minutes to get ready for work.
Emily was dressed in a smart black suit and glaring at her hair. Yes, the promised make-over Joan insisted upon couldn’t come at a better time. She combed her hair into a neat bun and whipped on a glaze of mascara, howling when she stabbed herself in the eye with the wand.
Emily could hardly see out of her watering eye as she made her way to the kitchen, her stomach growling as she saw the bag of fresh bagels on the counter. She glared at them and grabbed the bag. She tossed them into the trash container. She grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter near her. She munched on the apple as she hefted her briefcase and coffee cup to the garage. The door wasn’t automatic. She had to put everything down to open it. Eddie talked about getting an automatic garage door opener too. What was your hurry, Eddie? She was muttering under her breath when she realized she had company.
A tall , dark-haired man in a Minnesota Twins tee-shirt and plaid sleep pants was walking barefoot up the driveway towards her. It was Jay Wilson, her neighbor from across the street. His wife left him the year before when his trading card business went under.
Jenna Wilson moved back in with her parents across town. Jay got the house, the dog, and all the bills their ten -year marriage incurred. They had two kids, a boy and a girl. The divorce was a shock to the whole neighborhood. The Wilsons appeared happy. The arrival of the U-haul the previous spring said otherwise.
Jay was good friends with Eddie up until Jenna left him. He’d not been over since. He refrained from attending the funeral, citing illness, and sent a card. What brought him over this morning? Emily glanced at her watch in annoyance. She hefted up the garage door, estimating she had less than ten minutes or be late for work.
“ Hiya, Em,” Jay said and looked apologetic. “I thought we might have a cup of coffee sometime.”
“I’m really late, Jay. I can’t do it this morning.” Emily shielded her gaze in the morning sun, hardly looking at the man. “Maybe some other time?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t go to the funeral, Emily.”
She realized he thought she was mad at him for that slight. She quickly disabused him of that. He had his own share of grief the last year. “No, it’s ok. A lot of people couldn’t make it. Don’t worry about it.”
Jay stepped closer . She could tell he’d been up all night drinking again. The faint, stale smell of beer and cigarettes lingered on him. She wanted to tell him to go home and shower, disgusted to see he had no clue how messed up he appeared.
“I’m sorry about Eddie. I’m sorry about a lot of things, Emily.”
This wasn’t the time or the place , Emily thought, wanting to ditch Jay and this pointless conversation. She was going to be late while her party animal neighbor monopolized her in her driveway. “Thank you, Jay, but I’m running late. We can have that cup of coffee some other time.”
“I noticed you went back to work.” Jay rubbed his dark stubble-covered chin. “Must have been hard, I bet.”
“Yeah, it’s been difficult .” Emily glared at the tips of her new black pumps, wishing Jay and his hangover would leave.
“I meant to come over sooner,” Jay mumbled and looked away from her. “I should have come over sooner. Don’t think I’m a piece of shit, Emily. Eddie was my best friend.”
The emphasis on was didn’t escape her. She wondered why the pair stopped hanging out before Eddie’s diagnosis. Eddie said Jay was going through a personal thing over his business going under and his wife leaving him. Eddie was vague in his explanation of why his closest buddy became so distant. She was suddenly curious about the rift between them.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I understand .” Emily felt mean for trying to blow the guy off. It was obvious Jay lost just as much as her this last year. “Why did you and Eddie stop talking? You guys used to be so
Emily was dressed in a smart black suit and glaring at her hair. Yes, the promised make-over Joan insisted upon couldn’t come at a better time. She combed her hair into a neat bun and whipped on a glaze of mascara, howling when she stabbed herself in the eye with the wand.
Emily could hardly see out of her watering eye as she made her way to the kitchen, her stomach growling as she saw the bag of fresh bagels on the counter. She glared at them and grabbed the bag. She tossed them into the trash container. She grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter near her. She munched on the apple as she hefted her briefcase and coffee cup to the garage. The door wasn’t automatic. She had to put everything down to open it. Eddie talked about getting an automatic garage door opener too. What was your hurry, Eddie? She was muttering under her breath when she realized she had company.
A tall , dark-haired man in a Minnesota Twins tee-shirt and plaid sleep pants was walking barefoot up the driveway towards her. It was Jay Wilson, her neighbor from across the street. His wife left him the year before when his trading card business went under.
Jenna Wilson moved back in with her parents across town. Jay got the house, the dog, and all the bills their ten -year marriage incurred. They had two kids, a boy and a girl. The divorce was a shock to the whole neighborhood. The Wilsons appeared happy. The arrival of the U-haul the previous spring said otherwise.
Jay was good friends with Eddie up until Jenna left him. He’d not been over since. He refrained from attending the funeral, citing illness, and sent a card. What brought him over this morning? Emily glanced at her watch in annoyance. She hefted up the garage door, estimating she had less than ten minutes or be late for work.
“ Hiya, Em,” Jay said and looked apologetic. “I thought we might have a cup of coffee sometime.”
“I’m really late, Jay. I can’t do it this morning.” Emily shielded her gaze in the morning sun, hardly looking at the man. “Maybe some other time?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t go to the funeral, Emily.”
She realized he thought she was mad at him for that slight. She quickly disabused him of that. He had his own share of grief the last year. “No, it’s ok. A lot of people couldn’t make it. Don’t worry about it.”
Jay stepped closer . She could tell he’d been up all night drinking again. The faint, stale smell of beer and cigarettes lingered on him. She wanted to tell him to go home and shower, disgusted to see he had no clue how messed up he appeared.
“I’m sorry about Eddie. I’m sorry about a lot of things, Emily.”
This wasn’t the time or the place , Emily thought, wanting to ditch Jay and this pointless conversation. She was going to be late while her party animal neighbor monopolized her in her driveway. “Thank you, Jay, but I’m running late. We can have that cup of coffee some other time.”
“I noticed you went back to work.” Jay rubbed his dark stubble-covered chin. “Must have been hard, I bet.”
“Yeah, it’s been difficult .” Emily glared at the tips of her new black pumps, wishing Jay and his hangover would leave.
“I meant to come over sooner,” Jay mumbled and looked away from her. “I should have come over sooner. Don’t think I’m a piece of shit, Emily. Eddie was my best friend.”
The emphasis on was didn’t escape her. She wondered why the pair stopped hanging out before Eddie’s diagnosis. Eddie said Jay was going through a personal thing over his business going under and his wife leaving him. Eddie was vague in his explanation of why his closest buddy became so distant. She was suddenly curious about the rift between them.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I understand .” Emily felt mean for trying to blow the guy off. It was obvious Jay lost just as much as her this last year. “Why did you and Eddie stop talking? You guys used to be so
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