February
A month later
Saturday
10:03 am
The next two days of the trip Joji and I went on were a blur. We never did end up going back to the little house George had booked. We stayed the night in Albany and then city hopped surrounding cities until we were actually zombies. We stayed the next night in a small city that we thought to still be near Albany. I couldn't tell you the name. We had been to so many different ones I don't think we even knew if we were in New York anymore. The same shenanigans proceeded the next day. George fell asleep drinking his coffee mid-day, and that's when we finally had to call it quits.
George and I stayed home and rested for the next few days following the trip. He asked me to go out with him to a nice restaurant, but other than that we didn't really see eachother. It wasn't like we were really distant though. He called and texted regularly. We were both busy and elected to stay in and catch up on work.
I put my cereal bowl in the sink. I looked at my phone sitting on the table behind me. No notifications. George hadn't texted me for three days. It was just like last time. I was worried because I knew he hadn't come out of his apartment for a while. He lives right across from me and I never heard the door open or close and I hadn't seen him on my way out or in of the apartment complex either. I went back and forth in my mind if I was just being paranoid and needed to mind my own business or if I should check on him. I settled on the latter.
10:56 am
I knocked on his door. There was no noise on the other end. I rang the doorbell- no answer. I was getting a little worried so I texted him to come to the door and then knocked again. Finally I heard some rustling and the door opened ever so slightly.
"Hey." He said in almost a whisper. He opened the door a bit more.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Yes. Well, no. Kinda."
"What the hell do you mean?" I giggled a little, but stopped once I saw the very small, fragile smile he gave me. "Is everything alright? Can I come in?"
After a brief moment of hesitation, he didn't say anything, but he swung his arm in a motion to invite me in. I stepped inside and sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to me. Now I finally had a chance to examine him. His hair was disheveled, he had some stubble, he was shirtless, and he just looked like he hadn't slept in days. He rubbed his red eyes and then rested his head in his hands so he wasn't looking at me.
"So tell me what happened."
He looked up at me.
"Well, I mean, nothing really happened, it's just I've been...stressed... over my videos and stuff."
"Well, like what specifically?"
"Getting them out on time. I have to get this video out I've been working on. I haven't posted anything in over a month. The viewers are getting fucking antsy and I- I just need to get it out. It's been hard since Ian moved to LA and Max is in Australia. I have other people that can help, but they're always busy. I've been having to do it all myself."
I nodded intently as I listened.
"You know you could always ask me. I mean I can work a camera well enough, I think." I giggled. He did as well.
"Yeah, but I don't want you having to film me cooking dead rats I found in the street or fucking gyrating in public or some shit. I don't know." Now he was laughing and I could tell he felt a little better.
"Come here." I reached out my arms. He gave me a questioning look.
"What?"
"I wanna give you hug. What? You don't like me or something?"
He smiled.
"No, just, you think I'm gay or something?" He couldn't hold back his smile.
"Then do you want a kiss?" I giggled as he nodded yes. I leaned in. I realized, again, that he didn't have a shirt on. I hesitated a little bit, but then I pressed my lips against his and my arms went around his neck as he deepened the kiss. I moaned softly against his mouth. He pulled me closer and I placed a hand on his bare chest. He layed me back on the couch and was ontop of me. He pressed tiny kisses to the side of my neck. Then lavished attention on my collarbone. My earlobe was thoroughly nibbled before he asked between kisses,
"Join... me... for... dinner tonight?" He stopped to look at me, awaiting my answer. It took me a minute to catch my breath, but as soon as I did I said yes. He smiled and gave me one more small peck before getting up. He held out his hand to help me up off the couch.
"Feel better now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. All he did was smile and shrug. I playfully smacked his chest. "Now go put a shirt on. Pick me up at 6." He walked me to the door and opened it for me. I walked through and before I opened my door I turned around and found him still staring at me.
"What do you want?" I giggled.
"For you to be my girlfriend."
I just smiled. I couldn't stop smiling. I finally replied trying not to show how I was imploding with excitement inside,
"I guess that would be fine."
He laughed and then smiled. He waved goodbye and closed the door. I stepped inside my apartment and closed the door behind me. Only a few moments later I got a text.
Joj
I miss you
He always made me smile.
