7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Amy
“This is my building,” I tell Parker as we come to a stop just outside the apartment complex. “Thanks for walking me back. I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah, for sure,” he answers, halfheartedly smiling. “Anytime.”
“How far is your place from here?” I ask.
“Um, not far. I’ll see ya around.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket. A smile stretches across my face as I see Nate’s name on the screen. I open the text and my cheeks begin to ache as I grin wider.
Nate: Coffee tomorrow evening? There’s a really great place in SoHo. Let’s meet there at seven.
Beaming, I answer him back, my insides feeling like they might burst with excitement. I accept the date and put my phone back in my pocket.
“I have to call Eliza as soon as I get up there,” I say, finally looking up.
But when I do...
Parker’s gone.
What the heck? Where’d he go?
I spin around to face the other direction, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
Maybe he had somewhere to be.
Or maybe he’s just bitter that I actually found someone.
Whatever the reason, I’m not about to stand around in the cold for a minute longer. I make my way inside the lobby and head upstairs, not stopping until I reach my floor. I punch the code into the door and push it open, breathing in the jasmine and vanilla scent permeating the air.
I have a date tomorrow.
“Yes!” I shout into the empty space, locking the door behind me. “I did it!”
Maybe I’ll finally get my first kiss. Maybe Nate will be the one.
Excitedly, I pull back out my phone and dial Eliza.
And it rings .
And rings.
And rings.
“Ugh.” I hang up when it reaches her voicemail, knowing that she never checks it. With no one to share my excitement with, I decide to get ready for bed. I take my time gently cleaning my face with a lemon-scented exfoliating scrub before applying a fancy new Korean moisturizer I bought off the TikTok shop. Apparently, once you turn thirty, you have to start taking skincare seriously. And since my birthday is creeping up on me faster than I’d like, I figure I might as well get a head start. Plus, the TikTok influencer was pretty convincing that this cream would make me look twenty again when I’m thirty. So I apply it liberally, massaging it into my skin as if I’m physically turning back time.
Satisfied with my efforts, I brush my teeth, change into my comfiest pajamas, snag my water bottle by the bedside, and crawl under the soft, cool sheets, pulling them up around my chin. I mindlessly scroll on Facebook for a few moments and then find myself in the search bar.
What’s Parker’s last name again?
I rack my brain, but nothing comes to mind. I go into FBI mode and pull up the bar we visited tonight on Facebook. I click on the page likes and then type his first name into the search bar.
Ugh. There are a lot of Parkers in New York...
But after a few scrolls, I spot a pair of familiar blue-green eyes. I click on the picture and pull up his profile. It’s been years since he’s posted, but still. He’s handsome in his profile picture.
I note his job title states software engineer, and when I click on the employer page, I see a big promotion post honoring him .
He’s smart.
And very cynical.
Closing out of the app, I set my phone on the nightstand and shut my eyes. For some reason, I start mulling over how my date with Parker went. I don’t make it past replaying the first part of our conversation before I drift off to sleep.
“You have a date tonight?!” Eliza gasps, her mouth dropping open on the FaceTime screen. “I can’t believe it! How exciting!”
“Yeah, I mean, what’s more romantic than an evening coffee in SoHo?” I beam, blotting foundation on my face. “I think he might be just the kind of guy I’m looking for. He’s super nice, and he asked for my number. He works on Wall Street, too, so he must be intelligent.”
“For sure,” Eliza agrees. “What does he do for fun?”
“Oh, I’m not sure,” I answer. “He didn’t really talk about anything other than work, but I think that’s okay. It’s great to see a man with so much drive.”
“Of course,” Eliza says. “But does he do anything other than work? I mean, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Nick never did anything other than work and hang out with his mom and Daniel. In retrospect, I guess he was kind of a hermit. ”
I burst into a fit of giggles at the same time she does. “There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re kind of a hermit, too.”
“You’re not wrong. So, what does Nate look like? Did you creep on his social media profile? I’d love to see a picture.”
I open my mouth to say something to her but then stop. “No ... I didn’t, actually. But I did creep on Parker’s...”
Her eyebrows raise. “Parker? That’s the super cynical guy you ran into that first night, right? What made you look him up? Did you see him again or something?”
“Oh. My. Gosh. I totally forgot to tell you!” I sigh, pausing to blend the blush and highlighter on my cheek. “He was one of my dates at the event. Can you believe that? I had to spend thirty minutes with him—and then he had the audacity to buy my food after torturing me the entire time.”
“Wait ... he bought your food? That’s really sweet.”
“Only so he could rub it in my face.” I roll my eyes. “He walked me back to my apartment, too. I don’t know what to think of him, honestly. I mean, he has these moments where he’s not completely insufferable—and it feels like we could maybe be friends. He’s just so anti-love ... and ... grumpy.”
“But he paid for your meal and walked you home?” Eliza makes a face. “That sounds like a super nice guy.”
I wave her off. “You wouldn’t say that if you met him. Trust me. Anyway, I did take a peek at his Facebook—which he seemingly hasn’t used in years—and saw that he works as a senior software engineer at some huge tech company. ”
“That’s just about as cool as Wall Street.”
