I worked extra hard that day and the next, trying to be a model employee for Sam. Even if he had his suspicions about my activities outside of work—nothing that he could prove, of course—I wasn't going to give him anything that he could use against me on the job.
God, I couldn't wait until Friday's end. I wanted to see Jack so bad, to spend some quality time with the man. I didn't even know what we were doing, yet I was satisfied with that vagueness. When five o'clock finally rolled around, I was already flying out of the office.
"Don't have too much fun this weekend, Ms. Jacobs," Sam said. He gave me a weak smile, but it was a smile nevertheless.
"Same to you, Sam."
I headed home, fighting the heavy subway foot traffic as everyone made a mad dash to start the weekend. We were packed like sardines in that subway car. I really hoped we didn't crash, especially not with the car mere inches from overflowing.
The trip turned out just fine.
My phone buzzed in my purse after I got out of the subway. I left it, wanting to save the excitement until I got back into my apartment. But then my ringtone went off and I realized I definitely wanted to take the call.
"Guess what we're doing tonight?" It was Jack. He hadn't even greeted me. Just straight to business.
"Jack! Thanks for saying hi first."
"Guess?"
"We're going to Florida!"
"Shut up. I'm taking you to your very first Broadway show!"
"How do you know it's my first?" I asked.
"Effie! Are you kidding me? Even if you have been to one, you've never experienced it from the best seats in the house."
"Fine, I lied. But can we eat first? I'm famished." All jokes aside, my heart fluttered in my chest. This was going to be something special. My grumbling stomach was trying to steal the show, however.
"We'll have a nice, fancy meal before the show. It's Once. You know it, right?"
I had actually heard of it—and I wanted to see it on top of that!—so this would be great. "Yeah! That's so cool. I don't really know what to say."
"Don't say a damn thing. Just get dressed. Wear that dress you wore to that stupid investor event. It'll be more fun this time. I'll be there to pick you up in forty-five minutes."
I hung up with him and just smiled, realizing how nice all of this was. Things could be so confusing in the best way. A series of cosmic coincidences had led me to this point. I couldn't justify it any other way. Yet, despite the fact that it was incredible luck for me, things could still be so foggy. Not all of the answers were so clear—or apparent at all, really.
What I was feeling for Jack made sense, but barely when placed in perspective with everything else. What about my career? What risks was I willing to take?
Some people needed to overanalyze, to tear apart every bit of every thing they knew. I didn't want to do that here, not now. I wanted to just feel and get lost in the beautiful haze of it all.
Jesse wasn't home when I arrived, so I cranked the music up loudly while I got ready. I was so excited, so giddy and ready for whatever the night would bring. It was my first Broadway show and that was exciting as hell, especially since I'd be joined by this gorgeous, kind of famous guy who was treating me like a queen. Nobody had ever treated me like this before.
The cleavage in my dress felt so different this time, as if it were a gift for Jack exclusively, despite its public nature. I definitely wouldn't have worn this dress to work—but I would wear it again tonight and be proud of it.
Forty-five minutes after I had talked to Jack, I looked out the window to see a limo waiting by the curb—and then I remembered my joke from when he had picked me up last time. I couldn't believe how attentive he was, how well he paid attention to detail.
I moved so quickly down those stairs that I was certain I'd fall to my death, right before this date-of-a-lifetime. Years of wearing heels had made me skilled with stairs, however, a fact for which I was grateful. During high school, I had actually practiced at home before prom, going up and down the stairs to the second floor of my house so many times that