Chapter 2 - Nick
I glance at the computer screen and try to take in the information. Sure that I am reading it wrong, I read it again.
But yeah, it’s like I thought. I’ve been offered a job in America by my friend Max.
My heart is thumping in my chest. This could be huge for my career. It means a lot more money, and a chance to get out of this gray town and move to a new country and start again.
But more than that, it gives me a chance to be nearer to Noelle.
To be truthful, I had been obsessing over her.
After our last adventure, I swore to track her down and find her.
The panties in my mouth when I woke up had been the thing that finally convinced me.
Before, I had woken up and there had been panties either in my pockets or in my hands, but I somehow told myself that maybe I was sleepwalking and had gotten them from somewhere.
But this time I remembered her stuffing them into my mouth as we parted, and when I woke, they were still there.
The exact same ones I had seen her wearing.
Now that I knew that this was somehow real and that somewhere out there was Noelle, I had spent the last month searching for her.
At first, I thought it was going to be easy. Search on social media, track her down, get in contact. After all, how many Noelles can there be? And she has an American accent, so that narrows it down as well.
Turns out that in the US alone, there are fourteen thousand women named Noelle. Of those, three or four thousand of them would be around the same age as my Noelle.
Once I got over the shock of that, I started to try to narrow down the numbers. Trawling through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram all had Noelles that I checked to see if it was her. I spent all my free time searching for her online and never came up with anything.
The reason I was so frantic to find her was that the last time we’d meet I had found out that if one of us stops believing it’s real, then it won’t happen again.
It had happened before to a bartender I had talked to on St. Patrick’s Day.
And now that I know she’s out there, I don’t want to risk losing her.
Then, out of the blue, this job offer arrived.
I haven’t been happy at my job for years.
It’s something I’m good at—in fact I’m the best accountant in my company, but no one gives me any credit or talks about promoting me.
So this job offer took me completely by surprise.
Max was one of the few friends I made at work.
He worked for the American branch of the company and whenever we chatted online, we always ended up going from business to talking nerdy stuff.
Occasionally we would play online games after work and he was one of the rare people who I felt comfortable around.
I had even at one point considered telling him about Noelle, but decided that I didn’t want to risk him thinking I was crazy.
Then suddenly, an email from him saying he was leaving the company and starting a new business of his own, and that he wanted me to come out to America and help him set it up.
But two things are making me nervous.
First, what if I take the job and move to America and the trips to the holiday wonderlands stop? What if they only happen because I’m here?
And secondly, today is Easter Sunday. So I may be going to some weird Easter land and seeing Noelle again today. At least I hope I will.
I get up from my chair and walk down the corridor to the kitchen, grabbing myself an energy drink from the fridge. As I turn to leave, I notice something in the kitchen doorway.
Standing there is a little fluffy white bunny. Cute little thing with a bow around its neck. I am pretty sure that it just winked at me. For a crazy moment, I wonder if I have a carrot that I can give it.
Then, hopping up behind it, another rabbit, and then another one.
My heart thumps in my chest. It’s happening. I’m going to get to see Noelle.
I walk out into the corridor and see the giant egg-shaped portal on the wall, swirling lights spilling out of it and making it look like there’s a disco going on. And also coming out of it is a steady stream of rabbits, covering the floor in a blanket of white cuteness.
So, I know I am going to the Easter land at least, but is Noelle going to be there? Only one way to find out.
I make my way over the rabbits and stand at the doorway, taking a deep breath, and step inside.