Page 70 of A Very Friendly Valentine's Day
“No.”
“Well then, it’s not a joke. I’m sorry. I’m dying to see you.”
“I’m dying to see you too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes! Of course.”
“Did you listen to the message on that phone?”
“Yes. It’s the best message I’ve ever heard. Even better than the drunk one. And the texts. I love all of them. I love you, Eddie. I can’t believe I can’t tell you that in person right now.”
“I love you. I screwed up. I mean, I’m glad I’m wearing an actual fucking coat now because it’s really fucking cold, but I can’t fucking believe I missed the train.”
“Okay. It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it. It totally sucks, but I was going to take the train by myself anyway to begin with, right? You fly to New York and hang out with your brother, and I’ll meet you there.”
“Yeah. I’ll meet you there.”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“You don’t even know how badly I want to see you. We’ll stay in touch. Whenever we can, right?”
“Yes—there’s Wi-Fi on this train. It’s not great, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Great. Perfect. You can choose which phone you want to use to reach me. I’ll keep them both on when I’m not on the plane.”
“Yes. I love the phone. I love that you did that for me.”
“I’ll do anything for you… Is it okay for me to say things like that?”
“It’s more than okay, Eddie.”
“Good, because I miss you already.”
“I miss you too.”
“Is Lord Fuckwit on that train with you?”
“Well, now you’re just getting lazy. And I have no idea. I’ve only been in this room since I boarded.”
“Okay. Well, I better get to the airport. I’ll let you know when I’ve booked a flight.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“I will see you soon. Not soon enough, but soon.”
“Yes. See you soon.”
I end the call. And I’m already feeling a little sick. We’re traveling in a straight line, but I’m heading in the wrong direction—away from Eddie. It already feels wrong, after spending the past couple of days with him. This bedroom doesn’t smell at all like snowy beach sex. It doesn’t smell like snow, or the beach, or sex. It smells like a train. And other people.
But if Eddie is headed for New York, then I guess I am going in the right direction. It’s just going to take about twenty flippity floppity hours to get there.
There’s that crackling sound from the wall speaker that precedes an announcement from the conductor. I pull the burner phone out from my purse and get all settled on the sofa, thinking about what I want to text to my valentine first.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Welcome onboard the Polar Express. Just kidding, this is the Lake Shore Limited, now leaving Chicago Union Station for a final destination of New York, Penn Station. I am Gavin, your conductor, and in case you haven’t noticed—it’s snowing. Travel time to Penn Station is just under twenty hours, with eighteen scheduled stops along the way. I say ‘scheduled stops,’ because, well, it’s snowing. So let’s not get our hopes up. But it’s important to stay positive. It’s important to enjoy the ride. But let’s be real—things don’t always go according to plan. We might not get you to New York City on time, but we’ll get you there. And no matter what’s awaiting you there, it will be worth the wait. With a little patience and a little forgiveness, things always work out for the best in the end. The poet Richard Aldington, as you may have read on the Amtrak website, wrote:Adventure is allowing the unexpected to happen to you. Exploration is experiencing what you have not experienced before.So with that in mind…please note that we are unable to serve beef or chicken until further notice. Gavin, out.”
…
Fuck.