“Maybe.” I snort, shaking my head and focusing in on my smokey eye. “But he’s not my type. I know that much.”
“And what is your type?”
I pause after dabbing on a little more gray eyeshadow. “Oh, that’s easy! Nate .”
Eliza bursts into a fit of giggles. “Girl, you’re hilarious. I seriously hope you have the best time tonight, though. You deserve to have fun and find that connection you’ve been longing for. I know I say it all the time, but I really mean it.”
“I know,” I say with a smile. “How’re things with Nick?”
“Good as usual,” she chirps. “I think we’re gonna go sledding tomorrow. There’s fresh snow falling outside and I’m pretty stoked about it. I think it’ll be a blast.”
“You’re such a kid at heart. I wish I could find fun in sledding. These days, I think I’d probably break a bone if I tried.”
“Oh stop,” she chides playfully. “I bet you’d have fun. Besides, once you fall in love, you’ll find that the things you didn’t like to do before are more fun than you thought.”
“I guess I’ll see then. I better go, though.” I glance down at my smartwatch. “I still have to get dressed and fix my hair.”
“Sounds good. Have a great time tonight and let me know how it goes.”
We say our goodbyes and I hang up the phone, letting out a sigh.
It’s all going to be great .
I finish my makeup, trying not to go too wild with it. I don’t want Nate to think I’m high maintenance. But I also don’t want him to think that I’m too low maintenance, either. I’m right in between...
Or something like that.
I braid my hair to the side and then grab a beanie since it’s cold. I’m going for a more casual look tonight with a pair of light-wash jeans and a green sweater. The goal is to show that I can be uptown or laid back. I grab my leather jacket and purse before heading for the door.
I pull out my phone, double-checking to see if Nate’s texted...
He hasn’t.
But that’s okay. I’ve heard that some people talk nonstop after meeting for the first time, but I prefer to keep some distance. It gives us more to talk about in person on our date—and my guess is that Nate feels the same.
Which is amazing.
I make the trek to SoHo while the sun sets, following the directions on my phone. It’s a longer walk than I expected, but I pick up my pace, striding out a little faster than the New Yorkers—which is really saying something.
My lungs burn from the cold air by the time I finally make it to Blue’s Coffee Shop, a little hole-in-the-wall place in a residential area.
It’s quaint and cute, maybe a hidden gem or something.
I glance down at my watch, seeing that I’m right on time. Perfect. I pull the door open and step inside, welcoming the scent of fresh brewed coffee and spices. However, as I look around, I don’t see Nate.
In fact, there are only about five people in the entire place, and they’re all women, so it’s not like it’s a case of mistaken identity or something. I make my way to a table facing the door and take a seat.
Should I order my coffee now? Or do I wait for him?
I pull out my phone and open the thread containing our three text messages. I quickly type out an ‘I’m here’ and hit send.
Maybe he’s running late—which is no big deal. I just want him to know that I made it here safely.
“What can I get you?” a barista’s voice interrupts my thoughts, and I set my phone down.
“Um, well, I’m actually waiting on someone.”
“I can go ahead and get your order while you wait,” she offers, her bright blue eyes glistening under the fluorescent lights.
“Oh ... sure ... um ... I guess I’ll have a caramel macchiato.”
“Perfect, I’ll get that started for you.”
I watch as she heads off toward the barista counter and I’m left sitting and staring at my phone. The phone screen goes dark and I quickly tap on it, lighting the text thread back up.
No reply.
It’s fine. He’s probably just running late so he’s not checking his phone.
I mean, it can be hard to walk and text at the same time.
Drumming my fingers on the table, I consider calling him, but ... is that appropriate? Or is it weird to call someone when they’re not here yet? I check my watch. It’s officially ten minutes past seven.
Which isn’t that late.
Chewing the inside of my cheek, I consider calling Eliza to ask for advice. The last thing I want to do is come across overbearing, especially over ten minutes. Everyone runs late sometimes...
So, I just watch the clock.
And another minute passes.
And another.
And another.
“Here’s your macchiato,” the barista says, setting my hot cup of coffee down in front of me on a napkin. “Would you like anything else?”
I shake my head. “No thanks.”
“Enjoy!” She ducks away, and I find my hope waning. It’s now twenty past seven—and Nate hasn’t even texted me back. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about it.
But disappointment is one of the emotions thrumming through my chest.
My eyes bounce between the door and my phone. Two women sitting in the coffee shop get up to leave, and I watch them laughing and chatting.
I wish Eliza lived here.
Or my mom .
I swallow the pang of heartbreak and send my mom a quick text to check in on her—anything to pass the time before Nate shows up. I mean, if he works on Wall Street, maybe he had a big meeting?
But then why wouldn’t he tell me he was late or not coming?
Finally, at seven forty-five, the door to the place chimes, and hope swells in my chest. I whip my head up from my phone, taking in the tall, handsome man who just stepped in. He turns to look at me, and I freeze.
Why is he here?