by Aj Harmon
*****
Janie woke up to the sound of the alarm buzzing on Saturday morning. UGH! Six o’clock is way too early, she thought as she hit the snooze.
Ten minutes later the alarm buzzed again and Janie grudgingly threw the comforter off and hit the alarm clock.
“Okay! I’m up!” she growled as she made her way into the bathroom.
There was a lot she needed to do before she left the house at 9:30. She showered and made her bed. She gathered up her dirty laundry and shoved it into the washing machine. She emptied the dishwasher and wiped off all the brushed nickel knobs on the kitchen cabinets. As per requested by Amanda, Janie had made a batch of cookie dough the day before and scooped it onto cookie sheets and stacked them in the fridge so Amanda could have the house smelling of fresh baked cookies all day long. She said it made the house feel more like a home to the potential buyers. Janie wasn’t sure she believed it, but figured it couldn’t hurt so she did as she was told.
Giving the house one last check before heading out, she stopped at the fireplace mantle and gazed at the Statue of Liberty snow globe she had purchased on her trip. She’d only been home for just over two weeks but it felt as though it had been months since she’d been in New York. She gently ran her fingers over the smooth glass and remembered being in Matt’s apartment, standing at his bedroom window looking at the statue all lit up at night. She closed her eyes and could feel Matt’s hands on her, his lips on her shoulders. It had been the most magical of nights; one she would never forget. I love him, she thought. It’s crazy but I do.
Janie took a deep breath and was glad there was a knock at the door to snap her back to the present. She found herself remembering perfect moments with Matt, and that only made her miss him more and it wasn’t doing her any good at all. She needed to move on, start new and fresh and somehow put him out of her mind. It was much more difficult in practice.
She let Amanda in and told her about the cookies in the fridge and grabbed her purse. The open house was for six hours, so she was going to spend it at the mall, shopping. Number six on her to do list, getting a new wardrobe, was only barely started. She had a lot more to do.
4.
Open houses were a nightmarish necessity to Amanda. She really didn’t like them but they helped to sell houses and she knew she could get Janie’s house sold quickly and at asking price so she was going to get through it with a smile. She was going to keep her eye on the prize - a quick sale and then a big fat check.
After a couple of hours, she had shown several people through the house and was excited to see some definite interest. She was pulling another batch of cookies from the oven in the kitchen when she heard footsteps walking across the hardwood floors.
“Come on in! There are flyers on the dining room table. I’ll be right with you.” Amanda scooped the last of the cookies from the hot sheet onto the cooling rack and removed the oven mitts from her hands and went to greet the next potential buyer.
“Hi, I’m Amanda and welcome to your next home,” she smiled and reached out her hand. The man standing in front of her turned slowly and looked at her, confusion apparent.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Excuse me?”
“Er, um, hello.” Amanda was speechless, something that never happened. In front of her stood one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. He wore dark blue jeans and a light blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. He had dark hair and beautiful dark blue eyes. He eyed Amanda suspiciously, but shook her offered hand.
“I’m Matt.”
“Hello Matt. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she purred. “Oh, good. I see you found the flyers. Would you like me to show you around?”
Matt tried to retrieve his hand but Amanda had a firm grip on it. “No, I think I can do that alone, thank you.” He looked down at the flyer and re-read the address at the top. It was the address Katy had texted to him last night. He must be in the right house. But it didn’t seem right. The house didn’t fit Janie at all. There was no personality in it, no photographs, barely any furniture. He needed more information.
“The sellers? Why are they leaving?” he asked.
Amanda was only too willing to keep him in conversation. “Oh it’s very sad really,” she began. “The husband died a while ago. It was all very, very sad. And the children are grown and gone, so Ja…, I mean the seller, has decided to start fresh, somewhere else.”
Matt yanked his hand free and looked around the house, still finding it difficult to imagine Janie here. “And where are they going? Out of state?”
“Oh no, I don’t think so,” Amanda smiled and tilted her head. “So you’re looking for a new home for you and your wife?”
Matt inwardly grimaced. “No. I was actually looking for the owner. Janie isn’t here?”
Caught off guard, Amanda openly frowned. “No, she’s out for the day.”
“I need you to do a big favor for me. Could you please help me out?” Matt smiled and hoped it would work. He didn’t like using his physical appeal to manipulate women, but in this instance he would break his own rule.
“Oh definitely I could help you out,” she drawled. “What can I do for you?”
“I would like for you to give this to Janie when she comes home. Would that be okay?” he smiled again. Matt handed her a small blue gift bag.
“Of course I will. Are you sure you don’t want to take a look around? It’s a perfect house and I’m sure it won’t be on the market very long.”
“No, but thank you,” said Matt as he turned and headed for the front door.
“Bye, bye,” he could hear as he walked to his rental car.
*****
Shopping was actually much harder than Janie had anticipated, especially with Katy not there to encourage and make suggestions. She had managed to find a couple of things that she thought looked good on her, but if she was going to make over her entire wardrobe, she was going to have to spend a lot more time at the mall. She was feeling guiltily happy about her visit to Victoria’s Secret though. The sales girl had been incredibly helpful in making sure she had a great big bag full of pretty, lacey bras and panties and pajamas, well nighties, really, when she left the store. They were flirty and fun and very unlike anything Janie would wear, but she was starting over and it couldn’t hurt, right?
