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“You’re sure you’re okay, right? Remember, Sophia said you could stay with her for the weekend if you aren’t comfortable,” he says, placing a stack of clean, folded towels into the cubbyhole he calls a closet.
I nod at him, disguising my burning anxiety at the weekend ahead. “It’s okay, really. I have to work most of the weekend anyway.”
It’s the second Friday in September, and Hardin’s flight will be landing any minute. I didn’t ask why he was coming—I couldn’t bring myself to—and when Landon awkwardly brought up his wanting to stay here, I just nodded and forced a smile.
“He’s taking a cab from Newark, so he’ll be here in about an hour, given the traffic.” Landon runs his hand over his chin, before burying his face in his hands. “I feel like this isn’t going to go well. I shouldn’t have agreed to it.”
I reach up and pull his hands away from his face. “It’s fine. I’m a big girl; I can handle a little Hardin Scott,” I tease. I’m nervous as heck, but the comfort of work and knowing that Sophia is just down the block will get me through the weekend.
“Will you-know-who be around this weekend? I don’t know how that will go over . . .” Landon looks panicked, like he is going to cry or scream at any moment.
“No, he works all weekend, too.” I walk over to the couch and lift my apron from the pile of clean clothes. Living with Landon is easy, despite his recent relationship problems, and he loves to clean, so we get along well that way.
Our friendship bounced back quickly, and we haven’t had an awkward moment since I arrived four weeks ago. I spent the summer with my mother, her boyfriend, David, and his daughter, Heather. I even learned to Skype with Landon and spent my days planning for the move. It was one of those summers where you fall asleep on a June night and wake up to an August morning. It went too quickly, and a lot of my time was spent being reminded of Hardin. David rented a cabin for a week during July, and we ended up less than five miles away from the Scott cabin, and I saw that little bar we got far too drunk in when we were driving around.
I walked down the same streets, this time with David’s daughter, and she stopped at every block to pick a flower for me. We ate at the same restaurant where I had one of the most tense nights of my life, and we even had the same server, Robert. I was surprised when he told me that he, too, was moving to New York, for medical school. He was offered a significantly larger grant to attend New York University than his previous choice in Seattle, so he was going with that. We exchanged phone numbers and text-messaged during the summer, and we both moved to the city around the same time. He arrived a week before me, and now he works at the same place that I do. He also works almost as much as me for the next two weeks until he starts school full-time. I would be doing the same, but, unfortunately, I was too late to get into the fall semester at NYU.
Ken advised me to wait it out, at least until the spring semester, before attending another college. He said that I shouldn’t bounce back and forth again; it would only muddy my transcripts, and New York University is picky as it is. I’m okay with taking a break, despite that I will have to work harder to catch up, because I am going to use the time working and experiencing this sprawling and bizarre city.
Hardin and I have only spoken a few times since he left his graduation without saying goodbye to me. He texted me a few times here and there and has sent some emails, which were stiff, awkward, and formal, so I only responded to a few of them.
“Do you guys have any plans for the weekend?” I ask Landon while tying the strings of my apron around my waist.
“Not that I know of. I think he’s just sleeping here and leaving Monday afternoon.”
“Okay. I am working a double shift today, so don’t wait up for me. I won’t be home until at least two.”
Landon sighs. “I really wish you wouldn’t work so much. You don’t have to help pay anything, I got enough money from grants, and you know Ken refuses to let me pay for much anyway.”
I give Landon my sweetest smile and pull my hair back into a low ponytail, resting just above the collar of my black button-up shirt. “I won’t go over this with you again.” I shake my head and tuck my shirt into my work pants.
My work uniform isn’t too bad, a black button-up, black pants, and black shoes. The only part of the ensemble that bothers me is the neon-green tie I have to wear. It took me two weeks to get used to the look, but I was so grateful that Sophia got me a waitressing job at such an upscale restaurant that the color of the tie didn’t matter. She’s the head pastry chef at Lookout, a newly opened and highly over-priced modern restaurant in Manhattan. I stay out of her and Landon’s . . . friendship? Especially after meeting her roommates, one of whom I had already met back in Washington. Landon and I seem to have the same sort of “it’s a really, really small world” luck.
“Text me when you’re off, then?” Landon reaches for my keys on the hook and places them into my hand. I agree, assuring him that Hardin’s arrival isn’t going to upset me, and with that, I leave for work.
I don’t mind the twenty-minute walk each way. I am still learning my way through this massive city, and each time I get lost in the crowds of busy people, somehow I feel more connected to its vibe. The noise of the streets, the constant voices, sirens, and blaring horns only kept me up for the first week. Now it’s almost calming the way I just sort of blend into the masses.
People-watching in New York is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. Everyone seems so important, so official, and I love guessing at people’s life stories, where they came from, why they are here. I don’t know how long I plan to stay here; not permanently, but I like it here for now. I miss him, though, so much.