When Stars Collide (Second Chance Romance #2) - Sara Furlong-Burr Page 0,50
Virginia or picking Peter up from the airport about now?”
“Not this weekend or, I guess, next weekend, either.” My stomach sank when I recalled my conversation with Peter earlier and the pervasive feeling that storm clouds were beginning to roll in.
“Mena, are you okay?”
“Wha—” I shook my head. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just that we arrange months ahead of time who’s going to visit whom, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. Peter has Jackson and other financial obligations that I just don’t have, so I expect there will be some months where I may make more than my fair share of scheduled trips to Virginia. And I’m fine with that, because the whole point is to be able to spend time with each other. This weekend, Jackson is playing soccer for a traveling soccer team. Incidentally, that kid is amazing on the field—great ball-handling skills. Probably gets it from his mother.”
Phineas chuckled. “It sounds like you and Jackson have gotten close, then?”
“I’d like to think I’m his dad’s cool girlfriend.”
“Naturally.”
“In any event, I knew this weekend was going to be a no-go. But then, right before I left for the club tonight, I received a call from Peter, and next weekend is a no-go, too. No explanation, just he can’t make it.”
“One of the things I’ve come to learn over the course of my thirty-eight years of life on this planet is that the only thing worrying accomplishes is making you even more worried.”
“That’s positively profound, Phin. May I call you Phin?”
“Not in front of anyone.”
“It’s a deal, Phin.”
“What I mean by that is, we spend too much of our time worried about things that never come to fruition. We work ourselves up, only to needlessly stress ourselves out. You forget I saw the way Peter looked at you at the bistro. He has a good explanation, you’ll see.”
“If you break out into a rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, I swear I will jump out of this cab.
Phineas tilted is head up to see over the front seat. “Thankfully, our stop is coming up, just as surely as the sun is coming out tomorrow.” His lips curved upward into a tight smile, pleased with himself.
The cab pulled up to a high rise, containing what I believed were nothing short of luxury apartments. Phineas paid the cab driver and stepped out of the car, holding the door open for me. I slid across the back seat, taking his hand as helped me onto the sidewalk
“Good evening, Mr. Drake,” the aging doorman clad in a blue suit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe greeted Phineas while also nodding at me in acknowledgment.
“Clarence, how’s your night been going so far?”
“Just beautiful, Mr. Drake. Thanks for asking.”
Phineas paused, looking over his shoulder at Clarence as he walked through the door. “And the wife?”
“Visiting her sister in Atlanta.”
“Ah, so you’re living it up like a single man for the weekend?”
Clarence laughed. “Something like that, sir. Too bad my definition of living it up is falling asleep in my recliner with a Hungry Man TV dinner on my lap and reruns of M*A*S*H on the television.”
“Clarence, Clarence, Clarence, we need to get you out more.”
“Look who’s talking,” I muttered, much to Phineas’s disdain. “You know,” I began, walking into the lobby next to him, “my apartment building has a doorman, too.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he’s a homeless man named Gus … at least, that’s what we call him. Gus squats outside our building, carrying around a Styrofoam cup that houses his pet cricket. We think he may be schizophrenic. Occasionally, he’ll open the door for us … and also for people only visible to him. The last time he did it, Jo threw some change in his cup before remembering the cricket was in there. She thought she killed it and just about had a nervous breakdown, but all was well. The cricket managed to survive the great change monsoon of 2019.”
“That doesn’t sound very safe, at all.”
“Nah, it’s fine. Outside of Gus, the only sketchy people hovering around our building are the ones who Jo brings home, and— Holy shit, you have a bar in your apartment building!”
“And the raccoon has found a shiny object.” Phineas laughed. “Yes, I also have a restaurant in my building that serves great tilapia as well as a gym.”
“No wonder you never leave.”
I stared in wonderment at the expansive, modern chic atrium so high it appeared to be touching the stars themselves.
“Whoa, Mena, look out!” Phineas grabbed my arm, preventing