He pauses, hands splayed on the counter, eyes scrutinizing me as the aroma of breakfast blend fills the air. “Okay, now you’re officially scaring me. What inspired this sudden change of heart over your sister’s nuptials?”
“First off,” I say, grabbing the oat-milk creamer from the fridge. “Please refrain from ever using the word ‘nuptials’ again. Second, believe it or not…Doop.” A laugh bursts out of me.
“That’s it. I need to get to the bottom of what kind of body swap comedy you’re starring in right now.”
“Body swap?” I ask with a laugh, pondering which Doop product from the secret lab could do that. “Now there’s an idea…”
“I’m serious. I’m going to get to the bottom…”
I thrust a hot mug toward him. “The only thing you need to get to the bottom of is this cup of coffee so you’re properly caffeinated for the long day ahead of us.” He blinks, maybe considers if I’ve done something weird to the coffee (I haven’t), and then hesitantly accepts it. “I’m fine. Trust me.” I plant a kiss on his cheek and go to get ready, delighted to be right where I belong and ready to tell him everything.
Soon. Later. Tonight.
“I have some business to take care of, but could you grab my suit before you leave and I’ll meet you at the wedding venue?” I ask.
“Business to take care of?” he asks. “You’re seriously weirding me out. We’re not going to ride over to the hotel together?”
I sip my coffee before saying, “I have to do something. It’s important. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I don’t want to be late, so I won’t have the opportunity to stop back here before CeeCee’s call time.”
“Call time?” he asks with a chuckle. “It’s not a show. You know that, right?”
“I know. I’m just saying I have an itinerary to stick to,” I say, certain I’ll make good on that this time around.
When I come up from the subway station in Midtown, I call Harry.
I don’t need the directions open on my phone because I know this walk by heart. Feeling my lungs expand as I pick up my pace, I rejoice that I’m back in my twenty-three-year-old body. While it’s not as groomed or as sculpted, it’s mine, and I love it.
I make a silent vow to myself to treat this body with as much kindness as I treated my thirty-year-old-loaner body. Less instant ramen. More fresh vegetables. And it really wouldn’t kill me to go on more walks.
My call to Harry goes straight to voicemail, which doesn’t surprise me. I hurt him in both timelines, and though he only knows about one of those hurts, it still makes sense, he wouldn’t care to hear from me.
After the beep, I say, “Hey, Harry. It’s Nolan. Look, I’m calling because I wanted to apologize for the shitty way I left things between us.” I pause at an intersection, taking in the city that I love, feeling renewed. “It was wrong of me to ditch out on dinner for a stand-up gig. I’m sorry for treating you like a second thought. I was desperate for a wedding date and in no place for a relationship, and I brought you into the crosshairs of my own awful actions, so seriously, I’m so sorry.”
I’m approaching my destination, shoes stomping down the gum-covered sidewalk at a hurried pace so I can make it there and to the wedding on time. I wrap this up. “You may never listen to this, and that’s cool, but if at some point you hear this and think, ‘Hey, that Nolan guy isn’t a scourge of the earth like I thought,’ hit me up anytime. I’d love to get coffee, apologize face-to-face, and maybe, I don’t know, try to be friends? Sorry if that sounds cringey. I’m sorry for everything again, and be well.”
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I push through the front entrance into a familiar club and make my way to the back office. I knock twice on the ajar door before entering.
“Nolan?” Wanda asks, looking up from her laptop screen. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your sister’s wedding right now?”
“Yes, but first, I came to rescind my two weeks’ notice.”
Wanda appears surprised. “What brought this on?”
I spare her the fantastical truth and say, “The Hardy-Har Hideaway has been a home-away-from-home to me for so long, and leaving it isn’t the right option for me.” This may not be my forever job, and working here may sting a bit as I cut back on my stage time, but I still care deeply about this business.
“Consider your notice rescinded then.” I can tell she can’t contain her smile.
“Great. In that case, I’d also like a promotion.” I summon some of my self-assuredness, the kind I developed standing up to Jessalynn in the future timeline. It’s certainly coming in handy.
“Feeling bold, are we?” Wanda asks.
“Yes. Over the years, I think I’ve proven myself. I want more responsibility. I can handle it,” I tell her. “I’d like set hours, better pay, and if you can swing it, benefits.”
“Benefits?”
“Never know when I’m going to get hit in the face with a swinging door again,” I joke, pointing up at the splint I somehow couldn’t be happier to be wearing.
She rolls her eyes at me good-naturedly. “I’ll see what I can do, Nolan. Now, get out of here, and send my congratulations to your sister.”
