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“Seven in the morning. Our flight takes off at nine-thirty.” Liv gives me a radiant smile. “Is it normal to be so nervous and impatient at the same time?”
I can’t help the smile that creeps up on my face. In the short time we’ve known each other, I consider this woman more than just a friend; she’s my sister in heart.
“Perfectly normal. I expect a phone call from you at least once while you’re there to tell me the good news.”
“You know there’s no way I would be able to keep it from you. But it may be a few hours after he asks that I get to call. I won’t be able to hold off jumping him long enough to call you.”
I chuckle. “Completely understandable.”
The elevator dings again and the doors open. We both wave at Jared and Nathan as we pass by them, but Nathan doesn’t even look up from the bank of monitors he’s facing.
“You both have a good weekend,” Jared calls out.
“You too, Jared,” I reply. “Tell Margaret I’m thinking about her. Have a good weekend, Nathan.”
Nathan finally looks up with his probing gaze and grunts his response. He’s a weird character.
We walk out to the parking garage and I stop by Liv’s car to give her a hug.
“Have fun this weekend. Make sure to call me.” I kiss her cheek and take a step back.
“You know I will.”
And I have no doubt she will. Even if Tony wasn’t proposing to her, she’d still have a good time. That’s just the type of person Liv is. She can make any situation better with her outgoing and outrageous behavior.
“Are you still going on your date this weekend?” she asks as she unlocks her door and throws her purse inside.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because your mystery man has come forward.”
“He really hasn’t come forward. I still have no idea who he is.”
I reach inside my purse and pull my keys from an inside pocket. I spy the small list I made last night of the few things I need to pick up on my way home.
“True. I wasn’t sure since he contacted you…” She trails off, not finishing her comment.
I shrug. “It could just be a fluke thing, and I may never hear from him again. I’m not going to stop dating because he deemed it time to make a move.”
“But you’ll at least give him a chance, right? I mean, at least see who the guy is, Pop.”
“I don’t know yet. We’ll see if he texts me again, and I’ll go from there.”
We hug one more time before I walk to my car, which is several rows over. It’s an old blue Monte Carlo my granddad bought my dad when he turned sixteen. It was my dad’s pride and joy, up until the day he died. Besides my mom and me, my dad loved that car more than anything else. I loved it too. My dad let me drive it on occasion, but only while he was with me. He kept it in perfect condition, inside and out, and always told me it would be mine one day when he passed away. Neither of us knew it would be so soon. As much as I love my car, I’d give it up in a heartbeat to have him back.
I slide my tush on the cool black leather seat and start my car. It growls to life, the sound echoing through the parking garage. It’s not the typical muscle car rumble, but more like a soothing sound of thunder far off in the distance. I still get a thrill every time I crank it over, followed by a more profound sense of sadness and nostalgia. I miss my mom, but me and my dad had a special bond. He used to call me his Poppy Seed. We did everything together, even after I left for college. Every chance I got I was home, or he would come pick me up and we’d do lunch. Mom came along too sometimes, but she knew those lunch dates were special for us, so she let us have our time together. He was a bear of a man and his hugs were crushing, but I cherished every single one of them. Sadness nearly overwhelms me, but I push it aside, not allowing it to pull me under.
I pull out of the parking garage and steer my car away from the city. The Atlanta traffic is killer, especially on a Friday, but I love working in the city. However, you couldn’t pay me enough to live here. I like my peace and quiet too much. I need that solitude once the work day is over.
I pull into the parking lot of a small grocer just outside the city. Grabbing a cart from outside the entrance, I take out my phone, earbuds, and shopping list from my purse and set it in the front. As I walk into the store, I pop in an earbud and hit play on my favorite playlist. Adam Levine starts singing in my ear as I walk the aisles, throwing stuff in my cart, and crossing off each item as I go for the next on my list. I grab my favorite cereal, Cracklin’ Oat Bran, and drop it beside the Sun Chips. The cereal may look like cat food, but it tastes freaking divine.
I tap my fingers on the shopping cart bar to the beat of the music. I’m in my own little world. My music goes with me everywhere. If I’m alone and don’t necessarily need to know what’s going on around me, I always pull up my playlist because music soothes the soul. I learned that while I was in my depressive state after losing my dad, my mom, and dealing with the heartbreak of leaving Grant after finding out he was cheating on me. It was one of the only things that helped me cope.
And now, due to said music in my ears and my lack of attention, I turn the corner to the next aisle and ram my cart into the heels of a man who mutters a curse, causing me to wince.
“Oh my God. I am so sorry,” I say, yanking the earbud from my ear.
The guy that was unfortunately in my destructive path turns around. For a split second he pins me with a glare, before we both realize who the other is.
