Five Minutes to Love

by Jennifer Wilck

  “So, do you think your client is pleased?” Lacey walked to Aviva and motioned to where Russell and Meryl stood a few feet away.

  “I do. Meryl’s great at conveying what to expect. Between her descriptions and your pictures, he’ll be able to imagine everything.”

  Lacey smiled. “Speaking of what it will look like, let’s check out the photos.” She motioned for Meryl and Russell to come over. They sat on the ledge of the raised platform. “Here, these are from some of our previous events in this room, so you can see the transformation.”

  They flipped through photos of the room transformed into a fantasyland. Russell nodded at each display.

  “This is exactly what I want,” he exclaimed when they reached the last page.

  “Wonderful,” Lacey said.

  They rose and shook hands.

  Meryl motioned to her pile of documents. “We’ll have answers for you on all of this by the deadlines. Thank you.”

  Back in the Town Car, Meryl turned to Aviva. “I think the meeting went well, don’t you?”

  “Yes. Russell seemed satisfied.”

  She handed Aviva the stack of papers. “How about you take a look through these and give me your opinions based on Russell’s vision for the event. We can meet next week, say Tuesday.”

  Aviva balanced the pile on her lap. “You walked around with him in the gallery. Did he say anything I need to be aware of?”

  Meryl raised a manicured finger to her lip. “No, not really. He asked where the podium could be placed, how the tables would be set up, but he didn’t have a hard and fast idea of what he wanted. You know Russell. He’s pretty easygoing.”

  He might be easygoing, but Meryl wasn’t. Aviva had a ton of work to do this weekend. Her mind spun with possibilities. Hopefully, at least one of them would please both Meryl and Russell.

  Chapter Eleven

  Aviva called her mom that evening as the sun set.

  “Hi, sweetheart. You’re just in time to light the Shabbat candles with me.”

  She smiled as she pulled out her own candlesticks, inserted the candles and found the matches. “Oh good. I’m glad I didn’t miss it. Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  Together, they recited the blessing. “Baruch atah Adonai, elohainu melech ha’olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu l’hadlichnair shel Shabbat. Blessed are you, Adonai our God, ruler of the Universe, who commanded us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.”

  “I love when we do this together,” her mom said.

  “Me too, Mom.”

  “So, how are you? You sound tired.”

  Aviva told her about the day and all the work she had to do over the weekend.

  “It sounds like fun.”

  “It is, but I’d hoped to see Jacob this weekend. I’m not sure I’ll have time.”

  “Tell me about him. How are things going?”

  “They’re going much better than I expected.” She sank onto the bed, kicking off her shoes before folding her legs under her. “I mean, I never would have expected to meet someone at a speed-dating event.”

  “I heard Ben really liked him.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, Jacob totally won him over with the pirates. How are Ben and everyone, by the way?”

  Her mom filled her in on the family. “Don’t change the subject, I want to hear more about Jacob.”

  “Okay, hold on.” She put the phone on the bed, tore off her work clothes and threw on her pajamas. “Hi, I’m back. I had to get comfortable.” She snuggled under the covers.

  “I think I love him!” her mother cried when Aviva finished her story. “Seriously, he sounds wonderful. Are you seeing him again?”

  “Well, like I said, I’d wanted to see him this weekend, but now I’m not sure how much time I’ll have. We talk all the time on the phone and text. I hope we can figure something out.”

  “I’m sure you will. Maybe sometime in the future we can meet him?”

  Aviva paused. Was she ready to have him meet her parents? If she was thinking about sex with him, things were obviously serious. Introducing him to her parents would show how serious she was. But what would he think? Would it scare him away? She’d already told him she wasn’t into meaningless sex. Was meeting her parents too serious too soon?

  “It’s still early, Mom, but I’ll let you know.”

  The next day, Aviva stood by the Hoboken PATH station, searching for Jacob. Their plans to get together this weekend had been foiled at every turn. The only thing they could come up with was a free hour on Saturday afternoon to walk around Hoboken together. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing.

