Summer At The Store

Adventures with John Ambrose

Lara Jean Song Covey loved the idea of traveling. The notion of waking up in a new city and having the whole day to explore & get lost in the culture felt utterly romantic. She would make lists of all the places and things she'd hope to explore one day. Eating pastries while walking along the Seine in Paris, snorkeling with the turtles in Thailand, singing along to a random song in a pub in London were all on her bucket list.

The reality of travel never quite lived up to the hype. She was already nervous when she got on the train to DC on Friday morning. After her unexpected longing for Peter, she hadn't been able to stop her guilt. She booked a train ticket as soon as possible. Her seat was towards the back. The fabric was ripped, exposing the worn-down padding. The train smelled stale, like something rancid had been baked in the summer sun too long. A family full of crying toddlers was next to her, making more noise than she thought possible. The decibel levels eclipsed the true crime podcast she had downloaded to keep her company. Her raging headache pounded until the train pulled into the station.

She stepped off the train with her weekender bag slung over her arm and looked around for the signs to the exit. She filed out following the other commuters through the domed station platforms. She began to see the sun shining outside when she reached the top of the steep elevator. John said he'd be there when she arrived.

She looked around for his sweet face. He wasn't there. She grabbed her phone from her pocket to see if he had reached out. Nothing. She texted him to see where he was. Her phone immediately rang.

"Hi John Ambrose. Where are you?" she smiled nervously.

"I'm so sorry, Lara Jean. I'm on my way now. I just had to take notes at the morning meeting and it ran long. I'll be there in 10."

"Oh okay. Do you know where I should wait for you? This place is huge."

"There's a coffee stand you can hit up. I'm so sorry. I will be right there." He exclaimed before hanging up the phone.

Lara Jean pulled her phone away from her face in disappointment. She had been there for less than 5 minutes and her excited nerves turned into normal nerves. She sat down disappointed and scrolled through her phone. She flipped through her various open tabs of different restraunts & stores she wanted to experience.

A few minutes later, John came sauntering up to her. Lara Jean smiled but was weirdly judging that he wasn't in more of a rush. She threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her into a tight hug. "Hi LJ!" he kissed the side of her head. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for being late. I know you hate being late. How was your trip in? Did you get a window seat? I know you love a window seat. Did you listen to that podcast I told you about? Was it too scare for you? I realized it's a bit more intense than I thought it was going to be." He nervously word vomited.

Lara Jean felt her body relax. John was just as she knew him. Sweet, attentive, a little bit neurotic. She flattened a wrinkle in his baby blue button-down shirt. She felt so comfortable around him. She reached up and kissed his cheek. "I missed you."

He grabbed her hand and smiled back at her. "I missed you too." Lara Jean watched his face blush slightly and giggled at him. He took her overnight back from her and slung it over his shoulder. "Let's go."

After dropping her bags off at his uncle's house, they set off for their adventure. Lara Jean insisted their first stop be The National Gallery of Art. She was desperate to see their new exhibit on Asian American artists that Margo told her about. They walked through the halls that seemed to go on forever. John held her close the entire time. Being in a new city where no one knew them must have made him feel free to be as publicly affectionate as he wanted.