A New Life in Lawrenceville

Chapter 32

I woke up the next morning, got dressed, and walked to the coffee shop where I had planned to meet Vanessa. It was about a block from the hotel where I was staying. As I approached the location, I saw Vanessa sitting at an outside table. She smiled and waved at me when she noticed I was near.

I sat down in front of her and pulled out my notebook. "Good morning. How is the coffee?" I asked.

"It's really good," she replied, "I've always loved this place."

A server approached and I ordered an iced tea. "I've never been a big coffee guy myself," I explained, "Whenever I drink coffee, it always makes me want to fall asleep."

"That's odd," Vanessa said.

"I guess I've always been a bit different," I replied. "Tell me about the championship game. I'm sure it was great!"

A big smile spread across Vanessa's face as she described the details of the game. She talked about how the game was tied up near the end and had to go into overtime. She remembered how I played with her team and decided to surprise the opponents by playing more as a unit instead of having her be the dominant player, like she had been most of the game. The other team was completely thrown off and they managed to edge out a win.

I wrote down all the little details as she described the game. I tried picturing it in my mind, and for the most part I could. Unfortunately, I found that, after a minute or two, my mind would wander back to the apples. Even when I was thinking of something totally different, my mind still had the apples tucked away somewhere inside my thoughts. It seemed almost inescapable. It didn't help that the tea tasted like the apples, just like everything else does.

"I was on top of the world when we won," Vanessa said, "I'm sorry that you weren't there though." She moved her hand and placed it on mine. "The team and I would have loved to celebrate with you," she said.

"Yeah," I replied, "I would much rather have been with you guys."

"What happened then?" she asked.

I thought for a moment. "Would you believe a fugitive co-worker forced me to help him escape from the law and that I ended up stranded on a desert island?" I asked.

Vanessa's eyes went wide for a second. Then she burst out laughing. "You are so funny Albert!" she exclaimed, "You should consider writing novels with that imagination."

I just shrugged.

"So, what really happened?" she asked.

"Just boring work stuff," I said.

"Oh okay," she said, "Do you have to head back to Lawrenceville soon?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm leaving later today."

"Oh," she said. She looked down, as if disappointed.

"Perhaps when I'm back in Birchington we can get together," I said.

Her face lit up at that suggestion. "Definitely," she said, "I have a nice big apartment so you can stay with me if you want. It would save you money on a hotel room."

"That is a great offer. Thank you," I said.

She paused for a bit. Then she looked up at me. "I've really enjoyed getting to know you this past week," she said.

"I have too," I replied.

She got up as if to leave. As she was about to walk away, she stopped, as if her hand were somehow stuck on top of mine and she couldn't pull it away. She then turned to me and kissed my cheek. I looked into her eyes for a moment, and then proceeded to kiss her on the lips.

As the kiss ended, she smiled at me, blushing slightly. "I can't wait to see you again," she said. She left after that.

My head began to swim with questions and thoughts about what happened. There is certainly a mutual attraction between Vanessa and me. A part of me wondered how Misty would feel. She has always been a big believer in free love, but would her attitude change now that I am developing an intimate relationship with another person? Afterall, it is one thing to believe in something logically. It is another to be doing it. Our emotions aren't always logical. Another thought is, as I get closer to Vanessa, will my feelings for Misty change? On the other hand, Vanessa does live in another city. Long distance relationships generally don't last. Plus, I am not sure what kind of relationship Vanessa wants.

"You think too much for your own good," A voice whispered to me.

I froze. It was the same voice I thought I heard last night. My eyes darted around but I saw no one.

The server came over to me and gave me the check.

I asked, "Was there anyone nearby me just now? I thought I heard something."

"You mean the woman that you were talking to sir?" he asked confused.

"No," I said, "Never mind."

I paid the bill and went back to my hotel room. I did some last-minute typing on my laptop to finish the article. I shot it to Miller in an email and packed my things. I was glad to be heading home.