Last Update: July 6th, 2010
This Update: July 29th, 2010
Time (days): 23
I'm doing this so that you have an idea of how frequently I update.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
"Well I spoke with Ashley just now and she said that Panoramic has a soup and salad combination Monday through Thursday from 12:00 until 15:30. The price, 15 pounds, includes the hot soup, the salad, and a can of soda," Carrie said as she sat down in a chair on the other side of my desk and handed me a print out of the Panoramic lunch menu. I looked over it for a couple minutes before responding, "Sounds good. Would you please order me the Lemon Chicken Soup and the Fiji Apple Salad with a can of Diet Coke? I have to call Anamaria and ask her if she's fine with me dropping off one of Jack's friends that I'm picking up from the station at around 15:00." Carrie smiled, took back the menu after I had circled my order, and left my office. I looked back at my computer screen to check the time, 13:43. Anamaria was just about to go on her lunch break, she worked at the local newspaper as the head of photography. I picked up the phone and dialed the all too familiar phone number to her office. After about 3 rings she finally answered.
"Hello Elizabeth, what can I do for you as I go on my glorious lunch break?" Ana knew me all too well, the only time I called her during her lunch breaks was when I needed something. "What makes you think that I want something? You know, sometimes I call just to talk." I wasn't totally lying, I did call her to talk sometimes, just not when she was on her lunch break. "Because you never call "just to talk" when I'm about to go on lunch break. Sweetie, I've known you practically your entire life, there's no getting anything past me. So what do you need?"
Damn, Anamaria really did know me better than I know myself. But that's only expected because she's been my best girlfriend since our 1st English class in high school. "Jack said he was coming to visit us for the week as he's taking a bit of a vacation from work. He was supposed to come today, he got tied up in some other work, and he was also going to bring a friend." I paused momentarily just to take a breath then began speaking again. "However his friend was supposed to meet him at the train station today at 3, but as I told you before Jack isn't coming until later. So I was just wondering if you had a problem with me dropping off his friend at the apartment while we finished up at work." Ana was silent for a good minute. I assumed she was processing all the information I had just dropped on her. "Is Jack's 'friend' from work or from his escapades," Ana asked.
When Ana and I moved in together a couple years ago, she revealed to me that she had developed a crush on good ol' Jackie. To say that I was surprised would be the understatement of the century! The thing about Jack was that he was never able to maintain a stable romantic relationship with girls. In the 25+ years that I've known him, his longest relationship had lasted about 3 months. I didn't want Ana and Jack getting into a relationship when his track record was less than spectacular. It would be VERY awkward if (or when) they broke up. I let out a small laugh, with Jack you could never be too sure, so you really couldn't blame her for asking.
"His name is Will, I'd like to think he was a work friend. I don't think Jack bats for the other team." I heard her laugh at my response. "I don't have a problem with it. As long as you lock my room door he can stay up until Jack comes, did he mention a particular day?" No matter how many times she had denied her feelings for Jack in the last year, I knew they were still there, and her question further fueled my thoughts. "He said he'd either be here tomorrow or the day after. I offered him the guest room because I didn't think he was going to be bringing a friend. Should we just invite his friend to sleep on the pull out or just prepare the other guest room?" I would feel bad if this 'Will' character didn't have any place to go during this stay that Jack most likely forcibly invited him to. "Sure why not, it's not like we're going to be using it for anything during their stay. And did Jack mention how long his little 'vacation from work' was going to be?" I could tell she was eager to see him even though she had gone to visit him just last month for about a week. I had a feeling that something was definitely going on between the 2 of them, and over this little break I was determined to find out. If I needed Will's help to find it out then I'd ask for it.
XOXOXOXO
14:25 was the time at the top of my computer screen. I'd asked Carrie over our lunch if she'd alert me when it was 14:30 so that I could begin to get ready to pick up Will. It wouldn't take me more than 10 minutes to get to the station, but I would also have to look for a parking space which was quite difficult to do on Friday afternoons in the summer. Everyone wanted a space close to the door so they could just get into their car and go when they came back after their weekend vacation in Cornwall, Brighton, and other desirable summer vacation spots. True to her word, Carrie had come in at 14:30 on the dot. I gave her a quick thank you and began to pack my bag. I had asked James for the rest of the afternoon off explaining to him that I had to pick a friend up from the train station. And of course, James being James, said yes to me.
I usually worked from 7 to 5, so what was another 2 hours? I was already ahead on my work and I could surely use the 2 hours to relax and get to know Jack's friend. "Alright Carrie, I'm leaving," I said as I walked out of my office with my bags and locked the door. "You can leave whenever you want, I'll see you on Monday morning though, alright?" She looked up from her own computer screen and smiled at me, "Sure thing Liz. See you Monday!" I smiled at her once more before walking out to my car. Time to meet this Will person, I thought as I threw my bags into the back seat of the car, I really hope this is the one from the coffee shop. Fat chance...
XOXOXOXO
I parked the car in a space only about 70 meters from the door and made my way to the platform Will's train would be arriving on. As I walked into the station a voice came on to the intercom of the station, "The 3 o'clock train from Brighton will be arriving on-time at track 10 in 5 minutes." I knew this train station like the back of my hand from the countless summers that I had spent here in Liverpool with my grandparents when I was younger, so I turned left and began to make my way to the platform. Jack had told me that he had given his friend a description of me so that he would easily identify me. Knowing Jack his idea of a description was just hair color, eye color, and skin tone which didn't really help much when trying to identify people in such large crowds.
After the announced 5 minutes, a train whizzed into the station rushing air around all the people that were waiting on the platform either to pick up someone to get ready to board the train to where it was headed next. I patiently waited at a designated spot where Will would be meeting me, courtesy of Jack. I was standing by the bench on the left side of the platform for 2 minutes when the man I ran into at the coffee shop began walking to me in what seemed like slow motion. When I first encountered him he was dressed like a creative soul that was fresh out of art school, but he looked so different now. He no longer had the goatee and he was wearing a polo shirt with a pair of neat, non paint splattered jeans, and a pair of leather shoes.
It seemed like he was dressed business casually, but more on the casual side. I was brought out of my reverie when he walked up to me and smiled, "You must be Jack's Elizabeth, small world isn't it?" I gave a small polite smile and nodded in response, "Yes a very small world," and began to walk towards the exit and my car. Well, she thought, this is embarassing. My best friend's friend just so happens to be a stranger I met in a coffee shop.
XOXOXOX
Sorry for such an abrupt ending. And I'm sorry that it took me so long to update, I began writing some more chapters for some (hopefully) quicker updates.
XOXOXOXO
REVIEW CORNER: (this is where I'm going to respond to the reviews I got from the last chapter) PirateRN: Thank you so much for being the first reader/ reviewer, that means a lot :). It sounds really odd, but I got the idea when I was listening to Mercury Summer by Fightstar a couple weeks ago.
thedeejay: I'm so happy that you gave my story a chance and told me what you thought about it. I've always wanted to visit Blackpool, and that was just a way I was able to tie in one of my favorite cities in England.
the courage of our hearts: Thank you! I kind of made Will with thoughts of one of my best guy friends that treats me like his little sister and will stand up and protect me when ever I get myself into a pickle.
head in the clouds 14: Thank you for reading the last chapter, and hopefully this chapter :) How'd you like this update?