  A cacophony of voices in various timbres, accents and languages enveloped her. People brushed past her on their way somewhere or stopped short in front of her to take a picture or ask directions.

  “Hey, there you are.” Jacob’s voice came from behind her. He grabbed her elbow.

  She turned and gave him a hug. “Hi.”

  He kissed her, and she rose on tiptoe to meet him. Sounds and smells disappeared as she melted into him. A bump against them, a muttered curse, brought her to her senses. She pulled back.

  “Not so fast.” Jacob grabbed her hand. He pulled her away from the middle of the sidewalk. “I missed you.” As they stood against the side of the building, his hands threaded through her hair.

  His fingers against her scalp were luscious. She wished for a headache so he could massage the pain away. She slipped her hands around his back, ran them over the broad planes of his muscles and reveled in the knowledge he was hers.

  He leaned in close. She bit her lip in anticipation.

  “So, are we going to make out here for the next hour or do you want to walk around?” he whispered.

  Her mouth flew open. At the sight of his eyes filled with humor, she laughed and tipped her head against his shoulder. With a sigh, she pulled away. “Yes, let’s walk.”

  They meandered around the waterfront with their hands in each other’s back pockets. Around them, people took selfies, checked out the boats on the Hudson River, listened to music, and admired the skyline.

  “Want to stop for a quick coffee?” Aviva pointed to the nearby Starbucks.

  “Caffeine? You have to ask?” He pulled her across the street. They ran to the store, panting. Although the line was almost out the door of the small space, the baristas were efficient. In less than ten minutes, they’d ordered coffees and sat outside.

  “So, I talked to my mother the other day,” Aviva said. “She thinks you sound very nice. She hopes to meet you one day.”

  Jacob’s face paled. Aviva rushed to reassure him, ignoring the pit in her stomach. “Relax. I told her we weren’t there yet. I just thought you’d want to know she likes you.”

  Jacob’s body stilled. He looked at his coffee cup. She peeked at it—it was the typical Starbucks cup with a white lid, nothing interesting there. He stared off in the distance. Aviva wondered what he was thinking. Was the thought of meeting her parents awful? Had she somehow jumped the gun telling him?

  “I didn’t mean to freak you out. I’m sorry.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Pulling her close, he kissed the top of her head. “No, it’s not that. You just startled me. I guess I hadn’t thought about the ‘meet the parents’ stage yet.”

  “I’m not saying we are, but I hope we’re heading in that direction.”

  “It’s fine. Come on. I’ve got to study.” He kissed her again. They headed their separate ways, but Aviva couldn’t get his look of discomfort out of her mind, or his non-answer.

  ****

  It was definitely not fine. Not by a long shot. Jacob paced in his bedroom. He had a ton of studying to do for finals, but all he could think about was Aviva and her mother. Her mother, who wanted to meet him.

  He groaned at his reflection in the mirror. He liked mothers. Mothers generally liked him too. They found him polite, intelligent, and focused. He treated their daughters well. He gr
oaned again.

  This wasn’t a good idea. It was a very bad idea. One of his worst, in fact, since meeting Aviva. Because if he met Aviva’s parents, Aviva would have to meet his mother. His mother who thought she was a chef, and who knows what else, because he couldn’t remember all the lies he’d told her.

  A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He opened it.

  “You okay? I heard groaning. Thought you might be sick.”

  Jacob shook his head. He followed Adam into the living room. “No, I’m not sick, but I’ve got a problem.”

  Adam sat on the sofa. Jacob paced the room.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “Aviva wants me to meet her parents.”

  “Well, it’s a little soon, but okay.”

  “No, not right now. She knows it’s too soon.”

  “Ooookay. What’s the problem?”

  “Meeting them.”

  “Jake, I don’t follow.”

  Jacob sighed. He sank into an easy chair. “I know. Sorry. If she’s ready for me to meet her parents, it means I have to introduce her to my mom.”

