by Lacey Legend
“Ah, it’s so good to be here again. I’ve missed this house. And wow, look at what you’ve done. That photo is amazing, dear. When are you going to put it up?”
Betty was pointing to the tree canvas from Eric. It was propped up against the wall in the living room until Jasmine figured out what she was going to do with it.
“Thank you. My friend took that photo. Beautiful, isn’t it? I will put it up. Now, what can I get the two of you? Coffee, tea, vodka?”
Bob laughed. “Oh, I’d love vodka. But no, tea would be great.”
“Well, no, don’t make anything, dear. I said I would take you out when I come. And I have just arrived without any notice whatsoever, so let me take you out and treat you. I am desperate for a slice of cake anyway. Little Lucy’s?”
Jasmine smiled. Little Lucy’s was the sweetest little café that the three of them often went to together. But since Bob and Betty had left, Jasmine hadn’t been able to bring herself to go inside. It just felt so wrong without them.
“Little Lucy’s is a great idea. And I’m dying for some cake, too.”
Jasmine bundled them into her car, and they drove to Little Lucy’s, which was only about a five-minute drive away. She found a parking space directly in front, and the three of them made their way inside.
“Oh look, it’s the same table we always sat at! How nice! It’s like they knew we were coming or something. I am so pleased to see that nothing has changed.”
The waitress came, and they ordered a selection of cakes for the middle of the table that they were going to share. Four slices. One for each of them and one extra because they felt greedy.
“So, you’re going to be grandparents again! That’s such wonderful news. And… any idea if it’s a boy or girl yet?”
Betty beamed. “It’s a girl! Thank goodness! So we’ll have another Jasmine in our lives. I cannot tell you how relieved I am about that.”
Bob smiled. “Me, too. I really did not want a Jasper. But another Jasmine I’m thrilled with. How are you, my dear? How’s your little friend, Allie?”
“Allie is doing so well. You’ll be pleased to know she’s finally going out with Marc. Remember that guy we used to talk about all the time? Well, he came back and they got together. They are desperately in love. I smell a wedding sometime in the near future. I’m very happy for her.”
Betty clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s wonderful news. I always liked that Allie.”
“I like her, too,” Jasmine agreed.
“And how about you? Anyone come into your life? I am so terribly sorry to hear about that awful man. I tell you what, I had a funny feeling when I met him.”
“You did? Allie said the same thing. You both should’ve told me.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have listened. Nobody ever listens to anyone but themselves. It’s a natural human flaw, that.”
Jasmine laughed. “You’re probably right.”
“So, any new men? And any new neighbors? The house looked empty when we came by.”
Jasmine could feel the tears forming around her eyes and shut them quickly to try to stop them. But the kindness of Betty and Bob must’ve been too much for her to handle because suddenly, they were flowing freely down her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh goodness, darling. I’m so sorry. We’re being so personal here.”
“No, no. That’s okay. It’s just been a rough few days.”
The cake arrived, and the waitress nervously put it down and then scattered away when she saw that Jasmine was crying. Betty reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Well, then, I’m glad we came. And cake always helps every situation. Now, tell us everything.”
Jasmine wasn’t sure if she should tell them the truth. After all, she’d promised Eric that she wouldn’t say anything. But she wanted to tell them. She knew she would feel better if she did. And they didn’t know who Eric was, which made the whole thing easier. She looked around and was grateful to notice that there was nobody nearby to overhear them. The music was a little too loud for the waiters to notice either. She took a deep breath and told them the whole story. She battled at first because she kept crying, but soon she found a peace as she told her tale.
“And that beautiful tree canvas? That’s his. He gave it to me as a parting gift. I came home from work one day, and it was on my doorstep. And he was gone.”
“Oh, my darling, that is quite some story. How do you feel about him now?”
“I’m sad he’s gone. But I’m also glad for him – it wasn’t safe here.”
“And did you believe him? That he wanted to start over?”
Jasmine smiled. “Oh yes. I believed every word that he said. I’ve never met anyone like him, Betty. He was the love of my life – I know it. I know for sure that I will never meet anyone like him again.”
“You know what – I believe it, too.”
“You do?” Jasmine asked, surprised by her words.
“Oh yes. I can hear the conviction in your voice. And you know what – you never spoke about Brendan this way. Not once. You do love this man. Do you think he’ll contact you? Tell you where he is?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe.”
“And if he does, then what? Will you go see him?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t even thought about that.”
“You should think about it. Because it might happen. Answer this – would you pack up and leave everything behind in order to be with him?”
Jasmine took a deep breath. That was a huge question. Then she looked Betty in the eyes. “I would.”
“My angel – no matter what happens, at least you have felt a love this strong. That is worth more than anything in the world.” And with that, Betty reached over and squeezed Bob’s hand.
She smiled at them. “I really love you both. Have I told you that lately?”
“We love you, too, Jasmine.”
Betty must’ve been psychic because after they said their goodbyes and she headed home, she saw that she had a message from an unknown number.
