Page 23 of Locked Down In Watch Hill
NINE
KYLE
Iwoke up the followmorning with Ashley’s image in my mind. Her eyes, her hair, her fingers strumming her guitar, and the fact that she’d left me hanging with no reply to the text I’d written.
That was her prerogative. In fact, it happened all the time—conversations with people that seemed to be going somewhere and then would suddenly end, but this one bothered me when all the rest didn’t. Something about Ashley was so sad, and I suspected that the weight of the pandemic and her quarantine had taken more of a toll on her than she wanted to admit.
I still had that on my mind when I wandered into Already Perked in search of a strong coffee and a pastry. I could have made a cup at home, but I wanted to help the neighboring businesses, and a break from the usual sounded like a good idea.
“Twice in one week,” Jessica remarked as I approached the cashier desk. She wore a red flowered mask that obscured most of her face. “I like it.”
“Wanted to see your smiling face,” I replied behind my own thick face covering.
She laughed. “You’ll have to wait a few more months for that.”
“At least you found a cool mask to wear.”
She chuckled. “Thank you. I like it too.”
I surveyed her coffee shop, stripped down to half the tables it had before the pandemic began and empty during what would have been a morning rush. “This won’t last forever.”
“I appreciate the optimism.” She sighed. “Need more of that these days.”
“How is Ian?”
“Good. He’s home painting the nursery for the baby.” She cradled her swollen stomach. I didn’t know much about pregnancy, but I guessed she had a few weeks left before she delivered. “We just decided on the final décor last week.”
“Tell him I said hi.”
“I will. What can I get you?”
I surveyed the menu, tallying selections and options. “Two regular coffees with cream and two chocolate croissants.”
“No Mexicocoas?”
“Not this time of morning.” I chuckled behind my own black fabric mask. “Too much sugar.”
“Agreed, they can be a little on the sweet side.”
I swiped my credit card through the touchless machine and Jessica set about making my order. She completed it in just a few minutes and soon enough I was out the door again, another familiar coffee crate in my hand and a slight spring in my step.
But this time, I wasn’t headed to the pizza parlor. Not yet.
Instead, I walked several brisk blocks to Ashley’s apartment complex. By the time I got to her front door, it was about ten minutes after nine. Balancing the coffee on one hand, I rang the bell.
“Hey,” I called through the door. “I know it’s early, but I figured I could stop over with a little bonus for you this morning.”
After some quick shuffling behind the door, it cracked open and I saw a hint of Ashley’s outline on the other side of it. “Hey.” Sleepiness muffled her voice. “What’s up, Kyle?”
“Good morning.” A sheepish laugh escaped my lips. I’d neglected to think much further than the immediate task of securing breakfast. “This morning it occurred to me that you were probably waking up to another boring, mindless day in quarantine.”
