Afterlife: Redemption

23

HARRY

My phone was in my hand the moment I stepped out into the New York afternoon, the sun causing me to squint immediately. Sliding my sunglasses over my eyes, I kept my gaze down as I stepped away from the entrance, taking refuge on the sidewalk. As I adjusted my bag across my body, I brought the phone to my ear.

Today had been long. Unbelievably, unbearably long. It had nothing to do with the work, mind you. Thankfully, the manuscript I was starting with was rather good, and I found myself drawn in to the story line easily. I had a few pages of notes, both in the book itself and the pad in my bag, but nothing that was a deal breaker. The story line was unique, none of this boy meets girl, fall in love, tragedy, the end crap. The dialogue was realistic, and the settings well outlined. Overall, I had enjoyed it so far.

My despondence wasn't contributed to by the atmosphere, as I found myself feeling much more at ease already than I expected. Barely an hour in to my day, I had been approached by a ginger haired man, about my age, his eager and welcoming grin catching me off guard. Part of the reason I loved literature was that it was a solo act. You didn't need to engage with others, unless you wished to compare notes or discuss novels. Since I was the quintessential lone figure, I had no doubt that was one of the many reasons my path took me as it had. So finding this individual at my cubicle, eyeing me over as the newcomer in the fish pond, I wasn't sure what to feel.

His name was Ed, and surprisingly, he too was from England. His accent took me aback more so than his abrupt approach, and despite my tendency to prefer solitude in my work, I actually found myself liking him. He said he wanted to 'check out the new guy', and fill me in on all the interoffice gossip I had missed since the initial intake of new interns. Normally I would not be one to take part in this kind of shit, but he had a quick wit and easy banter, and I found myself laughing within minutes. We had lunch together, where the conversation turned to novels we preferred, our hometowns, what we missed about England. Thankfully, the topic of family didn't arise, and I wasn't forced to either storm out or punch him in the nose.

Now that I was finally free from my first day back in the working world of New York, I couldn't get to Lane fast enough. I knew without a doubt she was the reason for my unease, as this was the first full day I had spent without her since her return home. My mind drifted to her often, both with thoughts of her laugh, and of her body under mine. I had had similar issues when in Seattle before her return, her being an ever present distraction to my workday, and irritating cause of constant hard ons. At least now, being in the same city, I could relief both issues with a simple phone call.

Leaning my back against the wall behind me, I waited impatiently for her to pick up.

"Have you even left the building yet?" she teased, without even saying hello. "Its five-oh-two, Harry."

I smirked, relishing the sound of her voice, even if she was teasing me. "I am outside on the sidewalk, as a matter of fact," I informed her.

Her giggle only heightened my craving for her.

"Do you want to get some dinner?" I asked, shuffling my feet. My body was anxious, my jittery actions a noticeable display of its longing for this damn girl. Just as much as my mind was occupied by her, so my body was remembering the feel of her. She was an intoxication worse than any of the alcohols I had used in my past to dull my pain.

"Sure," she replied, and I was relieved. I had no doubt if she had said no, or that she had other plans, I would have just vetoed them instantly, showing up at her door. At least this way, she wouldn't get pissed at me. "I have some stuff to talk to you about, anyway."

Immediately, my jovial and slightly horny mood dropped. "Oh?"

"Nothing bad," she correctly. There was a noticeable pause, before she continued. "I met with Mike at NG today. He offered me the choice of two more jobs."