Great doing business with you. I’m ready to sign the papers when you are for the Marshmallow Enterprise – brilliant name, I simply cannot resist it. 32 Easterly, Morley. I understand you don’t drink coffee – no problem, we’ll make sure to have some hot chocolate at hand. Again, looking forward to future endeavors. Yours, Mr. E Tree.
Jasmine burst out laughing. There was no doubt in her mind that the message was from Eric. To be fair, he hadn’t gone to great lengths to keep his cover, but it was cryptic enough that hopefully nobody would suspect. Jasmine understood it all immediately. She knew that he was referring to the hot chocolate and mini marshmallows that she had given him the first day that they had met. She knew that his surname referred to the tree canvas that he had given her. And she knew that it was actually 23 Westerly, because they had once spoken in length about how it was important to say things backwards when trying to disguise something. She quickly looked up the address and found it immediately. Morley was a six-hour drive away, and that was only if there was no traffic. She knew that she’d have to add on another hour for that. Eric Storm was only seven hours away by car. The thought sent a thrill down her spine. But why was he sending this to her? Did he want her to visit? Or was this just in case she happened to be in the area? Or did he simply just want her to know that he hadn’t forgotten about her? That he was always available if she ever needed him? Jasmine read the message over and over again and tried to figure out what to do.
“Answer this – would you pack up and leave everything behind in order to be with him?”
Jasmine thought of the question that Betty had proposed to her. Of course, her answer had been yes. So why was she stumbling now? Fear? Jasmine called her mother and asked her to meet at Allie’s house. She picked up some pizzas along the way and knocked on Allie’s door.
“I love this! I was just trying to figure out what to eat tonight and here you are – my angel in disguise. Man, that pizza s
mells so good. Come in. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
But before Jasmine could answer, her mother pulled up behind them.
“Hey, what’s your mother doing here? Jasmine, what’s going on? Hey, Mrs. H., good to see you again. I’m so confused. Is this an intervention of some sort? Because there is absolutely nothing that needs to be intervened.”
“Don’t ask me – Jasmine asked me to meet her here.”
They both looked toward Jasmine for confirmation, their eyebrows raised in confusion.
“Sorry, guys. This was very last minute. I desperately needed your advice. Mind if I tell you some confidential things?”
“You better tell us those things! You know you can trust us. Seriously, Jas, what’s going on?”
So Jasmine told them the whole tale. How she had spoken to Betty and Bob and how she had arrived home to find a message on her phone from Eric. She explained the whole thing to them while they all dug into the pizza. Well, they ate while she spoke. She was far too nervous to eat anyway.
“Oh, Jasmine – he told you where he was! You know what this means, don’t you?” her mother said.
“No. What does it mean? I’m so confused.”
“Oh, come on, Jas – he wants to see you. He needs to see you. He would never have done that otherwise. And I’m assuming he’s smart enough to have played it safe.”
“What should I do?”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to see him.”
“Then you should.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But do me a favor, play it safe. How about this – I’ll leave my car for you somewhere and give you a spare set of keys. Use that to go see him. Okay? I’m sure it’s fine, but you never know, my darling.”
“But you still think I should go?”
Her mother smiled at her. “Absolutely. I cannot believe I’m sending my daughter away to see a man that I have never met.”
“A criminal, too,” Allie said, and Jasmine hit her lightly on the arm. “It’s okay, he’s gorgeous – it makes up for all that stuff,” Allie said, and they all laughed.
“So, are you going to go?”
Jasmine reached over for a piece of pizza, suddenly ravenous again, and took a bite. She chewed, swallowed, and then smiled at them. “I’m going to go! But first… there’s something I have to do.”
The Final Chapter
It had been a week since Eric had sent that message to Jasmine, and he’d heard nothing back. He wasn’t sure exactly what he had been expecting anyway. He wasn’t even sure if he should’ve sent her that message. But he needed her to know that he was still thinking about her – that he would never forget her. And he knew that she would understand what he had sent.
He was sitting inside his small apartment, trying to figure out what to do with his day. This place was different than the house he’d had before when he was Jasmine’s neighbor. This place was small and in the middle of a very busy city. He’d changed his name to Dan, but it hadn’t even been all that necessary because so far, not one person had come over to introduce themselves. Everyone was too busy going about their own lives to worry about some new guy who had moved in. And in the week that he had been there, he’d noticed two other people in the area moving in and out. It wasn’t a community of people but an individual game – and it was exactly what he needed. He’d even gotten rid of his car and decided to rely solely on public transport to get around. The less that he had, the better. And anyway, there was no space for a car where he was. He was happy to play it safe this time around. But it wasn’t easy. He’d gotten used to having someone to talk to, and things were getting a little lonely. He knew that he was going to have to start looking for a job soon, too, and the thought almost paralyzed him. But in the meantime, he had been working on his photography. He’d even caved and gotten himself a digital camera and was teaching himself how to do Photoshop. As it turned out, he was quite good at it and was considering enrolling in a few courses. But he still took out his father’s camera at least once a day. He’d bought more film for it, and he made it his mission to find one beautiful thing to take a photograph of a day. It was his way of seeing the positive side of life again. And every time he took out the camera from its box, he’d see the photos of Jasmine lying inside. Most of the time he couldn’t bear to actually look at them, but just knowing that they were there made him happy.
