“My girl—you mean Claire? Wait, do you mean she's already gone?” Jamie felt a cold lump of dread form in the pit of her stomach at the thought. “I needed to say goodbye! Jesus, that was the whole point of tonight!”
“Uh, yeah, I think they left a couple minutes ago. No worries, though, you’ll see her tomorrow when you bring her car back to her, right?”
Jamie threw her hands up in the air. “Tomorrow? But I was supposed to say goodbye tonight. How did this get screwed up so badly?”
“Why are you saying goodbye to your girlfriend? Is she going somewhere?” Malcolm asked in confusion.
“She isn’t my girlfriend, Malcolm,” Jamie replied through gritted teeth. The cold in her stomach and the throbbing in her head were pushing her annoyance level to a record high. “And she’s never going to be,” she added, glancing at Paul. “She isn’t even into women, okay?”
“Nah, I don’t think that’s right.” Malcolm answered. “She was definitely into you. My gaydar never lies.”
“It’s true, Jay,” Paul interjected. “Malcolm’s uncanny. He just knows, like every time.”
“Well, not every time,” Malcolm replied modestly. “But usually. Like fifty percent of the time with guys, but I can almost always tell with girls.”
“Fifty percent?” Jamie spluttered. “Okay, first of all, gaydar is not a real thing. Period. But second, if it were, what good does it do if it only works half the time? Couldn’t you just, like, flip a coin or something?”
“Nah, it's not like that. Plus, it’s way more accurate with women,” Malcolm countered. “And with Claire, I’m like a hundred percent certain. Maybe more.”
“Maybe more?” Jamie muttered. “I guess I know why you’re an artist and not a statistician.”
“Yeah, well, I may not know statistics, but I do know that with that one, the odds are in your favor,” Malcolm said with a shrug. “She was definitely into you.” Malcolm tossed a set of car keys to Jamie. “Here. I said I’d give ‘em to you and tell you she has to check out at eleven.” With that, Malcolm rejoined the party in the adjoining room.
Jamie turned to look at her best friend. “Paul, what am I going to do?”
“Easy. Sleep in, skip work, show her the town.”
“And what about Jay?”
“You are Jay.”
“The other Jay, idiot. The one with the Y chromosome. You know, the one she thinks she’s moving here for.”
“What were you planning to do before?”
“Have him break up with her and then send him to Madagascar to study penguins.”
“You know, Jay, I think those penguins are only in the movie.”
Jamie stifled the urge to slap his shiny, bald head. “I don’t really care, Paul. I couldn't care less about penguins if I tried.”
“Right, Madagascar. Well it’s a plan, anyway. So go with it.” Paul shrugged. “And seriously, take the day off and spend time with her. See what happens. Your boss owes you a day off, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Jamie felt a flutter in her chest that felt strangely like hope. “I just don’t know! I was resigned to letting her go. Not happy, but resigned. Am I just setting myself up to be hurt?”
“Maybe, but you won’t know unless you try, right? Take tomorrow and make it the best day you’ve both ever had. Then at least you’ll know, right?”
Jamie nodded, remembering that brief glimmer of desire she thought she had seen in Claire's eyes in the lamp light. She felt the flutter again, stronger.
At least I'll know.
She sent a text to her boss to say she wouldn’t be coming in, then climbed the stairs to bed. The best day Claire had ever had—Jamie could do that. She knew everything about Claire already from their chats, her favorite foods and hobbies. She had more than enough material to work with in planning one perfect, magical day. Jamie thought about some of Boston’s highlights. A restaurant Claire would love. The view of the skyline from the harbor. She could almost picture how Claire’s face would light up when she saw it, and just imagining it brought a smile to Jamie’s lips. This really wasn’t much different from planning her own perfect day. The fact that they had so much in common was the whole reason Jamie’d been so convinced that Claire was the one. Was it crazy to hope that there might be a slight chance that it was true?
