Plopping into one of our two folding chairs, Jenny said, “Sounds perfect. Let’s order a large, so we have lunch tomorrow.”
We worked through the afternoon, focusing on our bedrooms. My twin bed from home lay in the corner, and a dresser I found at a yard sale sat beside the door. I still needed a desk, but it was a work in progress. I could go to the library if I needed to spread out.
Feeling overwhelmed by the lack of completeness, I dropped to the floor in front of the bay window and looked outside. From the top floor, I saw the train zoom by. The apartment shook in a crescendo and then stopped just as abruptly. My stomach grumbled, yelling at me to eat.
“Hey Jenny, I’m gonna call the pizza place!” I ran downstairs to grab the restaurant menus that littered the hallway.
I heard a knock on the door and squinted my eyes. Are the buzzers not working? We didn’t have a doorman, and there were about fifty apartments in our building. Should I let him in? I scrunched my nose and squinted my eyes, debating fate if I opened the door to a stranger.
Bang-Bang-Bang. The knocking transitioned to pounding, and I tiptoed toward the windows. A man wearing a baseball hat looked at the wall with all the apartment numbers and buzzers. He scanned up and down, his finger trailing his eyes.
He looked innocent enough. I trusted someone was expecting him and opened the door.
The man turned, and my eyes locked on his. It had been one year since I’d first stared into those eyes but I still saw him nightly in my dreams. “Jaime.” My breath caught and my heart stopped. Instincts took over, and I yanked open the door, throwing my arms around him and pinning him to the wall.
My mouth flew to his, and I felt the familiar curve of his jaw, the shape of his lips, and the softness of his tongue. He reciprocated my assertiveness, and I leaned into him further. The buttons behind us buzzed and random neighbors asked who we were or what we wanted.
I giggled and pulled Jaime into the main lobby.
“What are you doing here?”
He eyed me up and down. “One year ago, I met a beautiful woman on a plane. She slipped through my hands a few months ago, but I couldn’t stop thinking of her. I thought if I saw her on the day we met, it would be like she never left.” He kissed me and the world stopped.
“How did you find me?”
“Owen and I flew over a week ago. I knew I’d find you. When I got your address, I left our hotel, grabbed a cab, and came over.”
“I can’t believe you’re here. How long were you outside?”
He checked his watch. “I don’t know. I wrote down your new address, but not your apartment number and your name isn’t listed on the buzzer. I think I’ve been here about a half hour. I thought someone would come by, but no one did.”
I cracked up laughing. Sweat drenched the perimeter of his hat and he smelled like clothes that sat in the washing machine too long. I didn’t care. He was here and I was touching him. He wasn’t a figment of my imagination.
I led him down the hallway and up the stairs. “How long are you staying?”
“I’m not sure, but Owen and I got an apartment in Brighton. We move in on September 1st.”
My jaw dropped to my feet. Frozen on the stairs, I slowly turned. “What?” I grabbed his shoulders, my mouth shaped into a permanent smile.
“We both found jobs in Boston. We’re on a work visa. I didn’t want to tell you and get your hopes up, in
case it didn’t work. I know how you love surprises.”
“You’re here?” My voice bounced off the stairway. “For good?”
“For at least a year.”
I kissed him deeply, my body wanting to pounce on him like a lioness catching her prey.
“Owen’s at the hotel now. Do you want to sleep over tonight? We have a hotel suite with a pool and air conditioning. It’s not a castle, but it’s still rather lovely.”
“Yes!” I raced up the stairs, my legs burning.
I bounced into our tiny kitchen. “Jenny, look who I found! This is Jaime. My Jaime, from Ireland.”
She waved at him, throwing me raised eyebrows, a grin and a clap. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jenny, Rory’s roommate.”
“I found him. In the lobby. Jenny, he got a job here! He’s here because of me. He still loves me.”
