On my way to pick up Izzy, I stopped by Verizon and got a new, ridiculously overpriced iPhone. They weren’t able to save anything from my old phone, so I had no numbers or contacts, and I’d basically be starting from scratch. I didn’t even know the first digit of Hunter’s telephone number.
It was probably best that Izzy had transformed back to a disgruntled teenager and was in a mood when I picked her up from practice. My emotions were already all over the place, and I wasn’t sure it would be wise to discuss boys or her dad. When we pulled up at her grandmother’s house, I double parked.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I dropped my phone in the bathtub. I don’t even know your number.” I dug my new cell from my jacket pocket. “Can you program it in?”
She took it and typed as she spoke. “When did you take a bath?”
“This afternoon.”
“But you showered this morning. You were in there when I woke up.”
“Umm…I was stressed so I tried a new bath bomb.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I lied. “Just some work things were bothering me.”
I walked Izzy to the door, spoke to her grandmother for a minute, and then forced a hug and a kiss. “I’ll call you tomorrow to check in.”
“Are you doing anything this weekend?” she asked.
I smiled, happy to not have to lie. “I plan on spending the weekend in bed.”
***
Was it possible to feel your heart bouncing against your ribcage? I wasn’t sure, but that’s what it felt like was going on. Either that or I had a massive case of indigestion. I parked my car in a garage on the same block as Hunter’s place, and everything hit me when I handed the keys to the valet. He asked me what time I would be picking it up.
I swallowed. “Not until Sunday.”
I was really doing this.
Butterflies swarmed in my belly, stronger and stronger with each step I took toward Hunter’s building. I took a deep breath as the doorman greeted me.
“You must be Ms. Rossi?”
It wasn’t the same doorman who had been working the night I’d visited. “Yes. How did you know that?”
He smiled warmly and took off his hat. “Mr. Delucia called earlier and said you would be arriving about now. He was unable to reach you and wanted me to let you know his flight was delayed, and he’ll arrive home about nine.”
“Oh.” Disappointment settled in. I’d taken all afternoon to psych myself up for arrival, and another hour would surely fray the last of my nerves.
The doorman reached into his pocket. “He asked that I get the key from the super so you could let yourself in and wait. Would you like me to take you up?”
“Oh. No. I can do it myself.” I took the keys and felt the need to explain myself for some unknown reason. “I dropped my phone in water. That’s why he couldn’t reach me.”
During the elevator ride up, I dug my new phone out of my pocket again. I hadn’t checked it since the store activated it, other than to have Izzy enter her number. Sure enough, I had a new message from Hunter that had arrived in the last few minutes.
Hunter: Just landed at JFK. My messages aren’t showing as delivered. Hope all is okay.
I saved his number to my contacts and typed back.
Nat: I broke my phone and just picked up a new one an hour ago. Lost all my contacts.
Hunter: Flight was delayed. Going to be about another hour before I get there. Sorry. Benny the doorman should have a key for you to let yourself in.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open as I typed.
Nat: On the elevator with key in hand as I type this.