Chapter 12

 

Chapter Twelve

I still wasn’t sure how long he was going to be staying, I figured he was just in town for a visit, and then was going back after we’d discussed things and worked out a plan of action. I still had my semester to get though, I had my apartment, my training and my job, a job I’d been at since I’d come to New York. If I had wanted the job I could have been the floor manager when it was offered to me a couple of months ago, but I felt with everything in my life, I just couldn’t handle the added responsibility right now, but I was the highest paid waitress at the club.

“How soon do you need to be up to get to class Amy?” Thomas asked.

“I already needed to be up and getting ready” I replied trying to suppress a large yawn.

“Oh,” He sounded a bit shocked at how early I usually had to get around for class, it was my long day, and I had three classes today, besides I needed to hit the Student Resource Center to find myself a math tutor.

“Yeah, I’m debating on if I’m going to class or not actually” I said, “I’m really tired, and I know neither of us have had much sleep for the last couple of days.”

Thomas just nodded smiling at me, “You just don’t want to go to class because I’m here, huh?” he quipped.

“That’s part of it, I want to spend as much time with you as I can before you leave to go back home.” I stated earnestly.

“Well, don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere for a while.” his smile was reassuring. It didn’t however change my mind about going to class.

“How about we just spend the day in, catching up on some much needed sleep?” I offered.

Thomas laughed, “Do you really think we’ll sleep all day?”

“Probably not, but it’s as good of an excuse as any for me not to go to class today.” I said giggling.

“Are you hungry?” I asked as I headed into the kitchen, I was going to make coffee anyway, even if we were spending the day in.

“Sure”

“What would you like, I’ve got eggs, I can make pancakes, or I’ve got bagels” I about half shouted out of the kitchen over the water I was running.

“Eggs are fine,” he stated.

I grabbed the eggs from the fridge, and opened the oven to pull out the small cast-iron skillet I usually used to cook my eggs in. Nothing but eggs ever touched this skillet, and when I was done using it, I would wipe it out with a paper towel, putting it back in the oven so it wouldn’t lose its curing. I didn’t know why I did it like this, but it was something my paternal grandmother had taught me as a child, it just seemed like it was the way it was supposed to be.

I’d never had anyone stay for breakfast before, it was a new experience for me to say the least, and I’d never really cooked much for anyone but myself. James and I usually ate out when we were together, if he would spend the night, we’d grab coffee and breakfast on campus before class since we both were on the go all the time. The feeling of being somewhat domestic was something I wasn’t quite sure how to deal with yet, would this be the way it felt if we were married. I came out of the kitchen two plates of eggs and toast in hand. I sat them down opposite each other on the coffee table.

“This would be so much nicer if I had a real table,” I looked down about half disappointedly at the coffee table. “I’m sorry about that, but there just isn’t room in here for one.”

“I’ve noticed” he gazed around the room, “your apartment is kind of small”

“I know, but with the expense of school…“ I shrugged and headed back to the kitchen, reemerging with two glasses of orange juice in one hand, and two cups of coffee in the other, I placed them on the table, going back one last time for silverware and jelly. I finally sat down across the table from Thomas, “I hope they’re done ok”

“Over easy?”

“Yes, it’s the only way I really know how to cook eggs” I said. “It’s the way I like them.”

Thomas smiled at me “We’re too much alike sometimes.” He set to eating his breakfast, as did I.

Thomas cleared his throat, “Have you ever thought about moving out of this place to something bigger?”

I had a mouth full of toast that I almost choked on when I looked up at him, I don’t know if he could see the surprise in my face or not. I knew he wasn’t used to the space of my apartment, it was very small, but that’s the thing about living in The Village, space is limited, the more you have, the more you’re going to pay, and through the nose most of the time. I’d been lucky to find this place; my rent had stayed the same since I’d moved in. I was happy, it was my place. A place where friends would gather before heading out on Thursday night, a place that they would be willing to just stop by and hang out from time to time.

“Not really, I looked at bigger places when I moved off campus, I couldn’t afford it,” I shrugged, “Guess I never really thought much about it after I moved in here, it was just me, I didn’t need more room.”

Thomas nodded as he finished his breakfast. “I just thought since it was the both of us now, maybe we could look at a bigger place is all.” he stated, pushing his plate to the middle of the table.

“Do you want to move out of the Village?” I glanced at him as I spoke, not really making eye contact, I knew I did want to leave my apartment, not really. Sure, it was small, but it was mine.

“I don’t know” he shrugged, “I’m not sure where you’d want to live.” I knew the answer to this already, but if I was honest with him, I’m not sure he’d like it.

“Well, I’m not sure I want to leave The Village, but I can’t afford anything bigger really.” I said as I got up from the floor to gather the plates and glasses to take them back into the kitchen. Thomas continued to talk to me, not that I heard any of it; I’d turned on the water to do up the dishes in the sink.

I found myself having mixed feelings about what was going on. It was all happening so fast. Thomas had only just showed up and already I’d missed all of my classes for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, I’d cut practice on one day, guess it was a good thing I didn’t have a practice today, but I did have to go to work tonight, and I couldn’t call in, we were always short handed. I hadn’t told Thomas this yet, I didn’t really know if I wanted to, though I knew I had to at some point today.

I was so tired, I didn’t really know which end was up, I just knew we’d spent all night on the roof in the pool, my body ached, my mind was numb, now this, Thomas wanting to move, it was more than I could handle. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with him, I did. I just wasn’t sure I was ready to give up parts of my life as a trade off for having him be a part of it, parts of a life I’d built for myself when I’d thought everyone had abandoned me.

I poured me another cup of coffee, walked back to the living room after finishing the dishes; I didn’t want to talk about this. Thomas was sitting on the sofa, reading the Times; he looked up when I entered the room. I sat down beside him, looking over his shoulder to find out what he was reading. I wasn’t surprised really to find him pouring over the real estate section.

“Amy, would you consider moving if I could buy us a place here in The Village?” He stared at me for a few moments, as if expecting me to answer. I didn’t give him any real answer, I just shrugged, got up off the sofa, went over to my small desk where my books were still laying open from studying last night.

“Why would you buy us a place here?” I asked, “I mean aren’t we supposed to go back home at some point to deal with Emma and the family?” I really was trying to find a way not to talk about this. I didn’t want to move, Thomas just seemed to keep picking at it like a scab on a child’s scraped knee. I started closing up my books, gathering up my homework, folding them and tucking them neatly away in the corresponding book, slipping the books I knew I needed for my next day of classes into my backpack.

“Yes, at some point soon we will have to travel back home.” Thomas said, “That doesn’t mean we have to stay.” I shrugged, walked over to the bed, undid my robe, and dropped it to the floor climbing in, still sitting looking at him across the room with his back to me.

“I just know I’m tired, I need sleep.” I said as I made myself comfortable on half of my bed. If Thomas said anything after that, I don’t remember, I was drifting off to sleep thinking about everything that had gone on the last few days. I wasn’t sure what I wanted at this point.