Chapter 2
Chapter Two
TWO WEEKS LATER
Henry
Since my fridge was empty, I was out of coffee, and my housekeeper, Delilah, was on vacation, I left the office early and stopped at the grocery store. I was almost finished shopping when I forgot to pick up some fresh spinach. So, I turned the cart around and headed back to the produce department. I couldn't get through between all the people in that section, a big cardboard box display filled with guacamole mix, and a cart in the middle of the aisle.
“Excuse me,” I spoke to the woman standing there looking at the apples.
“Excuse me.” I sighed as she wasn’t turning around or moving her cart.
“Excuse me,” I asked one last time. “What the fuck,” I mumbled under my breath as I placed my hands on her cart and moved it, hitting the edge of the display of apples. The top row started to tumble, causing a domino effect, and the apples started to fall to the ground.
“Oh shit,” I said.
The woman placed her hands on the tumbling apples as I placed mine next to hers out of panic to try and stop them. I was speechless when she turned her head and looked at me with her beautiful green eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I spoke as we both tried to stop more apples from falling. “Your cart was in the way, and I couldn’t get through. I was asking you to excuse me, so I moved your cart myself. Obviously, I used a little too much force.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.
She stared at me momentarily and then brought her index finger up to her ear and down to her lips. I cocked my head at her, for I knew what that meant.
“Are you deaf?” I signed.
A bright smile crossed her face.
“Yes,” she signed as she nodded her head. “You too?” She pointed at me.
“No. But I do know sign language.”
We both bent down to pick up the apples from the ground.
“I’m sorry I left my cart in the way,” she signed.
“Please. You have nothing to be sorry for. Do you read lips?” I signed.
“Yes.” she nodded as a beautiful smile graced her face.
We finished picking up the apples, and I felt compelled to introduce myself.
“My name is Henry,” I finger-spelled my name.
“Ellie.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Ellie,” I signed and then held out my hand to her.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Henry.” She placed her hand in mine.
She glanced over at my cart and then at me with a grin.
“You can tell a lot about a guy by the food he buys,” she signed.
“All good, I hope.”
“Yes,” she signed. “All good.”
I let out a chuckle.
“I better get going. Sorry for making the apples fall,” I spoke as I signed simultaneously.
“It’s okay. It was quite humorous.”
I smiled at her as I took my cart and grabbed a couple of bags of spinach. I couldn’t stop stealing small glances at her as she placed some apples in a plastic bag. She was incredibly beautiful with her five-foot-seven stature, lean body, long blonde wavy hair, and eyes resembling perfect emeralds. Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my phone. When I pulled it from my pocket, I saw Kirsten was calling.
“Hello.”
“Hey, handsome. Are you still at the office?”
“Uh, no. I’m just getting ready to check out at the grocery store.”
“Seriously?” She laughed. “You’re at the grocery store? You have Delilah to do that for you.”
“She’s on vacation, remember? Plus, I was out of coffee and some other things.”
“You could have just spent the night at my place tonight. I have plenty of coffee.”
“As nice as that sounds, I have a lot of work to do when I get home. We already discussed that.”
“I know. I was checking in since I haven’t heard from you all day. Dinner tonight? I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Yes. Of course. I have to let you go, Kirsten. I’m checking out now.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“Me too. I’ll see you later.”
I headed towards the registers and sighed at the long lines. My eyes diverted to Ellie standing in line with nobody behind her. I used it as the perfect opportunity to talk to her one last time before I would never see her again. As I walked over in her direction, she smiled at me.
“Crazy lines,” I signed.
“Always are at this time of the day.”
When it was her turn, she loaded her groceries on the belt and reached into her purse. Suddenly, a look of panic crossed her face as she frantically dug through her purse.
The cashier reached over and touched her arm to get her attention.
“Is something wrong, Ellie?”
Ellie turned to me and asked if I could tell the cashier that she’d left her wallet at home and that she’d be back.
“No worries. I can pay for your groceries,” I signed back, reached into my pocket, and pulled out my wallet.
She shook her head as she reached over and placed her hand on my arm.
“It’s the least I can do since I knocked over the apples.” I smirked.
I handed the cashier some cash, and Ellie thanked me with a beautiful smile.
“You’re welcome.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.
She grabbed her two bags and waited for me by the door.
“That was nice of you to pay for her groceries,” the cashier spoke. “She’s so nice, and she always comes in here.”
“We just met in the produce section over a mishap with the apples.”
“That’s cool. It’s great you know sign language. She’s lucky you were here.”
“Yeah. I guess so.” I glanced over at her as the corners of my mouth curved upward.
She set her bags down when we exited the doors and thanked me again.
“I will repay you. Can I get your phone number, and we can set up a time to meet?” she signed.
“Of course. Give me your phone.”
I typed in my number and handed it back to her.
“Are you taking a cab home?” I asked as Christian pulled up.
“The subway,” she signed.
There was no way I was letting her take the subway home.
“No. Let me take you home. This is my car.” I pointed to the limo.
Christian climbed out, grabbed my bags, and put them in the trunk.
“Christian, take Ellie’s bags.” I picked them up off the cement and handed them to him. “We’ll be taking her home.” I smiled at Ellie.
“No. You’ve done enough,” she signed.
“I’m taking you home. Climb in.” I opened the door.
She gave me the cutest look of disapproval as she stood on the sidewalk.
“Go on. Climb in. You really don’t have a choice since I’m holding your groceries hostage.” I smirked.
The corners of her mouth curved upward, and she climbed inside.
“I feel so stupid for leaving my wallet at home.”
“Don’t. I do it all the time. What is your address?”
“312 E. 30th Street,” she signed.
“312 E. 30th Street, Christian.”
“You’re not too far from me. I live at E. 60th Street.”
“Nice,” she signed with a grin. “I bet your apartment is huge.”
“It’s a good size.” I laughed. “Do you live with anyone?”
I wasn’t sure why I’d just asked her that, and now I felt like an idiot.
“No. But my mom lives in the same building. As soon as an apartment became available, I grabbed it. I’ve only been living on my own for six months. How about you? Do you live with anyone?”
“No. I live alone.”
I didn’t lie to her because I did live alone. I had my place, and Kirsten had hers. She wanted us to move in together, but I liked my space and wasn’t ready to share it. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be.
When Christian pulled up to Ellie’s building, I climbed out first and extended my hand to her. After helping her out of the car, I had Christian set her bags of groceries on the ground.
“Thank you for the ride home. Since you’re here, I’ll run up to my apartment and get the money I owe you for the groceries,” she signed.
“I would prefer it if you’d join me for lunch tomorrow. You can pay me back then.”
A bright smile crossed her lips.
“I’d like that.”
“Excellent. Text me later and let me know what time works for you.”
“I will,” she signed as she flashed a bashful smile.
I picked up her bags from the ground and handed them to her.
“I look forward to hearing from you later,” I signed as I gave her a wink and climbed into the car.
“What’s going on, Henry?” Christian asked as he stared at me through the rearview mirror.
“Nothing is going on. Why?”
“She’s a beautiful woman,” he spoke.
“That she is, Christian. That she is.” I let out a sigh as I watched her walk into the building.