said.
“Yeah, but you’re weaving in and out like it’s nothing.”
I shrugged. “You should see me parallel park.”
He laughed. “Ah, that’s hot.”
I smiled the whole way to the restaurant. It was like a dream. We ordered our vodka drinks and dinner, laughing at his stories from Japan. He held my hand from across the table. I gazed at him as he spoke, as if I would gobble him up if I could.
“You’re so cute.”
“Nah, cut that shit out,” he said, making me giggle.
After dinner I had one more drink to two of his. He insisted on paying, and I didn’t fight it. And then we took our walk. It didn’t last too long because the wind coming off the river was biting.
“Now where should we go?” I asked, feeling suddenly shy.
“Do I get to see your apartment?”
“You want to?” I asked.
“Heck, yeah. I want to see it all.” He grinned down at me and I kissed him again. Our foreheads touched, and I was lost to him. So lost.
He tugged my hand and we sped-walked back to my car, and then to Jersey City. When I parked, he peered through the window with wide eyes.
“This is your street?”
“Yep.” I waited nervously to see what he’d say.
“Man, this place is…the real deal.”
“That’s one way to put it.” I laughed. “Let’s go in.”
Shawn was fascinated by every little thing. The code box to get into the building. The three flights of stairs. “You do this every day?”
“Sometimes several times.”
Inside the apartment we were greeted by the same squeals that I’d departed to. Holly, Rhea, Willa, and Sydney were all there. They each shook his hand as I introduced them, then sent me thumbs-up and winks when his back was turned. He was all smiles as I showed him the closet-hall, then our room with my pallet, the bunkbed room, and the passion pit.
“This is the infamous passion pit?” He peered into the tiny room with a look of awe. “Hey, it kind of smells good.”
“It smells like women,” Willa said.
“Exactly.” He grinned and we all laughed.
“Come see the kitchen.” I took his hand and led him past the nasty bathroom to the oversized kitchen with its two huge windows.
“Oh, man.” He peered around and nodded. “I can see you sitting there in that window with your coffee.”
“Yep. I’ll make us some drinks.”
“Awesome. Do you mind if I use the bathroom?”
“Sure.” I showed him where it was and then asked the girls if they wanted a drink. Everyone declined. They all had to work in the morning, but I was off. Yay!
I did a heavy pour for Shawn since I knew that’s how he liked it. Then I splashed his with soda water, and mine with generic brand cranberry juice. I noticed Shawn wasn’t back from the bathroom yet and I heard some strange sounds. I went closer to listen and recognized the clank of tools being set down and the faucet going on, off, on, off.
“You okay in there?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Almost done fixing the sink.”
“What?” I shouted in horror. “Shawn, you don’t have to do that!”
All four of the girls jumped up and ran to the door.
“You’re really fixing it?” Syd asked.
The door opened and Shawn was kneeling over the pink tool kit my dad had given me. It’d been sitting under the sink for two months after I’d tried to tighten the bolt around a pipe, but it hadn’t helped. In the little bit of time Shawn had been in the bathroom he’d pulled off the handles, scraped some nasty black stuff off them, and stood to tighten them back on.
“Sorry,” he said to me as he worked, almost bashfully. “I got distracted. I can’t help myself when I see something that needs tinkering.”
“It’s okay, but you really don’t have to.” I felt awful having him work.
“Girl, don’t stop the man if he’s gonna fix that damn sink,” Willa said to me, then beamed a smile at him. “We appreciate it.”
The other girls agreed, cheering him on, and I had to laugh. “Okay, fine.”
“I won’t be long,” he promised.
I leaned down and gave him a long kiss, not letting go until he made a soft moan. When our eyes opened, he wore a goofy smile. After one more peck I took my drink and hung out with the girls in the living room. We were all too giddy and silly to watch whatever was on the television.
“Y’all, oh my gawd,” Syd said. “I forgot to tell you! I heard Silas