Page 7 of Torin and the Princess

Icarried two cups of coffee up and found him already dressed, brushing his teeth in our tiny bathroom. This bathroom was a step up from the master bedroom and had a slanted roof because it was built in the eaves. There was a room for a clawfoot tub, with a shower-head at the high end of the ceiling, and a pull around shower curtain. Beside that was a toilet, and a pedestal sink with no counter. I would joke that we could brush our teeth, pee, and turn on the shower all at the same time.

I reached past him to place his mug on the edge of the sink. “Coffee for you?”

With the brush in his mouth, talking to me through the reflection in the mirror, he mumbled, “Don’t need it, not yet, might be able to sleep on the plane, maybe.”

I said, “Fine, more for me.”

He spit in the sink, then put his toothbrush in the holder next to mine. I continued sipping my coffee, admiring him as he fastened the leather strap on the Movado watch I had given him for Christmas. He was tall and lanky, enough muscles to rock climb, but lean. He ran his hands through his hair and straightened his shirt.

“You look good. Are you wearing the blue tie?”

“Yep.” He stepped down and crossed the bedroom to the antique arm chair in the corner where his clothes had been laid out. He picked up his blue tie, pulled it on, tied it effortlessly, and straightened it. He pulled down his collar. “How do I look?”

“Great, you’re going to wow them.”

“You can barely tell I didn’t sleep last night?”

“Not at all, and I’m so sorry, Coop.”

“I know, no worries. If a little exhaustion screws up my meeting then I wasn’t very well prepared.”

I said, “You’re prepared.”

“Yep.” He stuffed his toiletry bag in his suitcase, zipped it up, and slung his suit bag over his shoulder.

I left for the kitchen carrying both cups of coffee, asking over my shoulder as I descended the stairs, “You got your dress shoes, your trainers in case there’s a casual moment?”

“Yep and I got two suits, three ties, four shirts, and work-out clothes for the gym.”

“And your toothbrush, that’s all you need.”

He deposited the suitcase in the kitchen and ran back upstairs, calling, “Forgot my toothbrush!”

I laughed. “Glad you remembered, but none of this matters. There will be a drugstore right there, and Target is always only a taxi ride away.”

He jogged back down the steps and crouched in front of his suitcase, stuffing his toothbrush into his toiletries case. He zipped it all back up. “You always say that.”

“It’s always true. You could literally get on the plane withnothingand buy all the stuff you want once you’re there, probably in one afternoon.”

“You can also tell you grew up with money. In my family if you forgot to bring your toothbrush you’d have to use your finger.”

I laughed, “I’ve met your mom, she would never allow that.”

“We would be too scared to tell her we forgot our toothbrushes.” He glanced at his watch again. “I have to… I’ve got just a minute and... oh, what the hell.”

He picked up his coffee mug and sipped while leaning out so it wouldn’t drip on his clean clothes.

Then he put the mug back on the counter. “That helps.”

He focused on me. “You going to be okay? I could… I don’t know... need me to stay?”

“Absolutely not, don’t be crazy, this is your big moment, Coop. I’m fine, that was just some fluke.”

“Call Jen if you need company.”

“As you know, I have her on speed-dial...”

Then I asked, “I was wondering, what if… could it have been a tornado? Could a funnel have picked him up and dropped him there?”

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