by Cassie Beebe
“Goodbye, New York!” she called with outstretched arms, performing a small twirl in the briefly empty road.
Jacob laughed at her endearing exuberance, opening the passenger door. He stopped for a moment, leaning against the open door and looking out at the city. A few cars down, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair stepping into a black SUV.
With a small, contented smile, he whispered, “Goodbye, New York.”
“HE KNOWS WE’RE HERE, right?” Jenna asked, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun as she peered out the window of the car.
“Yeah, I called before we left the hotel and told them when we’d be here,” Jacob answered.
“Alright, Brandon, hop in back so Jenna can move back here with us,” Angela ordered, pushing her boyfriend’s butt into the back of Callie’s SUV as he climbed over the seats.
Jacob’s fingers were tapping incessantly against the steering wheel as he scanned the Bellevue parking lot.
Jenna reached over, placing a hand on top of his drumming fingers to still them.
“Sorry,” he said, putting his hands in his lap instead and cracking his knuckles.
“Relax,” she chuckled at his nerves. “It’s gonna be fun.”
He took in a breath and nodded in agreement.
A few weeks ago, Jacob received a phone call from Mikey, calling to announce his release from Bellevue. Given that his release date aligned perfectly with the start of Westbridge’s summer break, Jacob decided it would be the perfect opportunity to take another road trip to New York and have that drink he promised.
Mikey insisted that he bring Jenna with him, and when Jacob proposed the idea to her one night as they were studying for finals in his dorm room, she had a different plan in mind.
“Oh! What if we bring Callie and Angela, too?” she had exclaimed. “We can make it a whole summer vacay thing.”
“Uh… I don’t know. I mean, how am I supposed to explain picking Mikey up from the hospital?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Just tell them he’s an old friend who just got out of the hospital and needed a ride. Nobody’ll ask questions.”
Jacob scoffed at her assurance. “That seems like a pretty substantial assumption.”
“Oh, come on,” she mewed, setting her textbook and notes aside to snuggle closer to him on his bed. “You’re always saying we need to spend more time with them. And neither of them have been, like, anywhere,” she widened her eyes at the travesty. “It’s kind of sad, really. I’m sure they’d die to spend a week in New York.”
She was right. Angela had dropped enough hints about him showing them around the city someday for him to know exactly how excited she would be about the prospect.
“I don’t know,” he bit his lip, staring at his sociology notes. “I guess that could be cool.”
And that was that. Jenna took the idea and ran with it, filling in Callie and Angela on the details and planning their trip to be as budget-friendly as possible.
Despite the gas-guzzling-factor, they decided to take Callie’s SUV for the trip, to give them more room. Which was particularly necessary once Angela asked if she could invite Brandon along, as his long legs took up most of the back seat.
Brandon’s presence was a welcome addition to the group, especially considering Callie had her eyes stuck on her cell phone screen for the majority of the ride. She would set it down briefly, only to pick it up again seconds later, the moment the vibration sounded, with a poorly concealed smile on her face.
A week after Jacob and Jenna returned from their Christmas trip to New York and announced their new couple-status, Callie agreed to go on a date with her fellow nursing student, Tyler. She hardly spoke about the upcoming date at all, until one day she practically skipped into Chemistry with a smile frozen on her face.
When Jacob inquired about her joyful state, she adoringly gushed about all of the details of her first romantic evening with Tyler. He had shown up at her dorm room with a bouquet of pink tulips – her favorite flower – taken her to a nice, Thai restaurant – her favorite food – walked with her along the local river trail in the starlight, and at the end of the night, asked if he could give her a goodnight kiss before wishing her sweet dreams for the evening.
And ever since that first date, any time he caught Callie outside of the classroom, her cellphone was glued to her hand, ready for whatever text might be coming her way. Judging by the sheer amount of times her phone buzzed on the car ride to New York, he had a feeling Tyler’s cellphone had fused to his hand as well.
Jacob and Jenna switched off driving for the trip, since they were both familiar with the route, which allowed Callie, Angela, and Brandon to sit together in the middle row of seats. The back was filled with suitcases and bags of groceries – Callie’s idea, so they could prepare some meals and snacks in their hotel room to save money on eating out.
To Jacob’s delight, Jenna had been right about his excuse for going to Bellevue. He told the girls and Brandon that he had a friend he wanted to visit while they were in town, and casually slipped in that they would be picking him up from the hospital. Everyone accepted the explanation without question, already mulling over ideas for how to spend their first night in the city.
Now, as they sat in the hospital parking lot, waiting for Mikey to come out, Jacob’s nerves were beginning to return. With all of the preparations that needed to be made for the impromptu 5-person vacation, he hadn’t given much thought to his college life blending with his Bellevue life. But now that they were there, he worried about how Mikey would fit in with his new friends.
Jenna had always been a bit rough around the edges, and he didn’t know enough about Brandon to say, but the other girls were far more sheltered than his old friend, and he hoped they wouldn’t judge him for it, or vice versa.
“There he is!” Jenna pointed across the lot at Mikey, who was searching the cars with a furrowed brow. “I’ll go grab him.”
