Page 13 of Somewhere Along The Line
“Well, that’s a man if I’ve ever seen one,” Sami chuckles, her head swinging back my way as she continues. “What I wouldn’t give to have had him show up at our place today instead of Mr. Butt Crack.”
Her smile falls as her hazel eyes settle on my face, recognizing in my expression that I recognizehim.
“Piper… you good?” She grabs my hand as my gaze follows James. I hope she doesn’t notice that the sight of him makes my palms clammy.
He scans the room, trying to decide where to land. I’m trying to decide whether to slide under this table.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.”
“Sure seems like you are the one with something to tell here, Piper. And to think I wasted fifteen minutes talking about our damn dishwasher when we could have been talking about how you know that fine man. And I do meanfineman.”
Sami shoots me a smirk, egging me on to spill every detail.
“It’s nothing, really, we ride the same train every morning.”
The words come out choked as I watch James turn our way and spot me in my seat. Thank God for the wine Sami ordered before I arrived. I take a big sip as he starts to approach, his long legs making their way here with too much speed.
My roommate couldn’t hide her glee if she tried.
James comes to stand to my left as he pulls out his wallet and fumbles through it, looking for something.
“Hey, this is for you.” He places a fare card on the table, silently sliding it in my direction. I wrap my fingers around it. “I planned to give this to you this morning on the B Line, but you were notably absent.” He clears his throat.
Sami nudges my leg under the table and I give her the eye. It’s the universal sign between women that takes the place of a conversation that would go something like,
“What is happening??”
“I don’t know!!”
“Okay, act cool.”
“Iamacting cool, you act cool!”
“This is bananas!”
“I’ll explain it later, just stop being weird!!”
James clears his throat again, his eyes drifting between the two of us and the card under my palm. He must be wondering where we disappeared to just now between our glances.
“Wow, thanks!” I offer brightly, perhaps too brightly. “And sorry, again, with the ‘wow.’ I don’t know why I always say that with you. I mean, notwithyou. To you.” My free hand finds my thigh, smoothing my skirt with the hope it will soothe my nerves. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugs, glancing around as he takes in the place. “I come here occasionally if I have a long night ahead of me and need a quick break. They make the best Old Fashioned in town and I’m picky.”
“Of course you are,” I reply with a laugh, excited to have this new piece of information to tuck into my expanding repository of Banker Man facts. “That tracks.”
Sami kicks me again and I shoot her another look. She nods her head ever so slightly in James’s direction, and I realize she’s waiting for an introduction.
“Ah yes, sorry. James, this is Sami. We’ve been roommates for the better part of ten years. I guess you could say she puts up with me.”
Extending a hand, James glances my way with a slight smile before he turns to greet her. “Nice to meet you, Sami.”
“Nice to meet you, too. And for what it’s worth, I don’t just put up with her.” Sami takes his hand, giving it a firm shake before letting it drop and leaning in my direction. “Piper keeps me sane and fed. It’s a good situation.”
Her face beams as her eyes dart between James and me, trying to piece together the story. She’ll never get there on her own. We hang in silence for what feels like hours but must be seconds.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it,” James says awkwardly. He looks a bit forlorn, though maybe it’s exhaustion. “I’ve only got twenty-five minutes before I have to be back at the office. Anyway, I’ll see you on the train?”
He tosses the question my way, and I’m not sure if it’s rhetorical. When no one speaks, I answer.
