“Hey,” Megan had the car door ajar. As she climbed inside, her voice echoed across the street, “it’s not a jinx if it was always destined to be.”
“We will see,” Ashleycalled out.
“Yes, we will. Goodbye, Ashley Stewart.”
“Goodbye, Megan Davis.”
She sat back on the worn-out leather seat—it had seen better days, but her level of intoxication, coupled with the high she felt from seeing Ashley again, left her unphased by the shabby car and its fusty aroma. She turned to look out of the rear window. The silhouette of the woman she adored stood under the gold entrance of The Kimberley Hotel.If only she could have captured the image,she thought.
How many times would they cross paths? How many times would she pretend like the pain in her chest was normal?she wondered. It felt like hunger,except the hunger never felt at bay. The more she saw Ashley, the more she wanted to see her, and the more she wanted to, the less she could.
The final words she spoke had rolled off the tip of her tongue with more meaning than intended.It’s not a jinx if it was always destined to be—had she been referring to Ashley’s career opportunities or much more than that? There was one thing apparent in her mind, a good night’s sleep was unlikely.
17
Ashley
Ashley observed the sunrise from her position on the roof. There was a peaceful solitude in watching the world come to life. She found herself observing one of the only reliable things the planet had to offer. Pre-sunrise was the only time New York had an element of calm. In true fashion, it would always be the city that never sleeps, but there was a tranquil serenity even if only for a fleeting moment.
Stretching her legs out before her, she lifted her arms above her head, breathing in the fresh air. Approaching the summer months meant the crisp, clean air would soon become unbearably humid. The coffee of choice that morning originated from the UK. Maybe the choice had been a conscious one after her night with Megan, but she tried not to dwell on it too much. She liked to try other brands of coffee and her mind just happened to be drawn to the one at the back of the cupboard that was unused and unopened.
Beanies almond flavoured coffee—picked up from a local market that only sold rare European produce. The night before, Megan had picked at a bowl of complimentary almond nuts—coincidence?
The metal door creaked behind her; she turned to see Emily. Her long blonde hair looked unruly, but she pulled it off, even after a full night’s sleep. The sun made her eyes narrow as she yawned, and she raised her coffee cup in salute.
“I thought you’dbe up here.”
“I wouldn’t go applying for a detective job just yet.”
“Very funny.”
“Why are you up so early?”
“I have a meeting at 7:30, so I figured seeing as I’m already getting up in the middle of the night, I might as well get up a bit earlier and check in with you.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m regrettingit already.”
“How did you know I’d be up here so early watching the sunrise?”
Emily shrugged. “A hunch, I guess.”
They sat in silence for a moment, taking in the surroundings as they so often did. Ashley was waiting for Emily to broach the subject. After a minute, she decided to put her out ofher misery.
“You want to ask me about last night,don’t you?”
“Oh, 100%,” Emily sat upright, “I just wasn’t sure how long to sit here before I did.”
“The fact you waited at all surprises me.”
“Me too. I have about twenty minutes so I’d like the full rundown please.”
Ashley started off by explaining the atmosphere, the ease in which they conversed, the fact Megan was now single and every topic right up to the final wave goodbye—including the ‘almost kiss’.
“She tried to kiss you?” Emily scowled.
