At three thirty, I’d shown up at my mother and grandmother’s door with a chocolatebabkaand had been allowed back for dinner. Now it was six thirty, and I’d washed the dishes, so we decided to sit down and play a little poker.
“I was not. How could you accuse your own grandmother of being a cheater? It’s shameful.” Her eyes danced with laughter as she pretended innocence.
“I call them as I see them. And I saw—” My words were cut off by the intercom buzzer. “Are you expecting anyone? Or a package?”
“On Sunday night? No. No one.”
My mother was in the kitchen, making coffee, so I said, “I’ll get it,” and answered for her. “Hello?”
“Roe, it’s me. Can we talk?”
“Who is this?” My heart slammed against my breastbone. I knew damn well who it was.
“It’s me. Ezra. Please? Can I come up?”
“Ezra?” I repeated, stupefied he’d shown up on a Sunday night. “What’re you doing here?”
“I just said. I’d like to talk to you.”
Much as I hated to admit it, my heart and mind raced with excitement.
“Roe? Please? Can I come up?” Through the static, tinny sound of the intercom, Ezra pleaded so earnestly that despite my reluctance, I couldn’t help but wonder what he’d say.
Without answering, I hit the button and heard the buzzer sound below. A second later, a creaking sound signaled the old metal front door opened and closed.
“Who is it?” Wiping her hands on a dish towel, my mother had come out from the kitchen.
“Ezra Green.”
“Ahh. I didn’t realize you two were seeing each other.”
“We’re not.” I dug my keys out of my pocket. “He wants to talk. So we’ll talk.”
“It’s fine to talk, but remember it’s just as important to listen.” My grandmother gave me her cheek to kiss. “And I think you need to listen to him.”
“Yes, Grandma, okay.” Anxious to leave, I brushed her off, left their apartment, and went down the hallway to mine. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and instead of going inside my apartment, I waited by my door.
Puffing a bit, Ezra trudged to the top of the steps. “These stairs sure feel different at forty than at seventeen.” He leaned against the railing and ran his hand through his hair, messing up the carefully styled golden waves. The hallway lighting had never been bright, but Ezra brought his unique glow with him.
“I take them every day still.”
That might not have been the smartest thing to say. When we were younger and came to my parents’ apartment after school, we’d take the stairs to get a little alone time. With the majority of the tenants elderly, few people in the building did. Every few steps we’d steal hurried kisses and touches, heightening the desire we’d kept under wraps all day. Ezra’s amber gaze met mine, and I knew he was revisiting those same memories.
“How did you know where I was?”
His smile gleamed. “I tried your apartment first, then, when I didn’t get an answer, I saw another button with your mother’s name and Nettie’s. She’s still well?”
“Ninety and going strong. I try and have dinner with them on the weekends. My mother moved in with her after my father died, and I took their apartment to make sure someone was around for them.” Why was I pouring out my life story to him? “So, you wanted to talk?”
“Yeah, but not in the hall.” He crossed his arms and raised a well-groomed brow. “Can we go inside your apartment?”
Stomach fluttering and mouth dry, I turned my back on him without answering. I fumbled putting the key in the lock and damned myself for the spate of nerves that caused my hands to shake. Finally, I pushed the door open, and Ezra walked past me, the scent of his cool cologne firing my nerve endings. I shook away the foggy cobwebs suffocating my brain and followed him inside, shutting the door behind us.
“Sit, please.” I pointed to the couch and planted my butt in the club chair before he even moved, so there’d be no doubt I intended to keep my distance.
“Mind if I take off my coat?”
It seemed odd for us to be so formal with each other, considering the last time he’d been in this apartment, we’d been naked and sweaty in my bed, having promised to always stay in touch and never let anything keep us apart. When I kissed him good-bye that night, it was a promise I thought we’d keep.
