Page 41 of Missed Communication
“You never cease to surprise me.”
“I’m just too old and too bloated to care what anyone thinks.”
As he sips his drink, he rolls his eyes. “You’re not old and you’re fucking beautiful… and you know it.”
“Aw, don’t make me blush,” I preen. “Nothing sexier than a woman who had her panties and shapewear stolen and can’t fit into her skirt after half of a chicken sandwich.”
Jamie reaches into his pocket, pulling out my lacy thong. “You mean these?” I reach across the table to snatch them out of his hand, but he’s too fast. “You can have them back later. Eat up, mama. We’re taking dessert to go.” He spots Walter and gesturesfor him to come over. “Could we have a dessert menu and a to-go box?”
“Of course.” He leaves and returns less than a minute later, handing the menu to me. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“What sounds good?”
I only glance at it for a moment before spotting one of my favorites. “Strawberry cheesecake… unless you’d like?—”
“No, strawberry cheesecake is perfect.”
I set down the menu and take a few more bites of the sandwich. It’s delicious, but my eyes really were bigger than my stomach. Jamie’s right that I need to prioritize protein and make a mental note to adjust my grocery delivery for next week, especially since we’ll be on the road most of the time and I’ll want healthy snacks.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I sigh. “I was just thinking about how I need to adjust my grocery order for next week.”
“Order?”
“Yeah, most of us leaned into grocery delivery and curbside pickup during the pandemic and it kind of stuck. I don’t remember the last time I stepped foot in a store.”
“I’ve always meal-planned, but I like picking out unexpected items. Are there any good grocery stores within walking distance?”
“A few.” I pull out my phone to search. “It really depends on what you’re looking for,” I muse as I scroll. “Where’s your new apartment?”
“The new building at N and 16th.”
I freeze. “What?”
“Yeah, I was looking for something within walking distance until I figured out if I wanted to buy a car here or not. I sold mine before I moved.”
I switch to a different browser and pull up a map, then switch to city view and zoom in on my apartment building. Shifting my phone to show him, I ask the question I already know the answer to, “Is this it?”
“Yeah,” he laughs. “How did you know?”
“Because that’s where I live.”
“You’re fucking with me.”
“No! I’m in 412.”
Jamie attempts to smother his amusement, but the twinkle in his eyes is undeniable. “You have the corner unit?”
“Yeah. Are you seriously living in my building?”
“Try the one-bedroom next door.”
“Now you’re fucking with me!” I say it a bit too loud and mouth ‘I’m sorry’ to the people dining next to us. “You’re seriously my next-door neighbor?”
He takes out his phone, and after a few taps and swipes, shows me his electronically signed lease agreement. “I promise I had no idea. When I was hired, I asked Olivia for recommendations. All of my interviews were remote and I wouldn’t have a chance to look into housing in person. She sent me a list of five locations, with this one at the top. The others were out of my price range.”
“Of course they were,” I grumble. “Sorry, I’m not upset that you’re living next door, I’m just annoyed that she went out of her way to meddle like this.”
