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Authors: Stephanie Bond
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girl repeated. A man’s voice sounded in the background, then more wal owing of the phone ensued.
“Hel o?”
My pulse picked up at the sound of his voice—touchably close. “Redford?”
“Denise?”
“Is this a bad time?”
He gave a little laugh. “No. Sorry about that…Janie just learned how to answer the phone.”
“No problem.” For some reason, I felt weird talking about his children. I cleared my throat. “Did you make flight arrangements?”
“Yes, I’m flying into LaGuardia Friday around noon. Does that work for you?”
From Friday to Tuesday—five days. The last time we’d been together for that amount of time, we’d gotten into a lot of trouble. Of course things had changed drastical y…
“Sure, that’l be fine. I cal ed this morning to confirm our appointment at the IRS office Tuesday morning.”
“Thanks. What do I need to bring?”
“Maybe your tax forms for the previous year and the fol owing year, just to be safe.”
“Wil do.”
I gave him the name and number of a hotel in my neighborhood. “I thought we could sightsee on Saturday.”
“Sounds good.”
“I have to work Friday, but I could take my lunch hour to meet you at the airport…if you want.”
“That’s not necessary,” he said. “But I’d like it very much.”
My midsection tingled. He’d like very much to see me, or he’d like very much not to navigate the trip into the city alone? “Wil I know you?” I asked, and was astounded to hear how breathless I sounded.
“If you ever did,” he said, and his words vibrated in the air with sudden intensity.
I swal owed hard. “I’l be wearing—”
“I’l know you,” he cut in.
His words struck me as intimate, and my tongue seemed to adhere to the roof of my mouth. “M-maybe we should exchange cel -phone numbers in case we don’t connect
outside baggage claim.”
“Don’t have one,” he said cheerful y. “See you Friday.”
“Okay,” I murmured, then slowly disconnected the cal , Redford’s voice stil reverberating in my head. Why was my skin on fire? My heart crushing against my breastbone? I
didn’t want to go back to the place I’d been when I was with Redford; to the darker side of myself, when nothing had mattered but being in his arms. My sense of reason had simply fled.
It was almost frightening to think back to how bendable I’d been to his wishes, how easily I had trusted him with my future. Was I truly prepared to see Redford again? Would it be cleansing…or climactic?
To assuage my pounding guilt, I picked up the phone and dialed Barry’s cel phone, but got his voice mail.
“Hey, it’s me,” I said. “Just missing you and wanted to hear your voice.” I worked my mouth from side to side and considered leaving a blubbery admission about Redford then
and there, but decided that was cowardly. Instead I said, “Cal me when you can,” and pushed the disconnect button.
I stared at my laboratory-engineered diamond ring until my eyes watered. There were so many reasons not to repeat my mistake of fal ing for Redford. For one, he was unavailable. For two, I was unavailable.
We were both unavailable. No mistake about it.
7
Friday
Days left on eBay auction: 4
Bidding on wedding dress up to: $875
Winning bidder: SYLVIESMOM
BY FRIDAY, I stil hadn’t gotten used to having the engagement ring on my finger. As I waited on the sidewalk outside LaGuardia baggage claim for Redford to emerge, I adjusted the lump beneath my glove to either side, then back to the middle, expending nervous energy. I had barely slept last night, so I was sporting a rather Goth look from the circles beneath my eyes. My stomach held only coffee. And while I stood there tel ing my sil y self to calm down, the biggest mistake of my life strode outside in the cold February sunshine, and the temperature leapt at least two degrees.
My vision blurred, then cleared. Either I was having a stroke, or seeing Redford again was affecting the blood flow to
“Hel o?”
My pulse picked up at the sound of his voice—touchably close. “Redford?”
“Denise?”
“Is this a bad time?”
He gave a little laugh. “No. Sorry about that…Janie just learned how to answer the phone.”
“No problem.” For some reason, I felt weird talking about his children. I cleared my throat. “Did you make flight arrangements?”
“Yes, I’m flying into LaGuardia Friday around noon. Does that work for you?”
From Friday to Tuesday—five days. The last time we’d been together for that amount of time, we’d gotten into a lot of trouble. Of course things had changed drastical y…
“Sure, that’l be fine. I cal ed this morning to confirm our appointment at the IRS office Tuesday morning.”
“Thanks. What do I need to bring?”
“Maybe your tax forms for the previous year and the fol owing year, just to be safe.”
“Wil do.”
I gave him the name and number of a hotel in my neighborhood. “I thought we could sightsee on Saturday.”
“Sounds good.”
“I have to work Friday, but I could take my lunch hour to meet you at the airport…if you want.”
“That’s not necessary,” he said. “But I’d like it very much.”
My midsection tingled. He’d like very much to see me, or he’d like very much not to navigate the trip into the city alone? “Wil I know you?” I asked, and was astounded to hear how breathless I sounded.
“If you ever did,” he said, and his words vibrated in the air with sudden intensity.
I swal owed hard. “I’l be wearing—”
“I’l know you,” he cut in.
His words struck me as intimate, and my tongue seemed to adhere to the roof of my mouth. “M-maybe we should exchange cel -phone numbers in case we don’t connect
outside baggage claim.”
“Don’t have one,” he said cheerful y. “See you Friday.”
“Okay,” I murmured, then slowly disconnected the cal , Redford’s voice stil reverberating in my head. Why was my skin on fire? My heart crushing against my breastbone? I
didn’t want to go back to the place I’d been when I was with Redford; to the darker side of myself, when nothing had mattered but being in his arms. My sense of reason had simply fled.
It was almost frightening to think back to how bendable I’d been to his wishes, how easily I had trusted him with my future. Was I truly prepared to see Redford again? Would it be cleansing…or climactic?
To assuage my pounding guilt, I picked up the phone and dialed Barry’s cel phone, but got his voice mail.
“Hey, it’s me,” I said. “Just missing you and wanted to hear your voice.” I worked my mouth from side to side and considered leaving a blubbery admission about Redford then
and there, but decided that was cowardly. Instead I said, “Cal me when you can,” and pushed the disconnect button.
I stared at my laboratory-engineered diamond ring until my eyes watered. There were so many reasons not to repeat my mistake of fal ing for Redford. For one, he was unavailable. For two, I was unavailable.
We were both unavailable. No mistake about it.
7
Friday
Days left on eBay auction: 4
Bidding on wedding dress up to: $875
Winning bidder: SYLVIESMOM
BY FRIDAY, I stil hadn’t gotten used to having the engagement ring on my finger. As I waited on the sidewalk outside LaGuardia baggage claim for Redford to emerge, I adjusted the lump beneath my glove to either side, then back to the middle, expending nervous energy. I had barely slept last night, so I was sporting a rather Goth look from the circles beneath my eyes. My stomach held only coffee. And while I stood there tel ing my sil y self to calm down, the biggest mistake of my life strode outside in the cold February sunshine, and the temperature leapt at least two degrees.
My vision blurred, then cleared. Either I was having a stroke, or seeing Redford again was affecting the blood flow to
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