Normily: After Effects

Christmas Comes Early

It was a few weeks later, Emily was back in New York recording for her new album. Yes she had moved to Atlanta, but she still had the label in NYC. Snow had covered the streets, sidewalks, buildings; everywhere. Her family couldn't fly in because of the weather, and she could not fly out for the same reason.

Sitting in her hotel room Emily watched snow collect on the windowsill. She was lonely. Emily wished she had been able escape the snow ridden city. But no. Emily was stuck in her hotel, bored out of her mind.

Emily picked up her phone and looked through her contacts. All of her friends had made it out. And then she came across his number. She'd had to go the morning after they kissed, preventing her from setting up a second date. Emily clicked Norman's contact info and dialed his cell. It rang once, twice, thrice, beep.

"Hey," Norman said.

"Hey," Emily said, "Any chance you're trapped in Manhattan?"

"I might be," he chuckled, "There are no available cabs, and there's no way in hell I'm taking the bike."

Emily smiled, knowing that she could lure him into a second date. She walked to her door and thought of what to say. Did she ask for a date? Or simply suggest they meet up again? She was brought back by Norman's voice.

"Ems?" Norman said.

"Yeah?" Emily said.

"What were you thinking when you called?" Norman asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Norman said, "We've been pretty busy since we last spoke. And you happened to be in New York, trapped mind you, the same time as I. Deductive reasoning suggests that you want someone to be with you over the holidays."

"Pretty much," Emily said, dumbly.

"So I have a question," Norman said.

"Yeah," Emily bites her lip.

"How about that second date?"

"Yes!" Emily exclaimed.

"Okay," Norman said, taking a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Emily said worriedly. A thousand things raced through her mind at once. Had she answered too quickly? Was she coming on too strong? Did he even like her? Of course he likes me. He practically told me he did. Wait, I told him. Stupid.

"I just... Nothing," he said.

"Norman, what's the matter," Emily said.

"I'm not exactly alone here," Norman said.

"Mingus?" Emily said, "He can come along if you want."

"It's not Mingus," Norman bit his lip.

"Then who?"

"A model," Norman sighed.

"Oh," Emily felt her heart drop. It had been too good to be true. Emily assumed Norman just wanted to sleep with people. She sat on the bed, still holding the phone, hoping for an explanation. Yet she knew it wouldn't happen. Not a good one anyway.

"Emily?" Norman said.

Nothing.

"I'd like to hear your voice," he begged.

"I thought we had something," Emily said.

"We do," Norman tried.

"Yet, you're with a model," her small voice cracked.

The phone clicked off. Emily dropped her phone and lay down on her bed. She wanted to scream, to cry, to hit something, to hit Norman. There was a knock at her door. When she didn't answer a card could be heard inserting and withdrawing within the hotel door lock. The door slowly opened and then was quietly shut. A moment later her bed sank in towards the middle. Emily uncontrollably rolled into the body that now occupied her bed.