friend.”
She straightened. “Ah, I see. Just a friend?”
“Yes, actually. Always, in fact. I can’t think of one I’ve known longer. Maybe you know her?”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure. Comes in here all the time. ‘Justa Friend.’ ”
“Nothing gets by you.”
“I’m that good.” She wiped her hand on her apron and stretched it out. “I’m Sandra, by the way.”
We shook. “Pleased to meet you, Sandra. I’m Jonathan.”
“So, Jonathan, seeker of Justa Friend, what do you do for a living? Are you a student or – ”
A wailing ambulance drove down California Avenue.
I pointed a thumb toward the door. “That.” The sound faded. “I do that.”
“Oh, you’re a paramedic.” She batted her eyes.
I laughed to myself and looked at the creamy liquid in my cup. I glanced toward the back windows.
Naomi appeared.
She sat at the middle table, right across from laptop guy.
I took another sip, then motioned with my head. “There she is.”
Sandra feigned a gasp. “No. Where?”
“Right over there, by the window. She’s sitting by that guy with the Dell.”
“Her? With the dirty blond hair?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Justa Friend?”
“That’s her.”
“That’s Naomi.”
“You know her?”
“Of course I do. She comes in here almost every day, same time. Why didn’t you just tell me you were looking for Naomi? I could have told you I saw her go downstairs to the loo.”
I scratched my chin. “Who’s the guy?”
“Him, I’m not sure.” She folded her arms. “This could get complicated. You better go over there and kick his – ”
Door chimes clanked. New customers filed in. Sandra turned. “Howzit?”
I nursed my coffee for another minute and formulated a plan. I would stroll over and act as if seeing her there was a pleasant surprise. “And who might this be?” I would say, and she would go, “Oh, this is handsome and brainy laptop guy – he’s a good friend of mine. Would you like to sit down and join us?” And I would say, “Oh no, thank you. I was just leaving but wanted to stop over and say a quick hello before I never talk to you again.”
Or something like that.
I took a sip.
Let’s do this.
I slid off the stool. Synapses double-fired, and my awareness of the room and the people in it heightened. Maybe it was fatigue from the river; maybe it was caffeine coursing through my bloodstream, or the band Pavement playing from the corner-mounted speakers. Whatever the cause, the moment was tangible, and time belonged to me as I took those first steps toward Naomi.
She turned and saw me. Her ocean-hewn eyes liquefied any animosity in my heart. Sunlight through the window met the gentle curves of her smile.
She was mine for another three steps.
Laptop guy looked up.
“Tanner,” she said, “this is Jonathan – the guy I was telling you about.”
He extended a hand. “Hey. I don’t know how you guys do what you do. Quite the wreck you worked out there, I hear. ”
“Thank you.” I shook his hand and glanced at Naomi.
“Tanner is my brother-in-law,” she hastened.
Didn’t see that one coming . Air filled my lungs like a trade wind.
“Well,” Tanner said. “Soon to be in-law at least.”
“Only one month left.” She nudged him.
“Which reminds me” – he folded his laptop – “I need to meet up with Natalie before church tonight.” He stood. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Jonathan.”
I shook his hand with vigor. “You as well.”
He picked up his things. “Bye, Naomi.”
“See ya, Tanner. Tell Natalie I’ll burn that CD for her, okay?”
“Sure will.”
He walked out.
I stood there and studied her. I had no idea what to do next. I hadn’t thought past the I-was-just-leaving part.
She looked around. “So . . . would you like to sit down?”
“Yeah, sure.” I sat and ran my hand across the smooth table.
Naomi put her fingers by her mouth. “Did you think that he and I – ”
“Was I that obvious?”
She sat back and
She straightened. “Ah, I see. Just a friend?”
“Yes, actually. Always, in fact. I can’t think of one I’ve known longer. Maybe you know her?”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure. Comes in here all the time. ‘Justa Friend.’ ”
“Nothing gets by you.”
“I’m that good.” She wiped her hand on her apron and stretched it out. “I’m Sandra, by the way.”
We shook. “Pleased to meet you, Sandra. I’m Jonathan.”
“So, Jonathan, seeker of Justa Friend, what do you do for a living? Are you a student or – ”
A wailing ambulance drove down California Avenue.
I pointed a thumb toward the door. “That.” The sound faded. “I do that.”
“Oh, you’re a paramedic.” She batted her eyes.
I laughed to myself and looked at the creamy liquid in my cup. I glanced toward the back windows.
Naomi appeared.
She sat at the middle table, right across from laptop guy.
I took another sip, then motioned with my head. “There she is.”
Sandra feigned a gasp. “No. Where?”
“Right over there, by the window. She’s sitting by that guy with the Dell.”
“Her? With the dirty blond hair?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Justa Friend?”
“That’s her.”
“That’s Naomi.”
“You know her?”
“Of course I do. She comes in here almost every day, same time. Why didn’t you just tell me you were looking for Naomi? I could have told you I saw her go downstairs to the loo.”
I scratched my chin. “Who’s the guy?”
“Him, I’m not sure.” She folded her arms. “This could get complicated. You better go over there and kick his – ”
Door chimes clanked. New customers filed in. Sandra turned. “Howzit?”
I nursed my coffee for another minute and formulated a plan. I would stroll over and act as if seeing her there was a pleasant surprise. “And who might this be?” I would say, and she would go, “Oh, this is handsome and brainy laptop guy – he’s a good friend of mine. Would you like to sit down and join us?” And I would say, “Oh no, thank you. I was just leaving but wanted to stop over and say a quick hello before I never talk to you again.”
Or something like that.
I took a sip.
Let’s do this.
I slid off the stool. Synapses double-fired, and my awareness of the room and the people in it heightened. Maybe it was fatigue from the river; maybe it was caffeine coursing through my bloodstream, or the band Pavement playing from the corner-mounted speakers. Whatever the cause, the moment was tangible, and time belonged to me as I took those first steps toward Naomi.
She turned and saw me. Her ocean-hewn eyes liquefied any animosity in my heart. Sunlight through the window met the gentle curves of her smile.
She was mine for another three steps.
Laptop guy looked up.
“Tanner,” she said, “this is Jonathan – the guy I was telling you about.”
He extended a hand. “Hey. I don’t know how you guys do what you do. Quite the wreck you worked out there, I hear. ”
“Thank you.” I shook his hand and glanced at Naomi.
“Tanner is my brother-in-law,” she hastened.
Didn’t see that one coming . Air filled my lungs like a trade wind.
“Well,” Tanner said. “Soon to be in-law at least.”
“Only one month left.” She nudged him.
“Which reminds me” – he folded his laptop – “I need to meet up with Natalie before church tonight.” He stood. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Jonathan.”
I shook his hand with vigor. “You as well.”
He picked up his things. “Bye, Naomi.”
“See ya, Tanner. Tell Natalie I’ll burn that CD for her, okay?”
“Sure will.”
He walked out.
I stood there and studied her. I had no idea what to do next. I hadn’t thought past the I-was-just-leaving part.
She looked around. “So . . . would you like to sit down?”
“Yeah, sure.” I sat and ran my hand across the smooth table.
Naomi put her fingers by her mouth. “Did you think that he and I – ”
“Was I that obvious?”
She sat back and
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