Chicago, IL. January 1992.
When Jenny Adler shows up to her first day at a new job, she hopes it can be as simple as it is on paper - a few short months of doing paperwork and answering phone calls before she moves on to the next thing. It was never...
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO was undeniably an impressive building. A trio of large banners showcasing the current exhibits elegantly hung down the front facade directly over the entrance. Beside the front steps, two bronze lion statues stood like guardians placed there to protect all of the treasures that were concealed behind those doors.
The enjoyment Jen took in admiring it all was dampened by the weather. The cold, although unpleasant, wasn't really the problem—it was this wind. It cut straight through her clothes and pierced her to the bone, raising goosebumps all across her skin and making her shiver in a way that she couldn't control. She could hear it howling through the trees and when she looked up and saw that the sky was smothered by a thick layer of dark clouds, she knew that the sun would not be arriving to give her any reprieve.
She supposed this was what she deserved for moving to a place that was literally nicknamed the Windy City. She recalled what Robert had said about his sister moving further south and thought that the idea of escaping these cold winters didn't sound so bad right now.
Speaking of Robert, she was going to have some very choice words for him on Monday if he invited her here and then forgot that they were supposed to meet. It was 4:00 p.m. He was supposed to be here now, but when she retreated a few steps towards the sidewalk to see if she could spot him approaching from either direction, she came up empty-handed.
Another punch of blustery air hit her. She was going to have some very choice words for him indeed.
As she was standing there contemplating how bad of a Catholic she would be for going off on him, she heard a series of quick footsteps from behind, and then he was suddenly appearing at her side. The wind was making quite a mess of his curls, which under these dark skies looked black as a raven. But his smile, his smile was always so warm. As were his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he apologized to her as soon as he saw that she looked like a human popsicle. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting. Getting the tickets took longer than I expected it to."
One of his hands reached into his coat pocket and retrieved two paper stubs. She hadn't expected him to pay for hers and now felt guilty that she'd just been desiring to snap at him in a way that would have made St. Catherine roll in her grave.
"You didn't have to get mine," Jen said a bit meekly.
"It seemed like the right thing to do since I asked you to come," he said. "I didn't want to be rude."
She smiled at that, a soft smile. "Aren't you worried your politeness is bothering me?"
"No," he grinned back like he knew something that she didn't. "Because I'm not really being that polite to start with. I'm a museum member, so I get a free guest ticket."
Apparently, he was honest, too. "You could have just let me be impressed with your manners," she pointed out as they started the rest of the way up the steps.
"I find that honesty is usually best." He looked over towards her, and for a split second, Jen felt like he could see right through her. See all the secrets that were carved into her heart with a knife. "And you don't strike me as someone who would ever appreciate being lied to."
The shiver that ran down her spine had nothing to do with the cold.
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