He hadn’t yet taken a photograph that day, so perhaps that was what he should do. He couldn’t just sit around all day. He fetched the box, ran his fingers gently over the upturned photographs of Jasmine, and then reached out for his coat. But before he could go, there was a knock on his door, and he froze in his spot.
“Shit! They’ve found me,” he whispered.
He considered hiding, but he knew that whoever was behind that door would only be back again. He had to confront this head on. He placed the camera back into the box and walked over to the door, and with shaking hands, he opened it. His eyes widened when he saw who it was.
“Jasmine.” He whispered her name, not quite sure if what he was seeing was real.
She was wearing a tracksuit with the hood up and sunglasses on. She might not be visible to anyone else, but to him, it was clearly her. He could spot Jasmine a mile away. She pulled her hood down and took off her glasses, and he felt his legs caving in.
“Jasmine,” he whispered again.
She quickly walked in. He locked the door behind her, and the two of them embraced. He didn’t want to let her go. Then he pulled her off him slightly so that his face was directly in front of her face and he kissed her. The longer they kissed, the more he knew that he never wanted to let her go.
“Jasmine, what are you doing here?” he asked when they eventually stopped to get some air.
He pulled her onto the couch with him so that she could sit right next to him. The couch wasn’t very big, so she was more on top of him than on the couch.
“Well, I got your message. And … oh Eric … I had to see you again. It drove me crazy knowing that you were only a six-hour drive away.” Jasmine looked at her watch. “Or eight. Wow, it took eight hours! Anyway, that’s nothing. I would drive far more than that to see you.”
“And here you are.”
“Here I am. Did you want me to come? Is that why you sent the message?”
“Of course I wanted you to come. But I didn’t know if you would. And I would’ve understood totally if you didn’t. But of course … I hoped. I couldn’t just walk away like that without getting in touch with you. I know it might have been a stupid thing to do, but I’ve covered my bases this time.”
“Hopefully, I covered mine, too. My mother loaned me her car. She dropped it off somewhere pretty random for me, and when I got here, I parked it at some shopping center. It honestly didn’t look like I had been followed, but I wanted to make sure just in case.”
Eric was taken aback by the lengths she had gone to for him. “Thank you for doing all that, Jasmine. So, your mother knows?”
“She’s the one who encouraged me to come. You’d love her, Eric.”
“I know I would,” Eric said and started to kiss her shoulder, then her neck, and then back up to her mouth. He never wanted to stop kissing her.
“Hang on. I have something to show you.”
“You do? That sounds interesting,” Eric said.
Jasmine stood up and took off her shirt. “You ready?”
Eric’s mouth had gone numb. She looked like she was about to do a strip show for him or something. A very un-Jasmine like thing to do. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked standing in front of him in just her jeans. He nodded. Then suddenly she turned around. On her back was the most beautiful-looking tattoo he had ever seen. He gasped and stood up to examine it.
“It’s a tree,” he said as his fingers traced the outlines of the shape. “Oh, Jasmine, it’s beautiful.”
“Look closer.”
Eric looked closer and saw the letter
s E&J in the bark, as if it had been etched on, with a small heart around it. “Oh, Jasmine. You got our initials.”
She turned around to face him, and he grinned at her. “I cannot believe that you got a tattoo. Didn’t you hate them once upon a time?” he asked.
He was pleased to note that while he was talking, she was taking off the rest of her clothes. He followed suit.
“Yeah, I hated them. Detested them. And then I met you. And suddenly, I thought that tattoos were the most beautiful form of expression that I’d ever seen. I couldn’t come here without first getting this done.”
“Did it hurt? It’s huge. I’m very impressed that you got something that big for your first time.”
“Yeah, it hurt. But it was worth it. I love it. I have something to remind me of you that is forever etched on me. I know why you got all your tattoos now. I totally get it. There’s something very special about the permanency of it all.”
“I’m honored, Jasmine. Uh… can I show you something?”
“Yeah?” she said, confusion setting into her voice.
By now, Eric was completely naked. He pointed to a small spot on his chest where he had the name Jasmine tattooed onto him. The ‘I’ had been transformed to look like a tree.
“What? No way!”
“Looks like you and I have the same ideas. Trees and Jasmine, the two most beautiful things in the world to me.”
Suddenly, they were kissing again, and Eric felt himself getting more and more aroused by her. He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.
“What? No couch this time?”
“Have you seen the size of my couch?” he asked, and she laughed.
He lifted her up and then placed her on his bed. He stood over her for several seconds just so that he could take her in. He felt like he was the camera, trying to capture the subject before him. Then he moved on top of her and slid easily inside of her. They were both ready for one another – they’d probably never been more ready. He kissed her and moved over her, slowly at first and then with more urgency than he’d ever known in his life. He wanted her. She wanted him. It was obvious that they were meant to be together. His little apartment didn’t feel so small and lonely anymore. Suddenly, with Jasmine in his bed, it felt like home again.
