I look down skeptically. The floor is undoubtedly a mess so I’m happy to stand for now.
“Let’s see how long it takes. Maybe help is already on the way.”
He nods. Then there’s a beat of silence before he says, “So, did you say you just moved here as well?”
“Yes. From New York.”
“What brought you down to Atlanta?”
“My dad’s job. We moved as a family. My dad, stepmom, and little sister.”
“But you’re still in school, right?”
“Like I said, I’m starting my final year of a two-year master’s degree so I’m almost done. And it’s an online program so moving didn’t matter.”
“Then what?”
“Then, hopefully, I’ll get a job and move out.”
“Will you go back to New York?”
“I don’t think so,” I say carefully. “It’s really expensive to live there so it’s going to depend on what job I get, how much they offer. You know how it is. I’m not sure I could afford to live in Manhattan, and I have no interest living in a small town.”
“I hear that.”
“Although, if you’re new to Peachtree Heights, you’ll find it has quite the small-town vibe. Vendors on Main Street doing special sidewalk sales. Bake sales, car washes for charity—I thought Atlanta was this huge city. The capital of the South, not just Georgia, but here in Peachtree Heights, it doesn’t feel like it.”
“Interesting,” he says. “I’ve only ever lived in big cities like L.A., so this should be different for me.”
“Well, if you like being thirty miles from a big city but living a quieter life in the suburbs, you’ll like it here. If not, it could be a problem because traffic in and out of downtown is hellacious.”
“Yeah, I’ve experienced some of that already. I drove in from L.A. and the longest part of the drive was once I got to some place called McDonough.”
I laugh. “I haven’t lived here long, just over a month, and I’ve already experienced 675 in McDonough. We drove through at eleven o’clock at night and it was backed up for miles. One of my little sister’s teachers lives out that way and she told us that she leaves at five am every morning with the hope she gets here on time.”
“That sounds like hell,” he murmurs.
“I wouldn’t want to live that far from my job.”
“Me either. Driving in traffic is a pain in the ass.”
“Right? And I don’t even drive yet.”
“How come?” He sounds more curious than anything else.
“I went to college in Manhattan—not like I needed a car there. And there was a possibility I might stay so it just didn’t seem like a priority to learn. Then this situation came up for my dad, and since he’s paying for my degree, and there was an online option, it just seemed easier to move with the family.”
“But you’re going to actually learn, right? I mean, no way you can get around the suburbs without a car. Outside of downtown, there doesn’t seem to be much public transportation.”
“There isn’t. And we don’t even have buses here in Peachtree Heights. That’s one of many reasons I made the decision to come here today and get my permit.”
I don’t know why I’m opening up to this stranger but there’s something safe and comforting about him—like I know I can trust him. It’s not logical, nothing more than a gut feeling I can’t explain, but I have confidence that Bodi isn’t going to give away my secrets. I’m probably never going to see him again anyway.
“Will your dad teach you?”
“God forbid.” I can’t help but laugh just picturing myself in a car with my father, who has zero patience for anything. “He’s not the patient type. One mistake and that would be the end of it. Besides, he’s so busy with his wife, my sister, and work, he never pays attention to me. No one does.”
There’s a beat of silence before, “I’m paying attention to you.”
