Life After You

Chapter 8

I would be lying to myself if I said I haven't thought about hanging out with Jeremiah a handful of times during the past two weeks. To be frank, Jeremiah has been on my mind almost everyday since I met him, which was like two months ago now, or a little more but still, why is the problem? I meet guys, maybe not everyday but I do meet people, why not one of them and him?

I smile knowing what I've thought through last night to do today with him for our 'hangout'. I put up a checklist of things I've always wanted to do but never got the chance or better, had anybody to do them with.

My alarm for extracting the gel from the aloe leaves I just had kept to soak for the last twenty minutes rings snapping me out from my thoughts. Once I pour all the gooey stuff in a bottle I get ready to start my routine for my hair. I may sound a little 'too self conscious' but really, aloe vera does wonders on hair.

I'm about to open the door to possibly Jeremiah, when I suddenly think, 'what if he just pranked me? What if getting me all ready and hyped up was a joke to him?'. I open the door anyway.

"Heyy." he smiles his signature smile.

"I made a checklist" I blurted out. He smiles.

"Getting right to it, I see." I laugh, agreeing but also disagreeing with him.

"If you think some of the things there seem silly, you could just cut them off..." I trail off as I hand him the book I wrote the checklist in.

"I don't think that will be necessary." He says, skimming through the list and then starts reading them out loud. "Number one. Go book shopping." he looks up at me with a raised brow. "Why, if I may ask Isabelle?" He says in more like a daddy tone. I laugh when I realise what I'm thinking.

"There's no answer to that. I have to go book shopping. With you." I say. He smiles like he's pleased with my answer and reads the next.

"Plan a beach trip. That's wonderful actually." I nod as he smiles. For the next couple of seconds he reads the entire list,

Visit the biggest library in the country.

Visit an orphanage.

Volunteer at an elder's home.

Maybe fly to France (if possible).

Read a book in a day. (maybe with someone).

Try surfing.

Learn a new language. French maybe?

Plan a picnic on a boat.

Watch the sunrise or sunset.

Write a song, poem, whatever that feels like something you feel at that moment.

Love somebody.

Jeremiah is still holding the book. He holds it for a whole minute. Then another. Then smiles. Snaps a picture of the page. Then runs his fingers along the page, I don't know which sentence or what but he does. And finally closes it after a solid five minutes.

"What should we do first?" I ask him just as he says,

"That's an excellent checklist."

"I do love a good checklist" I smile. He laughs and hands me the book.

"Maybe we can start with book shopping." he suggests and I agree.

"Good choice. Do we go now or?" I ask him, hesitance clear in my slightly shaky voice.

"Sure. If that's what you want" he says. I mumble an 'okay' and scurry to my bedroom and grab whatever necessities I'd need for an outing and leave my apartment with Jeremiah. He suggested we use his car remembering the night where I drove him around to work and to the bar/restaurant. So that's what we did.