She pulled into her driveway a little after five o’clock, hoping that Amanda would be finished with the Open House and she could have her house back, at least for a little while. Tomorrow, she was going to have to start looking for a new home. As she pulled the bags from the trunk, she wondered if maybe she should consider a townhouse, or an apartment. Maybe she could move to downtown and buy a condo overlooking the river. So many choices but the decision didn’t have to be made today, so she pushed it out of her mind.
Janie found Amanda in the dining room gathering up the last of her things.
“Hi, how’d it go?” she asked.
“Oh Janie, hello. It was great! We had lots of people come through and several were really interested. There was this cute little couple, the wife was pregnant, and I really think they could make an offer. He works for Nike, so I’m sure they can afford it!” Amanda sounded pretty sure of herself.
“Well, I guess we wait and see what happens,” Janie smiled.
“Oh, and I just have to tell you about the most dreamy-looking guy that showed up. You would not believe how hot he was. Oh, well, maybe you will, seeing as though he knows you. He came to see you and I don’t think he knew about the Open House,” Amanda rambled.
Janie didn’t have the faintest idea what she was talking about. “What guy?” she asked.
“And, he left you a present. It’s on the island in the kitchen. His name was Matt and I tell you…”
Janie didn’t hear another word she said. Her heart was beating so fast and so loud she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Her legs got weak and sweat formed on her forehead. She stretched for the chair so she
wouldn’t fall.
“Janie? Are you alright Janie?”
“Fine,” she whispered.
“Okay then. Well I’ll call you if I hear anything. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, shall we?” Amanda chatted as she closed the front door behind her.
Janie sat, frozen, hand over her mouth, willing herself to breathe. Matt? Here? Today? Why? She couldn’t wrap her head around Matt being here in Portland, in her house, looking for her!
A gift? She stood, steadied herself and walked to the kitchen. Staring at the small blue gift bag, she chewed the inside of her cheek and couldn’t bring herself to touch it, let alone open and see what was inside.
She sat on the stool and gazed at the bag, not really seeing it because her mind was filled with Matt. She had snapshots of him committed to memory and they engulfed her now. She could picture him in his Yankee ball cap at the game, laying on a deck chair cruising New York harbor with his friends Ryan and Courtney, arm around her in the carriage ride, dozens and dozens more flashing through her head like a PowerPoint presentation, all reminding her how much she loved him. But she had left and he hadn’t made any effort to stop her. He had still been seeing his ex-wife and that had turned her stomach and she needed to remember that he was not available. She had to put him in the past, but how could she do that if out of the blue he showed up at her house with a gift? How did he know where she lived? Why was he in Portland?
Janie stood and poured herself a glass of water, still staring at the bag. Too many questions outweighed her curiosity so she turned and left the kitchen, did a quick once over of the house, making sure doors and windows were locked, and went and took a long hot shower.
*****
Matt sat in his room in the Hotel Monaco. The few times he had traveled to Portland he had been comfortable in the 5-star downtown hotel, but today he paced, checked his phone every five minutes and tried to work, but nothing could keep his mind from Janie. He had been all prepared for a lengthy speech when he’d arrived at her house. He had rehearsed what he was going to say over and over and he had been incredibly frustrated that she hadn’t been there. Why hadn’t Katy told him that on the phone? He had wanted to go straight over after he’d hung up the phone with her last night but thought that eight o’clock on a Friday night might not be the best option. Maybe he was really just stalling; afraid that Janie would not be as receptive to his declaration of love as he hoped she would be.
Now, he just had to wait, hoping she realized the gift was from him, as he didn’t attach a card and wasn’t confidant in the ditzy realtor that he had left it with. He pulled a bottle of water from the mini-bar and checked his phone again.
*****
Janie sat at the island in her kitchen, her wet hair swathed in a towel, wrapped in her new pink satin robe from Victoria’s Secret, staring at the small blue gift bag. In the shower she had decided that she may as well open the present from Matt. Letting it sit there wasn’t going to be an option. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the bag and opened it, revealing a small blue box wrapped with a white ribbon. She gasped and gently removed the box from the bag, holding it carefully in her hand.
“Tiffany’s,” she whispered, not quite sure how she was feeling. Her stomach was tied in knots and her heart was pounding but she was also wary, scared, annoyed maybe. She had been heartbroken when she left New York and all she had needed was one word from him and the last two weeks could have been very different. But he’d told her there was no future for them after she left and he had held true to his word and she had been devastated. And every moment of every day since she had been home she had tried not to think about him, tried not to cry, tried not to miss him, and she had failed miserably. And now he shows up and leaves a Tiffany box? Yes, perhaps a little annoyed and incredibly confused.
She pulled on the ribbon and untied the bow and removed it from the box. Slowly she lifted the lid to reveal a silver bracelet with the little Tiffany’s heart hanging from it. It was beautiful! She softly touched the links and lifted it from the box’s velvet lining. There was something else hanging from one of the links. She turned the bracelet over in her hand and found a small silver apple dangling with the heart.