Jamie rubbed her temples and sighed. Despite her new found excitement, remnants of her headache lingered. Malcolm’s remarkable gaydar abilities aside, Jamie wasn’t convinced this plan would work. It went against reason. Claire obviously thought she was in love with Jay, so who was Jamie to say otherwise? Claire was a grown woman who should know what she wanted. And she wanted Jay. A sharp stab of jealousy hit her, followed by a drenching wave of shame. Even if Claire might consider dating a woman, she’d certainly want it to be the right woman. An exceptional woman. Not someone who would deceive her the way Jamie had. No, there was no way Jamie deserved to win after what she’d done. But at least after tomorrow she’d have a spectacular memory to look back on.
9
Jamie exited the hotel elevator on the third floor and stepped into a brightly lit hallway that smelled of cleaning products and fresh laundry. The sound of a vacuum in the distance suggested housekeeping was already busy cleaning the rooms of the early risers. As she approached Claire’s door, Jamie could see a Do Not Disturb sign hanging prominently from the doorknob. She put her ear to the door but couldn’t hear any sounds within. Jamie rapped her knuckles against the door with just enough force to be heard, yet hopefully lightly enough not to exacerbate the headache that Claire almost certainly woke up with this morning. If she was awake yet, that was.
Jamie heard a shuffling near the door and the sound of a bolt clicking, then the door inched open enough to reveal one squinting eye, and promptly shut again. Claire was awake, and didn't seem very happy about it. Jamie heard the scraping of a security chain and then the door reopened to reveal Claire, fully dressed but wearing a towel on her head, standing in a dark room.
“Good morning,” Jamie whispered. “I didn’t wake you did, I?”
Claire shook her head, wincing as she did. “Come in,” she whispered back. “I’m up, but I couldn’t take turning on a light so I showered and got dressed in the dark.”
Jamie rummaged in the large canvas tote slung over one shoulder and produced a bottle of pain relievers, which she held out for Claire. “For you,” she said. She dug through the bag again, this time pulling out a pair of size six gold pumps with four-inch heels. “And also yours, I believe. You must have left barefoot last night.”
Claire grimaced, taking both the pills and the shoes. She set the shoes on the rumpled bed, opened the bottle, and popped a couple pills into her mouth before responding. “I’m so sorry about that. I’m such a lightweight and those drinks went straight to my head. I can’t believe I left without my shoes! Or without saying goodbye,” she added, her eyes cast downward, clearly embarrassed. She pulled the towel from her head and ran her fingers through the damp curls.
“I almost didn’t bring the shoes back,” Jamie replied. “Not because I was mad at you for not saying goodbye or anything like that. I just figured you’d never want to see them again after what they did to your feet!” Jamie watched mesmerized as Claire raked her hair into a loose ponytail. Her fingers itched to brush against the soft curls at the base of Claire’s neck. She’d stared at them for an eternity as Claire slept against her last night, but hadn’t dared to touch.
Claire groaned, “You’re right, I don’t think I'll ever let those things near my feet again. I wonder if I should just leave them here.”
“It would free up more room in your luggage for souvenirs,” Jamie suggested.
“I didn’t buy any souvenirs,” Claire responded with a snort. “I didn’t have time to see the city at all. And I head back tonight, so I doubt I’ll have a chance.” She shook her head slowly. “Oh Jamie, this trip has been a disaster. The interview was awful and I know I don’t even have a chan
ce of getting the job. Jay is out of town—no, worse, he isn’t even on the same continent. My feet hurt. My head hurts…”
“Because you met some crazy woman who forced you to drink too much and get a hangover,” Jamie supplied.
“That’s about the only thing that made this trip at all fun,” Claire admitted. “Even if I’m paying for it now.”
“Fun, huh? Then maybe you’d like to have a little more fun and see some of the city with me before you go?”
“Thanks, but I’m sure you have better things to do than spend the day on the Freedom Trail with your coworker’s pen pal. Besides, don’t you need to work?”
“As it happens, I have the day off. And give me a little credit. I had something way more interesting than the Freedom Trail in mind for today.”
“Oh, really?” Claire asked, sounding intrigued.
