CHAPTER 27
She used the key that Eline had given her to get into the building this time.
It was easier than making Eline buzz her in and then waiting to open the door for her.
Arlowe knew that it wasn’t a real relationship step that they were taking because Eline was ready to give her her key, but it still felt nice, being able to go to Eline’s apartment, park in the guest spot that she now considered her own, and let herself in.
It meant good things, she thought, as she pushed open the door, holding a paper bag in her other hand.
“Hey, babe,” she greeted as she closed and locked the door behind her. “Where are you?” she asked after turning around and not finding Eline anywhere.
“In here. Coming,” Eline yelled from her bedroom.
Arlowe walked into the kitchen with the bag and began setting the items she’d bought on the counter.
She’d picked up some half-and-half for their morning coffee, some ice cream that they both liked, and some croissants that had looked decent from the grocery store’s bakery.
She knew they weren’t fresh, but they could be dipped into that morning coffee and taste just fine.
She’d also bought eggs, because they’d eaten all the ones she’d bought earlier that week, and a few snacks.
“What’s all this?” Eline asked when she walked into the kitchen and into Arlowe’s now-waiting arms.
Arlowe kissed her and said, “Food.”
“Arlowe, I have food. You went to the store the day before yesterday,” Eline replied.
“I noticed you were low on a few things, so I picked them up on my way here, and I was thinking that we could order in tonight. I’m too tired to cook, and I’d rather just snuggle up on the couch while we wait for someone else to make and deliver us food than make you cook.
” She kissed Eline again. “So, I was thinking burgers, but I’m open to whatever.
I can just pull up the app on my phone, and you can add whatever you want while I put this stuff away.
” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and handed it to Eline. “You know my password.”
Eline smiled and asked, “Has it always been your password, or did you change it back when we got back together?”
“It’s always been that way with every phone. When it was still a four-digit password, it was just the month and the day because we used to argue about how the day followed by the month made more sense in formatting.”
“Why must this country do everything that makes sense so differently? Who was it that first said, ‘Doing things in multiples of tens makes perfect sense, but let’s make another confusing system anyway,’ and why?”
“I don’t know that that was us, specifically.
We did steal a lot from the Brits,” Arlowe said, causing Eline to chuckle.
“Anyway, when they switched to fingerprints, I didn’t switch and kept your birth month and day as the actual password, but when they switched to six-digit numbers for passwords, I just added the year. ”
“I did the same,” Eline shared.
“I know. I figured you did, I mean.”
“Arlowe, are you trying to buy me food for my kitchen and order me dinner on your phone because you’re worried about me and money?” Eline asked.
“What? No.” She laughed nervously and let go of Eline. “I just thought you could use this stuff, and I already have the app on my phone. I have, like, a ten-dollar credit, too, because they messed something up for me last time, and I got a refund. So, it just made sense to use my phone.”
“Arlowe…”
Arlowe sighed and said, “Okay. Yes, maybe a little. But I am staying over every night, so I’ve been eating your food. It’s only fair.”
“But you’re not really doing it for that. You’re doing it because I lost my job.”
“Yes, Eline. I have a job right now and a paycheck coming in. I’m also practically living here without living here, so I thought I’d buy some stuff that we can share.”
“I don’t want you to have to do that, Arlowe,” Eline said, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s not how we should start again.”
“Babe, it’s the situation,” she replied. “If our positions were reversed, you’d do the same for me, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, but–”
“Is it a pride thing?” Arlowe asked.
“It’s an everything thing,” Eline said and walked out of the kitchen.
Arlowe wasn’t sure what to do because she still needed to at least put the cold stuff away, but she wanted to follow her, so she quickly shoved the refrigerated items into the fridge and closed the door without organizing anything before she walked into the living room and sat down next to Eline on the couch.
“Talk to me,” she requested, taking Eline’s hand into her own. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“I don’t want it to be like this. I’m sad, angry, embarrassed, stressed, worried, concerned, and I just… I want to be happy and excited because I finally found you again.”
“I know. Me too,” she said softly.
