Paper Hearts

Chapter 18

I watched her close the door, before the light inside the house flickered on and she moved around. With a soft sigh I walked over to the car, hating myself for not having the courage to kiss her. She looked like she had wanted me to kiss her - the way she had hesitated before saying goodbye, and then the way her slim arms had wrapped around my shoulders.

Drumming my fingers against the steering wheel I cursed myself for being such a coward before setting the car in reverse and driving back to my complex.

I was surprised to see Jamie when I stepped out of the car. He had been stressing with a big real estate contract is what I had heard last, but he seemed happy now, a slight pep in his step as he walked ahead towards the building.

"Jamie!" I called out, hurrying with my bag over my shoulder to catch him before slipped inside.

The ginger head turned around with a surprised look on his face, trying to see something in the darkness. When I stepped into the light of the entrance he grinned a wide smile, "Ezra, man its been too long"

He embraced me in a brief hug, slapping my shoulder before stepping back and looking at me with concerned eyes.

"How have you been holding up... I heard about Cammie" he said, rubbing his neck. Jamie had been there for me when she had first walked out on me, but he'd been preoccupied with his contract to stay in touch over the last four weeks or so.

"I'm coping. It's a long story." I said, ruffling my hair, those slate grey eyes haunting me as I looked at my friend. "Do you want get a beer? I haven't seen you for the better part of the last two months"

Jamie let out a hearty laugh and nodded his head, "Let's go, I'm a free man now"

We walked the short distance to our usual sports bar, settling at the long oak counter and ordering a draft each. When we'd both taken our first sip, and the cool liquid slid down my throat I let out a sigh.

"Look man I really am sorry for not being around as much as I would have liked to be" Jamie spoke first, cracking open the peanuts the bartender had given us.

I waved him off, taking another sip of my beer before saying, "I met someone. She's helped me through the last couple of weeks - in her own kind of way"

Jamie's eyebrows shot up as he looked at me, "A she you say."

"Yeah, her name is Marnie..."

I recapped the events of the last couple of months, smiling eventually as I finished.

"Sounds like a lovely woman. Are you going to ask her out on a proper date?" he asked, popping another peanut in his mouth.

Sighing I ran a hand through my hair again, "I don't know man. There's another guy in the picture, although I'm not sure how serious it is between them" after a while I added, "I wanted to kiss her tonight"

"Why didn't you?"

"Don't know. I got cold feet and hugged her instead."

Jamie laughed, clapping me on the back, "there's always tomorrow"

He was grinning like a fool, finally prompting me to ask what had him in such a good mood.

Leaned back on his bar stool, he raising his arms in triumph, "I closed a massive contract today. The client finally signed; some big shot from the West Coast who owns a hotel chain. When I asked him what on God's green earth was brining him to little Bar Harbour he had this whipped grin on his face. He leant forward and said, 'A woman'. I didn't believe him at first, but he insisted, saying she worked at the local elementary school.