“Of course. You do have some decent walking shoes, though, right? And you’re up to walking? Like, out in the daylight?”
Claire chuckled. “The pills are kicking in. I think I can manage.”
“Great! Then let’s get you checked out, drop your bag off with your car, and go see the city!”
The smell of exhaust mixed with the humid air as they walked out of the hotel's parking garage onto Huntington Avenue. Jamie hurried them across the street to the trees and reflecting pool that belonged to the Christian Science center. Dozens of children wearing bathing suits splashed in the fountain while men and women in business suits rushed past, some pausing to gaze at the reflection of the city and sky in the water, or to buy a cup of coffee from one of the food trucks lining the plaza. A massive stone building topped with a dome stood at the far end of the pool and Claire stopped to snap a picture as they passed.
“What is it, a church?” Claire asked, and Jamie nodded. “You’re taking me to church? Well, that’s certainly unexpected, I'll grant you that.”
Jamie laughed, “Not exactly. Yes, this building is a church, but that’s not where we’re headed. There’s a library on the other side of the square with—well, it’s hard to describe. But you’ll see when we get there.”
A few minutes later they were standing on a platform inside a sphere made entirely of glass. On its surface were painted in brilliant colors all of the continents and countries of the world. Claire’s mouth gaped open in awe as they walked to the center of the room.
“Look over there!” Jamie said, pointing to a spot on the map. “There’s Boston.”
“And there's Antarctica,” Claire added, pointing straight down. “It's so far away.”
Damn it. Jamie was not going to let Jay spoil their day. “Let’s find Portland,” she said, trying to draw Claire's attention back to the northern hemisphere.
“Wow, your voice is so loud!” Claire laughed and the sound rung back in her ears like a gong. “So is mine!”
“Yeah, the acoustics in here are crazy,” Jamie explained, lowering her voice as much as she could. “When you stand in the center, no matter how you talk, it’s like you’re shouting. And if you stand on one end of the platform and I stand on the other and whisper, you could hear me loud and clear just like I was whispering in your ear.”
“Really? Show me!” Claire skipped ahead on the platform until she reached the far side.
Jamie stood at the other side and whispered, “Hello, Claire!” Claire giggled as the message was received, and the sweet sound of it rang in Jamie’s ears like her own private symphony.
Back outside in the plaza, the smell of food surrounded them as a crowd of hungry workers lined up outside the trucks for the start of the lunch rush.
“You hungry?” Jamie asked.
“Starving,” Claire replied.
“If you really can’t wait we could grab something here, but if you don’t mind hopping on the T, I know a really great place.”
Claire nodded in agreement, her broad grin a sign that she was relishing the day’s adventures and up for whatever else Jamie had in store. They took the T to Government Center and made their way through the midday crowd at Quincy Market. Their numbers thinned as Claire and Jamie approached a narrow cobblestone alley lined with late eighteenth century buildings. Since it was not nearly wide enough to fit a car, walking along this street was like walking back in time.
“It’s like an old street in London!” Claire said.
Jamie smiled at her excitement. She pushed open the door to what appeared to be a pub and stepped inside. Claire followed, stopping suddenly. Jamie knew she'd been taken by surprise at the interior that greeted them.
“Mexican food?” Claire asked. “I thought it would be fish and chips or bangers and mash or something. I can’t believe it! Mexican food is my favorite.”
Jamie, who had learned this in a chat several weeks before, tried to look surprised. “This is probably the best restaurant in Boston,” Jamie said. “It’s a real hidden gem. They make their own tortillas and homemade tamales and everything.”
“Oh my God, tamales? My Aunt Marisol used to make homemade tamales every Christmas. I lived with her after my parents died,” she explained. “She was really big on tradition and she would spend days making hundreds of tamales before Christmas. I have to try them. They smell just like hers.”
Jamie was thrilled. She had chosen this place because she thought Claire would like it, and because it was close to the next stop on her list. She’d had no idea about Claire’s family traditions. “Okay, we’ll order the tamales, but let’s get them to go. There’s someplace else I wanted you to see.” They left the alley a little while later with a bag of steaming tamales, chatting as they walked.
