Page 21 of Moonstruck at Midnight
David:Of course, Miss Murphy. I will let you know as soon as it’s done.
Changing into my pajamas and staying home for the rest of the afternoon seemed like the best idea. It would give me time to organize my stuff since I had nothing better to do than wait to get ready for myrendezvouswith CJ.
Suddenly, I heard a loud noise outside my bedroom. Caleb wouldn’t dare come into my apartment unannounced like that, would he?
I stepped out and walked to the living room to find Mrs. Mullins closing my suitcases in the foyer. Of course, I’d forgotten about her—another person, another spare key.
“Mrs. Mullins? Hi, I’m Billie,” I greeted her with a smile.
“Oh, halò, Billie!” she exclaimed as she regained her posture. “I’m soo glad to see ye again—it’s been years since I last saw you. Yer sogrown-up andbeautiful. Look at that gorgeous hair, just like yer father’s.” She stood up and walked in my direction. “Are ye hungry, dear? Ye look a wee bit pale. And please, call me Mimi.”
“I’m starving,” I countered. “I haven’t had a bite to eat since I woke up. Just coffee and juice.”
“Well, I willnae alloo that dear, not on my watch,” she replied, making her way to the kitchen. I obediently followed her without protest. Mimi was a talented cook and loved nothing more than to feed and take care of people. That brought comfort to my heart. Staying away from the kitchen as much as possible was the smart thing to do.
Mimi was a slender woman, very well conserved, with a few silver strands here and there, wanting to give away her almost sixty years of age. Her peaceful expressions made you want to be around her. “Houdae chicken noodle soup sound for ye?” she asked, opening the fridge to gather the ingredients.
My appetite hadreallykicked in.
“That sounds perfect. Thank you so much. Do you mind if I excuse myself? I’d like to get a head start on those suitcases. I’m sorry you had to see that when you got in.”
“Oh, nawt to worry aboot, dear. I was gaun to help ye, but I’m suspecting it’s most useful to feed ye first,” she said, moving around the kitchen with ease.
Once my clothes and shoes were unpacked and neatly organized in my closet, I stored the empty luggage in the walk-in closet by the entrance. My phone buzzed in my pajama pocket while I heard a knock on my door.
“Come in!” I said, unlocking my phone.
“Chicken soup’s ready. I have the table all set for ye. Come on, come on,” she encouraged me. I sat down in the dining room and finally read my text messages while eating the most delicious chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had.
David: Miss Murphy, a box with cranberry muffins was delivered to Mrs. Nathalie.
Me:Thank you so much, David.
CJ:Hey, Billie! Ready for tonight? How do you feel about Lebanese?
Me:I love it!
CJ:Great! See you at ilili then. 236 5th Ave.
Me:Perfect. See you at 8.
I forwarded the restaurant name and address to the security group chat. I poured myself a second plate of chicken noodle soup while Mimi unpacked my books from the boxes and placed them on the living room bookshelves.
The delicious meal made me sleepy. I excused myself to take a well-deserved nap. That morning’s run proved to me I was still tired from the move. The delicious white, fluffy duvet cover invited me to crawl inside and shut my eyes without setting the alarm to wake up.
My phone buzzed on my nightstand while I was sound asleep. At first, the sound intertwined with my dream, but it slowly brought me out of my slumber. Half-asleep and disoriented, I took the call—my head still rested comfortably on my pillow.
“Hello? …Yes, it’s me…Oh, Thomas, hi!”
I left any remaining drowsiness from my nap on the warm, empty pillow. I sat cross-legged on my bed as I carried on with the conversation.
“I was,but I needed to wake up anyway…No, please. Don’t worry about it…I did receive them, thank you so much.They were beautiful…I know I’m glad to be back in New York…Um, I’m so sorry.I have plans tonight…Sure. Tomorrow works…Of course, I will…See you soon…You too…Ba-bye.”
Thomas’s deep, masculine voice ignited all these feelings inside me—flashbacks from the night we first met, the way he held his hands around my waist, his perfect heart-shaped lips pressed against mine.
The thought of canceling CJ’s dinner plans had been tempting, but I thought it best not to do so. Besides, Thomas had me waiting long enough for him to call me, so it wouldn’t do him much harm to wait a day to see me.
Naps had never been my thing, and after two and half hours of sleeping, one would think I’d be fresh as lettuce, but I woke up feeling cranky and disoriented instead.
