an Upper west side story by Rachel Cullen

Author:Rachel Cullen [Cullen, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lime Street Press
Published: 2023-07-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Zach

I have no right to be upset, and that’s making me even more upset! I assumed Jessica would come straight home from work around her usual time, but we didn’t have plans, and she never said she would be home. That’s another thing I’m furious with myself about – my brain calls this her home like we are some couple playing “house,” when she’s basically just staying here because she has nowhere else to go. I’m sure she doesn’t think of this as her home, and she’s not deflated and sad if I make plans and don’t tell her about them.

I finally fell asleep last night around midnight, and Jess still wasn’t home. I think I heard her come in around three-thirty, and I could tell she was trying to be quiet even though she kept banging into things. Since I have no rational reason to be mad and I’m not great at disguising my emotions, I decided to get up early this morning and get out of the apartment to eliminate the chance of running into her. The idea of making small talk, asking about what she did last night, or even worse, hearing about what was most likely a date, is excruciating.

The morning at work passes slowly, but there are enough meetings and distractions that eventually, it’s lunchtime, and I duck out to grab a sandwich and regroup. The cashier at Cosi yells “Next” loudly, and from the exasperated way he says it, I’m guessing it’s not the first time he’s tried to get my attention. I order the turkey and brie because it’s the first thing that catches my eye, and I don’t want to piss off this guy or anyone else in line any more than I already have.

When I get my sandwich, a small, slightly sad bag of baby carrots and Snapple iced tea, I head over to the empty table in the corner and determine that I’ll use the next fifteen minutes to shake off my problems and clear my head.

“Zach, is that you?” an excited and high-pitched voice asks.

I’ve just taken the first bite of my sandwich, and my mouth is stuffed with turkey, brie, and honey mustard. I place the thin paper napkin over my mouth to cover the chewing and look up to see who’s found me in the back corner of this busy, budget sandwich shop.

“I knew it was you!” Mallory says. “May I join you?

She asks, but she doesn’t wait for a reply before putting her brown paper bag on the table and unpacking her lunch, which looks almost identical to mine.

“I didn’t know you were in New York,” I say to Mallory. “I thought you were out in California.”

“I am,” she laughs. “I mean, not right now, of course. I’m still at Intel, still in Santa Clara. I’m out here for a few days for some meetings.”

“It’s really good to see you,” I say to her. This is definitely the kind of distraction I need today. Mallory

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