“The big apple,” she said as she caressed the charm. What an extremely beautiful gift. So thoughtful. Something Matt would do! Janie closed her fingers around the bracelet, feeling the weight in her hand. She had told him that every girl wanted to open a blue Tiffany’s box and here he had given her exactly what she had asked for; an exquisitely lovely piece of jewelry, one that had probably cost a bundle. He can afford it, she mused.
The gift was thoughtful and sweet and Janie was touched that he had remembered her comment in the middle of a phone conversation. He had paid attention and had tried to do something nice. However, she was more confused now than before.
Should I call him? What do I do? What does this mean?
*****
Matt was wearing out the carpet in his hotel suite in a circular pattern around the sofa; back and forth and around and around, unable to sit still. He couldn’t take much more waiting. He was not a patient man and this waiting was driving him crazy. Why hasn’t she called?
Matt looked at his watch again. It was after seven. Janie should’ve been home hours ago. She should’ve gotten the gift he left; the gift he had wanted to give her in New York but after her announcement of not wanting any attachment after she went home, he had changed his mind. It’s only because Katy had told him she was just trying to protect herself with that speech that he was here now. She said she really didn’t feel that way and he knew that he didn’t either. He needed to win her heart. He needed her to be with him.
Did that realtor even give her the bag? he wondered. Maybe Janie didn’t even know about it. Maybe the realtor had forgotten his name and didn’t tell Janie it was from him? He hadn’t thought through the possibility of her not being at the house when he arrived. It certainly had not played out the way he had hoped it would.
What the hell, he thought, as he grabbed his keys.
*****
Katy pulled into Janie’s driveway and turned off the car. She was here at Janie’s request, not sure what was going on. She had received a text from her best friend asking her to come over to ‘see’ something. Katy had figured she wouldn’t hear from Janie now that Matt was in town. She had hoped that he could apologize and make Janie the happiest girl in the world. But here she was in Janie’s driveway. She grabbed her purse and opened the door, climbing out and all but smashing into Danny.
“Hi,” he smiled.
“Shit, Danny! Back up a little will ya!” Katy hissed. “Give me some room!”
“I saw you pull up and wanted to say hello.”
“Well you did, so you can leave now,” she said.
“Katy, I think you should get to know me a little better. We should grab a drink sometime.”
It was starting to get dark but Katy could see the creepy smirk he had on his face and knew that if he was the last man on earth, she would still never even consider going out with him.
“Nope! Never gonna happen, Danny. Now move so I can go see my friend.” Katy slammed the door shut and hit the lock button on her key fob, and pushed her way past him.
“Aw, come on, Katy. It’d be fun. Just you and me, having a good time.”
“Go home Danny!” Katy arrived at the front door and opened it, leaving him standing on the driveway. She closed it behind her not giving him a second look.
“I will go out with you,” he whispered, teeth gritted. “And we will have a good time.”
*****
Janie watched Katy as she picked up the bracelet and admired the beautiful apple charm.
“That’s so thoughtful,” she said to Janie. “The big apple! That’s really sweet. What did you say?”
“I haven’t seen him or talked to him.”
“What?” Katy’s head jerked towards her friend. “How…?”
“He apparently came by today and left i
t with Amanda.” Janie shrugged her shoulders.
“So you haven’t talked to him?” Katy asked.
“No. I had no idea he was here in Portland. I’m kind of free-falling here, Katy. He just drops this off? A super expensive bracelet from Tiffany’s and it means what? Am I supposed to respond? There’s no note, I have no idea!”
“What do you want to do?”
“Truth?”
Katy nodded.
“I want to slug him!”
Katy’s eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. “Why?”
“Because! He gives me the ‘let’s have a good time while you’re in New York and it’s all over when you leave’ speech, he fucks his ex-wife the morning after we have spent an incredible weekend together, I leave New York and he doesn’t say a word when I say goodbye, and then, what…two, three weeks later I arrive home to find a Tiffany bracelet waiting for me? Hell yes I want to punch the shit out of him!”
Katy was speechless. When she had talked to Matt on the phone the night before, she had envisioned a romantic reunion for her friend, as he declared his love for her and admitted to being a fool in New York. And then Janie would melt in his arms and the pain of the past couple of weeks would be washed away and they would live happily ever after. She truly wanted her friend to be happy and she desperately hoped this was what she wanted. She put the bracelet back in the box and studied her friend. Janie was angry, that was true, but she was more heartbroken than mad. She was head over heels in love with Matt and she was using anger to protect herself. Katy recognized the signs because she had felt this way a dozen times since her divorce.
“Go get dressed, Janie. Let’s go have the dinner we missed last night!”
*****
Matt pulled his Lincoln rental car into the driveway of Janie’s house only to discover darkness; not a light on in the house anywhere. The porch light was on and he had to assume she was out because it was only 7:30pm. He climbed out of the car and went and knocked on the door just to make sure and as he had already guessed, nobody answered.
