But what should I say to him?
Dear Haru,
I’m so sorry. I never should have left you that night. I’ve replayed that scene in my head a thousand times imagining different endings. I hope you can find a way to forgive me. Until then, I’ll be waiting every day.
I hope you keep your promise.
x Eric
I fold the note in half and tuck it into my pocket. Later that night, I watch a few video tutorials about how to fold a paper rose. Then I leave it on my desk with my note inside. I know it’s not as pretty as the flowers that Haru folds for me, but I hope he finds this anyway. I fall asleep that night dreaming about him.
It’s drizzling the next morning.I’m half soaked when I arrive at the theater. Alex called in sick, so it’s just me and Simon at the box office. It’s a typical afternoon, assigning will-calltickets while Simon gossips about the actors in the show. He says there’s some new drama with the cast.
“Maria’s pregnant,” Simon says, pausing for dramatic effect. “At least, that’s what everyone thinks. Why else would she be missing for the rest of the show?”
“Who’s that again?”
“She’s Camille’sunderstudy—” He throws a bag of chocolate-covered almonds at me. “How many times do I have to tell you this?”
I glance at the bag of almonds. “Where did this come from?”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s beef jerky if you want some.” Simon sits on the counter and takes a sip of his iced coffee. “Anyway, back to the story. Now, you didn’t hear this from me, but we think the father could be Philip.”
“I thought Philip was engaged to Camille—”
He nods. “Exactly.”
I take this in. “How do you know all this?”
“What do you mean, I don’t know anything,” Simon says as he looks around the lobby, in case someone is listening. “I also don’t know that Philip’s car has been parked outside Maria’s building all weekend. Keep in mind, this comes after rumors of them checking into the Waldorf together a few weeks ago. But that’s not even the crazy part.” Simon leans forward, keeping his voice low. “They found walnuts in Camille’s chicken salad the other day, when everyone knows she’sdeathlyallergic. I hear there’s a police investigation.”
I gasp. “Oh my god.”
“I’m telling you, Eric, you can’t write the stuff that happens around here.” Simon takes another sip of his drink, crossing one leg over the other. “Which reminds me. What’s the update with you and Christian?”
I sigh. “I told you, I blocked his number.”
“I’m just making sure,” he says, stirring his straw around. “I still can’t believe you didn’t keep his jacket. We could have sold it to one of those resellers.” He shakes his head, sighing. “I also heard he’s been making his rounds through the cast, if you know what I mean.”
It stings to know this, even though we were never together. “Simon—I’m trying not to think about him, remember?”
Simon nods. “You’re right, he’s dead to us. We won’t bring him up again. Unless he actually dies or something.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Who’s the other guy on your mind?”
I look at him. “What do you mean?”
“You’re clearly thinking about someone,” he says. “I’m assuming it’s another boy, the way you’ve been moping around here. Staring longingly outside, as if you’ve been stood up. I also saw you writing that love letter yesterday.”
The paper rose for Haru. It was still on my desk when I left this morning. “It wasn’t a love letter.”
“Then who was it for?”
I’m not sure what to say.
“I’m being intrusive again?” Simon asks.