She hopped out and sprinted across the pavement. Jacob watched as she called out and Mikey’s eyes snapped up at the sound. A wide grin spread across the man’s face, and he met her halfway. He gave her hand a kiss, and Jacob snorted a laugh.
Jenna was smiling, too, her grin wide and bright as she spoke exuberantly with an excessive amount of hand gestures. Her dark roots had started to grow in more, but the bright blonde ends of her pixie cut still shone nearly white in the sunshine. They were physical opposites, him tall and lanky, her short and curvy; his hair hitting the bottom of his waist, and hers only just getting long enough to pull into a small ponytail. But as they walked back to the car together, Jacob couldn’t help but note the similarities between his two best friends. They were both fun, easy going, and always ready for adventure, and he wondered if that was why he gravitated toward them in the first place. They each had a way of drawing out the sides of himself that he wanted to explore more of, while still accepting him for who he was.
When they got to the car, Jenna slid in the back seat beside Angela, and Mikey took the passenger side.
“Hey,” he said as he buckled his seat belt. Looking at the other passengers behind him, he said, “Whoa, got a full house, huh?”
“Hey, man,” Jacob greeted. “Yeah, these are friends from school. Callie, Angela, and Brandon’s in the back,” he said, gesturing to each of them as he spoke. “Guys, this is Mikey.”
“Nice to meet you all,” he said with a wave. “So, where we headed?” he asked, excitement in his eyes as he rolled down the window and took in a breath of the crisp, summer air.
Jacob was brought back to his own first steps outside of the hospital, and he couldn’t help but smile at the liberation his friend must be feeling.
“Well, I promised you a drink, didn’t I?”
“This. Is. Amazing,” Angela gushed as they walked through the door.
“Right?!” Jenna exclaimed.
The bar hadn’t changed, save for the missing Christmas decorations. It was still hot, humid, and loud, and people were still
bellowing out half-incorrect lyrics from the karaoke stage.
They dropped the car off at the hotel parking lot and walked from there, figuring it would be easier than finding a good parking spot near the bar. The minute they were in the door, the girls migrated to the stage to check out the song choices. Mikey and Brandon headed to the bar to order some drinks, and Jacob searched for a table big enough to accommodate them all.
He found a booth along the side wall and slid in, claiming the space. After a few minutes, the other men joined him, drinks in hand.
Mikey slid a glass a quarter full of amber liquid to Jacob, and he picked it up and sniffed experimentally. He grimaced at the scent, and Mikey chuckled.
“You’re not supposed to smell it,” he said. “Just drink.”
Jacob lifted the glass to his lips, hesitating a moment before tipping it back for a brief second. It tasted like gasoline, but he did his best to swallow it without wincing.
Mikey smirked, seeing through his efforts. “You don’t have to drink it,” he said. “As long as you’re paying for it, I don’t care.”
“Of course,” Jacob replied.
“Wait, you’re paying?” Brandon perked up from looking over the appetizer menu.
Jacob chuckled. “Just for him,” he said, gesturing to Mikey.
Brandon looked between the two of them. “Why?”
“Um…,” Jacob trailed off, thinking of an explanation that wouldn’t beg a lot of questions. “Let’s just say I owed him one.”
“Hey, dude, your girl is hot as hell, by the way,” Mikey said to Brandon. “You gotta lock that shit down before she wises up.”
Despite the subject change, Jacob was even more uncomfortable with this line of discussion. But Brandon just laughed and looked over his shoulder at where Angela and Jenna were huddled over a binder, gushing about song choices. Callie stood beside them, peeking up from her phone every now and then to join the conversation.
“I’m thinking about it,” he muttered.
Jacob’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, you mean, you’re…,” he leaned in, lowering his voice despite the excessive noise all around them, “thinking about proposing?”
Brandon shrugged, a smirk touching his lips. “I’ve been… considering the idea. But you can’t tell Callie!” he exclaimed with severity. “She’s a terrible liar.”
“No, yeah, of course,” Jacob said, raising a hand in a vow. “But that’s awesome, man. Congrats.”
“You should do it here, in New York,” Mikey suggested. “Ladies love the city. Oh! You should do it tonight!”
“Uh, yeah, or… maybe, you know, give it some thought and make a plan,” Jacob said, imagining the verbal lashing Brandon would be in for if he popped the question to Angela in a bar while some beer-bellied man sang a drunken version of “My Heart Will Go On.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it nice,” Brandon said, standing up from the table. “I’d like to live long enough to actually attend my own wedding.”
They both laughed, and Brandon excused himself to the restroom.
Jacob choked down another swig of his scotch, coughing a bit at the burn in his throat.
“Hey, so what’s that Callie chick’s deal, anyway?” Mikey asked, looking at the women across the room again.
Jacob’s answering glare was enough to send Mikey’s hands up in defense.
“What? I’m just asking a question!”
Jacob chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah, and I’m just reminding you that I’ve given a hell of a lot of thought to spending life in prison for murder, and I’m pretty sure I could handle it.”
“I don’t know about that,” he pursed his lips in mock consideration. “Sure you’re not too pretty for prison?”
