Page 14 of A Very Friendly Valentine's Day
“Well, you know, I’ve always wanted to go to New York. And it’s so weird that I haven’t yet. But I decided thatthisis the year. And then I saw that there’s a TEDx conference there in February. I will have finished the projects I’m working on by then, and we aren’t expecting a new collection until the end of the month, so it’s a good time for me to take a little vacation. And of course, I’ll be going to the main library and as many art museums as possible.”
I am dying to laugh at this, but she seems so excited. “So you’re going to New York in the middle of February—when the weather is super shitty, by the way—to attend a TED Talk and go to the New York Public Library and a bunch of art museums?” Okay, I’m being kind of a dick, but at least I’m not laughing at her.
“It’s a TEDx, not a TED conference. Andyou’reflying all the way across the country to bone someone. What’s your point?”
“No point. Moving on. More importantly—you’reactually flying across the country? That’s huge.” Birdie has claimed to be afraid of flying ever since I met her. That’s why she’s never traveled very far. That’s why she hugs me tight every single time she says goodbye to me before I travel. She continues to load the dishwasher and her silence tells me all I need to know. “Come on. Seriously? Tell me you’re not taking the train to New York.”
“I’m taking the train to New York. Already booked my tickets.”
“Bird. Cancel them. Get a refund. You can fly there with me. I’ll come down from Vancouver. That way, if the plane goes down, we go down together.”
“Hell no.” She wipes her hands on her jeans and turns to face me. “If your plane goes down, I need to be alive to read your eulogy at the funeral. Someone who isn’t related to you needs to get up there and wax rhapsodic about something other than your abs and butt.”
“True. Just make sure someonedoespay tribute to my abs and butt, though.”
Now she’s pouting. I’ve made two women pout in one night—I’m on a roll. “Don’t joke about your plane going down. It’s not funny.”
“It’s also not going to happen. Come on. You can’t avoid flying forever.”
“Well, I didn’t put ‘stop avoiding flying’ on my list of New Year’s resolutions, so… Maybe next year. I’m looking forward to the train ride. I’ll get tons of reading done, and this way, I’ll get to see the whole country without having to drive. Trains are romantic. I’m really excited, actually.”
I like that little mischievous smirk on her face, but I do not have a good feeling about it. “And you’re planning to go by yourself?”
“Yes. But I’m sure I’ll meet people. There are lounges, you know. And they sell alcohol on the train.”
I do not like the sound of that.
“Oh yeah? Sounds like fun. It also sounds like a great way to meet a serial killer. How long’s the trip?”
“Ohhh, you know…” She waves her hand dismissively. “Sixty-nine hours and twenty-three minutes.”
I do some very quick math in my head. “So, almost three full days.”
“Hey, good for you!” She’s not being condescending. She’s actually happy for me because I was able to divide sixty-nine by twenty-four in my head. “I leave on the evening of the ninth and arrive at Penn Station the evening of the twelfth. I just have to change trains in Chicago.”
“Three days just to get to New York. And how long would you stay in New York?”
“Three days.”
“Uh-huh. So three days to get there, three days there and three days back? You’re taking a nine-day vacation and only spending three of those days in New York City?”
“Yes, Eddie, that is my itinerary. I already have everything planned out, and the journey there and back will be half the fun.”
“You’re going to a Ted Talk and a library and some museums—halfofnofun is less than no fun. I can dothatmath in my head too.”
“You know what?” Her eyes are getting watery again, like when she was choking on the wine. “I don’t know why you care so much about what I’ll be doing. You’ll be busy banging your hot Instagirlfriend. What I do and how I do it is none of your business.” She dabs at the corners of her eyes with her fingertips. “I’ll finish tidying up tomorrow. You can go.” Her voice is trembling.
“Whoa. What just happened?”
She covers her face with her hands. “I’m tired from talking to people all night. I just want to be alone, okay? Thanks for coming.”
I drop the bag of recyclables, take four long strides toward her and wrap my arms around her. “Hey. I’m sorry I was being a dick.” I kiss the top of her head until I feel her rigid body relax and her arms around my waist. That loose bun thing is all up in my face. Her hair smells like a freshly opened can of 7-Up after having hot sex in a flower shop—not that I’m thinking about sex right now. “I want you to have the best time. I just don’t like the idea of you traveling alone like that.”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she mumbles.
“I’m not going to worry about you.” I take a deep breath and finally tell her what I knew was true as soon as she said she was taking the train. Even though it means I’ll have to cancel my flights and spend a lot less time with Alana. Even though things might get complicated. Even though I can’t think of anything dumber or more boring than spending three days on a train, when we could go the same distance by plane in five hours. “I’m gonna go with you, Birdie. On the train. Whether you like it or not. That’s all there is to it.”
She doesn’t say anything. She just hugs me even tighter. Maybe it won’t be so terrible. Maybe it really is the journey that matters. Maybe it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there, as long as we get there together.