“Earlier today, when I was talking to my dad, he asked me why I’d come here to begin with and why I wanted to stay so much.
I like it here, but my parents don’t get that, especially now that the reason I moved here is no more.
” Eline sighed. “I haven’t told them about you yet.
Well, I did initially – I told my dad that you were here and that we were going to hang out.
He probably told my mom, but they haven’t brought it up.
I honestly think they might have even forgotten all about it, with me losing my job and them being so worried about me.
I hope it’s okay that I haven’t told them we’re doing this again. ”
“Oh,” she said. “Yeah, of course. I wasn’t sure if you had or not, and I didn’t want to pressure you or make you feel like you have to, with everything else going on. It’s fine. We can wait.”
“Arlowe, I had no reason to move here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was ready to leave my old job, and I guess I wanted to start over somewhere, but I wasn’t specifically planning on the US until I found this company, and you know I’m not at all passionate about people buying or selling their gold.”
“Okay…” Arlowe said, not understanding where Eline was going with this.
“Then, I saw the name of the city where their office was, and for some reason, something stood out to me. I researched it, so I knew that this area was growing and has been for a while, but I still had no reason to leave Holland, my family, and my whole life behind. I don’t think it hit me until today. ”
“What?”
“I think I… I knew you were here. Like, maybe I knew you lived in the area or worked in it somehow. I know that sounds impossible or maybe far-fetched, but since I thought about it, I can’t stop thinking about it.
I think I came here because I knew that we’d meet again if I did. I can’t explain why. I just feel it.”
Arlowe smiled over at her and replied, “I really like that idea.”
“I feel like we should’ve been able to have the new beginning that we both wanted, and we haven’t.
We also can’t now because you’re buying me groceries and pretending like you’re doing it because you’re living here.
You’re living here because we want every moment we can have together before I have to leave. I’m giving you a key because–”
“I get it. I know you weren’t exactly ready for that.”
“It’s just a key. That’s not about readiness; that’s practical.
But I didn’t want it to be practical. I wanted it to be because we were ready for that step.
I wanted to put the key in some silly box and give it to you over dinner, where I paid because I could afford to take you out.
I wanted to date and ask you to be my girlfriend officially because we could take our time and move through all those stages the right way.
I didn’t want to be confused on whether or not we’re actually girlfriends now. ”
“You’re confused about that?” Arlowe asked.
“We went from going on one date to almost being engaged in an evening. Can you blame me?” Eline replied with a little smile.
“I’m your girlfriend, Eline. We’re together. No confusion.”
“I’m glad, but what I’m about to tell you might change things for you, so hold on to that.”
“What?”
“My father knows someone who’s starting his own software company. He met him on his university campus, and they got to talking about how he needed people for it, including an engineer.”
Arlowe’s heart rate increased, and she swallowed.
“It’s an encryption software with some pretty broad applications. This guy is one of the best in his field, and not just according to my father. I looked him up and talked to him.”
“You talked to this guy about a job?”
“I did, yes. I sent him an email, and he responded right away, so we were able to connect despite the time difference.”
“And he’s offered you a job, I take it, by the way your face looks right now.”
“He did, actually. We talked for over an hour. He needs to send me the specifics, but the verbal offer was more than what I was making at GoldStash. It’s a good opportunity, Arlowe.”
“And he’s going to let you work from here?” she asked, hopeful, because this could not be happening again.
“No, babe. I can’t work from here on my visa unless it’s an American company.”
“Right. Of course.” She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m a little confused.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I haven’t decided officially, but I’m thinking about taking it. I just wanted to talk to you about it first.”
“Okay.” Arlowe nodded. “And you told him that you’re here for, like, the next three and a half months, so you’d start after that?”
“Uh… No. I’d need to start sooner.”
“Sooner?”
“Yes. He’s leaving the university at the end of the school year, and he wants the groundwork laid for the software by the time he’s done so that he can start working full-time with at least part of it ready.”
“Eline, what are you telling me right now?” she asked, backing away from her a bit, not wanting to but needing the space.
“If I accept the job, I would be leaving within the next couple of weeks.”
“Weeks?”