  “You’re mom’s not bad, Jake. Aviva can handle her.”

  “I know she can handle her. The problem is the ‘her’ my mom will meet.”

  “What?”

  “I kind of made up a story about Aviva.”

  “What kind of story?”

  “I told her she was a chef and a bunch of other details I honestly don’t remember now because I never thought I’d have to remember them.”

  Adam let out a low whistle. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because it was right after I’d met her. My mom threatened to set me up with someone. I had to cut her off, so I told her about Aviva. But since I didn’t know anything about her. I made most of it up.”

  “So just fix things with your mom. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Yeah, because she’ll love hearing I lied to her.”

  “You’d rather tell Aviva you lied about her?”

  “No.”

  “Well, I think you need to man up and straighten things out with your mom.”

  “I know, I’m just trying to find the right time and the right way to tell her.”

  Adam headed toward his room. He paused in the doorway. “Aviva is awesome. Don’t wait too long to fix things.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Jacob, you’ve been holed up studying too long,” his mother said through the phone. “I’m on my way to pick you up. We’re going on an adventure. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  Jacob stared at the phone. He shook his head. “Ma, I’m studying. I’ve got finals next week.”

  “I know you do, but you need to clear your head occasionally. It’s not good to shut yourself in like this. Get yourself presentable, we’re going for a walk.”

  She hung up the phone before he had a chance to argue further.

  With a sigh, Jacob closed his book and “made himself presentable.” His mother hated schleppy. He changed into shorts and a shirt. As he put on his sneakers, he realized this would be the perfect time to tell her about Aviva. Because he had to study, they couldn’t spend hours together, so a short get together would be perfect. Adam was right. He had to tell his mother the truth.

  He jogged downstairs just as her car pulled in front of the building. He rushed outside and opened her door. “Hi, Ma. How are you?” His throat was dry and his heart pounded.

  “I’m good, sweetheart. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk. You could use the fresh air. Get in.”

  “Get in?”

  “You don’t think I’m walking through Newark like this?” His mother wore a black velour tracksuit with matching sneakers, full makeup, and jewelry. He shook his head before climbing in. There were three things he could always count on when it came to his mother—she never went anywhere without her “face on,” his happiness was her personal mission, and she hated when people lied to her. The first one was cute, the second was sweet, and the third was making him sweat. No matter how many times he rehearsed his explanation in his head, it never came out right. He gripped the door handle. He should tell her now, get it over with and be done. Only having this discussion while trapped in a car that she was driving was even less ideal than having it the last time he was at her apartment for dinner. He didn’t want to risk her getting into an accident. While they were walking was much safer—for both of them.

  ****

  “Are we ready to go?” Aviva asked her sister, Sophie.

  “Ben, are you ready?” She nodded to Aviva.

  “Are there pirates on the High Line, Aunt Aviva?”

  Aviva locked the door. “I don’t think so, Ben, although it kind of sounds like there should be, don’t you think?”

  Ben chattered about pirates on their walk to the PATH train, jog down the flight of stairs and ride to 34th Street.

  “It’s too bad Marc couldn’t come with us,” Aviva said, finding a brief moment to speak when Ben paused for air. They stood together on the train as it whizzed away.

  “Yeah, he’s crazy with work. I’m just glad you still had time to get together.”

  “I swear, if I look at one more menu option or linen color, I will scream,” Aviva said.

  Sophie smiled. “Just wait until you get married. The gala sounds like fun, though.”

  Aviva agreed, ignoring the wedding talk. “Yeah, it really does. I’m glad Meryl wants me to go. Guess I should probably go shop for a dress.”

  “I’ve got some you can borrow, if you want.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know. Here’s our stop.”

  The three of them exited the train and followed the others onto the High Line. Ben ran ahead. Aviva and Sophie followed at a slower pace. Intrigued by their position above ground, Ben pointed out the people and cars below, while Aviva admired the trees and flowers blooming in the park-like setting.

