Beyond his computer screen, he could see the New York skyline. A cornucopia of lights each twinkling in unison, seemingly so far off but yet at the same time so close by. He had always dreamed of coming to New York City. In the past though, he had been so busy that the word “vacation” had never once even crossed his mind. His life was his girlfriend and the MCATS. All that had changed now. Looking back at the computer screen, he smiled slightly as he re-read his words. The letter was only two sentences long. Short, sweet and of course pure genius.
He reclined in his chair, his grin widening at the thought of her pretty blonde head filled with worry. What he wouldn’t give to see the expression in her baby blues as she read his newest letter.
Hitting the print command, he silently went over the list of things he had to do today. Aside from mailing the letter, amongst the most important was finding out more about Jessica’s new friend. They certainly had been seeing a lot of each other. How quickly they forget the ones they’ve loved, he mused angrily to himself. He’d make her remember though. After he was finished with her, she would never forget. He’d see to that.
He reached for a pair of scissors and neatly began to cut the paper on which he had typed her address. He did this carefully, creating a rectangle which he quickly applied to an empty envelope with glue. He then reached for the letter and folded it into three’s – the same as before. After this, he neatly stuffed it into the envelope. Switching off the computer, he licked the envelope and then proceeded toward the door, grabbing his jacket from a chair.
He would stop first at the post office before resuming his customary position across from her building. He hoped Jessica’s friend would make an appearance today. The more he saw of him, the better. It was best that he learned whatever he could about him. That way, he would be able to tell if this guy was going to get in the way. It was always best to be prepared.
Nick sat at the bar staring lucidly into his drink, his back turned on the usual frenzy of excitement. He had arrived around the same time as usual, said a half hearted hello to some of the club’s regulars and then quickly proceeded straight to the bar. He hadn’t touched his drink yet, but somehow he took comfort in its mere presence.
“Hey Sugar,” a sexy voice interrupted his reverie. He turned toward the voice, his eye falling upon an attractive brunette. He vaguely remembered her from a few weeks ago. He couldn’t remember her name though but that didn’t faze him. He was more than certain that she had forgotten his name the moment she walked out of the club – with another guy of course.
“You look tense,” she whispered, her hand brushing against his leg as she leaned in closer. “I can take care of that for you, you know,” she purred softly in his ear.
“I can take care of myself thanks,” Nick told her pointedly before getting up.
“Asshole,” he heard her mutter as she brushed past her quickly. He retreated to the opposite corner of the bar and sat down there.
Why the hell did I come here? he asked himself. He suspected that a part of him already knew the answer. The moment he had stepped inside, he knew he was making a mistake but he hadn’t turned around. His coming here was a force of habit. After Melissa had left him, drowning his sorrows in alcohol and women has been the only thing that helped him ease the pain. At first he had hated it. It wasn’t him at all. But soon, coming to the club and picking up woman after woman had become second nature to him. He had become just like all the other players there – sleazy and audacious. The things he had said, the things he had done. All for a quick romp in the sack with a girl he couldn’t care less about. It was the only way to make the pain stop though and that’s why night after night he had done it. Until now.
After spending time with Jessica this week, Nick felt foolish being here. It wasn’t like he had any obligation toward her. They were just friends. Still, there was something about being with her that made him feel different. It was a new feeling that he couldn’t explain and part of him didn’t want to try.
With a sigh, Nick gazed around at the sweaty mass of bodies moving almost hypnotically to the beat. A sudden feeling overtook his body. I don’t belong here, he suddenly realized. All at once he’d had enough. Actually, he’d had enough after the first night he came here but he had numbed himself to that feeling. He’d gone through the motions day after day with false bravado, ignoring the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why? Because he had to.
But all of a sudden, he felt like he didn’t have to anymore.
Jessica sat on her bed, eyes closed but still very much awake. She felt slightly sorry for herself. Alone in bed on a Saturday night at 11:00. She thought she’d be used to it by now, after months of Saturday’s spent just like this. She wasn’t used to it though and wasn’t sure if she would ever be.
She turned onto her side, trying to get comfortable. In the process, she managed to entangle her covers with her sheets. Feeling restricted, she kicked at them furiously, trying to free herself. She tossed and turned in annoyance only making things worse. Finally she sat up and proceeded to untangle the sheets with her hands throwing them into a heap on her floor. She sighed in frustration. She didn’t care if she was cold tonight.
After a few minutes of gazing distractedly at the ceiling she finally gave up trying to sleep. She got off the bed and went over to her dresser where she grabbed her purse and began rummaging around for her cigarettes. She found the package triumphantly, opened it and removed a one. She put it in her mouth and in haste began to search for her lighter.
Suddenly the phone rang. She jumped slightly, eyeing the phone suspiciously. It rang a few more times before she walked towards it and snatched it up quickly. “Mmmhello,” she muttered, removing the cigarette from her mouth and tossing it into a nearby trashcan.
“Hey, it’s me. Were you sleeping?”
“Nope,” she replied, a smile spreading across her face as Nick’s voice filtered through the receiver.
“Busy?”
“Not at all. Just watching some TV,” she lied quickly.
“TV huh? Well, you know what they say, don’t you?” Nick asked, his tone light.
“Please…enlighten me,” she quipped.
“If you’re going to lie, at least do it properly. I don’t hear any background noise”
“ I could have easily turned down the volume when I heard the phone ringing,” she responded quickly.
“You could have, but you didn’t. Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. I won’t tell anyone that a pretty girl like you was sitting all by her lonesome on a Saturday night,” he said, a smile playing upon his lips.
“So, tell me, did you call just to check up on me or did you actually want something?”
“That all depends,” he said calmly.
“On?” she prompted.
“On if you’re going to let me in or not? It’s not nice to keep a guy waiting you know.”
“What? Where are you?” she asked quickly.
“Come open the door. I’ve been out here a while now,” he said before hanging up.
Jessica headed over to the door nervously. Through the peephole she saw Nick standing there innocently a big smile on his face, almost as if he knew she was watching him. Instinctively she looked down at her fuzzy pajamas and slippers and sighed. He always caught her at the wrong time. She told herself it didn’t matter anyways. They were just friends. Friends could see each other in their fuzzy pink pajamas, couldn’t they? She didn’t have to impress him. He’s no one important. With a deep breath she reached forward and opened the door.
“What took you so long?” Nick asked pretending to be mad. “Hey, cute pajamas. And you even put on matching slippers. You know you really didn’t have to dress up for me,” he said with a smile.
“How’d you get up here?”
“You’re doorman may or may not have received a call from a Mrs. Mclean in Suite 1604, complaining about a leaky faucet.”
“Who’s Mrs. Mclean?” Jessica asked in confusion.
“I have no idea,” Nick said feigning seriousness.
They shared a laugh at the doorman’s expense and then stood uncomfortably staring at one another silently for a few minutes, unsure of what to say or do next. “So…” she finally said, her voice barely audible. “What are you doing here Nick?”