When the picture of her came through, I stood up so fast my chair fell behind me, and Brad got scared and ran under the bed.
No fucking way. No. Fucking.ย Way.
My heart was pounding in my throat. She was sitting on a bus bench. A Toilet King bus bench. She wasย here.
I called her immediately. โJustinโฆโ
โAre you serious? Youโre here?โ
I could hear her smiling before she said a word.
I was pacing across my apartment. โAre you just stopping here on your way to Hawaii? Can we meet? I could take you to dinner, I can leave now.โ
She started laughing. โJustin.โ โYeah?โ
โIโm here for six weeks.โ
I stopped, and a grin ripped across my face. โYou skipped Hawaii?โ โAre you surprised?โ she asked.
I bit my knuckle and did a silent fist pump in the middle of my kitchen. โAre you kidding me? Where are you staying? When can I see you?โ
โIโm on Lake Minnetonka, in a cottage on an island. And I thinkโฆ tomorrow? Does that work for you?โ
I nodded. โYes. Definitely. That definitely works.โ โOkay. Justin?โ
I was beaming. โYeah?โ
โYouโre right. Minnesota is beautiful.โ