Page 55 of One More Weekend

I thought I was alone, stewing on this feeling that the love of my life might be leaving the city forever and I’d never get a chance to find out.

Jenna bit the inside of her cheek as her brow furrowed. “I just don’t know what we should do. Because I can’t lose you but I’m also not sure I can risk not having you.”

My jaw dropped as I tried to understand. Even this job was completely hypothetical. Sure, Jenna nailed the interview. But how many times does someone actually get the job? It’s rare and that made putting any more hope into this an extreme risk.

Especially with just a few weeks before the end of the lease.

Looking into her eyes, I felt like I was looking into the crystal ball of my future. I could see it all behind those blue eyes.

But could I handle losing it?

36

JENNA

Syand I kept talking at that table in Red Bamboo for a while, trying to figure out what we could handle.

Eventually, Sy nodded. “So, let’s revisit it once you get the job offer. For now, we just have to keep it casual.”

Laughing, I agreed. That was a lot easier said than done. But I also knew there was no word in which I could just cut the tap on the feelings I had for her.

Casual it is.

I paid the bill, refusing to let Sy even look at the number and we left the restaurant. Looping our arms together, we walked to our train – full of giggles and prosecco. I felt lighter, telling her how I really felt.

Taking off the performative mask was a relief, I didn’t have to pretend like her very presence didn’t make my heart soar.

When we got home, Sy was sweating from the heat of the early July night.

Planting a kiss on my cheek, Sy headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”

“Cheek kisses aren’t very casual, Sylvia.” I winked as I watched her go. Once the faucet turned on and Sy disappeared, I paced around the apartment.

Two months of unemployment had gotten pretty boring. The apartment had never been cleaner, and my room had never been more organized.

But there was still one thing out of place. There on the coffee table, staring back at me, was the ten-page lease renewal.

Part of me wanted to sign it right then and there, tell Sy to hook me up with any gigs she could find, and stretch my last three grand as far as it would go until something came back to me.

But I knew it wasn’t smart. No, it was rash. And that was probably the last word I’d use to describe myself.

Sighing, I realized just how screwed Sy would be if I ended up leaving. She’d been so busy taking me all around the city and working that she hadn’t even had time to go look at places. If this job fell through, she’d have a couple weeks to pack up all of her stuff and find a new place.

Biting my lip, I grabbed the lease from the table and headed to my room.

There has to be something I can do.

A little over a week later,Sy was rushing us off the N train at the 23rd Street station with a wicker basket in her hand.

“I wanna get a good spot.” She called over her shoulder as took the subway steps two at a time.

I followed closely behind, a smile taking over my face as I watched her brow furrow in the way it does when she’s stressed. This was one of the final dates Sy would be able to take me onbefore the lease ended and she thought it was arguably one of the best.

When we left the subway station, the sun was still shining bright in the sky despite it being just past 7:30 pm. I knew I would miss the summer sun when winter came… if I was still here that was.

The agency had emailed me at the start of the week to let me know they’d have a decision by the end of the week.

And I’d spent every moment since refreshing my email. I already booked a moving service and a flight home just in case it fell through. But Tommy had agreed to be one of my references and I knew that she would have nothing but nice things to say about my work.

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