"Well I got an interview for tomorrow at a law firm downtown. What do you think?" Heather slinks over to the other side of the room and grabs a banana. "A lawyer? I admit you have ambition, but don't you need a law degree for that?"
She bites into her banana while I reopen the Chronivac. I look through the menu till I find 'Special skills'. In the blank, I type in "just gradated from a prestigious law school with top honors" and click enter. Instantly her tone switches up. "I'm just joshing you, Lyle. I know you got the skills. You've been working so hard on your degree that I haven't even seen you since high school graduation. You left right after the ceremony to go to your summer courses."
I go along with her story. "But I did graduate early."
"Yeah, but without even coming home for the holidays. Nothing on social media, no texts, no letters. I thought you either disappeared or forgot all about me at your super fancy law school. Your mom told me you graduated when I saw her at the grocery store where I work."
"How is work by the way? Do you like your job?"
"It's nothing fancy, but it pays the bills. I live on my own like an adult and the hours aren't too terrible."
I eye her curvy new figure under my baggy clothes. "You're a new woman, Heather." That's for sure.
She tosses the banana peel into the garbage and rubs her hands off on her thighs. "Well thank you, Lyle. But it was you that changed Mr. Hernandez. Jesus, did you get bitten by a radioactive textbook while you were away? Because you look amazing. So big and strong. A perfect hunk. I almost didn't recognize you at the coffeehouse this morning. I had to wait for you to say your name to the barista."
"So I'm that different, huh? In a bad way?"
Heather slowly struts over to me and I slam the laptop closed. "In a good way. I can't get enough of you, Lyle. I've kept myself pretty 'entertained' over the years; I've wined and dined with many guys around town. But here you come out of left field." She walks behind me and starts massaging my shoulders gently while lowering her head to my ear. "And you knocked it out the park on the first walk to base. How did you do all that?"
I'm about to come up with some super smooth follow up line when a phone starts ringer upstairs. Damn! "Uh sorry, Heather." I jump out of the chair. "Short recess. And then we can continue our... discussion." I peck her on the cheek before I bound up the stairs to find the source of the ringing. I follow the loud ring tone into my room and my phone is blaring and vibrating on my nightstand. I pick it up and answer.
"Hello, this is Lyle."
"Mr. Hernandez, my name is Lucy and I am calling from the security desk in your new building. I'm calling to let you know that your apartment will be ready for you to move in today. I know you were expecting next week but the previous tenants suddenly left early this morning. Will you be needing the address?" I grab some paper off of my desk and take down the address. "Thanks, Lucy was it?"
I hear her giggle on other end. "Oh yes sir, my name is Lucy. Will you be needing anything else, Mr. Hernandez?"
"Oh no thank you, Lucy. I'll be fine. Thank you." I pocket the address and my phone in my sweats and head back downstairs. I find Heather still in the kitchen, munching on some toast while scrolling through her phone. "Who was it, Lyle?"
"My apartment is ready early. I can move in today instead of next week."
"But you just got back. Now you're leaving me again?"
"Hey I'll just be downtown. You can come visit me anytime." I kiss her on her cheek and then head upstairs to shower and get ready to go to my new apartment.