change in him surprised and relieved her. She couldn’t believe he was going to let it go. Exhaling a long breath, her body relaxed as she buckled her seatbelt.
“I will.” She leaned over the console and kissed him on the cheek.
They drove to his place and as they rode the elevator up to the apartment, he took her hand in his. After he unlocked the door, she retreated into the bedroom closet to her small designated section. But unaware of their plans for the evening, she walked into the kitchen where he was mixing a drink, and asked, “Are we staying in or going out tonight?”
“What would you like to do?” He was uncharacteristically leaning against the counter with his sleeves rolled up. He looked exhausted.
She knew what she wanted to do. “I’d like to stay in.”
“Then we shall. Maybe we can order Chinese food and watch a movie.”
She shook her head in disbelief wondering what had happened to Tom. Chinese food and a movie? That sounded nice and not like him to make such a suggestion.
“Does that sound good to you, Everleigh?”
“Yes, that sounds great. I’m going to change clothes for . . . Chinese food and a movie then.” She went back into the bedroom, closed the closet doors, and walked over to her one allotted drawer in the dresser. She pulled out a T-shirt and for a split second, she almost opted for a pair of his boxers, but decided that wasn’t a wise choice. Instead, she grabbed a pair of terrycloth shorts instead. Unsure of her choice in attire, she was apprehensive when she returned to the kitchen.
Tom stopped to look at her, puckered his lips, and squinted his eyes. “Comfortable?”
“Yes. I thought this would be okay for staying in.”
“Yes, well, I guess it will do,” he said, eyeing her bare legs. He topped each drink with vermouth then stirred. Handing her a precisely made Manhattan cocktail, he raised his glass for a toast. “To us and a new beginning.”
She hadn’t been aware that he had thoughts of a new beginning and as she sipped her strong drink, this would overtake all her focus for the evening. Wishful thoughts swirled around her head and hope began to spring from within. Maybe just maybe, he meant it when he said ‘a new beginning.’ She dreamed of the words that were presented tonight and spent the entire movie lost in the wistfulness that maybe setting an official date had put him back on course for the life she desperately dreamed of having. She smiled, giddy with optimism.
Meanwhile, William walked back to his place dazed. Evie had left an impression on him that felt strong, like a new tattoo or a fresh scar. She had somehow already permanently marked his soul. At home, he settled down at his desk with a bowl o’noodles made in his hotpot. Even though it would be difficult, he needed to focus on his studies and not the pretty girl. Pulling his textbook out, he finished highlighting the rest of the chapter in which he would soon be tested.
Chapter 5
William clocked in at Manhattan Messengers on Thursday morning at ten o’clock and filled his bag with the next two hours’ worth of deliveries. He liked his job because it mixed his enjoyment for the outdoors, the excitement of the city, and required no deep thinking; he did enough of that every other day at school.
By the time William made his first delivery of the day, Everleigh was making an egg white omelet with a mixture of chopped up vegetables. She felt healthy and happy today. Tom didn’t make love to her last night, but he did hold her during the movie. She preferred that because sometimes she didn’t enjoy sex, in fact, most of the time she didn’t. None of that mattered to her because the hope she felt for the future this morning was better than sex anyway.
Since Tom was at work, she opened her textbook while eating and started highlighting the stuff that would be most helpful for her upcoming finals in a few weeks. An hour passed before she decided to get ready for the day. She packed
“I will.” She leaned over the console and kissed him on the cheek.
They drove to his place and as they rode the elevator up to the apartment, he took her hand in his. After he unlocked the door, she retreated into the bedroom closet to her small designated section. But unaware of their plans for the evening, she walked into the kitchen where he was mixing a drink, and asked, “Are we staying in or going out tonight?”
“What would you like to do?” He was uncharacteristically leaning against the counter with his sleeves rolled up. He looked exhausted.
She knew what she wanted to do. “I’d like to stay in.”
“Then we shall. Maybe we can order Chinese food and watch a movie.”
She shook her head in disbelief wondering what had happened to Tom. Chinese food and a movie? That sounded nice and not like him to make such a suggestion.
“Does that sound good to you, Everleigh?”
“Yes, that sounds great. I’m going to change clothes for . . . Chinese food and a movie then.” She went back into the bedroom, closed the closet doors, and walked over to her one allotted drawer in the dresser. She pulled out a T-shirt and for a split second, she almost opted for a pair of his boxers, but decided that wasn’t a wise choice. Instead, she grabbed a pair of terrycloth shorts instead. Unsure of her choice in attire, she was apprehensive when she returned to the kitchen.
Tom stopped to look at her, puckered his lips, and squinted his eyes. “Comfortable?”
“Yes. I thought this would be okay for staying in.”
“Yes, well, I guess it will do,” he said, eyeing her bare legs. He topped each drink with vermouth then stirred. Handing her a precisely made Manhattan cocktail, he raised his glass for a toast. “To us and a new beginning.”
She hadn’t been aware that he had thoughts of a new beginning and as she sipped her strong drink, this would overtake all her focus for the evening. Wishful thoughts swirled around her head and hope began to spring from within. Maybe just maybe, he meant it when he said ‘a new beginning.’ She dreamed of the words that were presented tonight and spent the entire movie lost in the wistfulness that maybe setting an official date had put him back on course for the life she desperately dreamed of having. She smiled, giddy with optimism.
Meanwhile, William walked back to his place dazed. Evie had left an impression on him that felt strong, like a new tattoo or a fresh scar. She had somehow already permanently marked his soul. At home, he settled down at his desk with a bowl o’noodles made in his hotpot. Even though it would be difficult, he needed to focus on his studies and not the pretty girl. Pulling his textbook out, he finished highlighting the rest of the chapter in which he would soon be tested.
Chapter 5
William clocked in at Manhattan Messengers on Thursday morning at ten o’clock and filled his bag with the next two hours’ worth of deliveries. He liked his job because it mixed his enjoyment for the outdoors, the excitement of the city, and required no deep thinking; he did enough of that every other day at school.
By the time William made his first delivery of the day, Everleigh was making an egg white omelet with a mixture of chopped up vegetables. She felt healthy and happy today. Tom didn’t make love to her last night, but he did hold her during the movie. She preferred that because sometimes she didn’t enjoy sex, in fact, most of the time she didn’t. None of that mattered to her because the hope she felt for the future this morning was better than sex anyway.
Since Tom was at work, she opened her textbook while eating and started highlighting the stuff that would be most helpful for her upcoming finals in a few weeks. An hour passed before she decided to get ready for the day. She packed
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