Once in a Lifetime

Heart in Conflict

I woke up the next morning to my phone ringing loudly. I groaned, wondering who in the world would be calling me so early in the morning.

I didn't even look at the caller ID as I hit the button to answer the phone and turn it on speaker. "Hello?" I asked sleepily, rubbing my eyes.

The voice on the other end waited for a brief moment before they began to sing, "Good morning beautiful, how was your night?"

It took me a moment to register that I knew that voice. "Jimmy?" I asked, my voice cracking from lack of use. I looked at the clock, startled when I realized it was already 9:30am.

"Yes it is. I'm your wake up call this morning. I couldn't wait to meet you so I went and bought coffee. I'm downstairs in the lobby."

My eyes instantly snapped open as I threw the covers back, clutching the phone. "You're where?"

"Downstairs. What's your room number so I can bring your coffee up to you?" His voice sounded so sweet and as much as my heart didn't want to let him up, my mouth spoke faster. "Room 725."

"Okay! I'll be up in a couple of minutes." He hung the phone up, and I went into panic mode. Oh my god! I haven't had a shower and I'm not wearing make up, let alone even dressed!

I figured I had five minutes at the most. I rooted through my suitcase and found a pair of brown bermuda shorts and a nice top and got dressed as fast as I could. I then put foundation and powder on and was brushing my hair into a bun when I heard a knock at the door.

I finished putting my hair up and looked through the peephole. Jimmy was smiling and waiting patiently in front of my room. I took a deep, cleansing breath before I opened the door.

"Good morning Jimmy," I greeted, motioning him to enter my room. He handed me one of the coffees and took a seat on my unmade bed Indian style. He looked like a little kid sitting there. I smiled a little at how cute he looked.

"Morning Karen from Michigan!" He replied a little too cheerful for 10am. I sipped my coffee, sighing in contentment when I realized Jimmy had some how figured out how I liked my coffee. I sat down in the easy chair near the window.

"Thank you for the coffee. I always need it in the morning," I replied, taking a moment to take in the heavenly aroma coming from the cup in my hands. I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them, I noticed Jimmy watching me. I could feel my cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

"So, I noticed that you were by yourself last night. You didn't bring anyone with you?" Jimmy asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

I lowered my cup to my lap and looked out the windows to the world beyond. "Yeah. I'm an only child and parents died in a car accident this past winter. I had to take care of their estate. My boss understood, thank God. I had a jerk of a boyfriend for like a month before he told me that he could never be with a girl like me. My life has been suffocating me, slowly and excruciatingly the past few months." I stopped talking, my eyes becoming blurry from tears that were starting to spill over and falling down my cheeks. My heart was squeezing so hard from all the heartache I had experienced the past few months.

I looked up when I felt a hand on my knee. Jimmy had gotten up and was sitting directly across from me. Gone from his eyes was the mirth I had seen when he had first come in. It had been replaced with an expression of sadness and empathy along with a deep kindness that I never seen in anyone of my guy friends, even Matt when we were dating.

"I am so sorry sweetheart. I didn't realize you had gone through so much. What can I do? Please tell me something I can do to help you," he begged, moving his hand to mine.