Dear Ash?
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Dear Max,
That’s what my friends call me.
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Is it okay if I call you that then?
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Sure, I actually prefer it.
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Have we just become friends?
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Aaah. Cute!
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So cute.
I tapped my keypad nervously. I’d wrestled with whether to tell her who I was. But I figured it was something to tell her in person, not over email. It seemed wrong over email . . .
Bullshit. Who was I kidding? That was not the reason at all. The truth was that I was terrified that if she knew who Ireallywas she wouldn’t come on this trip with me. After all, the last thing she’d ever said to me was: “I hate you.” Her last three words to me. I’d wanted to say my last three words back to her: “I love you.” But didn’t. I’d been such a coward. A stupid nineteen-year-old idiot who didn’t know that he was in the process of making the single worst mistake of his life by running away from a difficult situation. I lowered my fingers and typed back. Knowing who I was talking to felt exhilarating and terrifying,so terrifying.
Well, on that note,
Dear Ash,
Hope you had a great weekend?
Everything is booked and confirmed. I have attached the weather reports for the locations, so you know what to pack for yourself. Our flight to Matobo Hills takes off at 9:30. The lodge is sending a driver to pick you up and take you to the airport where we’ll depart in their own plane. Please send me your address so I can forward it on to the driver.
Max
P.S. Hope you found a cat sitter?
P.P.S. you didn’t look as bad as you made out in your ID photo.
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Dear Max,
Seriously, my nose is red and at least two times bigger than it usually is. It was allergy season. But thanks.
I smiled to myself. I remember how badly she used to get allergies. If an insect bit her, she’d come up with a giant red splotch. She’d brushed past a certain plant once and her entire body itched for an hour. I’d had to help her scratch it until it stopped. She also made the most adorable sneezing sounds during pollen season.
Fucking stop it, Max, I mentally scolded myself.
My address is 3 Whalesong, Seaview Road, Camps Bay. My neighbors are going to look after Petal. She’s always at their place during the day anyway. They both work from home and she’s found a way to slink from my balcony to theirs.
I appreciate you organizing this, Max!
