Page 51 of False Start

"No prob," I yell back, and hurry towards the door. Hopefully getting outside helps me get out of my head.

The crisp November air hits me in the face like a slap and I curse myself for not bringing a jacket. A woman shivering in a naughty nurse costume rushes past me to the bus stop, while a man in a Dracula costume across the street tries to wrap himself in his cape. I guess it could be worse.

I walk through the door of the bodega catty-corner to Denise's place and can't help but grin. A tuxedo cat lounges unbothered amid several loaves of bread, a mother and her toddler son peruse the snack cakes, and bachata blares from a speaker behind the counter. No matter the borough or the owner, every bodega is the same.

"Hola, papi! What'll it be?" the elderly man behind the counter asks when he notices me scanning the menu.

"I'll have two bacon, egg, and cheeses on toasted kaiser rolls, please."

He nods and sets to work on my food. I don't bother ordering coffee. Though breakfast sandwiches from a bodega are a New York institution, the coffee is always hit or miss. Plus, Denise has some at her place.

While I wait, I head to the refrigerated section and grab two bottles of orange juice and a couple of bananas for a balanced breakfast. Denise's keys jingle in my pocket as I walk. She gave them to me so she wouldn't have to buzz me up, but I wonder if I could talk her into making me a set. Not today, of course, but hopefully soon.

"Two bacon, egg, and cheeses on kaiser rolls!" the man behind the counter yells. I make my way back to the front to wait behind two women dressed as two-thirds of Charlie's Angels.

"You looked pretty cozy with Jake last night," Brown Hair says to Blonde Hair, raising one eyebrow. Blonde Hair responds with a shy smile.

"Yeah. He took me to his room to show me his vinyl collection and…"

"And what?" Brown Hair asks impatiently.

"And it's surprisingly…big." The tone of Blonde's voice and the giggle that follows make it clear she's not just talking about records.

"Oh, yeah?" Brown Hair asks with a glint in her eye. "It's always the quiet ones packing the heat."

I reach past the ladies to pay for my food, and Brown Hair rakes her gaze over me appreciatively. She pulls down her top to expose more cleavage, so low now it looks like she might spill out.

"Hey, tall, dark, and handsome. What mischief did you get into last night?"

I chuckle.

"Have a good one, ladies," I reply, leaving Brown Hair to pout as I walk back out into the chilly morning.

This time last year, I might've engaged with her. She was beautiful and obviously interested; costumes make everyone bolder. But today, I'm a lovestruck fool, practically sprinting across the street and upstairs to Denise's apartment.

Once inside, I empty the bag onto the kitchen table with a flourish. Denise laughs and gives me a minty fresh kiss and a steaming mug of coffee. I bring ketchup and creamer to the table.

"So, what's the plan?" she asks around a mouth full of sandwich. Leaning over her plate, I can see all the way down her shirt to her ribcage tattoo, but a waving hand suddenly blocks my view.

"Uh, hello? Earth to boob fiend?" I smile sheepishly. "You said you wanted to help with my door, sohelp."

Clawdette loiters around our feet, ready to catch any fallen bacon bits.

"Sorry," I mutter. I shake my head and try to get into work mode.

"OK. First, you should go ahead and call your neighbors and make sure they can pick up the new keys at some point today."

"And if they can't?"

"Yeah…," I ponder aloud. That would definitely throw a wrench into things. I wrack my brain, but it's still foggy from last night's drinks.

"How 'bout we cross that bridge when we come to it?" I hedge. "You're home most of tomorrow, right?"

"Allof tomorrow, actually," she replies. "Kids are handing in their final designs for the student show today, and I'm setting aside tomorrow to review them. We need to start fabrication next week."

"OK, perfect." I start to clear the table. "You call your neighbors while I look up locksmiths. I'll have them come by after class and then we can hand off the new keys to your neighbors when they're done."

"Fingers crossed everyone is available. I really don't want this to eat up my whole weekend."

---