“Yes, that’s good,” Jacob nodded in approval. “Flirt with me instead. Just send all that pent-up sexual energy this direction,” he gestured to himself, “and leave my friends alone.”
Mikey laughed, taking another sip of his drink and swirling the liquid around in his glass.
“Hey, uh, since we have a second,” Jacob interjected, taking hold of his glass. “I know you don’t like the mushy stuff, but….”
Mikey gave him a smirk, sitting up straighter in preparation.
Jacob cleared his throat. “Nine years ago, you plopped yourself down at my table, told me I looked ‘too normal,’ and ate my food.”
Mikey snorted a laugh at the memory.
“You pulled up a chair, made yourself at home in my life and never left. And, I guess all I want to say is…,” he shrugged, “that I’m really glad you did. And that you survived without me long enough to be here tonight,” he teased.
“Cheers to that,” Mikey agreed, lifting his glass.
“Cheers to you,” Jacob corrected.
They clinked glasses as the girls approached.
“What are we toasting?” Angela asked.
Jacob opened his mouth, but Mikey interjected. “Old friendships.”
“Oh, well I’ll drink to that!” Angela replied, bumping Callie with her hip.
Callie looked up from her phone, blushing at all of the eyes on her. “What happened?”
Everyone laughed as the girls took their seats and Brandon returned from the bathroom.
Jenna was still standing, leaning against the booth and absently running her fingers through the back of Jacob’s hair.
“Hey, so… we’re gonna take a walk real quick,” Jacob said, standing up and weaving his fingers through hers. “We’ll be back,” he said to the rest of the group. To Angela, he added, “Keep an eye on this one for me,” pointing an accusing finger at Mikey.
She gave him an affirmative salute.
Outside in the fresh summer air, Jenna squeezed his arm with her free hand and let out a happy sigh.
“Where are we going?” she asked after a minute of strolling along the sidewalk.
“We are going…,” he paused, dragging her a few more feet forward, “right about… here.” He held her by the shoulders, adjusting her to the perfect spot.
He stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his cheek against her head.
She looked around Rockefeller Center for a minute, then said, “Ah,” when she understood. “Not quite the same without the giant tree.”
“Mmm,” he agreed, leaning down to kiss her neck.
Her head fell back against his chest, and her fingers traced the hair on his arms as his lips grazed up to her ear.
They stood like that for a moment, wrapped in their embrace as people walked around them, heading home from late nights at work and rushing to get to the best parties while the night was still young. Nobody paid them any mind as they watched the people come and go, remembering the last time they stood in that very spot.
Jacob recalled the nervous tingles that shot up his spine after singing with her, his body responding more sensitively to her touch and begging for more of it. He squeezed her waist tighter, savoring that touch now.
“Did you know that students over the age of twenty-three are eligible to apply for off-campus housing?” she asked, interrupting the silence.
“I did know that,” he answered. “Before I left Bellevue, my doctor told me I had the option of staying off campus, but I couldn’t afford it at the time.”
“Hm,” she muttered.
She was tense beneath his touch, and he wondered what was on her mind.
Just as he was about to ask, she said, “I put in an application.”
It was his turn to stiffen, as he pictured the next year of classes, living on campus without her.
The past few months had been better than ever, living so close to her in the same building. They spent nearly all their free time together, studying in his room, teaching her how to cook in the dorm kitchen, watching movies on her laptop when they couldn’t sleep. The idea of losing that so soon made his stomach sink.
“Oh?” was all he could manage to say.
“Yeah,” she replied, toying with h
er hands atop his. “And… I put one in for you, too.”
She unhooked his arms from her waist and turned around to read his expression.
He was confused for a moment before understanding sank in.
“I just got to daydreaming about it,” she explained in a rush, fidgeting with her fingers as she spoke. “Our own space, a private kitchen where you can cook me dinner every night,” she gave a shy but teasing smirk.
His lips turned up at the thought.
Her face fell, and she let out a breath. “I know it’s kind of a big step,” she said. “And if you don’t want to, it’s totally –”
“I want to,” he interrupted, smiling at her nervous rambling.
Her shoulders relaxed. “You do?”
He shook his head at the unnecessary question. “Of course.”
A hint of a smile momentarily touched her lips before the nerves returned. “Well, you should know that I’ve been looking into apartments near the school, and I don’t think we can afford much. I mean, they’re all really small, and some of them are downright nasty looking.”
Placing his hands on her hips, he asked, “Will you be there?”
She let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
“Then it’ll be perfect,” he said, pulling her into him again.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and settled into his chest, letting out a breath.
He gave the top of her head a kiss, looking out at the movement of the busy city. As if there were something magical about this very spot in Rockefeller Center, time stopped where they stood, just as it had before, and all the possibilities of the next few years of their future together raced through his mind.
His hands ran along the small of her back, and he thought back to that first night, sitting on the couch in their dorm lobby, struggling to see the movie on her laptop screen well enough, but not wanting to move closer to her. He smirked at the memory as he tightened his hold around her and breathed in the familiar scent of her hair.
Leaning his head down, closer to her ear, his pulse jumped as he whispered, “I love you.”