Right Place, Wrong Time

69. Be My Valentine

Steam rose off the dinner plate in front of Joey as he practically bounced in his chair in excitement, waiting while his phone rang and rang and finally connected him to Lauren.

"Hi," she said, pixelated at first before the connection cleared. "Happy Valentine's day."

"Happy Valentine's, baby," he said. "How's your day been?"

"Good," she said. "I just got back from dinner with Julia."

"You had dinner without me?" he said. He held up his plate. "This was supposed to be a date."

"I'm sorry," she giggled. "She wouldn't take no for an answer. I have dessert." She held up her own plate, a slice of one of her incredible cake creations.

"Well, now I'm starting to think you just don't like me," he said. She giggled again, and he beamed. It was her giggle just for him, and he was always pleased to be the one making it happen.

"I'll send you some in the mail."

"Okay, great."

They gazed at each other for a moment, smiling.

"Did you make that?" she asked, nodding at his plate.

"Uh huh."

"It looks good, JoJo."

"Well, you'll have to let me cook for you next time you're here."

He tucked into his food and she started on her cake, making him very jealous. Her baking was a perk of being her boyfriend that wasn't so advantageous when he was in another part of the country.

"You know what the best part about a date from home is?" she said.

"What?"

She angled her laptop down. "I can wear sweatpants."

"You can wear sweatpants on a real date."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not socially acceptable."

"Well, I think you look gorgeous," he said.

She smiled softly. Just then — right on cue — her doorbell rang. Her head turned, but then she faced him again as if there had been no interruption.

"You're not gonna get that?" he asked.

"Julia can get it," she said.

"I think you should probably get it."

"And leave you?"

Now wasn't the time for her to be cute. "Lauren."

She gave him a strange look. "Fine."

She got up, and he waited, listening to the sounds of her footsteps to the door, the door opening, her brief conversation on the doorstep. The door shut, and a few moments later she reappeared on the screen.

"Joey," she said.

"Yeah," he smiled.

"What have you done?"

"Who says it's even from me? Maybe it's from your other boyfriend."

She rolled her eyes, opening up the card that came along with the bouquet of red roses. "You shouldn't have," she said, when she finished reading.

"But I wanted to. Do you like them?"

She smiled softly. "Roses are my favourite," she said, and breathed the scent in. "They're beautiful."

"Almost as beautiful as you."

She rolled her eyes again, softer than he probably deserved. "You know you can't get laid tonight," she said, a little wistfully.

"I just wanted to see you smile."

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

She disappeared for another moment, returning with a vase that sat at the edge of her frame as they both finished eating. Her cake was gone first and she rested her chin in her hand, watching him. It made it hard to take his eyes off the screen. She really was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And yet she looked at him like he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

After a while, she sighed. "When am I gonna see you again?"

"Soon, I hope."

"Do you think you could get out here for my birthday?"

"Maybe. We'll see what happens."

She nodded, and he quickly changed the conversation, not wanting to see her disappointed.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you, I ran into your mom the other day," he said.

"You did? How was that?"

"She wanted to know how my grades were." Lauren laughed. "And she said you should call more."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay."

"And she asked if I was moving to New York in the summer."

"I didn't tell her you were," Lauren said quickly.

"I know. But I have thought about it."

"You have?" she said softly.

"Of course I have." Every day. It killed him to be so far away from her, and he didn't see why he shouldn't move to New York. Except that there was still something about California that called his name. Born and bred, maybe he could never cut loose that tie.

Lauren read him as well as ever. "That doesn't mean you should do it. I think you'd be happier in California."

"But I wouldn't be with you."

"I've thought about moving too," she said, so quietly he wondered if his speakers were dying.

"Really?"

"Maybe," she said. "I don't know."

"Brian and I had been talking about getting a place together. But you know how happy I'd be to get a place with you."

She nodded, playing with the ends of her hair. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course," he said. "I want you to make whatever decision is right for you."

She nodded again, looking up at him this time and smiling.

They kept talking, Joey ignoring several yawns from Lauren because it was clear she was as unwilling to let the conversation end as he was. But finally he picked his laptop up.

"Where are we going?" she smiled.

"To bed," he replied.

He kept the call on, balancing his laptop precariously as he brushed his teeth, watching her do the same. In his bedroom, he felt only a dash of self consciousness before he pulled off his shirt and jeans on camera and climbed into bed. His eyes lingered on her as she changed into her pajamas and got into her own bed, setting down her laptop and lying on her side.

"Tonight was fun," he said.

"It was," she replied.

"Are you ready to sleep now?"

"Will you stay?" she asked, the glow lighting her vulnerable face in the darkness.

"Of course." He lay down too, switching off his lamp so, like her, he was illuminated only by his screen. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," she murmured back. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

They stayed staring at each other, and she giggled. He scrunched his nose. But the giggles soon died down again, and they stared into each other's eyes until hers finally closed, his following not long after, and they fell asleep together, as close to the way they wanted as they could get.