It was Alice's day to pick the music. She had left about an hour before, but her selection was still playing. It was a soulful, bassy song from the nineties, maybe Lauren Hill. I couldn't remember the name of it, but it was familiar, and it was turned up loud enough that it felt like a soundtrack as I watched the encounter with EJ and Nico.
EJ pointed to the salon and made his way around Nico. Nico turned and watched him walk away, and I kept my eyes trained on EJ until I realized he was approaching the front porch. I jogged toward the front door, hopping like a ballerina and only slowingonce I got far enough into the foyer that I thought he might see me.
The front door was glass, and I went toward it wearing a look of happy anticipation as I tried to spot him.
And there he was. He appeared on my porch, smiling when he saw me. Those teeth. The dark hair and eyes with the white teeth and black shirt—EJ was quite the package. I was transported to the feeling I got when I was a kid and he would show up every morning at my house. I got the oddest sort of nostalgic feeling that made me forget to breathe for a second.
EJ came inside smiling, and the next thing I knew, his arms were around me. It was a normal hug. There was nothing out of the ordinary. It was only a simple greeting. But I felt a gut-wrenching sense of relief in those seconds as we embraced. I pulled back, smiling at him and stifling the urge to cry. It was overwhelming having him there next to me.
"I feel like I've talked to you so much and I haven't seen you in so long," I said, stepping back nervously. I had on jean capris, and I absentmindedly stuck my hands in my back pockets.
He let out a little laugh. "That's because youhavetalked to me so much and you haven't seen me. It's been a minute."
"Too long," I agreed.
He smelled faintly of cologne, and my knees were weak in his presence.
"I see you got to catch up with Nico," I said. "I guess you got to see the perfect attendance pin."
"Don't forget he was vice president of the mathletes."
"I won't," I said, shaking my head and smiling at him. His voice. It was warm and perfect in my ears. I had missed it.
"What?" he said.
"Why'd you ask that?" I said.
"Because you made a face."
"I missed your voice. I was, uh, just trying to think when the last time I talked to you was. When was the last time I heard you talk?"
"I guess it was a couple of weeks ago. Before Italy," he said.
In that moment, I knew 'I love you' had been the last words I'd heard him say. The thought of hearing him say that made me breathless.
I went around the front desk and adjusted the volume on the stereo, turning it down. "Do you want a haircut? Because I still have everything out."
"No, I mean I do, but let's skip it. I bet you're tired, anyway. I can wait. Before I started coming here, I used to go a few months."
He ran his hand through his hair, and he was so appealing and beautiful that I wanted to reach out and touch him. My hairdresser instincts kicked in,and I reached up, putting my hand into his hair with authority, and steering it around.
"It looks great, actually."
"Yeah, I don't think I need a haircut. You wanna just hang out? Maybe go see a movie or something?"
"Oh, I don't think I could sit through a movie with my neck."
"What happened to your neck?" His expression and tone were concerned, and I gave him a reassuring smile as I touched my neck.
"Oh, nothing, I’m just still getting over that crick."
He gawked at me. "The one you got in Italy?"
"Yeah, it was at the end of my trip, so it's only been… I don't know… four or five days."
"That's a long time," he said, still looking concerned.
"Oh, no, it's fine. I've had them take this long before. It feels better today." I smiled shyly at him. "I was excited about you coming. I still am. My neck is way better than it was. I was just imagining going to a theater, and I thought it may not be the best choice."