“So, how did you become an English professor?” Jamie inquired.
“What, you don't think most girls who grow up with tamales on Christmas end up as English professors?”
“No, I didn't mean it like that,” Jamie backtracked, afraid she’d offended Claire with the question.
Claire laughed. “It's okay. My father's whole side of the family is still mystified by me. But my mom's family was from England, and she was a high school English teacher. My dad was a biology professor at Lovejoy College, so I grew up knowing I wanted to teach there.” Claire sighed. “After yesterday’s interview, I’m beginning to think Lovejoy only hired me out of pity because they remembered my dad.”
“The interview couldn't have been that bad. I’m sure you’re an excellent professor.”
“Thanks, but I'm not even much more than an adjunct, and those are a dime a dozen. And the interview was awful.” Claire shuddered. “The woman who met with me kept talking about all the candidates she’d seen, and the fancy schools they’d attended. They'd all done work in England. And here I’ve only been to London once, and just for a conference. Have you ever been?”
“To England? Uh, yeah. I did my graduate work there,” Jamie mumbled.
“That’s so funny. Jay did, too,” Claire replied. “What a coincidence. Well, I won’t lie, I’m definitely jealous. What did you study?”
“Environmental science. There was a university in Norfolk that was doing a lot of cutting edge climate change research.”
“I wanted to do a semester abroad, but my aunt said no.”
“Was she really strict, your aunt?”
“Yeah, you could say that. She's my great aunt, actually, so she's pretty old. She’s really traditional. She took us to mass every Sunday, that kind of thing. She was always reminding me that since my parents were gone, everything I did reflected on how they had raised me.”
“That’s awful! Talk about a lot of pressure for a kid.” Jamie shook her head. Aunt Marisol sounded like a tough old bird. “I don’t know, it seems manipulative, like she was just trying to get you to do what she wanted.”
“You think so? I never thought about it like that.” Claire was silent for a moment. “Manipulative. Yeah, maybe it was. I never realized that until now.”
Jamie led Claire into the lobby of a nearby office building and waved in greeting as they passed the secur
ity desk. She stopped in front of the elevator bank and pushed the call button. The elevator doors opened and Jamie swiped an access card that she took from her pocket, pressing the button for the top floor. It was clearly labeled Restricted Access.
“Um, Jamie? Where are we going?” Claire asked.
Jamie smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see. Trust me.”
When the doors opened they stepped out into a glass enclosure, beyond which was a fantasy world of lush trees, flowering bushes, and winding gravel path.
“It’s a secret garden!” Claire exclaimed, her smile growing wide with delight.
“Actually, it’s part of a rooftop garden initiative to combat climate change. They're all over the city,” Jamie explained. “Most of them are working farms that grow organic produce for local restaurants. There’s even one at Fenway Park. But this one is my favorite.”
Claire looked around, clearly entranced. “But it’s so beautiful. And it's completely empty! How did you even know this was here?” She narrowed her eyes at Jamie, looking suspicious. “And why do you have a key card to get in?”
“I was on the advisory committee. I mostly deal with ocean research, but this was a side project that a friend of mine got me into. Anyway, it’s not officially open to the public right now, but all the advisers were given keys.” As she explained, Jamie sat on a bench under a tree and began arranging their picnic.
“I’ll bet you bring all the girls here,” Claire said, looking up at Jamie with what could only be described as a coquettish grin.
Jamie wasn't sure what to make of it. Is Claire flirting? If it were any other woman, Jamie would definitely consider this flirting, but with Claire she wasn’t sure. Claire was straight. At least, she was supposed to be, no matter what Paul and Malcolm said. And she wanted so badly for Claire to be flirting with her that she could easily be imagining it. “So, I guess our friend Malcolm filled you in on a few things last night, huh?” Jamie studied Claire's face carefully. “He confessed this morning that he’d outed me. So, that’s okay?”
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