  “So, tell me about Pirate Man,” Sophie said.

  “Pirate Man?”

  “The guy you and Ben ran into at the museum.”

  Laughter burbled in Aviva’s stomach. She shook her head. He’d made a huge impression on her nephew during the few minutes they’d met. She started to tell her sister about him. “I really like”—a sound caught her attention. She waited, but didn’t hear it again—“him, Soph,” she continued. She thought she’d heard Jacob’s voice a moment ago, but didn’t see him. She attributed it to wishful thinking.

  “He sounds wonderful.”

  Aviva paused. She squinted at the man ahead. The man, sitting on the bench with an older woman, looked like Jacob. She blinked.

  “He’s here.”

  “What? Where?”

  “Right there.” She pointed to the bench. “I’m going over to say hi. I’ll be right back.” After their conversation about meeting her family, she didn’t want to drag half of them with her to say hello.

  Her face split into a wide grin. She hadn’t expected to see him for a few days. She missed him. Turned away from her, he couldn’t see her approach. She decided to surprise him. Tiptoeing closer, she slid her arms around him from behind, leaned in cheek-to-cheek and gave him a hug. “Hey, there.”

  He jumped up. Aviva peeked around to make eye contact, stomach fluttering.

  “Uh…hi. What are you doing here?” His face flushed and his movements were jerky.

  That wasn’t the kind of greeting she’d anticipated. “My sister and I are walking the High Line with my nephew. You remember Ben. You met him at the pirate exhibit.”

  A brief smile stretched his cheeks before it disappeared. “Yeah, I remember him.” He leaned around as if to look for him but stopped short. He turned to her. “I didn’t expect you to be out today.”

  “Me neither. But if I look at one more catering option for the gala, my head will explode.”

  “You’re planning a gala?”

  Aviva looked at the older woman who sat next to Jacob.

  “Yes, for my pharmaceutical clie
nt. Hi, I’m Aviva, Jacob’s girlfriend.”

  “So I gathered. I’m Karen, Jacob’s mother. It’s nice to meet you. Jacob tells me you’re a chef.” The woman held out her hand to Aviva.

  “Ma!” He placed a hand on Karen’s shoulder as if to pull her away.

  Aviva shook Karen’s hand. A chef? She looked in bewilderment between Jacob and his mother. “Um, no, I’m not a chef. I work in PR.”

  “But you’re going to cooking school,” Karen held onto Aviva’s hand.

  “Ma!” Jacob’s eyes were wide, his ears bright red.

  “No…I’m taking a writing class at night.” What was she talking about? She frowned at Jacob. He hadn’t mentioned his mother’s mental faculties being impaired.

  Karen dropped Aviva’s hand. She turned toward Jacob, who shifted and ran a hand across his face. A small woman, Karen held herself rigidly straight. She looked formidable. This was not how Aviva had planned to meet Jacob’s mother.

  “What about Rowan Atkinson?” Karen asked, facing Aviva once again, shooing Jacob away as he started to interrupt. “Do you like his humor?”

  What in the world was this woman talking about? “I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with it. I tend to prefer snarky comebacks and sarcasm, if that helps.” Jacob was no longer looking at either of them. He stood there, eyes closed, lips pressed together. She felt as if she were in the middle of a play. The wrong play. She was the lead, but didn’t know her lines. And she’d showed up naked.

  “From your size, I’m guessing you don’t coach a girl’s basketball team at your local Boys & Girls Club, either,” Karen said, looking her up and down.

  Aviva stood tall. She pushed her shoulders back. Was this some fantasy that Karen expected her to live up to? And why wasn’t Jacob intervening? “No, I don’t. I’m sorry, I’m confused. There seems to be a misunderstanding here.”

  “You’re right, there does. Apparently the woman Jacob told me he’s dating has your name but none of your character traits.”

  Aviva didn’t know what to say. Jacob was no help at all.